We’re thrilled to introduce you to the whimsical world of The Joyful Bloom, where Nicki’s passion for felt flowers comes to life. From her home studio in Schaumburg, IL, Nicki crafts stunning felt flowers and personalized decor pieces that bring joy to her customers’ lives. Nicki discovered the art of felt flowers in 2016 and hasn’t looked back. Today, her shop showcases the beauty of handmade goods, from bestselling monogram headband holders to custom floral wood letters. Through a series of questions, we got to know Nicki and a bit more about The Joyful Bloom.
Briefly Tell us about yourself:
I live in the Chicago suburbs with my husband and twin boys. I was born with the creative itch! My grandma was very crafty with quilting, sewing, and crocheting. My mom sews, and one thing I’ll never forget is all the work she put into my awesome Halloween costumes as a kid. I loved them all! So, it’s safe to say my creativity is in my genes! Over the years, I have tried many crafts, some of which include cross-stitch, friendship bracelets, beaded jewelry, and stamping/card making. I made cards for about 15 years and had a few published in Paper Crafts magazine. That was an exciting achievement for me! When I’m not creating, I love Yoga, exercising, cooking, listening to and watching true crime podcasts and TV shows, watching my boys play sports, traveling, and spending quality time with my family.
Is there a story behind your Shop Name?
I thought long and hard about what to name my shop. The “Bloom” part is self-explanatory since I make flowers. Overall, I wanted a positive and uplifting name. Since making things by hand brings me so much joy, and I strive to bring joy to my customers with my products, I decided on The Joyful Bloom.
How did you get started making felt flowers?
I make felt flowers and use them to create decor pieces and hair accessories. In 2016, I came across some amazing felt flower artists on Instagram and was so in awe of their work! I knew immediately that I just HAD to learn how to make them, and shortly after that, one of the artists started teaching online classes. Right away, I enrolled; as they say, the rest is history!
Is this your full-time business?
This is currently a part-time business for me. I worked as a Graphic Designer for 11 years and left that job to stay home with my boys when they were born in 2013. When they started kindergarten, I opened my shop (on another online platform). I love having the ability to make my own hours and be available for my kids when they need me.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Color inspires me so much! I have always been obsessed with rainbows and bright, bold colors. It could be a painting, fabric, surface pattern, nature, etc. When I observe these things, the creativity seems to flow easily, and I just can’t wait to implement my new ideas!
Where do you create?
My craft room is the smallest bedroom in my home. I have a nice-sized L-shape work table, but is any size table truly big enough for a maker/artist?! 😉 I am still always looking for a place to put things, and purging and reorganizing the room is a regular occurrence!
My husband and I worked together to create a storage solution for my felt. I call it my felt wall. It has been one of the best space-saving things I’ve done for the room! I also have some IKEA shelving and drawers that store supplies, tools, and crafty things just for fun.
I also use other rooms in my home to do computer work and shipping, painting for my wood pieces, and the driveway for cutting and sanding wood boards for my headband holders. My husband gladly helps me with that, and I’m very grateful!
Explain your creative process:
When a new idea comes to me, I either add it to a spreadsheet I created to keep track of my many, many ideas, or I will sketch it in a notebook with written details and callouts of techniques, colors, sizes, etc. For most of my designs, I use shapes that I cut out using my manual die-cutting machines. They are steel rule dies with different geometric, leaf, and flower petal shapes. Using hot glue, I assemble the shapes differently to make different kinds of flowers. When I create new items, I write down the “recipe”– which dies, felt colors, and other details so I can refer to it when an order arrives.
What is your favorite product to make?
My favorite is the large floral wood letters. I rarely have a letter order that is an exact duplicate of one I’ve made before, so it keeps things interesting. I love seeing the end result each and every time. With 6 wood colors, 2 sizes, 26 letters, and an option for custom felt flower colors, there is much opportunity for customization and unique letters! I truly love working with both the felt and wood. The contrast of the fiber and wood is really beautiful!
What is your most popular product?
My personalized monogram headband holders have been my best-selling item. I am very proud of the design (it has had a few iterations over the years), and every time I make one, I am so happy with the final outcome! My customers seem to really like being able to customize the felt flowers to match the colors of their nursery.
Why did you choose to sell on goimagine?
As I am always looking to grow my business, I felt it was time to expand my online reach and open a shop on another platform. I had heard of goimagine but wasn’t very familiar with it. After listening to some interviews with Jon Lincoln and reading feedback from other goimagine sellers, I was excited to join the community. You can tell Jon has such a passion for handmade and giving to children in need, so it was a no-brainer for me. I’ve loved being a part of the community, and I am excited to see the growth ahead for goimagine and its sellers.
Is there anything else that makes you or your shop unique?
The ability to customize flowers to match decor or clothing. I make it easy for my customers to customize their order by having them send me photos of the item they are trying to match, and I choose the felt colors that work best.
Where else can we find The Joyful Bloom?
My two-year goal is to get my products into brick-and-mortar stores, but for now, you can find me on social media:
Instagram: @thejoyfulbloom
Facebook: @thejoyfulbloom
Check out the full selection of Joyful Bloom products at goimagine.com/thejoyfulbloom
Stephanie is naturally creative and is passionate about art, design, and everything handmade. She has always enjoyed exploring new techniques and trends in the handmade industry and has channeled this into her role as the Creative Director and co-founder of goimagine. Through her love for creating, she has successfully sold her unique wares, which range from fine art to simple crafts, in both online and in-person markets.