5 Questions: for your delicious bundle

Last Monday Amanda of Afterthebump featured TMCPhoto and PeanutButterPie in the premier edition of her If I Had Money Monday on her blog. I was pretty excited to be the first feature in this series and I'm looking forward to see how it progresses.

Amanda is an avid crocheter and the adorable hats and bags in her shop are a testament to this statement. There is nothing more important to a Mommy on chilly outdoor walks than a good hat; and a cute hat that also keeps little ears and heads warm is an added bonus. In addition to hats Amanda also creates wall art and the most attractive newborn to toddler headbands I have ever seen. I'm not big on headbands on teeny little babies but these, I would dress any little one in no questions asked. I only wish I'd been an Etsian when my daughter was tiny so I could have photographed her in the Royal Gerbera Daisy headband. I may order one for my next baby portrait session.

After The Bump isn't just for baby, there are items from newborn to preteen and even a section for moms with useful and stylish totes bags and handbags. All the items in After The Bump are made using fresh and stylish colours; and here's the kicker for those of you in the US, this month Amanda is offering free shipping on all her items through may 2009.

Amanda and After the bump can be found on Etsy at afterthebump.etsy.com. You can read her Blog; After the Bump, send her tweets on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook or become her friend on MySpace.



What got you started?

I learned how to crochet at a very young age, but I really started doing something with it when my baby boy was born in October. I quit my full-time job a few weeks before he came, not thinking I would need to find work again. My delivery was a bit unconventional and my little man had to spend some time in the NICU, so he and I racked up quite the medical bill. In order to put a dent in things, I thought it time, once again, to go back to work. My main priority will always be to stay home with my baby, so creating my shop, After the Bump, made perfect sense. Of course, my three sales haven’t done much to curb the bill, but it’s a start. A very, very, very small start.



What is your favourite tool, material to work with and why?
My favorite tools are my K, N, and P crochet needles because they give my pieces that chunky textured look. My favorite material is 100% cotton Lily Sugar ‘n Cream yarn. I love the vibrant colors and the versatility it provides. I can use it to make beanies, dishrags, and everything in between.

Who has influenced your work the most?

I don’t think I could pick just one person. Of course, my own delicious bundle inspires me every day. I look at him and my mind is opened to all the possibilities for babies everywhere. My closest friends and family have been channeling their ideas my way since I opened shop. That has really helped me to come up with my own ideas. Theirs may not make a lot of sense, but then I think about them, tweak them a bit, and I’ve got a new creation. And of course my husband. I still believe he thinks my shop is just another one of my whims, which will eventually fade away into nothing. But he still supports me, bless his heart.



What has surprised you most about selling your creations online?

Wow. What hasn’t surprised me. Occasionally I’ll browse Etsy for shops like my own (gotta scope out the competition) to see which items they’ve been selling and why some shops are more successful than others. I think I am most surprised by the originality and talent that surrounds me. The most unlikely creations are those that seem to sell the best. Because of this, I am trying to think outside the box a bit more. Not really a strong point of mine, but something I am continually working on late into the night (or should I say morning).

Which Children's book character would you be and why?

After much thought and consideration, I would be Angelina the mouse in the Angelina Ballerina series by Katharine Holabird. I remember wanting to dance just like her when I read the books. I loved her tutus and her pretty ballerina shoes. I suppose I could come up with some inspiring analogy of how Angelina’s dreams to become a prima ballerina inspired me to take dance classes and now, at the age of 24, I am a prima ballerina. But really, I just enjoyed the books.