Gig Harbor moms are opening a shop for local, handmade goods. They want you to come craft
The white and black gated building in downtown Gig Harbor will soon be home to dozens of local entrepreneurs.
Local Whimsy is coming to 3306 Harborview Dr. with plans to open in early October.
Their goal is to be open before Gig Harbor’s Autumn Sip & Stroll event, Oct. 14.
The space was formerly The Weathered Cottage, a home decor and gift shop that closed permanently earlier this year.
Local Whimsy is co-owned by Salena Ausburn and Caasi Dickens, two Gig Harbor moms who both already have small businesses of their own.
Their new business together will be a storefront for local creators and entrepreneurs, the women told the Gateway.
Their slogan is “gather, create, shop.”
Ausburn is the owner of Wild Whimsy, a modern-style plant shop. Dickens is the founder of Local Makers, an organization that works with over 90 local creators. Local Makers hosts pop-up markets for creators to sell their goods.
Years ago, the two met in passing and grew closer as friends and small business owners. They both also had space in the Harbor General Store before it closed earlier this year.
Local Whimsy is a twist on both their companies. It’s a retail space and an event space, Ausburn told the Gateway.
Local Makers, founded by Dickens about three years ago, helps creators of all kinds get their products in front of the community.
Dickens, who is also a creator, pours ocean resin over cutting boards, drinking glasses and other items.
“Ocean resin is utilizing epoxy resin in multiple shades to capture the realistic look of our beautiful PNW waters,” Dickens said.
She first started selling her products on Facebook marketplace. During the pandemic, she knew there had to be other local creators trying to get eyes on their creations.
Dickens began organizing Facebook pop-up parties, where creators would showcase their work. Viewers could then purchase what they were seeing.
The pops-up were getting over 1,000 guests, Dickens said.
“The audience was able to virtually engage with the creators and people loved learning the hows and whys of that creator,” Dickens told the Gateway.
Local Makers then grew into live markets, a section of the Harbor General Store, and booths at local festivals and events.
They now have about 90 creators who are part of the organization.
“You’re going to find everything from your jewelry and accessories that might be made out of silver, acrylic, or polymer clay,” Dickens said. “All the way up to a dining room table that has the river epoxy running through it.”
For some creators, making handmade goods is a hobby and they’re not quite in full-entrepreneur mode yet. For others, it’s their entire income and business.
Although not every creator from Local Makers will have their own section in Local Whimsy, creators will be able to participate in a few different ways, Dickens said.
“We’re being very specific about how we’re choosing which makers you’ll find in-store on a standard basis,” Ausburn said.
The aesthetic is important to the Local Whimsy owners.
“We don’t want it to just be a free-for-all, or a bizarre feel,” Dickens said. “So we’ll be bright and fun, with accessible price points.”
Instead of dividing the store into sections of different makers, it will be similar to a gift shop.
“Yes, the store will be filled with local handmade goods,” Dickens said. “But it won’t feel like you’re walking from one creator to the next.”
For those who won’t have items in-store on a regular basis, the space will also spotlight creators with pop-ups and workshops.
For example, Dickens thought of Terri Whallon, of Uniquely Yours, for a workshop.
“Whallon would like to put together fun, themed kits for her vision of ‘keep one - give one’ beaded friendship bracelets, where kiddos make bracelets for kids in the hospital, offering words of encouragement, such as “warrior,” “I am strong,” and “faith>fear,” Dickens said.
Like Dickens, Ausburn started selling house plants via social media a little over three years ago. Shortly after, she decided to pursue it as a full-time business, because of the flexibility it gave her while being a mom.
Ausburn opened her first mobile plant shop in June 2022, the same day the Gig Harbor Waterfront Market started for the summer.
The plant trailer was parked on Harborview Drive.
Ausburn then opened up a storefront inside the Point Ruston Public Market. She has since moved out to pursue Local Whimsy.
She’ll have her plants all set up inside of Local Whimsy for purchase.
In 2022, Ausburn told the Gateway her dream was “to one day have a long, skinny brick-and-mortar location with a long, white, skinny table down the middle filled with plants.”
She’ll have that inside Local Whimsy.
The long table will be interchangeable for when they host workshops, or when customers want a more hands-on experience with gift giving.
It will also be a station for Ausburn to pot plants with customers.
Eventually, they’ll offer a custom gift basket building station, Dickens said.
“Real estate agents can come in and build a basket for a client, or an every day customer can put together something with cutting boards, coasters, wine stoppers, bottle openers, key chains, candles, soaps, etc.,” Dickens said.
Dickens will have a laser machine in the store to customize items for customers with their name or favorite saying.
The owners want visitors to get a coffee down the street, bring it into the store and grab a DIY kit by a local maker off the shelf.
The front of the store will have seating for friends to gather and craft.
“We really want this to be a space for community,” Dickens said.
Local Whimsy is on Instragram as @localwhimsy. Their website is www.shoplocalwhimsy.com.
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Caasi Dickens’ name. It also incorrectly described Local Makers. The organization is a for-profit company.
This story was originally published September 18, 2023 at 5:15 AM.
