Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Hacke Garcia.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been creative since I can remember. Art classes were my favorite in high school, so I ended up going to college at the Art Institute of Seattle. I studied Industrial Design Technology. My favorite classes were Toy Design, Tableware, and Prop Design. I graduated and just ended up getting stuck working for the same retail company that I had my first part-time job at during school. Twelve years later, after working my way up the corporate ladder and enduring the abuses of the retail occupation, I finally called it quits. After that, I worked for a company that allowed me to be more creative and design and merchandise retail stores, so I was finally using my degree and felt more fulfilled. When the pandemic hit, I was laid off, which allowed me to dive headfirst into my favorite hobbies. Since college, I have been really into making molds and casting. Now that supplies are more widely available and so easy to order online, I learned as much as I could and just kept creating. After having some health issues and realizing how toxic resin material can be, I finally found Jesmonite, which is an eco-friendly material that I can work with freely when I’m feeling up to it. I love that I can sit down and make something unique, fun, and colorful and see the end results in the same day because I never know how I am going to feel the next day.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My business is relatively new, so I haven’t had many setbacks yet. There is always a learning curve when working with new materials, and this new material is quite expensive. I have signed up for my first market, and I’m hoping everything goes smoothly! My biggest struggle is being patient with my health and not pushing myself too hard.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work with Jesmonite and other similar materials. Jesmonite is an eco-friendly composite material used for casting and molding. I am most known for maximalist-vibed, brightly colored fun housewares such as trays and trinket dishes. I love decorating my house with the most colorful, fun items I can find, but it’s very challenging to find these items, so I started to make my own. What sets my items apart from others are the saturated colors and the fun designs. I also make sure to sand and finish all of my items, meaning there will be no sharp edges, and most pieces have cork bottoms to prevent scratching surfaces.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I just want to make unique items that bring a smile to people’s faces.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lalalunehome.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lalalunehome
