Today we’d like to introduce you to Marybeth Hernandez.
Hi Marybeth, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I call it divine timing. Right before it all happened, I was living in a one-bedroom duplex in the Hourglass District Downtown with my son. I was working at a Lucky’s Market as a supervisor. My son’s father had passed away young, so it’s always just been him and I, with the love and support of our families. We had a nice little thing going on, but my son was getting bigger, and plans were set in motion to expand. At the time, I was living out a 5-year plan saving money for a bigger place when right before the pandemic my job filed for bankruptcy. Despite all the setbacks and with the uncertainty of everything it all seemed to fall into place without me even realizing.
Now it’s the beginning of 2020. I just turned 30 and decided that it was time. My whole life I’ve always wanted to be an artist. So, with nothing else to lose, I moved out of my duplex and into my son’s grandparents off Lake Hart out in Lake Nona. With a lot of patience and gratitude, we were able to build a little house on the property but due to COVID-19 again, the little house took a little while to build.
While in limbo I convinced myself that I could live my dream of being a sustainable artist. In quarantine, I mastered a lot of skills implementing the conservation of all the resources I had from trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle. With this new outlook on life, the confidence and drive all pushed me into purchasing an LLC and opening a business account with no looking back. I’ve always wanted to be a textile designer. I’ve always wanted to make stuff from scratch, and I’ve always wanted to do it in a way where I am environmentally conscious minimizing waste and overconsumption. I may have no idea what I’m doing as far as logistics, but I’ve grown so much as a person while staying true to myself. For the first time in my life, I get to wake up every day and feel really proud of my accomplishments while simultaneously getting to enjoy motherhood. I’ve gone through so much that there’s nothing that could stop me now. I am getting better every day. I’m always learning, and I am just so grateful that I took this chance on myself for my family. I’m a small-town girl with a lot of big ideas for stickn.scratch. I am thankful for this opportunity. The last few weeks I have been trying to vend more, figure out social media while learning to build my platform. I’m also trying to put myself out there and have my work showcased. I’ve been networking aiming to grow deep roots within the Orlando community. I want to enrich others and bring to mind that we can all do what we love while doing our part to help not just ourselves but the world. Being a textile fiber artist and owner of stickn.scratch that prides and specializes in upcycled functional design is just the beginning.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been all smooth, but it’s been all fun!
I have and still struggle with so many things, but that’s part of learning and the experience. Looking back on what I thought were challenges was just my lack of knowledge and inexperience.
A struggle I face in everyday life is maintaining the energy and belief. Applying to become a vendor and not hearing back from the same local event coordinators time after time does lead me to question “Why am I doing this?” but my passion outweighs the rejection. There are so many possibilities that I will not let the struggles be real.
From figuring out the cheapest way to mail packages to managing all the service and processing fees. It can feel overwhelming sometimes in that aspect. There are so many levels of obstacles and challenges; all that matters is that you keep going.
It’s all an experience for the experience so the road is taking me somewhere!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I sell used furniture on Facebook Marketplace. I sell vintage apparel and accessories on Depop.
I sell all of my handmade goods, home decor, tchotchkes, etc. on Etsy. I promote everything on Instagram.
I am relaunching my website STICKNSCRATCH.COM 01/11/2023.
Everything I ship and make is packaged with recyclable materials. I offer same-day shipping nationwide.
I specialize in punch needle and tufting one-of-a-kind pieces. All of my punch needle and tufting goods are made from upcycled yarn and supplies. I am known for being very easy-going and very outgoing. My style is very eccentric and fun.
What sets me apart from others is the type of products I use and the message I am trying to convey by utilizing these materials. Overconsumption and waste is one of many problems the world experiences and if I can bring awareness and provoke thought from something sustainable that I put together I did the thing! It’s not about the money, it’s about the quality of life.
As a brand, I’m most proud that I can be myself. I want people to know that starting from scratch is possible. Especially if you stick to it.
My brand offers inclusivity, perception, awareness and brings to light the importance of waste in a functional art form.
I offer customs and I am currently taking commissions.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In the next 5-10 years I would like to open a storefront with space to do tufting and punch needle workshops while also selling used goods. I’d like to set up an exchange within the thrift and vintage community while also helping those in need with clothing and household items. My mission is to help others help the world. I’d like to make my business non-profit or have some type of funding to be able to blend it all in one place. The goal is for a space to offer aid, creativity, and collaboration within the community. I imagine a thrift hall that showcases other locals, offering opportunities while giving back. I’d like to create a team of like-minded individuals who want to be the change we wish to see. Another idea I would like to see come into fruition would be similar to the free public libraries but that offers resources to all. I would love stickn.scratch to grow and spread awareness on the concept of environmental quality and sustainability. The trend I want to pioneer is healthy communities fulfilling the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations while balancing between economic, environmental care, and social well-being.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/sticknscratch
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stickn.scratch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stickn.scratchFLA/
- Other: https://www.depop.com/sticknscratch/
Image Credits
Marybeth Hernandez
