Crafty Divas and Entrepreneurial Empresses

June 2004's Diva
Ann Jackson
of One Nite Stand

A word from Ann.....

All My purses are made completely by hand in my kitchen/studio in Snow Camp, NC.

It took me 2 years to figure out how to make the exact purse I wanted; right finish, hardware, screws, handle etc. Every purse has a minimum of 27 steps from start to finish. Just figuring out how to make them shut properly should have been an Olympic event. I try to make each purse a one of a kind. That way each purse is a true work of art.

The purse I'm sending you all is called "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary". It is a red square, clear handle, with a pin-up of a gardener. I thought it would be a good purse for summer.

Our thoughts....

Great purse for summer indeed! When the hot little number showed up - we all began fighting for it. Even visitors to the office have tried to talk us into letting them add it to their own collection. But, alas, it is for one lucky Girlposse.com reader to win and sport on her own.

To be fair - I did happen to take it out on the town with me one night. (How else am I to review an item??) The waitress at the restaurant loved it - and the ladies at the grocery store kept asking where I got it. We had a great night out together, "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and I.

The deatil and craftsmanship is divine. You really do need to see the details to appreciate the quality. Adorable, attention getting and hot! If the winner wants to let me keep it safe for them, I'd be happy to do so! LOL

~Trixie

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The Gallery
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The Interview
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The Basic Lowdown:

Girlposse.com: Who are you?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: Well, my name is Ann Jackson. I was born an raised in East Tennessee which makes me a hillbilly and proud of it. I am 54 years old and have been happily married for 24 years. We live on a 43 acre farm with 4 dobermans--(I say dobergirls), 1 cat and a blind bull.

Girlposse.com: Where are you located?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I make all my pocketbooks right here on my property in Snow Camp, NC,-- a town so small we don't even have a red light.

Girlposse.com: What is your creation / business?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: The business you are featuring is One Nite Stand, hand made hand bags.

Girlposse.com: Where can people buy your stuff?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I am pretty much an on-line business. I also have a vintage clothing store, Time After Time, in Chapel Hill, NC where I sell pocket books. There is also a great hair salon there called Moshi-Moshi that carries them. I have gotten many inquiries from all over the world about wholesale. As the purses are made completely by hand ( and are really hard to make and very time and labor intensive) I have not been able to do this.

Girlposse.com: Tell us something about yourself - your personality:
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I am a big beliver in working for yourself. I mentioned that my husband and I run a vintage clothing store. It has been in downtown Chapel Hill for 23 years now. I have also written 2 cookbooks, Heart of the Home and Cookin'Southern Vegeterian Style. I have a childrens book, Rags the Recycled Doll, coming out this July.

About 7 years ago, I started Deadly Night Shades, a 1950's reproduction lamp shade company. It has been very successfull.

I like to stay busy. I am a free thinker and hate bull shit. I like finding 4 -leaf clovers or traveling anywhere. I am a Taurus, double Gemini so I get bored with things quick and need to move on to something else. On hot days you'll find me in the woods, sitting on a rock with my feet in the creek reading any conspricy novel I can find. I love to read, garden, cook and make stuff.

The Nitty Gritty:

Girlposse.com: How long have you been doing this?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: This is a young business, just about 2 and a half years now.

Girlposse.com: Beginning a business is a big step. How did this become a "business" vs. just a "hobby""?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I think it is a mental thing more than any thing else. If you think of yourself as a business person, then you are!! It is important to take yourself seriously. Things that you make and give away are a hobby. Things that you make and sell are a business.

Girlposse.com: Did you have previous business experience - or was the business end new to you?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I have other businesses, so that was not new to me. With all of my projects, they have to be low cost start up, (you dont' want to waste a lot of $$$ on something that might not work) and thay have to pay for themselves from the get-go.

Girlposse.com: Are there any resources you would recommend to future Entrepreneurial Empresses? (books, websites, etc.)
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I have found that books are no good at all--a huge wast of time. There is no substitute for plunging in and figuring it out on your own.

Girlposse.com: What was (is) your biggest obstacle in selling what you create?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: Because I am mostly an on-line business, people can't really see how amazing my pocket books are. The pictures do them no justice. Once a person sees them, they realize that each one is truly a work of art.

Girlposse.com: You offer a condom, fortune and a mirror with each purse. :) How did you come up with that clever idea?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I was tired of big, old luggy purses that looked like a suit case-- ones that you had to dig thru for 10 minutes to find anything. I wanted a purse that was a throw back to the old Enid Collins purses from the 50's and 60's, stylish, small, and whimsical. Just big enough for cab fare, keys, cell phone and a condom. Really, what else do you need in a purse?? The old timey purses all had mirrors so I wanted my purses to have one too. And the fortune?? A fortune I got in a Chinese resturant one nite was "Practice makes perfect so do it and do it and do it." That seemed like a perfect thing to put on my purses so I started to make up my own fortunes or use sayings that just seemed right. A few samples are, "It's not the meat, it's the motion" or "This ain't your first time at the rodeo", " Don't get caught with your pants down", "Your destiny lies before you, choose wisely"

Girlposse.com: Your ideas are so varied. Do you ever find it difficult coming up with original ideas?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I never stop having ideas. I have about 5 brewing right now.

Girlposse.com: Have you ever fallen in love with one of your purses, and just couldn't part with it?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I LOVE every one of them and sometimes cry when I have to sell one. As a matter of fact, the one I made for you Empresses for the 4th of July, I ended up not being able to part with. Sorry.
Girlposse.com: How do you battle wanting to keep everything you create for yourself?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I tell myself I can always make another one like that for me.

Girlposse.com: Are there any plans to expand your product line?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: Not right now.

Girlposse.com: What keeps you going on a bad day?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: Bong hits.

Girlposse.com: Where are some of your favorite places to shop?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: The trashyist thrift store in the worst part of any town. Also, my own vintage clothing warehouse is pretty damn good.

Girlposse.com: What was the best piece of advice you've been given?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: "It's easier to say I'm sorry than to get permission."
"Upon the sands of hesitation, lay the bones of missed opportunity."

Girlposse.com: What advice would you give to a future Crafty Diva?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: Do what you love and love what you do. Be willing to give it 100% all the time. Remember, it's not easy being an entremanure.

Girlposse.com: Are they any other Crafty Divas or Entrepreneurial Empresses we should know about?
Ann Jackson of One Nite Stand: I can't think of any right now but I'll keep thinking about it.

~ 2004

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Your Chance to Win!
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As promised, we are giving up our hold on this hot little number, "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary", to one lucky winner. We want to thank Ann Jackson for allowing us to enjoy her for a while before giving her away. :)

Visit our Contests area for details and to enter. Good luck!

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