About

a little about me, Lois Peterson, creator of it's by design

I make things, lots of things. I've always made things. Even as a young girl I designed my own cross-stitch patterns with a bunch of X's on fabric! My focus was always on art. In 1979 I earned my Associates Degree in Art from Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa. My mother taught me to sew when I was young. So, to quench my thirst for art while raising 3 children, I learned the art of quilting. I quilted and quilted until another creative opportunity came my way. I began painting murals on ceramic tiles to help a friend out with her tile painting work. Then assisted 3 years of 5th graders with their class murals at our elementary school. The custom tile jobs led to mosaic murals.

Then bam! my sister introduced me to jewelry making. I fell hard and it didn't take long before I was working at my favorite jewelry supply store. I designed and sold jewelry for 15 years. Somewhere along the way I realized how much I enjoyed creating my displays, signs, and logos. The yearning for getting back to drawing and painting was carrying more weight than making jewelry.

When I came to grips with the fact that I could make the change and pursue what I  really wanted to do, it was liberating! I was born to create. In fact, it's by design!

Say you love it!

If you love it, check out my blog for all the projects I love. I hope you will be inspired to create something yourself! Don't put boundaries on your creativity!

Oh, and I'm a partner in a North Carolina collective of four artists. We're the Handmaidens. We produced The Handmade Market ,Urban Vintage  and Made and Found in Raleigh, NC. Check us out!