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San Clemente Journal

Handcraft Artisan Vicky Carrico, Crafting Exquisite Creations

Vicky in her San Clemente home.

by Britta Wilder

Family ties are powerful things. They strengthen and support us when we need it, providing inspiration on our journey into the world. Local artisan Vicky Carrico has literally drawn from her upbringing the gift of macrame to form her business, Two My Creations, and credits her mother with its success.

“I grew up admiring my mom, Maria, crocheting beautiful things for our family and friends,” Vicky said. “She taught me how to crochet and stitch at an early age. She loved doing it and was very talented.”

Growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, Vicky was surrounded by the many sights and sounds of artists and crafters creating beauty and applying their skills. Absorbing this abundant landscape, the young artist quickly realized her own desire to be part of that world.

“My mom would take us to El Mercado (the farmer’s market) to do our grocery shopping each week,” Vicky said. “I always wanted to stay longer and walk around all the crafter’s booths... it was fascinating to see all kinds of different vendors creating amazing pieces of art in front of large crowds.”
At 13, Vicky made her first macrame cross-body bag. She was hooked.
“I worked at my aunt’s restaurant and saved enough money to pay for a class and materials,” Vicky explained. “Every Saturday afternoon for two hours I attended a macrame class.”

It took her five weeks to complete the course but set into a motion a future of countless projects - and joy. 

When Vicky and her family moved to California when she was 17, she attended high school in the San Fernando Valley and worked in the afternoons to help her parents. After graduating she enrolled at community college and assisted in a medical office. She met her husband, Steve, in 2005 and a year later they married.

“We used to go to San Clemente to visit and relax, it was so nice,” Vicky recalled. In 2008 they made it their home.

Four years later, Vicky and Steve welcomed twin daughters, Dalen and Ashley, and the family couldn’t have been happier. Maria and her husband, Joseph, would visit their granddaughters, bringing lovely blankets and gifts she had crafted by hand. 

“One day I told her she should start selling them to pay for her materials--she wasn’t too happy about it at first,” Vicky laughed. “But I convinced her and she finally agreed to it, as long as I was the one selling them for her!”
Soon the two of them were selling custom crochet items on the local craft show circuit, mother and daughter, side by side.
“We had so much fun attending the craft shows and I was so proud of her,” Vicky said. “My mom received so many compliments on her work! I was blown away by the public response.”

Sadly, the team only enjoyed two years when Maria suddenly passed away in August 2017.

“Losing my Mom was the hardest thing in my life,” Vicky said quietly. “I didn’t want to crochet after that. I was done. I stored everything in plastic containers and put it away for about a year.”

During her grieving, Vicky focused on her girls, their education and activities, and even became a student supervisor at Truman Benedict Elementary School. Being busy helped distract her from her loss and also open up new opportunities - just when she needed them.

“I was approached to make a pom-pom tassel garland, and since I had all the yarn and materials, I made it - then others started asking for them,” Vicky smiled. “I had so much yarn that one day I decided to make rainbows out of it. They were a huge success!”
In no time the requests were in, and Vicky found herself fielding orders and filling them, thread by thread. She quickly expanded her product to include macrame - a twist she hadn’t pursued since her teen years - and excelled at the art.
“Macrame took me to the next level,” the artist explained, soon incorporating driftwood and design details to her work for wall hangings, planters, ornaments and boundless home decor.

In the summer of 2019, Vicky tested the retail market, renting space for a short time in a local boutique. By November that year the pioneering artisan had perfected her wares, creating macrame ornaments of varying sizes and styles, just in time for the busy holiday craft shows. Customers loved them. Standing beside the World’s Tallest Christmas Tree at the Outlets in San Clemente, Vicky was photographed with what might have been the largest macrame ornaments in the city!

“I decided to get a business license and start my own business professionally,” Vicky said. “The name I chose was “Two My Creations - ‘Two My’ a tribute to my twins who inspire me each day, and ‘Creations’ because I’m constantly creating and thinking of my next project to make.”

A class with Ana Mitchell, Jolina Mitchell, Jennifer Aquino, Rebecca Wohlfarth and Vicky..

 

When you’re a creative, a global disruption like a pandemic may shut down your retail space but not your imagination. In 2020 Vicky found herself - alongside her daughters - coming up with a host of new ideas and items to add to her inventory, including curated succulents, mini-mac airplants, hair accessories, and more. By the time businesses reopened months later, Two My Creations was back and blooming bigger than before.

The shut-down had another interesting effect -  it allowed consumers to really consider hobbies and other pastime pursuits they hadn’t previously had time for and actually enjoyed-- like knitting, painting, and macrame. Given the demand, Vicky decided to lead some classes in March 2021 and within weeks she was hired to instruct private parties, including birthdays, bridal and baby showers. 
“I teach about six people at a time, the guests love it and they have so much fun,” Vicky said of her classes, which include boards and supplies-- everything you’d need for a finished project. “My goal for the future is to be able to offer free classes every two months to military wives, seniors and kids, to give back to the community.”

The strong ties that run throughout Vicky’s life and work are a testament to family, perseverance and values - including a strong team at home.
“I really couldn’t be doing this without the support of my husband, and my daughters,” Vicky said, describing the logistics, finances and dedication involved in producing art on-site. “As anyone who runs a business from home will tell you it takes time and space. I have a lot of materials and I make a lot of product!”
The joy it brings Vicky in keeping her mother’s legacy alive and sharing that gift with others is woven into her work, and she never forgets that.

“I’m so grateful for my Mother, my beautiful family, for my accomplishments and all the opportunities this amazing country has offered me,” Vicky said, with a special nod to the place she calls home.

 

“I am where I am today because of the incredible support of the San Clemente community. I’m constantly reminding myself how lucky I am to be doing what I love in the best town in the world!”

Two My Creations gifts and designs are available at Divinely Restored Market Place, SC, and The San Clemente Store at the Outlets. For custom work and classes, contact Vicky:   (8180) 489-0107.