Monday, May 1, 2017

Meet the Maker: Emma Blumel of Emmaflhair

Happy Monday! And Happy May! I'm SO excited to be sharing another maker in my "Meet the Maker" series, Emma Blumel of Emmaflhair. I first became aware of Emma after this collab that she did with my boss lady Jen over at Something Turquoise. I have since fallen in love with her brand and her fun colorful style, between her hair ties, hair tutorials, and flawless calligraphy, she is quite the boss babe! 

Tell me a little bit about yourself...

Hello Babes!
I am Emma Blumel. I live in the PNW with my husband and our two mastiff dogs. I love to bake, host dinners at the house, go for hikes, travel, renovating our vintage home and of course craft! I recently have been helping other curators with their small businesses and launching my new calligraphy line (another favorite hobby) to add to things I love to do! I love meeting new people - I am so glad to be here! 

What is it that you make and how did you get started?

I am the face behind Emmaflhair. I sell hair ties, handmade party favors and accessories since 2010 on Etsy and launched my own website - Emmaflhair.com in 2016. I started Flhair in 2009 after being bored with my corporate job (I sold and designed ads for a magazine based out of Seattle). I craved something creative that I could design for myself and others. I took the leap to pursue all things Flhair and made it my full-time business in 2014. Since then Flhair has been featured on Glamour.com, partnered with the Daytime Emmy Awards, Contemporary Brides Magazine, Somethingturquoise.com, Brit+Co, Buzzfeed - just to name a few! I could go on about Flhair for several more paragraphs, it is my hobby and passion - sooooo this would be a good time to move to the next question. You can learn more about me and all things flhair on our Instagram + email list!
Loves: Besides the family and puppers? Hair Ties (most def), Crafting, Outdoors, Travel, Roller Coasters, Hanging out with Friends and Family.
Hates: Okay, maybe not a hate but I suck at sitting around. If you were to see me on a Friday night - I would be sitting in bed with the dogs and my hubs, we would be watching a movie and I would be doodling or making something. I need to be better at it but hey, there is always room for improvement. Right now for tax season, I hate doing my taxes. Also when you paint your nails and then only mess up one of them, I do hate that too.

Guilty Pleasures: I use a lot of dry shampoo - probably an embarrassing amount - ha. My two favorites are Living Proof and Eva Hair NYC. I probably eat at restaurants too much - it is one of my hubs and my favorite thing to do during the week/end to try out new places and a few of our go-to favorites. FUN FACT: Spokane has one of the highest amount of restaurants per the population than any other city its size in the US.

Cocktail of Choice: I used to work at a martini bar while going to school and briefly lived in Walla Walla (Washington's largest wine area). I have had my share of boozy concoctions. Since wine doesn't count - It would have to be a Sofia Loren - it is a shim cocktail that is light on alcohol and heavy on flavor!
Here is the recipe:
Sophia Loren Shim 
2 oz Aperol
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz bourbon (to qualify as low-alcohol a drink cannot contain more than 1/2 oz of an 80-proof or higher spirit)
4 dashes rhubarb bitters
Method: Chill an old fashioned glass. Shake ingredients with ice, then pour without straining into glass. Garnish with two lemon peels rolled together to create a flower.

What advice to you have for fellow makers?

I have lots of advice for other makers, again probably too much for a "meet the maker" but I would say put in the effort to find something you can do that others don't have currently. I found my niche product not from copying others (totally guilty of this at first) it only worked temporarily. When I found my niche items it helped kick my part-time business into full-time. Last piece of advice is to start small and work your way up. I used Etsy to build up my business enough to move into my own website. My first year in business brought in $300 and my second year was $1000. Most would be discouraged but it changed so much and has evolved into a profitable income for me where I can express artistic freedom and work my own hours. If you're a maker, I want that for you and support you entirely - we are all in this community together and could use more encouragement and advice! 
I want to personally thank Emma for being a part of this Meet the Maker series! Not only did she agree to be featured, she also offered to throw in a giveaway item! One lucky reader will snag themselves one of these adorable "Suns Out Buns Out" hair tie sets! To be entered, simply leave a comment saying why you'd like to win! And that's it! Pretty easy right?
Be sure to check out Emma on her website // Facebook // YouTube // Instagram // Etsy.

And don't forget to tune in next week, I'll be featuring Nik of Wasting Thyme!

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