Before I created The Speckled Loon (formerly Susie B’s Crafty Cabin Designs), I  always had numerous creative hobbies such as knitting, photography and scrapbooking. All this was in addition to holding down a full time job and being a busy wife and mother of three growing boys in Grand Forks, ND.

Then one day, it happened……..

all my boys grew up. Around that time, my husband and I realized a life-long dream after saving for a long time…. We found a little mobile home for sale on the shores of Leech Lake in Northern, MN. The problem??? The entire place was painted Pepto-Bismol® Pink and every room except the bathroom need to be gutted and remodeled.

We have always been a DIY family, and with the help of our boys – we got the place remodeled in record time. Then I had a blank slate to decorate. I wanted all those cute signs and decor items I saw in the gift shops, but I felt I had the skills to make my own. So I started researching and dove in and made items for every room in our “cabin.” Our little summer place was a cozy home for our family to spend time together and make a whole new set of memories.

As I began to share pictures of our place, family and friends began asking me to make things for them. I did a few things for gifts, and then I donated a sign to a silent auction to benefit a co-worker’s family. Guess what, it sold for $200! That got me thinking…. maybe I was on to something and I could make my own handmade business.

So I took the plunge……

and officially started my business in 2015. I opened up a Facebook Business Page, and did a few local craft shows.

My customers would come to me with an idea they wanted for a sign – such as their favorite quote. I was able to take their ideas as inspiration and make something they loved. Creating my designs was half the fun, then bringing their vision to life and seeing their reaction is so rewarding.  Many of my signs have brought tears of joy to the recipients.

I decided this business was for real. It brought joy to me and my customers. I set out to create the most beautiful and memorable wood signs and other home décor products, because my customers deserve nothing less than the very best.

The growth of The Speckled Loon has truly been a family affair. My husband, Todd, cuts all the wood for my signs and frames and helps assemble everything. He also is always there to load and unload the van for craft shows. My boys all help when they can and are so supportive. My oldest son’s girlfriend helps me at craft fairs. My sister, Janet, helps me by sewing all the pillow cases and wraps for our line of accent pillows.

Recently, we evolved our business to offer wood sign painting parties and advanced DIY Master Classes. I have met a whole new group of awesome women. What a blessing that has been.

The part that warms my heart the most is….

we have continued to donate our products generously to many local silent auctions & charity events. My personal favorite was hosting a sign making event with the workers of our local women’s shelter to make and donate 20 signs for their newly constructed home for abused women and their children. I continue to receive feedback on how inspirational the signs are to the residents and how the quotes on the signs have helped them during their most challenging struggles.

In 2018, we became a member of Pride of Dakota, a group of premier handmade businesses located in North Dakota. This gives our business exposure state wide and access to larger craft fair opportunities.

Through it all, we have found our niche in wood signs and other complimentary home décor items. Our remote customers have been asking for a website, so that was the next logical step. Staying true to our origins, we will always offer lake signs on  this site, and will be adding more product lines on a regular basis.

Oh & what’s up with that Loon in the logo?

Only people outside of MN and ND ask me that.  The loon is the state bird of Minnesota & can be found swimming on any one of the state’s famous 10,000 lakes.  When I saw this beautiful bird swimming right in front of our boat, I got out my trusty Nikon and began shooting pictures.   Luckily, I got a near flawless shot and converted to an image I could use for my logo.  It has become one of my taglines:  #lookfortheloon

What is next for the Speckled Loon? Only time will tell, but thanks to our wonderful customers, the future is looking bright!