Meeting the Makers: Justine of lovemaki

Gorgeous design, ethereal pictures, and beautiful products=Sunday goodness from Justine of lovemaki! Justine stops by to offer us a peek into her busy life as a mama, artist and business woman, something I know many OMHG readers can relate to.  A visit to the lovemaki shop instantly transports us to a dreamy world filled with soft light and handmade sweetness for little ones (and their big ones too). Justine has created a lovely curated space to showcase her designs and I am so happy for the chance to share her loveliness with you!

lovemaki started when I, (like a lot of other mothers-to-be) began searching the web for furniture and decor for my first child. These searches introduced me to some of my favourite blogs today and the sheer assortment of products out there for a child. Needless to say, I was inspired. I decided to make an ABC poster and a numbers print (which you can find in the shop) for him. I also made a mobile for him, which is probably my most favourite thing I’ve made, to date.  Over a year after he was born, and some factors later, I decided to launch a shop on Etsy.

It has really been a slow progression. My photos and branding in the very beginning certainly didn’t look the way they look now. There’s been quite an improvement and there’s room for more. Apart from designing and making the things that go in the shop, I’m also the photographer, and web & graphic designer. So getting things done, you can imagine, can take quite a while. It’s also challenging for me as I’ve never been one to be organized with my time, or just simply be organized. Things can get a bit overwhelming, since a lot of the times, ideas are constantly running in my head – whether it be for a new product, or how to style a product, and a whole lot of things. It’s like, ‘where do I even start?!’

There is a lot of trial and error that came when starting my own business. It hasn’t been easy and it’s constantly a learning curve for me.

One would think! My initial “studio” space was actually in the basement which lacked natural light. I have since moved my sewing machine to a corner in my bedroom (which is also the location for my product shoots, due to the fact that it’s the only place that gets washed with beautiful natural light in the morning). I mix my corner up a bit by frequently changing the images taped on the wall, depending on what inspires me at the moment. Sometimes, I like to leave it blank.

To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out a balance. My son is with me throughout the whole day, and so trying to find time to do any work is challenging. For most of the time, I work on lovemaki in the middle of the night when he is sleeping. I squeeze in time to answer e-mails while he’s busy and content playing on his own – though I have been tempted to send e-mails at 3 in the morning;)

Luckily, he enters kindergarten this September, so I am very much looking forward to that!

I am definitely planning new products. I recently started to offer my photographic prints. I’ve also expanded the shop and created scarves for little ones that are hand-dyed and hand-printed. I’m always dreaming up of new things for lovemaki, so expect the shop to expand.
I’ve also just updated my website, which I’m pretty happy about. In terms of other projects, I’ve recently started taking clients for photography. I’ll be photographing my first wedding this March, so that’s an adventure in itself! 🙂