If you spend much time reading design blogs or browsing Etsy you have surly seen the gorgeous wares of Knot & Bow on display! Erin does a superb job of filling her shop with the loveliest things!
Q. Hello Erin! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi Jessica! I live with my husband and son in Brooklyn, New York. I’m originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and bopped around a bit for school – but have always been drawn to this city. I have a background in art and design, and a Master’s in Arts Administration. I had been working for nonprofit arts organizations for a few years when I got pregnant and decided to stay home with my son. Almost immediately, I knew I wanted to do something extra with my time at home, and that’s how Knot & Bow was born! Though it’s a bit of a departure from where I thought I would be right now, I couldn’t be happier – and it’s really the perfect marriage of both my creative and administrative sensibilities. Other than that boring business-y stuff, I love to bake, drink beer, and cozy up with my family!
Q. Your shop is so inspiring! It makes me want to put down the coffee and get crafting! How do you approach curating your shop?
I spend a lot of time researching, shopping, hemming, and hawing to curate my shop. In the beginning, I got really lost in trying to pin down the basics that would formulate the core look for my shop. Now I’m always trying to add more while still maintaining a sense of continuity. It’s difficult – there are so many beautiful things out there, and I am horribly indecisive! I try my best to view the shop as a potential customer, looking for the holes in the stock and trying to imagine what might make the shop better.
Q. What’s your favorite item to work with?
I think that would have to be paper. I feel the most comfortable with paper, and I love how accessible and forgiving it can be. My favorite thing to do is probably collage – I could cut and glue paper forever and never get sick of it. These days I honestly spend the most time crafting at my son’s arts and craft classes. He’s 18 months, so he doesn’t really get it yet, but I go all crazy and hoard piles of tissue paper and glitter and popsicle sticks and go to town making killer crafts “from” my son to bring home to my husband.
Q. What’s a normal day like for you?
It’s been changing all the time, as the traffic in my shop changes. Now my son is in child care a lot more than he used to be, so I get time alone a few days a week to just work – it’s an incredible change after only working in the evenings and during nap time!
As soon as he goes to school in the morning, I drink several cups of coffee, catch up on convos and emails, and prepare my task list for the day. I restock any items that are sold out from the shop and then get to packing and shipping orders. I also try to spend some time each day working on new or side projects – right now that means getting my proper website and blog set up and reaching out to potential wholesale customers. Most days I make a stop at the Post Office with my son, and then dedicate the rest of the afternoon to good old fashioned fun with him, if I can.
Every night and weekend day, I work really hard to keep the stock in the shop up, which is a nonstop battle that I am working on streamlining. I work as late as I can though, so that on the days that my son is not in child care, I can go out and have tons of fun with him in this amazing city of ours! Running this business and being a mom is way more than a full time job, so I struggle a lot with “turning it off” when there is always something to be done!
Q. What inspires you most of all?
There is SO much inspiration out there these days. I’m inspired daily by my surroundings in New York, and of course by the constant stream of amazing and beautiful things that I see online every day. I’m kind of addicted to Pinterest, which is an endless source of inspiration for me. In terms of the shop, and unexpected source of inspiration has been the customers – I LOVE hearing about what people are doing with Knot & Bow products!
If you need a few ideas for how to use your knot & Bow lovelies check out this gorgeous post over at Design*Sponge!
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