When and how did you start your company and what was the motivation behind selling your crafts?
Ori-Janel Creations came about in October of 2009. My best friend Janese sews and makes her own clothes, and I was inpired by her to begin sewing. I started sewing sachets the very first thing. She was doing a street fair and i put my sachets in her booth and I loved sewing, so why not make a little money back, so selling came into being. I just want to share my creaitons with everyone I can, even if i sell them at cost, and not making a huge profit.

What do you sell?
I sell handmade gifts and crafts, such as aroma-art sachets in various essential oil frangrances and decorations. I use recycled cigar boxes to make cigar box purses and deco boxes. I also sew some farbic purses and various other accessories such as business card holders and wallets. Frames are my new thing a the moment. I love to put "themes" to everything, such as Gradtuation or even a new baby.

How would you describe your style?
I try not to over decorate anything. Simple is more my style. I love the simple vintage and retro style and let the creation speak for itself.

Who works with you or is it something you do alone?
Ori-Janel creations is something that I do on my own. All of my creations are something I enjoy making.

Is it a full-time job and if not, is that something you're aiming towards?
Of course who wouldn't want to work from home at full time. But in this day and age, I have a full time job and spend most of my spare time creating.

Have you always been crafty and do you remember the first thing you made?
I honeslty never tried to be crafty growing up. I remember at one point I had done some jewelry making, but nothing serious. My family is very crafts and artistic. I guess being at the age I am now shows that it's not too late to become crafty.

What are your favorite items to craft?
I love making everything I make, or I dont' think I would be making them. I started with the sachets, and I think I have over 100 of them for sale. Then came the fabric wallets. I got inspired to do the cigar box purses, because it's a good way to recycle. Even the hung of finding that perfect cigar box is a thrill. I never know what kind of box I'm going to find that day I go out. The box is my inspiration for the whole decorating of the purse.

Where do you look for inspiration for your crafts?
The cigar boxes tell me what the purse is going to be. I love a lot of vintage and retro type crafts from the 50's and 60's, so I go a lot with things I've seen in my books I've found or even things I see on the internet.

What's next for your business?
I never really know what's going to inspire me next in the creating department. I don't search them out, they seem to grab my attention when I see them. I plan on doing some more Street fair's and farmer's markets in my area, this is the great time of year for them. And just keeping the creating for my enjoyment.

What's in your bag?
Normal things such as a wallet, compact, lipstick, kleenex (for my allergies). Mints. nothing spectacular. I try not to keep a lot of unneeded things, because my purse is small.

Do you have any tricks for keeping your bag tidy and organized?
I think actually that keeping the purse small, only allows me to have my critical things I use most.

Any tips for packing for a holiday?
I try to pack light, but it never works. I know what to pack each time by finding out what the weather is going to be like where I'm going. Also, as I'm getting ready and use something, I toss it in my bag/suitcase when I'm done with it, because I know it's something I use everyday.

Any advice for unpacking and not forgetting anything when you leave?
I don't unpack anything while I'm away. I just know I'm going to leave it. I put my dirty clothes in a seperate sack as I wear them and then squish the whole back into the suitcase when I'm departing. Just keep it in the general facinity of your suitcase, you never forget your suitcase. (I hope)

Where are your favorite places to travel to?
Only recently i went home to visit my family in Texas. I don't go many other places often. I live in a vacation destination city with the Ocean only a few miles away. Why do I need to leave?

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You can find out more about Ori-Janel or buy some of her crafts on her website.