We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Virginia Riffle. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Virginia below.

Alright, Virginia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

I paint portraits of houses using a photo of the home for reference. And this customer came to me with a problem… the house she wanted painted had burned down, and she didn’t have a good photo of it before the fire. We used photos of the house after the fire, and she gave me information about what it looked like before. Together we re created her mom’s lovely garden and trees surrounding the home as well. She loved the final painting and I was so proud we were able to make it happen for her. She said it looks just like her memory.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hello! I’m Ginnie (Virginia) Riffle, owner of Riffle Designs here in Spencerville, Ohio. I started Riffle Designs in the spring of 2016 and traveled to craft shows for a few years with different handmade items. In 2020 I began painting watercolor portraits of homes and took Riffle Designs full time. In 2021 I added a laser engraving machine to my studio and I continue to expand my line of handmade gifts and decor. Acrylic and watercolor painting brings me great joy and I love creating custom pieces for my lovely customers!

Facebook Riffle Designs
www.riffledesigns.com

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

In 2016 this started as me just getting back into art and painting in an attempt to crawl out of my post partum fog after my second child was born. I was not in a good place mentally, feeling empty and all the post partem feelings moms can have. Art made me feel like myself again, and the response from others encouraged me to keep going. In 2018 I increased my woodworking skills in making small wood decor items. In 2020 I started the watercolor home portraits and the response was very positive. The purchase of the laser was a large investment in my business and has allowed me to expand my product line.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Going to craft shows in the beginning really helped. It got the word out about me and I met some great fellow small business owners and customers. I have customers I met at my first few shows that still order from me! I haven’t been to a craft show the past few years because it became so difficult to keep up with them and the custom orders coming in.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.riffledesigns.com
• Instagram: @riffledesigns
• Tiktok: @riffledesigns