An Entrepreneur is Born!

Ever since she was little, Nikki has shown an entrepreneurial spirit.  When she was 10, she began making really cute hairbows and posted them on my fledgling Etsy site.  While having a big time with all kinds of fabulous ribbons, she made herself a little profit while getting a taste of what you can do with energy,  artistic talent and drive. After making the bows for our school cheer squad for 2 years, and making a killing off her no longer adored American Girl dolls, Nikki continued to hone her artistic skills by drawing and excelling at school projects.


Fast forward to 13 and Nikki is at it again. From her broadcast news position at school, she brought in different coffee mugs to enhance the set.  With a revised look for the set, the cups came home and Nikki had an upcycling inspiration------playful pincushions made from the cups.  After all, why should all pincushions be red, stuffed with hard sand material and made in China?

She started by deciding on a name- Corky Red Curls- and creating the logo above.  Perfect for her and the whimsical nature of her creations.  She procured an new email address and began working on her Etsy website, so she would have a venue to sell her fun items.  One of the first cups---cows paired with a fabulous checkerboard silk topper-- is shown at left.  Wouldn't this pincushion make you smile?

She soon moved past the cups that had once adorned the broadcast studio to other objects like this strawberry bowl.  A larger pincushion could hold more and might work better for a serious seamstress.
















The next one she made- I Like Mike- is my favorite.  Made from a baby food monster bowl, it is my favorite color palette. (Not to mention that it's black and white pin part looks like Jef's hair from the Bachelorette!)

And finally, a few more.  A sly fox (called Swiper after Dora the Explorer), a wise old owl and a steaming cup of espresso joined the group.  She's had a lot of fun being original and artistic.

With some imagination, careful thrifting and a lot of rummaging in my studio for leftover material, Nikki struck gold----and created some cool pincushions.