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By Keli Flannery, June 1, 2004

Last updated: Thursday, June 3, 2004 11:49 AM EDT

It's not easy for a stay-at-home-mom to find a regular income.

But for Leslie Roth, it's a fun reality.

The creator/owner of Off My Painted Rocker, a unusual children's gift shop in Mechanicsburg, is enjoying the challenge.

"I had often thought of having my own store," she says "and somehow it just came together."

A matter of practice

The former full-time flight attendant says she never considered the arts in years past.

"It was actually when I was home visiting my mother one time.She and her friends were 'crafting,' to use their phrase. They were making paper-twist wreaths. I joined in and that was the start of my art.

"You have to start somewhere."

With no formal training, Roth learned on her own.

"I picked up some of my mom's paints and began practicing," she says.

Soon she was painting regularly on wood items.

In the early years she focused on outdoor furniture — thus the rocker reference.

Sometimes Roth uses stencils in her creations. She says shading and depth of color are better controlled and more time-efficient with that process.

But she also offers many freehand designs.

House gets makeover

The area native and her husband, Kevin, moved to 515 W. Main St. in 2000, taking overthe family homeafter her father'sdeath.

"I had always hoped to be ... a stay-at-home-mom.When I was on maternity leave from the airlines, I checked and found our home was zoned residential-commercial and it got me thinking. That zoning option allowed me to devote 40 percent of my house space to a store. I realized a home business just might work."

The shop now occupies the former living and dining rooms of the century-old home.

"We did a lot of work — painting, wallpapering, giving the house a new look and then setting aside this area for the store,"she says.

With more than 10 years' painting experience, Roth opened her shop in March 2002.

She originally offered items for all ages but in January 2003 phased out the many adult items and changed her focus to children's gifts.The only exception is the adult wooden rockers that inspired the name of her operation.

Competition, specificity and market base all were part of that decision-making process.

"Besides, my main interest is with the kids," she says. "I love painting for children."

And the name?

"A while back we had been visiting friends in Australia. For weeks they had teased me and said I was 'off my rocker.'It just stuck and I always knew it would be the name of my store.

"My mom did suggest I add the 'painted,' indicating the personal touch involved.

"The store name was one of the best decisions I made."

She gets lots of questions but welcomes the interest the name generates.

Changing locations

Roth originally sold her handiwork by consignment. She used an Atlantic City locale for a year and then was a consignment vendor at the Old Sled Works, Duncannon, for two years.

Prior to moving to Mechanicsburg from Harrisburg, Roth's customer base was predominately on the East Shore.Once established in Cumberland County, she had to rebuild her guest book.

"Ninety percent of my customers are moms and grandparents," she says. "And I'm fortunate to have a lot of return customers."

Items such as clothing, picture frames, stuffed animals, quilts, banks, blankets, cookie jars and doll furniture complement the store's many hand-painted gifts.

Roth says her most-requested items include hand-painted wooden growth charts, chalkboards, stools and tables.

She offers her own designs or will work with a customer's request.

Pointing out a children's quilt, Roth explained how she took ideas from the quilt and painted a table and chair with coordinating accents. The set would be an obvious complement to a nursery or bedroom.

Mother to active 3-year-old Nate, Roth finds time to work on her business at nights and "whenever it fits in the schedule.Sometimes we just have to wing it."

Depending on the time of year, pre-ordered hand-painted items can take up to a month or more.Other times it might just be a week.And there's always a large in-stock selection to consider.

Busy time is the Christmas season.Roth plans to add more store hours in the fall to accommodate that rush.

Current hours are 11-6 Fridays and Saturdays "or by appointment or chance," as noted on her business cards.

This year she had a very productive booth at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

"Personalized items werevery popular there," she says, explaining that not only does she do a lot of personalized children's items, but many pet lovers enjoy them too. "Off My Painted Rocker celebrates family and that includes our dogs and cats."

Husband helps

Rothwill participate in Jubilee Day farther down Main Street later this month.She will spend the day greeting customers at a streetside stand while her husband, a chief pilot for a national airline, will take the day off to man the home store.

Leslie Roth realized an additional boost once she was able to offer her items online.She researched options and created her own website.

"The lengthy part of establishing a business online is the time consumed getting on the search engines," she says. "The site was up in January but it was March before allcontacts were secured and it was finalized."

But it's worth all the hard work for this young business owner and mother, who says she's found the best of both worlds.

On the Net: offmypaintedrocker.com