Meet Turtle Forest Designs

HI, I'm Johanna Shaw, and I am the creative force behind Turtle Forest Designs, so named because of my love of turtles and being in nature.

I am a crafter, designer, mother, curler (the sport on ice), assistant scoutmaster, gamer, Lego enthusiast, office administrator, elected town meeting representative, and chronic volunteer.

I have been crafting my entire life, having grown up going to craft fairs with my mother and having fun figuring out how items were made, and talking about how we could do them differently or better. I even had a crafting business with my mother when I was a teenager, with her doing tole painting and floral arranging while my focus was on jewelry, cardmaking, and fabric arts. I'm not sure there is a section of Michael's or JoAnn's that I haven't dabbled in at some point, but I have really settled into proficiency in and enjoyment of designing and creating with my Silhouette machine (a competitor brand to the more ubiquitous Cricut for those who aren't familiar).

My greatest passion in my crafting in the last decade or so has been making things for my three kids. They have a wide array of custom shirts that I have made, and I delight in making their birthdays memorable with over-the-top themed parties. I really, REALLY, love taking a theme as far as it can go, and decorate their rooms with new themes every few years as their birthday presents. Every bedroom and bathroom in my house has an elaborate theme, and where "normal" people are supposed to have formal living and dining rooms, we have a board game room and a video game room! I have even taken my show on the road a third of the way across the country to decorate three themed rooms in my best friend's house!

I firmly believe that your living space is yours, and living in a plainly decorated space in the interest of future resale value is doing your soul a disservice in the time you live there. As someone who lost both of my parents to cancer when they were in their early 60's, I have seen that life is far too short to not embrace who you are and live in a space that you love.

Experience Matters

I decorated my first room - my own bedroom - when I was 11. I started with an inspiration piece - a brushstroke design wall border in coral, light blue, and gray that I found in the JC Penney catalog (I know I'm dating myself here!). I built a color scheme around that and took risks with my choices. My parents let me make my choices, but told me about 20 times that they wouldn't repaint it if I hated it. I proved their skepticism wrong and they admitted that the room looked great when it all came together.

Since then, I have spent a few decades learning new crafts, teaching myself to quilt, making my own clothing, and picking up all the skills I can. I am absolutely a Jill of all trades and generally am not afraid to try to make any idea that pops in my head (and as an ADHD-er, there are a lot of them!) into relaity.

Skills

Experienced with all sorts of crafts

Client Focus

Your space or event is YOURS. You don't need to plan it for anyone else's taste. I start with a thorough interview of my clients to ensure that every design I create is tailored to your theme, color preferences, style, function, and budget.

  • Sewing

  • Quilting

  • Digital Cutting Machine

  • Graphic Design

  • Wood Burning

  • Decorative Painting

  • Rug Making

  • Jewelry Making

  • Carpentry

  • Lighting Wiring

  • Floral Arranging

  • Space Planning

  • Papercrafting

"Turtle Forest Designs has transformed multiple rooms in my home — from a dreamy Galaxy Far Far Away–themed nursery to a custom dining room fit for delving dungeons and slaying dragons, and finally my daughter’s magical fairy-forest playroom. Each space has topped the last; I still catch myself gawking at how cool the rooms are. Johanna listened to our ideas, offered thoughtful suggestions, and truly collaborated with us to bring our family's personalities to life. My daughter’s face the first time she saw her playroom was priceless, and I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out. I wholeheartedly recommend Turtle Forest Designs to anyone who wants their home to feel unique and special."

-Jim W.

"Johanna was exceptionally good at listening to a large group of people brainstorm ideas, filter, refine, translate and ultimately transform them from intangible ideas into something tangible for numerous staff luncheons the South Row PTO has put on over the years. Her enthusiasm and creativity really come through when working with her as well as in the final product. I’d be remiss in not adding she also executes projects on a budget. For a non- profit like ourselves being able to have the maximum impact with our money is really important. We were so lucky to have her on the team for so many years!"

-Denille R.

★★★★★
★★★★★

"The makeover of my room was amazing. So many well-made custom pieces that all nicely fit into the theme of my choice. She was very helpful and collaborated when picking out the color scheme. Including looking into what colors would compliment each other, along with keeping colors that are attached to the anime-based theme like colors that are associated with the protagonists."

-Brechin S.

★★★★★

What Clients Are Saying

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