One of the stores our shopping script buys packages from is Julie Collings (Instagram @julie_collings). She sells vintage products and beautiful handmade items.

Julie described for us how her story began…

“I was teaching school during the day and all the while dreaming about making pretty things…. I sketched designs and collected vintage fabrics. I tucked away lovely crepe paper folds and piles of vintage hats covered in millinery flowers. My collection of wonderful vintage supplies was growing at an alarming rate.

Then one day at an artist sale I found a cool hand lettered wood sign that said ‘Live What You Love’ and I decided right then {after buying the sign} that is what I would do, it would be my goal to make pretty things every day.

I bought a new camera, took a class to figure out how to use it and then opened my Etsy shop.

I still remember the first item I listed on Etsy. It was a pink wool zipper purse I made with the softest pink wool and a vintage zipper from my collection. When I sold that pink purse and sent it out into the world to my first customer it was all wrapped up in pretty tissue and ribbons and I knew then it was just the beginning for me and my shop.

For a while I taught school during the day and worked in my shop on the weekends, but pretty soon I realized it was time, I was ready to take the leap….

That was the year I quit teaching school and I started working full time in my shop.

Today my kitchen counters are covered with newly dyed silk velvet, bottle brush trees, and crepe paper garlands set out to dry. I spend my mornings sewing ruffles on the sewing machine my dad gave me in high school and my afternoons packing up boxes to mail all over the world. “