Meet Jessica O’Connell of Sweet Dreams Dreamcatchers in West Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica O’Connell.

Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The story of Sweet Dreams Dreamcatchers is not mine alone to tell. It must include mention of the collaboration and support I received from friends, family, fellow artisans and the community. Sweet Dreams Dreamcatchers would not be what it is today without their remarkable help. Sweet Dreams began with dear friends. Two friends helped me make my first dreamcatcher in 2017 as part of a craft night. We had such a good time and the resulting dreamcatcher was so beautiful that I was hooked. I ultimately gifted that dreamcatcher to our babysitter who was graduating high school. Her reaction and sincere gratitude touched me.

In the months that followed, I made a few more as gifts. I realized how much I enjoyed both the creative process and the potential for spreading joy by way of something I created. This is when I first thought about offering my dreamcatchers in local specialty shops. In 2017, a small Glendale handmade art shop agreed to carry my dreamcatchers. Sweet Dreams was born. The demand and excitement for my dreamcatchers from shoppers in the West Valley community were thrilling and I began creating dreamcatchers on a much larger scale.

One of my favorite parts of the creative process is visiting antique stores to hunt out unique, aesthetically pleasing, vintage doilies that I can envision for use in my dreamcatchers. The doilies are the heart of the dreamcatcher so it is very important to use the most eye-catching, beautiful doilies I can find. I like to imagine the stories each one holds from the past and then work to the best of my ability to frame each one in a way that captures its beauty and allows it to continue telling a story.

Each doily is transformed into dreamcatcher-form using strips of new fabrics, lace, ribbons, yarn and feathers. I have found that the finest dreamcatchers come from combining old with new to produce something uniquely beautiful.

Another of my favorite things is to create custom heirloom dreamcatchers. Often people have doilies long stored away in drawers and closets that family members have crocheted. Bringing these treasures out into the light and turning them into something beautiful and functional that the family will enjoy in their homes warms my heart. Some customers, upon seeing a loved one’s work turned into a piece of art for their bedroom, have been brought to tears.

Even though Sweet Dreams is still less than three years old, I have accumulated many heart moving stories. One customer gifted custom Sweet Dreams dreamcatchers to each of five daughters using doilies their mother had made before her passing. Another could not wait to bring two custom Sweet Dreams dreamcatchers back to her family in Italy where their great grandmother made the doilies many years ago. Being a part of these family experiences, sharing in their memories, and seeing the love in their eyes for my work has been incredibly rewarding.

In December of 2018, I was also honored to have ten of my dreamcatchers featured in a gorgeous hearth display in Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine. And Sweet Dreams Dreamcatchers continued to grow. Soon I had dreamcatchers in four local stores.

Building Sweet Dreams has also brought about positive changes in my family life. I left my job in education to work from home and to take care of my two young daughters. Along with teaching online at night, scoring student-teacher portfolios online and substitute teaching, I was now running a small business.

It soon became clear that creating beautiful dreamcatchers and running a business takes a lot of support and sacrifice from my family. My husband, Aaron, has always been on my side, supporting my decision to stay home and focus on what I love, which ultimately has allowed me to grow my business. He is my biggest cheerleader without a doubt.

Although creating and selling dreamcatchers is another way for me to provide for my daughters, I am aware that it also takes some of my time away from them. I had to find a way to balance my priorities as a mom and an artisan. Their support, flexibility and understanding have been wonderful. My seven year old daughter often leaves notes in my office telling me the dreamcatchers are pretty or offering other positive sentiments. (And I think both of my girls love the antique store trips almost as much as I do!)

One of the most enriching aspects of this journey has been meeting so many talented and inspiring artisans along the way. The shop owners that have trusted me and others like me to provide attractive creations for their shops have been so appreciated.

Each artisan who contributes their talents and offers their quality work to the people of Arizona through shops and their efforts is sharing their heart through their hands. They bring immense value to Arizona and create a sense of community that I am so happy to be a part of.

Creating Sweet Dreams has also lead me to see something that I learned working in education. Being a good educator demands collaboration and teamwork. Striving to become a good artisan, surrounded by creative, empowering people has reinforced my understanding of, and appreciation for, collaboration and teamwork. I am blessed to now call some of these people friends and mentors much as I did many of the people I worked within education.

In 2019, Sweet Dreams became a vendor at local markets as well as shops. This could not have been accomplished without advice from other vendors, input from my friends, and hard work from my family. My father built my physical booth display, a friend handcrafted my sign, my mother helps run the booth and watch my daughters while I host, my husband helps me transport, set up and take down the booth, and even my friends come to show their support and offer input at each event.

As we near the end of 2019, Sweet Dreams has also opened an Etsy shop and is now offering handmade dreamcatchers to online shoppers. My Etsy shop, SweetDreamsbyJO, will continue to serve customers with unique dreamcatchers as well as custom creations.

Although Sweet Dreams may have started as a small “home grown” business, the love I have for what I do and the gratitude I have for those who have helped me shape this business, are what make it successful. I am honored to create one-of-a-kind dreamcatchers for people to cherish in their homes. To all those who share in Sweet Dreams Dreamcatcher’s story, thank you, and sweet dreams!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Working from home and learning to balance my time as a mother, artisan and a professional has taken some time and adjustment from everyone in my family. Building Sweet Dreams, as with anything you have had no prior experience with, also came with other business related challenges. I knew the dreamcatchers were attractive enough to generate interest. But I knew nothing about marketing, sales, social media, licensing, permits, how to file business taxes, get shipping arranged, finding the best materials. These challenges were overcome with the generous support of my family and friends, and advice from fellow artisans.

Sweet Dreams is also not my sole source of income. As a result, I have had the luxury of time without much pressure to produce. This has been so important. Envisioning and then creating Sweet Dreams dreamcatchers is a creative undertaking. That just cannot be rushed or predicted. This absence of time pressure allowed me the time to ask lots of questions and learn from others. My passion for what I do combined with my love of learning has made the entire Sweet Dreams experience something I cherish.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Sweet Dreams Dreamcatchers create one-of-a-kind dreamcatchers using handmade vintage doilies and a variety of new fabrics, lace, ribbons, yarn and feathers. Each dreamcatcher is hand-woven onto a metal, cloth-wrapped, wooden or grapevine hoop and then embellished with beautiful strips below to accent the doily. Dreamcatchers can be personalized to any color scheme and can even feature the customer’s own heirloom doily.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In the coming year, Sweet Dreams plans to continue seeking out the best sales opportunities through local Arizona stores, markets and online with Etsy. I am always open to ways that I can share my art with others and brighten their lives with a beautiful keepsake. I also aspire to contribute to the growth of other local artisans by sharing with them what I have learned in my Sweet Dreams journey.

Pricing:

• $15-$150

Contact Info:

• Email: SweetDreamsbyJO@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetdreams_byjo
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetDreamsbyJO

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