Hello! Welcome! Thank you for visiting.
My name is Elisha but all the most important people in my life have always called me Lishy. I am a lover of all things creative and crafty. I tend to look at the world from a "how can I make my own version of that" point of view. I love putting a personal touch on all my little projects, even though that often means I "do things the hard way".
I have always enjoyed crafting and have always had a little pipe dream of a shop of my own where my little creations could turn a modest profit. Though I've piddled here and there over the years with various projects, I lacked the confidence to actually try to make that dream a reality. However, it is amazing how quickly a lack of confidence can turn into a leap of faith when you throw in a bit of necessity.
In 2021 my circumstances changed and I found that I needed to do something extra to make ends meet. I looked at dozens of part time job postings wondering if there was some way I could muster the energy to stand on my feet and flip burgers or wait tables after a full day at the library. But with fibromyalgia, arthritis, PCOS, and iron deficiency anemia the answer seemed to be a resounding NO.
One evening, while I was sitting sewing and worrying as usual, I decided I needed to finally make these hobbies work for me. I went to my craft closet and assessed what I had to work with. I started googling and making lists. Before I realized it I had created an Etsy shop and gotten myself all set up to start Lishy's Needle-n-Brush.
I chose that name because I couldn't settle on any one particular product. The narrowest niche I could commit to was handmade. I like trying my hand at a little bit of everything. I've been known to call myself a Jane-of- all-trades, which is legit since Jane is my middle name. I have lots of hobbies. I sew. I embroider. I paint. I draw. I craft. etc. etc. So, I combined them all into one brand and summed it all up with my two most common tools... a needle and a brush.
Starting a small business out of your living room with limited space and funds presents its challenges. My greatest struggle though is in recognizing that I am not my target audience. To look at my products and see their value through the lens of those who cannot or do not have the time and/or interest to create them for themselves. To realize that I have to be fair to myself in order for this to accomplish its purpose of helping to make ends meet.
My one bedroom apartment doubles as my work space. There is literally a little something going on in every room, but I make it work. I have a desk set up in the corner or the living room where I can sit to paint, draw, craft, or set up my sewing machine. The couch serves as a great spot for sitting to work on hand sewn projects. I have dedicated the coat closet to housing craft supplies, some of which over flow into a tote in the bedroom. The desk in my bedroom doubles as a computer desk and a place to set up all my paint bottles. One corner of my bedroom is where all the finished craft products are organized and stored waiting for their forever homes. Packaging and shipping supplies can be found stored in the corner of my laundry room.
Of course, I dream of a space that can be dedicated solely to my crafting and set up just the way I would like it to be. For now, though, this is what I'm working with.
