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Page A-36 Shelton-Mason Journal a Thursday, July 30, 2020
COMMUNITY BUSINESS PROFILE
’North Third Street, has a lifelong love of arts and crafts. photos
Justin Johnson .
Sharon Schirman, majority of ISH PNW, which is on the ground floor of the
1912 Building at the corner of West Railroad Avenue and
She/ton collective offers creations from nearly 700 under roof
By Justin Johnson
just/n@masonoounty. com
lifelong love for arts and crafts has become
a full days work for Shelton resident Sharon
chirman. ‘
Schirman, along with business partners Jerilee
Sutton and Amy Farmer, opened ISH‘ PNW in Suite
A of the 1912 Building on the corner of North Third
Street and West Railroad Avenue.
ISH —- In Shelton Homes —— is an arts and crafts
consignment store with nearly 100 vendors, mostly
from Mason County. ‘
Schirman, in a email interview with the Shelton-
Mason last week, wrote that she and
her husband started making crafts and selling them
in stores along the coast before signing up for craft
fairs. . ~
“We quickly realized how much work craft fairs
are (and there) was very little payout,” Schirman
wrote. “It occurred to me it can’t just be me feeling
this way. Walking through craft fairs and seeing all
these amazing artists and all their talent and it’s
only seen in that one weekend in that one location
. was kinda sad. I wanted a place where you could
find all those things all the time. I wanted to have
one place that represents the talent of our commu-
nity because there is so much out there.
“When I want to make a gift basket of locally
made items I don’t want to have to go all across the
county to find those items. I wanted one centralized
location Where those things would be. Here at ISH
we offer that to the community.”
Schirman, Sutton and Farmer initially
planned to open the store with items made
by the trio, but Schirman pitched an idea
to the group about having other artists as
consigners at the store as well, thinking it
would be a good opportunity for local craft—
ers and artisans to show off and sell their
work. .
“We had our first meeting where we
advertised on Facebook that we would be
meeting with local artists and crafters,”
Schirman wrote. “We expected maybe 20-
people max. The first meeting, our room
was totally packed. We probably signed 30
vendors to begin wit .”
Interest grew quickly and ISH PNW had
40 vendors signed on by its Feb. 18 soft
opening. It now boasts 99.
“We’ve definitely had to be flexible
as when you’re working with that many
people there’s always going to be unique
challenges that arise,” Schirman wrote.
“Having almost 100 different personalities
be represented under one roof is awesome
but a ton of work.”
Adding to the challenges faced with
opening any new business, it was barely a
month after the store opened that the coronavirus
hit Washington and many business were forced to
limit operations or shut down completely.
- Schirman wrote that many of ISH PNW’s vendors
were able to make
essential items, such
as face masks, soap,
hand sanitizer and
laundry detergent.
During phase one
reopening under
Gov. Jay Inslee’s
Safe Start coronavi- '
rus reopening plan,
ISH PNW opened by
appointment only.
Customers would
communicate with
Schirman through the
store’s Facebook page,
sending them pictures
of items and assem—
bling their order be-
‘ fore they stopped at
appointment time to
the store during their
purchase and
pick up the
items.
“We had
> some very long
days because
I wanted to
make sure
everybody
who needed a '-
face maskor
hand sanitizer
got what they
needed so we
stayed open
“ much longer
- hours to accom-
modate that,”
Schirman
wrote. “I also
offered delivery
at that time. So
many mornings
and evenings
when I would
leave the store
Iwas doing
deliveries to
people who werevunable to leave their homes at that
time.”
. Schirman’s favorite part of the. store is seeing
what new crafters and vendors bring in to sell.
“When they bring us new items it’s like deco-
rating for Christmas all over again every time,” '
Schirman wrote. “We spend a lot of time rte-arrang-
ing the store to help highlight as many vendors as
we can at a time.”
‘ Schirman and her partners would eventual like
to continue expanding, but wrote that the current
economy make it difficult to foresee what the future
holds. '
“All I know is that we really enjoy meeting with
the artists and seeing what they have to offer,”
Schirman wrote. “We are very blessed to live in a
community with so many talented people.”
warns: 221 West Railroad Ave. Suite A, Shelton
HOURS: 11 am to 4 pm. Monday and Saturday, 11 am to 5:30 pm. '
Tuesday to Friday ~
‘ MORE lNFORMA‘I’lON: Find ISH PNW on Facebook.