WILTON — Lisa Robertson, owner of Crafty Creations & More, will hold a grand opening at her new store on Routes 2 and 4 this weekend.

About a year ago, Robertson left a full-time position doing office work to create and sell crafts, gifts and more.

Robertson, now of Rumford, opened the store at the end of June in a complex which has at times has housed a variety of businesses from restaurants to mobile home sales.

“It’s already been busy,” she said Monday. “I didn’t think it would take off so quickly. “

Along with a variety of handmade crafts, including items for children, the store offers a shirt press for specially designed shirts, sweatshirts and other items, she said. She also will offer items from Avon.

“Everything will be handmade or hand-done except the Avon items,” she said.

Robertson’s family is also involved, including her husband, Ken, mother and father, Ralph and Judy Virgin of Carthage, and her daughter, Heather White. Her 3-year-old grandson, Dawson, often greets customers, she said.

Her father does the woodworking, creating some furniture items, she said. Her mother makes gift baskets for every age group and occasion. It is something they are able to sell year-round, she said.

After her husband convinced her to work for herself, the family has taken items to craft shows for the past year. There was never enough room at shows to display all she has available.

They attended shows and did well before she quit but she found it hard to keep up with the shows and working. It also takes money and time to set up and tear down the display. With a store, the items are available all the time, she said.

She started sewing after her first grandchild, Dawson, lost a tag blanket. She made him another.

A tag blanket is a couple small pieces of colorful cloth, sometimes with texture, sewn together with several small tags sewn into the sides of the blanket.

“Babies love to play with the tags on their blankets,” she said.

Once she made one, it took off and other friends and relatives wanted one, she said. The scraps of cloth left over became other items.

One popular display is a Dog Adoption Center. Sixteen stuffed dogs with assorted accessories and hand-sewn bags have already been adopted, she said.

Children pick pet names for the adoption, she said. Adults often choose a stuffed dog that resembles a pet they lost.

After looking at spaces in area towns, including Rumford, Jay and Farmington, the space and location in Wilton attracted Robinson. It provides space for her to work between customers.

For now, the store is open seven days a week.

“If I do something, I do it 110 percent,” she said.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. Friday. Over the weekend, live music, refreshments and more will be available during the grand opening.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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