Featured Artist HippiesCreations

As a mom myself, I have such respect for moms everywhere, but one in particular just made my jaw drop! This lady was born in Frankfurt, Germany and now lives in Central Virginia. Due to financial issues at home when she way young she found herself in foster care at the age of 2. As she moved through the foster system, Petra found strength in crafting.

Petra is a single mom of 4 boys ages 19, 17, 14 and 8; the youngest of whom is a special needs child who has endured 3 liver transplants in 3 years.  Due to his constant medical issues, Petra has worked her schedule so that she can be a constant caregiver to her son.  She describes herself as a full time mom, artist, freelance desktop publisher and bookkeeper.  She also owns a brick and mortar shop where she represents 35 local artists….a woman with a mission after my own heart; family and creating.  Because her shop is close to her home, she is able to care for her son without having to hire a nurse.  Still not impressed?  Well, while her children were young she managed to earn her Bachelors in Accounting and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling!

Petra has a wide variety of talents, most of which she self taught.  Everything from crochet clothing (even designing her patterns herself) and pyrography (wood burning) to writing is fair game.  Basically, if it catches her eye,Petrawill dive in and teach herself to do it.

Petra learned the basics of crochet in school but really got hooked, no pun intended, when she was 17.  She began with Afghans and doilies but has taken her art so much farther than that.  After her youngest son was born, she found that she had run out of people to give her work to!  The solution; HippiesCreations was born.  She began selling at a Farmer’s Market but found it challenging to balance her children, store and the market.  In order to maintain her balance,Petra began selling her creations online where she can work from home in her PJs and have her coffee.

HippiesCreations has found love in creating but readily admits that it is a tough job that requires dedication, determination and motivation.  She says that she has found working for herself harder than working for someone else in that she puts in longer hours and have to self motivate to keep going when other obligations are calling and to market yourself.  Despite the challenges, Petra says that there is no greater feeling in the world than making a living at something you love to do.

So, get set to see just what an amazing mom and business woman can create with a hook and yarn.  She is easy to find on HandmadeArtists.com as well as on Etsy and Artfire (told you she was busy!).  You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter as well as see what an amazing son she has on her blog dedicated to his journey.

Tags: artisan, baby, buy handmade, clothes, Creative Handmade Artisans, crochet, handcrafted, Handmade, Handmade Products

Posted in Featured Vendor, Handmade, Handmade Artisans