A little about us!

Posted by Janice East on August 1, 2022

Hey Y’all! We’ve had a few questions lately and lots of new faces, so let me introduce myself and answer a few of those questions.

•I’m Janice East. 11 1/2 years ago, I started this as a Etsy shop that I managed at night/weekends, while I worked full time at a flower shop. This coming Christmas will mark 8 years of being self employed and this has grown so much more than I ever imagined.

•I was one of the first to make a burlap and lace wedding bouquet on Etsy and that’s all I did for several years. I have 40+ colors of burlap and have shipped to all 50 states and multiple countries.

•I have a 1959 vintage camper, “Miss Gussie” that we use for some of our events. I thought Yamboree 2015 was a one time show, but we left there with an invitation to do another show and it’s kept going from there. We participate in some local market events during the year and will have several fall events. (Mark your calendar’s for September 24!)

•We have expanded to have our own website {www.GypsyFarmGirl.shop} plus our Etsy shop (although I’m not adding much new stuff to Etsy.)

•I knew when I left the flower shop, I would have to diversify beyond burlap and lace, I just didn’t know it would be clothing and printing. We've also had some antique store booths and shows along the way.

•We make all the shirts you see in our shops. I’ve taught myself about graphics, building websites, and pretty much everything it takes to run my business. This year we’ve added stickers, earrings, tumblers, water bottles, glass cutting boards, recipe towels, ornaments, and more.

•We have a large selection of our tee shirts in P20 / Nan’s place on the square in our hometown of Gilmer, TX. (Name is changing to Nan’s, but it’s still the same friendly faces located at 100 Davis St.)

•Almost a year ago, I rented the back room of P20 and created a workshop there. So we have our boutique items in the front and create in the back. We love having a dedicated work space, although we still work from home some. There’s a huge Live Gilmer mural painted on the side of our building and my side door is in the mural or you’re welcome to come in the front door. That's my door and my workshop is behind that Texas!

•Last September, my niece Brenna, started helping me tag shirts getting ready for the fall run and she now helps a few days a week. Prior to that, it was mostly a one woman show. Jeff helps with some things and we will let any of the kids that hang out tag shirts or model!

•When I left the flower shop, I didn’t intend to do fresh flowers, but you ask and referred me to your friends, so I do freelance floral design. I don’t keep flowers on hand all the time, but can get them for events, funerals, or weddings.

•Each day, I create motivational, inspiring, or fun graphics for our pages.

•We love to repurpose and have a very rustic gazebo (that was literally pulled from a trash ditch) and garden. It’s how many of you have found us! I did a tutorial on planting in a Rusty Bottomless Bucket and it got featured by some big bloggers and was a hit on Pinterest. Still my top blog post at www.GypsyFarmGirl.net

•It’s a lot, my schedule is crazy, and there’s never a time when there’s not something to do, but somehow it all works out! You’ll never hear me say “I’m bored.” Some of my customers were recently told I wasn’t a “real shop.” I may not work a traditional 9-5 way, but let me reassure you, we are very real. Everything has been built from the ground up - I didn’t even use my last name, city, or promote on Facebook for years, as I built all of this on social media. I believe in a strong work ethic, dedication, taking care of customers, and love getting to make pretty things for all of you.