What’s Behind the Blue Door at Lake Shore?

The Blue Door owner Karina Ferrer can remember the exact moment she realized she could actually do her dream job.

“My son was at at the time and I needed a Christmas present for his teacher and I didn’t know what to get,” Ferrer said. “The teacher was young so I decided to make her a belt. A little while later she told me she needed more belts because everyone wanted one. It was then I realized I could do this.”

Ferrer opened The Blue Door at Lake Shore to showcase her crafts and those of other local artists.

The small shop is bursting with color and creativity. Ferrer has a story to tell for each item, which come from more than 25 different local artists.

“This local artist makes driftwood boats,” Ferrer said while holding up one of the boats. “They use retired sails and make boats from local driftwood. They also make custom signs.”

Ferrer then held up a decorative wine glass and excitedly explained its origins.

“These are made by a local mom who had four kids and she calls them Crabby Thumbs,” Ferrer said. “The bases of the crabs that are painted on here are her kids’ thumbprints. I love it.”

There is a team effort that goes into the products they sell at The Blue Door. Ferrer could talk for hours about the talented artists who make up the collection of items she sells—she humbly declined taking a photo of herself for this article.

“I don’t want to take a photo of me because the whole thing is really a team effort,” she said. “It isn’t just me.”

Before opening The Blue Door, Ferrer worked in marketing. After she had kids, she said she couldn’t go back to that lifestyle and wanted to pursue her dream job.

“I had that nine-to-five job in marketing before I had kids,” Ferrer said. “And it is so liberating to not have to do that anymore. I get to work with great, nice people. I also give people who can’t leave their nine-to-five [job] the opportunity to share their art.”

The Blue Door at Lake Shore, located at 4505 Mountain Rd., is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

You can also visit them on Facebook.