From fishing tackle jewelry to dryer sheet sun catchers and soda can tab sweatshirts, Vivian Peritts' crafts made from everyday household items helped launch her career in crafting. Peritts, owner of Vivian's Originals, joins host Carol Duvall in studio to share the story of her success.
With a desire to be a stay-at-home mom, Peritts quit her job as an art teacher but still wanted a way to bring in a little extra cash. She soon started making and selling soft sculture dolls, which she sold at craft fairs and stores.
Peritts' next venture became making embellished fabric belts. From there she began creating crafts from almost everything that would sit still, including dryer sheets and fishing lures. Soon, Peritts' crafts got national exposure on a television craft show, and she met numerous other craft designers on the show who showed her how to succeed in the crafting business. Peritts also joined the Society of Craft Designers, through which she met craft magazine publishers, manufacturers and other experts in the business. From there, she learned new ways to work with manufacturers and began writing books.
Working for manufacturers, Peritts' job was to find creative ways to utilize the manufacturer's product. For example, she created a footstool as a challenge to find a new way to utilize a glue gun. She also made a hooked rug from felt as a project for a felt company. "It's the challenge for me to find the project that hasn't been on that product yet," she says, "so I have to look for something unusual and some different way to use the project that makes it appealing."
Through the manufacturers, Peritts began writing articles about her projects for various magazines. She has also contributed articles to books about several different art and craft mediums and has written books of her own. Her association with manufacturers has been key to helping Peritts branch out. "You form a relationship between you and the manufacturer that really helps both of you," she says. Finding new crafting ventures regularly, Peritts has yet to find out what else she'll do next as she says, "we'll just wait and see."
Guests Vivian Peritts
Author / Designer, Vivian's Originals
E-mail:
vperitts@earthlink.net
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