Next Show:
San Francisco's Favorite Craft Fair

Interview with DameStar Baby

November 20th, 2008

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.

DamestarBaby is the work of two stay-at-home moms. Amy does the painting and designing, Jaime does the paperwork and puts the word out, propaganda-style. We both sew amid the bustle of our homes, which are filled with the high-pitched squeals of little girls and the guitar-playing of their papas.

What are your favorite crafts and how did you first get involved with crafting?

We sort of dabble in it all when it comes to crafting: a little knitting here, embroidery there, dollmaking, claybaking. I think our favorite crafts are the ones our kids make when imitating mama’s, they sort of take what we do and run with it in their own way. The appeal of handmade, for us, is that little bit of imperfection that makes each piece its own unique work of art.

We first got involved in what we do because Amy’s paintings were piling up and they were just too good not to share. Then she caught a kind of sewing fever that has no cure, and that’s where we are now.

What do you like best, coming up with ideas or executing them?

For Amy, it’s coming up with ideas, for Jaime, it’s the execution. That, among other things, is what makes us a good team.

Are you super organized or messy?What does your workspace look like?

Everyone has their own organizational system, but we’ll go ahead and admit that our fabric is rarely neatly folded and our sewing tables are in the living room. Super organization and children don’t really mix, see.

Any exciting future plans or developments in the works for your business?

We’ve always planned to grow our business into a mom co-op type collaborative. We’d love to give other stay-at-home moms the opportunity to add a little butter to daddy’s bread, like we do. And of course, we intend to keep dreaming up and bringing you ever more awesome kidswear.

Our website is www.damestarbaby.com, which has links to our blog, www.damestarbaby.blogspot.com, and our shop, www.damestarbaby.etsy.com.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Craft Shows, Indie Business, Interviews | 1 Comment »

Interview with Shauna of The Way We Wear, Vintage Apron Reproductions

November 12th, 2008

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.

I’m Shauna Lofy owner & crafter of The Way We Wear, Vintage Apron Reproductions. By day I’m a graphic designer; working at an advertising agency I co-own in Bakersfield, CA. I grew up in San Diego and went to art school attending Platt College and Academy of Art. I learned to sew from watching my mother as a child. I been making reproductions of vintage aprons and oven mitts for about a year. I’m now selling my creations on Etsy.com and will be making my first craft show debut at, San Francisco Bazaar.

Please visit my website at http://www.thewaywewear.com

What are your favorite crafts and how did you first get involved with crafting?

I’ve always had a passion for vintage and retro anything; advertising, design, furniture, architecture, dancing and fashion; especially those from the 1920’s & 40’s. On a shopping trip to an antique store when I was in high school, I came across some vintage sewing patterns and bought any I could find knowing that someday I would make something out of them.

What do you like best, coming up with ideas or executing them?

Actually, I find the end the most rewarding. To look at what I accomplished and to see all my creations come to life.

Are you super organized or messy? What does your workspace look like?

I’m a little of both. When I’m not working on anything I keep my work space fairly organized. But when I’m crafting I have things everywhere…an organized mess of fabrics and accessories! I just get so into what I’m creating that I don’t notice my mess, but I find it makes me more creative. Seeing everything right there in front of me sparks endless combinations of fabrics, colors and ideas!

Any exciting future plans or developments in the works for your business?

I hope to expand my shop to include vintage reproductions of other fashions from my favorite decades. First, will be the 1920’s. I’ve been collection many wonderful vintage patterns from this era and many fashion booklets. Whenever I discover a pattern I’m excited at the idea of bringing that fashion back to life.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Interviews | Comments Off on Interview with Shauna of The Way We Wear, Vintage Apron Reproductions

Interview with Stella of Made By Stella Jewelry

November 12th, 2008

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.

I took a jewelry class back in 2006 with my best friend and it’s been a favorite past time of mine ever since. After receiving encouragement from friends and family, I decided to turn my hobby into something more and opened up my Etsy shop a little less than a year ago. I love making simple, classic, yet versatile jewelry that can be worn for any occasion. I search for unique stones and quality components to create beautiful designs. Although I have a full time job, making jewelry is what I love to do and I spend countless hours working on orders and creating new designs!

What are your favorite crafts and how did you first get involved with crafting?

Jewelry is my favorite craft, but I’ve always had a creative side in me. I’ve picked up random hobbies in the past like origami, scrapbooking, and even creating cute animals out of clay, but jewelry making is what has captured all my interest!

What do you like best, coming up with ideas or executing them?

Coming up with ideas is great, but you can’t see your great “big idea” until you execute it. Executing the “big idea” is so rewarding b/c you can finally see all your thoughts and ideas come to life.

Are you super organized or messy?What does your workspace look like?

I used to be a bit messy, but when my supplies grew and got out of hand, I bought organizers and drawers, and for the most part, I’m pretty organized now. I have to be or else it makes my work really difficult! My workspace is my dining table- half of it, my husband I use so that we can actually eat on it. The other half is my workspace.

Any exciting future plans or developments in the works for your business?

After the San Francisco Bazaar, I’m looking forward to sitting down and creating more and more and a possible website is on the way!

www.madebystella.etsy.com

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Interviews | 1 Comment »

Interview with Amy Cools of AC Clothing and Bags

November 11th, 2008

Amy Cools with AC Clothing and Bags will be at the November 30th San Francisco Bazaar Craft Fair in SF.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.

My name is Amy M. Cools & I design & create an all-original line of women’s clothing and accessories called AC Clothing and Bags. This line evolved out of my love of vintage and other beautiful fabrics and materials, and my love of & desire to invent clothing styles that are simultaneously beautiful, or cute, or interesting, as well as being super flattering, comfortable, and as easy to wear as they are easy to care for.

What are your favorite crafts and how did you first get involved with crafting?

I really love making things to wear the best. Artistically, I started out focusing on drawing, especially figure drawing, and my love of the human form, in all its forms, in turn informs all of my designs. I watch people constantly and dress them in my head, thinking of shapes and colors that would accentuate the beauty of their particular body type and skin and hair color.

What do you like best, coming up with ideas or executing them?

Both, equally, though I do like to get some help doing the basic cutting and assembly.

Are you super organized or messy? What does your workspace look like?

I start out organized, and everything has it’s place, but then when I get in that creative zone, all best are off, and I will often end a creative spree with my workspace looking like a tornado hit it.

Any exciting future plans or developments in the works for your business?

I look forward to doing more sales events in more geographic areas; I just did the Austin San Francisco Bazaar and it was great fun! I love meeting new people and seeing the styles of people from different places.

www.acclothingandbags.com

www.acafterglow.etsy.com

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Interviews | Comments Off on Interview with Amy Cools of AC Clothing and Bags

Interview with Maylee of Ohmay Designs

November 11th, 2008

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.
I have a love for natural fibers, textures and colors in knitting. I have designed knitted accessories that are fun and functional to wear. My shop is Ohmay.etsy.com and is filled with my unique original designs, as well as patterns for some of my creations.

What are your favorite crafts and how did you first get involved with crafting?
I started knitting when I was 12 and so, it has been over 4 decades of enjoyment and love for this craft. I have evolved from following published patterns to creating my own designs and patterns. I also enjoy making jewelry, cardmaking and sewing.

What do you like best, coming up with ideas or executing them?
This is hard to say. When I have an idea, I would just take my needles and yarn in hand and start knitting. I would say 75% of my ideas would morph into a different design in the end. It seems as if the fibers and textures guides my hands to create something more fantastic than what I had originally planned.

Are you super organized or messy?What does your workspace look like?
I am super organized as I hate clutter. Although my workspace is jammed packed, 90% of the time I know where to look for a specific item. Did I tell you that I am a yarn addict? I have enough yarn to last me a lifetime, but there is always something new and luscious out there for me to get my hands on.

Any exciting future plans or developments in the works for your business?
I really want to try my hand on felting wool. Whether it is needle felting, wet felting or just making something and throwing it in the wash to felt. The blending of colors and the different techniques will be a complete “surprise” and a learning experience.

ohmay.etsy.com

Tags: , ,
Posted in Interviews | 3 Comments »

Interview with Riquelle of Pretty Fun Designs

October 27th, 2008

Riquelle crafts jewelry that reflects the love she has for beauty, joy and balance. Her intention is to help others find their beauty within and to have fun doing it.

Riquelle will be at the You Bazaar! This coming Sunday November 2nd at the San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park.

You have two lines of jewelry, pretty fun and rxdesigns. Will you tell us a bit about each one?
Pretty fun is created using paper which allows me unlimited expression, life has the possibility to be limitless, so definitely jewelry can be. Pretty fun is made using wood, paper and a varnish, there are images on both-side of the wooden disc. The pieces are versatile, imaginative and amusing. Rx Designs is created using gemstones that I charge with healing energy to bring out the stones natural healing properties. The designs are simple, somewhat sexy, with a casual elegance.

Where do you look for creative inspiration?
Everywhere, including within. We take in so much though out our lives and I mirror back what pleases me.

Which part of jewelry making do you like best? The dreaming up ideas or the hands on creating part? For me they go together, so both. When creating jewelry, the ideas often come as I’m making item pieces.

I noticed that you work with a wide variety of material. Which are your favorites?
It’s tie between the gemstones and wood. Love gemstones and learning about their natural healing properties, been using the to create prescriptions jewelry with the Rx Designs line and also with Pretty Fun. And with Wood it’s the feel, smell and natural visuals that excite me.

I’m always interested in other peoples work habits and work spaces. Do you set specific work hours for yourself or work when you’re feeling creative? Are you super organized or messy? What does your workspace look like (include pictures if you like!)?
Lately I work all the time, but mainly I set specific work hours, it helps to get what I want accomplished plus deal with the other aspects that go with running a business. MESSY, most of the time, but super organized about once every 3 months when I do a big cleaning, which feels great, wish it would stay organized longer.

Your website www.riquelle.com mentions that you are a reiki master/teacher. That’s so cool! What came first for you – healing or creating? Do you see any parallels between the two?
Although I have natural healing abilities, I’d say creating came first. I began making jewelry when I was 15 and love the limitless possibilities. Reiki is a creative energy and I channel it when creating and doing everything else in Life. Being present, meditating, and allowing life to flow are some of the gifts I receive from creating.


You opened the Well Gallery in Oakland, can you tell us how that came about?
Remember to ask for what you want. By the end of 2007 I was tired of just doing craft fairs and working fulltime at an office, so I asked for a change, it went something like
“I can’t keep doing this, help me find something that will work better. Didn’t know the details of what I wanted, just knew it had to change. And in December a friend send an email asking if someone was interested in renting the space she had for her business that she was moving. You’re crazy, I thought but something kept pulling towards going for it, and so I did and the pieces fell into place, with help from friends, family, and the universe WELL opened February 29th 2008. Yes, it was a leap year. WELL features jewelry, clothing, accessories, art, healing services and products by local artist, indie designers, crafters and other creative types.

Who are some of your favorite indie artist/crafters and why do you love them?
Some of my favorite local artist are Heathen, Field Day, TuckyMama, Cut it out, Cozy Rampage, Greenbelts, The Weekend Store, Otterbody, Small Cynz, Necessary Voodoo, Culture Consumer. They all have a great design sense, reuse materials and expand upon the normal.

www.wellspacegallery.com
www.prettyfunjewelry.com
www.rxdesigners.etsy.com

***
Minnie, the interviewer, also blogs about crafts at Thank You For Not Being Perky.

Posted in Interviews | Comments Off on Interview with Riquelle of Pretty Fun Designs

Interview with Jeyn Reyn

October 21st, 2008

Drawing inspiration from everything around us, jeyn reyn designs and hand makes inventive and colorful felt and fleece accessories that are sure to fit everyone’s taste.

Jeyn Reyn will be at the November 2nd You Bazaar! in San Francisco.

First off, Your blog has a picture of your new(ish) baby and she is so totally adorable! How old is she now? Any exciting developments lately? Crawling or the like?
Thanks! That is Elodie Olive and she is turning 8 months old soon. Our first and she is so wonderful. She smiles all the time and looks more like her Dad, but at least she got my dimples!

I’m also suddenly (with the arrival of a baby) a stay at home mom also, how are you liking it? How do you fit in time for creating? Doesn’t it feel weird to think about your old desk-type job?!
Way cool! Big congrats to you!! I LOVE to meet other Moms and swap baby stories. Not to compare in the “my baby does this, my baby does that”, because every baby is different, but just see what other Mothers do, what they buy, how their babies react,etc. Being a Mom is the best and I’m super happy that I have the opportunity to be a stay-at-home Mom. At first it was hard to be away from a work environment and I felt couped up the first couple of weeks, but after she started to interact with us more it got even better and I didn’t miss working. I just knew that being home with her was the right thing to do. Plus, I could go full force with my Etsy shops and get a chance to use my creativity. Something I wasn’t using as much in my so-called career. I do sometimes think of my jobs in my cubicles and think of it as stupid and such a waste of time. Here, at home, I am surrounded by very tall pine trees, as I live in a woodsy environment with creeks, deers,etc. Very tranquil and relaxing. As far as fitting in time for creating, I do only have small windows of time when Elodie takes her naps, and sometimes it is difficult to start something (especially when you don’t know what to start), when you are not sure if you have 40 minutes, 1 hour, or more of time. So, I try to break up my day and spend the first nap on the computer, catching up on emails, doing research, and getting bills paid,etc. Then I spend the 2nd nap creating or designing, and the 3rd one is more for cleaning house, getting things in order, or taking pics of whatever I created and getting ready for it to post the next day or that week.

How did you get your start in sewing and crafting?
I started when I was pretty young, learning how to sew,knit, and crochet, by watching my Mom, and being inventive and creative by watching my Dad wire the electricity in the house he was building for us, or building my first car together with him. Even though electricity and cars don’t have much to do with the crafts I do now, just the teaching of such stuff wired me to think that way in general.

Were you a crafty kid?
Totally a crafty kid. Instead of playing with dolls, I was creating small businesses, such as library, a sailors’ bar, restaurant,florist,etc., everything down to the receipts, outfits, and such were made by me and my cousins. My parents would be our customers and they were good at acting the part.

Has becoming a parent changed how you think about crafting?
Becoming a parent has only changed the way I spend my time, not so much how I think about crafting. I did open up my second Etsy shop (www.lovemedo.etsy.com), due to having experienced first hand the lack of an item that would help make my life as Mom easier, or bettering an item already out there. I have a ton of ideas for that shop written in my craft diary, but need the time to actually make them. I can’t wait. ;o)

Your etsy BIO is great, in it you mention that your mind is always racing with ideas. Do you ever have trouble turning that off in order to.. say… go to sleep?
Oh, great question. This is probably why I’ve been an insomniac most, if not all of my life. Down to the very last minutes before sleep I am thinking of new things to make, how to make them, when to do them, prioritizing my creative thoughts. It can drive me nuts sometimes and occasionally I’ll get up to write them down. I don’t drink caffeine, so my thoughts are my caffeine, which makes it difficult for me to go to sleep.

I like your graphic design style, do you have any formal training in that area? Thanks. No formal training really. I actually taught myself Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and use a Wacom tablet to illustrate on the computer. With some little Adobe tool tips from my Sr. Visual Designer/Illustrator fiance, I am able to do all my own marketing, artwork, and have my collaterals (business cards,tags,signs,stickers,mailers,etc.) printed out and I cut everything myself. It is a lot of work, and probably more than the crafts itself, but it is fun to do and very rewarding to see. If I get any feedback or compliments, it is usually on my crafts, but when I do get some kudos on my packaging, it really makes my day, because so much energy is put into it.

I’m always interested in other peoples work habits and work spaces. Do you set specific work hours for yourself or work when you’re feeling creative?
My work hours have changed since having Elodie, and I now divide my day into responsibilities in order to keep organized, but things come up and sometimes I have to switch roles at the last minute. Forcing creativity for me is very difficult. I’ve always had a hard time making myself be creative. The thoughts and ideas might be there and are one thing, but having the feeling of getting it out and making it real is another. But, once I do start, it is difficult to stop me, as I get pretty excited about seeing something go from and idea to a finished product. Are you super organized or messy? Absolutely both. I am very detailed oriented, spreadsheet freak, orderly with my stuff, and some say I might have some OCD, but then a couple weeks go by and I have too many things on my work table and have to clean up shop.


What does your workspace look like (include pictures if you like!)?
I just converted our living room (small room) into my studio and playroom for Elodie. We don’t use our living room anyways and since I’m working from home, I felt that in order to do this properly, I needed the right tools and space for my work. I bought a beautiful BIG and long Pottery barn table where one side has my sewing machine and sticky handy tape to design and sew, and the other side has a yard stick glued to the table so I can measure my fabric and spread it out on the table to cut (like in a fabric store). I also use my table for my light box to take photos, and I just recently added my white bookcase near me so I can have my fabrics, tools, and materials readily available and in plain sight. I find that once I made my own studio and had all my things in sight and not in boxes, I could come up with more ideas. The other side of the table has my computer and business stuff, as so to separate the two, which makes dividing my time easier and less tempting to get on the computer. And then the other side of the room has Elodie’s playpen and Jumperoo so I can keep an eye on her and she knows I’m around. I attached a photo for you (beware: still under construction though and the lighting is drab due to the weather outside).

What do you like about working with felt?
Felt is such a forgiving fabric. It is super simple to work with. Only thing is now that I bought some really quality (and expensive) 100% wool felt, I’m so nervous when I make a cut and have to make sure I am using the most out of each piece. The colors offered are gorgeous too. And do you have any other favorite materials? I love soft,unique, and fuzzy materials (velvet, velour, fleece), as well as working materials such as metals, glue, embroidery, buttons!,paint,ink,charcoal,watercolor,etc.), but believe it or not, one of my favorite things to do is work with wood. Not like “This Old House”, but more of taking older furniture and re-doing it in a way that no one would have thought of, and keeping the old character of the original piece.

Do you have any new surprise merchandise for the upcoming You Bazaar!?
I’m still up in arms on what to produce for the You Bazaar show. I’m pretty sure I’m going with my felt work, but I just might go with my Plushie work. Hard to say. Only a couple weeks to go though, so I better get hopping. I’m very excited about it.

Who are some of your favorite indie artist/crafters and why do you love them?
Oh, very hard question, there are just sooo many to choose from. Paloma’s Nest has pretty nice work. I guess I like her stuff because it is uniform and clean or streamlined. Something I have a hard time doing since my items are not always the same. ChetandDot have some really cutesy items. Things I’d pick up in a boutique and possibly buy. PrettyLittle does great feltwork, very cute items, I even bought her award winning bunny slippers for my litlte girl. And, one of the first shops I bought from twice is PerfectChildren. Great idea to make quirky and oddball stuffed animals made from mostly recycled materials. I know I am missing a bunch more but I cannot think of them right now.

You can check out Jeyn’s Etsy store and she sells at these brick and mortar shops:
In SF, http://www.needles-pens.com/
and in Washington DC, http://www.meepsdc.com/

The interviewer, Minnie, also writes about crafts at Thank You For Not Being Perky.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Interviews | 2 Comments »

Interview With Katy Kristin

October 17th, 2008

Katy Kristin will be at the November 2nd 2008 You Bazaar! in SF.

You made stuff for Mr. Bill! Whoa! Please tell me about working with claymation. Have you thought about making your own claymation webisodes? (Hedgehog and Gnome Go Adventuring, perhaps?)

My first job out of college was in the art department for “The Mr. Bill Christmas Special.” I had a lot of experience sculpting in clay, so I got to be the Mr. Bill character sculptor and have worked on all the Mr. Bill projects for the last 12 years (wow, I can’t believe it’s been that long). It’s definitely been a really awesome thing to get to be a part of, and this spring we just did a Mr. Bill Mastercard commercial. The funny thing is that everyone always thinks Mr. Bill is claymation, but he’s actually super low tech- no animation at all. The character of Mr. Hands just picks him up and moves him around, or things happen to him in real time, like getting smashed or thrown or decapitated…

I did do some claymation for Mad TV, “Furious George” and “Clops”. That was a really fun job, too, and lucky for me I didn’t have to do the actual tedious job of frame by frame animation. I made the puppets and some sets for “Furious George”, which was about George the monkey getting taken to an animal testing lab run by the man in the yellow lab coat. George escapes and he gets his revenge. “Clops” was like a clay version of “Cops” with pop culture toys and characters all getting busted for various crimes. I got to work on Redneck GI Joe and White Trash Barbie having a domestic dispute.

But yeah, I’ve often thought of doing my own stop-motion animation shorts. It takes an unbelievably long time just to complete 30 seconds, so so far time has been the major reason for not actually making any. It’s something I’ve thought about for years, and you’re right, I’ve totally wanted to make it with my gnome and hedgehog characters. I also want to do a monster one with Bigfoot living in a treehouse, the Yeti living in an Alpine chalet, and the Nessie in her lake. But alas… well maybe someday. I guess I’d have to really get some stories down first.

I love your new unicorn deer (http://www.flickr.com/photos/katykristin/2859289350/). Do you make your own plush patterns?

Thanks! I do make my own plush patterns and, man, that deer, was really hard. The bottom part that encompasses his belly and the insides of his legs took forever to get right. I haven’t made a second one yet so I’m still not sure if I quite have the final pattern perfected. Usually I do a drawing, then make a bunch of measurements, and then go through a bit of a trial and error process.

Ever since I read about the real Unicorn Deer in Italy (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080612-AP-unicorn-photo.html) I became obsessed with him. I really wanted to make a plushie version of him, so I went to my parents’ house and dug my old Bambi stuffed animal out of the attic. I looked at him and pictures of some of the vintage 60s deer toys like this one on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinymuffins/1803947808/) for inspiration. If I make another one, I want to put a squeaker in his face.

I just found the link to Shelter Kit from your blog and now I will have to spend the rest of my night poking around it. These are awesome. A few times a year I become obsessed with container houses. What do you think is important about building/designing/having an active hand in your immediate environment?

I think that where you live and what you surround yourself with has an immeasurable effect on how you feel, how productive you are- basically on HOW you live. If you are surrounded by things you love, I think you are more likely to be in a good mood and deal with stresses well. If you are surrounded by horrible decor that reminds you of being car sick, you’ll probably not be too happy. Likewise, if you work in a cramped and suffocating space, it’s really hard to be creative and productive. I’m saying this because right now my workspace is really cramped and suffocating : )

I’m kinda looking for a new place to live. I totally wish my husband and I could buy some land and build a Shelter Kit (http://www.shelter-kit.com/) house on it, but after researching getting loans for land and construction, I think we’re gonna have to try to buy a regular house and then gradually make it cool and customized.

But going back to the original question, I’m a huge fan of the Arts and Crafts movement, which was all about making every aspect of the home and workplace beautiful and functional. Everything was carefully designed, the outside of the house, all the furniture, the art on the walls, planters for houseplants, rugs, lighting, utensils and dishes, everything. Very cool and very well thought out. The Arts and Crafts movement was also kind of anti-mass production, so all in all, it was almost like an earlier version of the current indie/diy movement that’s going on today. I know there are big differences, too (like you wouldn’t have found dirty quotes embroidered on William Morris pillows or anything), but I think maybe the hearts of the two movements are similar.

Speaking about environments.. what’s yours like? Where do you do your creating and why?

Well, I guess I did admit to having a cramped and suffocating work space. Maybe it’s not THAT suffocating, but it is too small. I’ve crammed in as much cool stuff as possible, though. It’s a little haphazard, but I’ve worked in Wonder Woman, Princess Leia, Pippi, gnomes and mushrooms, and other random stuff. I just got this cool rotating display rack for free from a store that was going out of business, so that’s kinda taking up some precious workroom real estate right now, and it’s blocking my view of some of my action figures, but hey, it was too good to pass up.
Basically the workroom is a very small bedroom with desks and shelving units on all four walls, minus the door and the closet. Supplies packed in labeled boxes, sewing machines, a heat transfer press, button maker, computer, printer, books, product inventory, and our huge music collection are surrounding me at all times as I work. I hope there isn’t a really big earthquake. Wish us luck in finding a house with more workspace soon, : )

Okay and now I just scrolled down to see a Pippi Longstocking (lurve) AND a Barapapa (more lurve), do you also love Moomintroll? Just askin’.

I only recently discovered Moomintroll and just got some kleenex packets with Moomin on it. But I don’t know too much about the Moomintroll stories yet. I bought my friend one of the books, so I guess I’ll have to borrow it back from her. But Pippi and Barbapapa I’ve totally loved since I was a little kid. There’s this weird house off 280 near the Crystal Springs Reservoir, and when I was little I always used to think it looked like a Barbapapa house. My parents called it the Flintstone house, though. I wish I had a picture of it. Next time I go down there, I’ll have to bring my camera. Here’s a link to someone who wrote about it, but the picture is from when the house was still painted white (http://bbs.monolithic.com/viewtopic.php?t=1472)

What other kid stuff do you still love? Books, characters, etc.

Well, I know I’m being redundant but Wonder Woman and Princess Leia were and still are huge heroes. I’m just going to list everything I can think of but there’s so many I’m sure I’ll forget some:
Star Wars (I know, duh), Alice in Wonderland, Narnia, Wizard of Oz books, Huckleberry Finn, Swiss Family Robinson, the Matterhorn at Disneyland and the real one which I hope to someday see, Bigfoot, Yeti, Loch Ness Monster, Peter Pan, Treasure Island, these books by Wolo that belonged to my dad when he was a kid, Richard Scarry, Mary Blair, this 16mm film they used to show at my elementary school called Winter of the Witch, Lord of the Rings books, Lloyd Alexander books, Dark Crystal, pretty much all Jim Henson stuff, Heidi books, Anne of Green Gables, Maurice Sendak, Mary Poppins, Red Dwarf BBC series, Willy Wonka, The Red Balloon, Rankin Bass shows, Gumby, Cheburashka, Beatrix Potter, Caldecott, Legoes, Playmobil, Davy Crockett (mostly just his hat),…

< >
I liked too many things to pick one, so I just majored in Fine Art. That way I got to draw, paint, build stuff, and play with clay and porcelain.

What is your favorite medium? Do you prefer different things (painting or sewing, etc.) at different times? Why?
Well, I guess I still don’t have one favorite medium. I really totally enjoy lots of different things equally. I think I work more around getting an idea to make something and then figuring out what materials I need to make it. So sometimes it’s a stuffed animal or hat, sometimes it’s a painting or drawing or print, sometimes it’s a piece of furniture, sometimes jewelry, etc. A lot of things revolve around me being obsessed with a certain theme and trying to find a way to wear it. Like I love treehouses, so I made a muslin apron top and drew a treehouse on it. I also collected all these tiny Japanese toys and ended up putting them all on a necklace, so now it’s a really bulky, heavy colorful charm necklace that’s also one of my toy collections.


Do you have any new surprise plushies for the upcoming You Bazaar!?
Well, I’m hoping to have some new ones. I’m hoping to have some felt dolls with pressed faces, kind of antique style, like the old Steiff or Lenci dolls. But they take tons of time so… I’m also hoping to have some Alice In Wonderland themed toys.

Who are some of your favorite indie artist/crafters and why do you love them?
Wow, that’s a tough question because there are so many awesome indie artists out there. Okay, everyone I know personally (and you know who you are) I totally admire their work and what they’re doing. They pretty much inspire me and help me all the time. I don’t think I can answer this without leaving important people out so I’ll just name two people who I don’t know yet but whose stuff I love. Made With Love By Hannah (http://www.madewithlovebyhannah.com/home.html) is completely rad! If you go to her website, you’ll know why I love her stuff. I love and collect a lot of the same stuff she does. She screenprints her own fabric and sews it into amazing skirts and tops and other goodies. I have her skirt with gnomes, deer, mushrooms, and an Alpine house on it (yep, all on one skirt). I also really like Loobylu. I wish I owned one of her unbelievably cute softies. Everytime I read her blog, she mentions something I’ve been thinking about. Seriously, I just now checked her blog and she mentioned reading one of the Moomin books. Another time she talked about a Barbapapa house. And she does really, really cool illustrations.

www.katykristin.com
katykristin.blogspot.com/
katykristin.etsy.com

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Interviews | 1 Comment »

Interview with Donna of The Donut Lounge

October 7th, 2008

The Donut Lounge combines my love for cuteness, corniness, and cravings, by allowing me to design and incorporate foods I love. I’m a stickler for good clean font and simplicity and although my tastes are consistent, I’m always thinking of new and different goodies to make. In my spare time, when I’m not working or doing schoolwork, I enjoy spending countless hours on the internet, messing with my D70, and buying books/magazines I never get to read.

Donna will be at the November 2nd 2008 You Bazaar! in SF.

I like the name of your shop. The Donut Lounge. It sounds like a speakeasy where they serve nothing but donuts and moonshine, I can see the coaster design now… How did you come up with the name? When and why did you start your business?

Donut has been a nickname since way back. In the second grade we had to do an alliteration type thing with our names and mine was “Donna Donut”. Nobody really started calling me Donut until I retold that story to my middle-school friends. Ever since then, Donut has stuck with me. In high school, I actually had dreams of opening up a music store/lounge place and that’s how “The Donut Lounge” was birthed. But, I didn’t turn it into an actual business until my last year in college. I saw a site of homemade goodies by a girl from my area and I thought, “Hey, I could do that!” So I bought my dotcom, made a few Mother’s Day & graduation cards, and started selling them to friends. It has grown a lot since 2006 but it still has much growing to do.

The Donut Lounge

It looks like you turn your hand to many crafty endeavors. Were you a crafty kid? what part of the creative process is your favorite?

I don’t know if I could say I was a crafty kid, but I always had a crazy imagination and was known as the “creative” one in the family. I didn’t do much crafts but I found other ways to channel that creativity and I was always finding new ways to do it. I went from music, to poetry, to painting/drawing, and now sewing & crafting. So I feel like the crafty thing is just something that I’ve built upon over the years and hope to build on for the rest of my life.

My favorite part of the creative process is the designing part. It’s fun to see something go from an idea to a reality and all the little trials and errors that go into making it for the first time.

What are your inspirations in your daily life that you use in your art too?

Most of my inspiration comes from Japanese products… the kawaii (cute) things. A lot of Japanese goodies are very inspirational because the style is so cute, colorful, and daring. I feel like they don’t care about age or gender and even if I’m almost 24 years old, I can rock Domo-kun and not feel childish about it. Also, FOOD is a huge inspiration. I’m always trying to think of a new food to incorporate into my work whether it’s something corny for my cards or to turn into a charm or plushie. And a lot of my card ideas come from jokes or phrases I’ve used in conversations with friends. Pretty much anything funny and joyful is a huge inspiration.


I was excited to see your plush sushi photos on your blog! Will you talk about creating those and will you be showcasing sushi’s at You Bazaar! in November?

Yes, I will definitely be selling those at You Bazaar! I actually was hoping to sell them at the last anime con I went to but was pressed for time. And there will be more to the series. I’ll keep you posted on my blog :D

The Donut Lounge

I’m always interested in other peoples work habits and work spaces. Do you set specific work hours for yourself or work when you’re feeling creative? Are you super organized or messy? What does your workspace look like (include pictures if you like!)? What kind of sewing machine do you use?

I don’t really have specific hours but I do like to set aside crafting during the days I don’t have class. But, that’s more so to put aside time to study. Most of the time I just do it when something pops into my head. I wouldn’t say I’m super organized or messy but I definitely cannot start working until my workstation is clean. However, when I have to get ready to sell at a convention and I’m multi-tasking like crazy, my room can be a total wreck. Sometimes I can’t even find the floor. My workspace is just a table, a desk, and lots and lots of plastic bins. I use a Singer 7462 and it’s only about 2 years old. I love how easy it is to use and learn and I haven’t even used all the features on it.

Who are some of your favorite indie artist/crafters and why do you love them?

I like Heidi Kenney of My Paper Crane. As an aspiring plush maker, her stuff is absolutely motivating. And it’s so amazing to see how much she has grown…going from making plush donuts to these amazing, elaborate pieces she does for shows & now having done a collaboration with Kid Robot! That’s pretty cool!

Some other artists I enjoy: Shawnimals, I Heart Guts, Planet Tokki, Social Studies, Fat Rabbit Farm, & boygirlparty. All amazing artists/crafters and huge inspirations that keep me moving forward with this business.

What are some other things you like to do when you are not busy making things for The Donut Lounge?

I’m trying to get back into photography so my friend and I have been trying to come up with little photo excursions to go on. And if you haven’t already noticed from my blog I’m really big on anime & movies. I could get lost for hours watching an entire anime series :] A new hobby of mine is cosplaying. I get a lot of heat from my friends about it but it’s so fun and I love the challenge of trying to create a costume. I may not be hardcore and get into character, but I definitely love dressing up. It’s like Halloween all year round! That’s probably the geekiest thing about me :D

thedonutlounge.com
thedonutlounge.etsy.com
blog.thedonutlounge.com
twitter.com/thedonutlounge
myspace.com/thedonutlounge

***
Minnie, the interviewer, also blogs about crafts at Thank You For Not Being Perky.

Posted in Interviews | Comments Off on Interview with Donna of The Donut Lounge

Interview with Tracy of GiggleRock

October 3rd, 2008

Tracy Lindsey is a young mom with a lot of spunk. With two young boys and a husband at home, Tracy had little time run all over the place looking for cool gear for her kids. Using her kids and friends as inspiration, Tracy has created quality, handmade, one of a kind monster plushies, blankets, pillows and other cool baby and toddler gear. Recently her husband, Eric, has collaborated with Tracy to create custom illustrations that are featured on her pillows and prints.

Meet Tracy of GiggleRock (also a supermom)! I’m kind of excited to hear that Tracy is behind a movement at her son’s school for the cloth napkin. When I was in elementary school I was THE ONLY kid to have a cloth napkin and I was made fun of mercilessly. *le sigh*

Tracy will be at the November 2nd 2008 You Bazaar! in SF.

How did you come up with the name GiggleRock? Are you a musician? Or just a rockstar? :P

The name Giggle Rock evolved from a number of different things. Originally I had set out to open a children s clothing store; but after running the numbers and watching the economy turn, I decided it wasn’t the right time. The word Giggle came from me (i’m a major giggler;). Adding the Rock came from a combination of my influence from music and the show Fraggle Rock. My husband is a musician and my children LOVE music (and I am a major rocksrar;P)

I love that with monsters you can just go totally crazy with designs and fabrics and stuff. Can you talk about how you came up with the designs and fabric/notion combinations for your plush monsters?
When/how did you decide to sell your creations?

My monsters sort of came up with out any planning. I needed a valentine project for my color theory class and came up with a monster valentine (v-day is not my fav). I ended up getting a lot of input from my kids and we came up with a hole back story for the V-day monster — Jist: he ate valentines cards. The monster was so popular in my class that my teacher bought him! I have been making them ever since. When I start to make them, I pick out a crazy piece of fabric, then use the colors in it to choose the felt and button colors. I like to layer the buttons to give them “life.” I tend to use remnant fabric and I always use eco-spun felt which is made from recycled bottles.

I read that you have kids. Do you have to fend them off your newest plushies?!
My kids are great inspirations for my plushies. Their imaginations are amazing and I love picking their brains for new ideas on shapes and faces. They are also my quality control. If the plushies make it through a day of play, they are ready for the public:)

What are your inspirations in your daily life that you use in your art too? Can you talk about your personal creative process? Which part is your favorite?
Inspiration for my art comes from anything and everything. On top of being a musician, my husband is an amazing illustrator/artist and his use of color is always inspiring. When I set out to create something new, I usually start with fabric. I pick out one main piece and then pull other colors into it and let it create itself. I have a degree in interior design (which i do on the side: www.sproutspaces.com – specializing in baby and toddler rooms) and that is where I developed my skills of color coordinating. My favorite part of the process is when I’m stumped on what to make and then something triggers my brain and the idea just comes to me— my A-HA!!! moment;)

I’m always interested in other peoples work habits and work spaces. Do you set specific work hours for yourself or work when you’re feeling creative? Are you super organized or messy? What does your workspace look like (include pictures if you like!)? What kind of sewing machine do you use?

My husband and I both do a lot of work from home. His day job is graphic design and he has tons of music equipment so he needs a good amount of space to work. I started out on the dinning room table and outgrew it quickly. Our solution was to create a shared office in our master bedroom. Me moved are bed into the old office (all we do is sleep there anyway) and set up a great, creative space for us to share. The room is about 4 times the size of the old office so it made the most sense for us to do it. We have it split in half – one side his and one side hers. My sewing machine is always out and I use the space on the floor to layout fabrics and patters. I like to think I am very organized. All of my things are labeled except my fabric storage which is still a little messy. I just get excited and rummage through all the folded fabrics and forget to put them back the way I found them. I currently use a Brother machine that my hubby bought me for Christmas one year. It is still going strong!!

Any exciting future plans or developments in the works for your art/business?
Since I am still at the beginning of my business, I have tons of plans for the near future. I currently sell at our local Farmers Market and it is really starting to take off. I plan to get involved in some craft fairs for the holiday season and am really looking forward to Plush You!! I am always expanding my inventory which also keeps things interesting. I’ve been doing a lot of screen printing lately which is super fun. I plan to revamp my etsy store soon so that I can make myself a bigger presence online. I am also trying to convince my hubby to partner up with me on a few projects and trying to push him to get involved in the handmade scene!

What are some other things you like to do when you are not busy making awesome stuff?
When I am not making awesome stuff, I am super mom!!! Well I try anyway;) I am very involved in the PTA and my older son’s school (currently PTA secretary and school art docent). I am working on starting a “green” campaign in the school which includes a school garden, no-waste lunch, and basic awareness info. I have been making cloth napkins for my younger son and now his whole pre-school is a paper-napkin-free zone. I have used my napkins as a fundraiser for the school by giving back a portion of sales back to the school. I plan on doing that with all the elementary schools in the district.

***

Minnie, the interviewer, also blogs about crafts at Thank you for not being perky.

Posted in Interviews | 1 Comment »
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Skip to content