Here at The Bedford Mom we love sharing about and celebrating local businesses! This month we are excited to feature The Beaded Sheep, an online shop where you can find hand sewn, eco-friendly, and fun goodies for all. It’s owned by Elise Noga, a lovely mom in town. Learn all about her and The Beaded Sheep below!
Tell us about yourself!
Hi, my name is Elise Noga and I am the owner and maker at The Beaded Sheep! My husband and I moved to Bedford in 2016 and have raised our two daughters, Lydia (5yo) and Emily (2yo), here. I am a huge fan of hobbies and can usually be found reading, crafting, or baking, usually with my two girls. I also love plants, finding new book shops, and hanging out with friends. Before The Beaded Sheep grew, I was a yoga teacher, specifically prenatal yoga, at YogaBalance in Manchester. Currently, I serve on the Board at the Lamb’s Workshop and I am a volunteer for my oldest daughter’s Daisy troop.
Tell us about The Beaded Sheep!
The Beaded Sheep has been a part of my life for a long time and it has changed so much over the years. I started using the business name back in high school because I made beaded jewelry and love sheep. What my business is now (and has been since September of 2020) is an online shop where you can find hand sewn, eco-friendly, and fun goodies for all. My goal is to make switching to eco-friendly products an experience that my customers are excited about. From swapping out paper napkins for cloth, or using a set of my paperless towels, not only are you doing something good for the environment, but you are also supporting a small business and local family. Currently the products that you can shop for on my site are cloth napkins, paperless towels, dish cloths, cotton rounds and squares, no-drip cuffs, dusters, bibs, burp cloths, blankets, and my latest favorite, the book sleeve! The Beaded Sheep has been a steadily growing business over the past few years, and I am excited to see where it takes me!
What does a “day in the life” look like for you?
A day in the life for me right now looks like dropping off my oldest at Kindergarten, then my youngest and I usually run errands. We are often shopping at Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or Joann Fabrics. We’re also big fans of going to the Bedford Library, they’re so amazing! After picking up my oldest, we might play on the playground at school for a bit, then head home for lunch. After lunch is my youngest’s nap time, so my oldest and I will hang out and more often than not, start sewing (my oldest sews her own napkins!). After my youngest gets up from her nap we will hang out, tidy, and get dinner going. Once my husband is out of work, we are having dinner and hanging out.
What are your goals for your business in the next 3-5 years?
My business goals for the next 3-5 years are to possibly try my hand at making more high end bags for makers and their tools/supplies. I made one for myself and love it, and think it would be a handy bag for anyone who enjoys making things. I recently started a Substack and would love to see that venture grow as a resource for other makers, but also as fun content for anyone to read. This business has changed so much in the past three years already, so I know that the next few years will probably be similar.
What are your favorites local spots in town?
My favorite place in town is our public library. I brought my oldest daughter there for Mother Goose and have loved going ever since! For fun treats we love the Inside Scoop and Flight Coffee. Grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s gives me joy and I love stopping by Whole Foods as well. For take out nights, we love Taipei Tokyo.
What is your best piece of advice for people looking to start a business?
My best piece of advise if you want to start a business is to get creative. When you are creative, you can’t stick yourself in a box because you are open to the idea of things changing. When I first started The Beaded Sheep back in 2020, I thought I was only ever going to make cloth napkins, which would have been so niche that I would never have grown as much as I have. Because I branched out in my product line to go on to sewing all kinds of new products like books sleeves (now my bestseller), bibs and burp cloths, and paperless towels, I would not have nearly as much confidence as I do now. I got creative and came up with new product ideas that I thought were complimentary to my business and it worked in my favor. When you get creative, you give yourself the ability to see your own potential and all that you are capable of.
How can people connect with you and follow your business?
You can connect with me in a few different ways! You can check out the shop and subscribe on my website (www.thebeadedsheep.com). I am on Instagram and Facebook under the handle @thebeadedsheep. My Substack can be found at https://elisenoga.substack.com/ where I have content for free and paid subscribers.