What inspired you to go into the craft business; do you still have a day job?  I always wanted to have my own business. I used to steal my parents shoes when I was little to play shoe shop and then sell the shoes back to them. Helluva a business model- no overhead! But seriously my big plan was to graduate from art school and move to NYC and become a famous accessories designer overnight! I had all kinds of delusions of grandeur. Lets just say it’s been a very different road. I have been at this game for almost 10 years now and I’m just starting to figure it out. Luckily I’ve been able to make a living at it with no real day job ever.. which I credit to a combination of good luck and stubbornness.

What do you like best, coming up with idea, creating product, or sales?  Lets just say I like everything but the sales.. which is the most important part when you are actually trying to make a living!

What has been the major influence in your creative process ? Digital Cameras and Photoshop, without a doubt!

Do you ever need to recharge yourself to inspire you, and how do you go about it? Yes all the time! Running a small business is exhausting; I take walks and do Kundalini yoga every day, it’s the only way I stay sane.

Describe your creative process when designing/making your product line. I usually start with key words and ideas that inspire me and take it from there into the visual realm. I like to think of myself as a curator of vintage imagery as well as a collage artist. It’s all about translating feelings and ideas visually .. Iconic and striking images that people feel connected to are the best sellers always, so naturally I’m always looking to make and collect art that transmit that kind of strong feeling. I have so much fun with it, its truly my favorite part of this business and why I do it.

Have you ever developed a great idea which has wound up on the editing room floor ? Oh tons.. most of my favorite ideas are out of my league when it comes to production. Its a challenge to produce affordable handmade goods in the United States.. I love intricate detail and that always comes with a price!

Are you constantly experimenting with new ideas, or do you stick with what is successful? I used to experiment constantly and that’s truly my great love. I’ve been sticking to what’s successful for a while now though because I finally realized the importance of a strong foundation and system for running things.. I hope to branch out into new accessory territory in 2012, though– I’ve got plans! 11:11 bags are the new frontier, and then shoes – GOLD shoes! Stay tuned..

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My name is Nidhi (pronounced nitty) Chanani and I create cute, whimsical and romantic art. I create a new illustration every weekday and share online. I have been working as a full-time professional artist for just over a year and a half.

I was inspired to quit my day job and pursue art after following the work of some professional illustrators. It’s encouraging to see others making a living with art and that still drives me today! I start every morning with a loose line drawing (I work on a large wacom tablet, called a cintiq, so I draw directly on the computer) and I take that and create layers and layers of color, shadow, and light.

As much as my work is on the computer, it is completely handmade. I don’t believe that traditional methods of art are any better or worse than digital (and vice versa). Its simply another tool, much like different sizes of paint brushes, or different kinds of paper. Because I created it on the computer, it doesn’t cease to be art, or cease to come from me or my imagination…!

One of the best things (there are too many to name just one) about working for yourself is making your own hours. I absolutely love that! The down side of that is knowing when to stop. Another thing I love is meeting people, whether they are lovers of art, or other creators… The community I am surrounded with is so loving, supportive and well, amazing!

“Give me a museum and I’ll fill it.” – Pablo Picasso

Website: http://e-nidhi.com/
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/nidhi

My name is Jennifer Way, I’m 30 years old and I live in Santa Cruz, CA. I design and sew by hand (not by machine) unique designs onto clothing for kids/babies/adults, aprons, reusable bags, etc. I sell at the local Farmer’s Market, festivals and a few shops around town. When I’m not sewing up a storm or designing the latest Kittybeast item, I spend my time in the ocean surfing, walking around our beautiful area, playing soccer, cooking, etc.

What inspired you to go into the craft business, do you still have a day job? My entire life I have loved drawing, painting, creating and making art. Ever since I was a little girl I always wanted to be able to sell something that I made by hand- I would make homemade stationary and greeting cards and “sell” them to my mom and relatives. As an adult, I finally decided to take the plunge and really try to come up with a product that people would buy with my designs on it- I started out with baby clothes and have since branched into adult clothing, aprons and reusable bags.

Yes, I still have a day job, I work part-time at a local bar/restaurant a cocktail server in downtown Santa Cruz where I have worked for over 3 years.

I get inspired a lot by nature, especially the ocean, where I spend as much time as I can whether at the beach or surfing or kayaking- which is reflected in a lot of my designs (waves, octopus, jellyfish, shark, seahorse, etc.) and also fruits and veggies because I love to grow food and love the Farmer’s Market environment. I usually think of a design and spend some time drawing examples of it and when the outline comes out nicely I make myself my stencil and then go from there with beautifully colored fabrics to accentuate the appliqué on whatever I am making. I think of a lot of the designs while falling asleep and then I get up in the morning and work on them…. I also LOVE to do custom order designs for friends on American Apparel hoodies. That started out as a favor for a friend and has really taken off, so I have gotten a lot of priceless ideas from them. I try to use organic or American Apparel products to embellish in order to keep my environmental impact low.

What’s the best thing about what you do? And the worst? The best thing is constantly feeding my inspiration and creativity. It’s so satisfying to create something from my own mind and hands, put my energy into it and then have it be received with a squeal by whoever receives it. I can’t really think of the worst thing about it…. I guess the hardest thing for me to do is to focus myself and make myself have a really organized approach to my products. I tend to want to make each piece completely unique and different and then move on to the next design, but for the sake of festivals especially I really have to work hard to make myself have consistency in terms of offering the same design/color scheme in all sizes. Organization is the hardest thing for me when it comes to creating art and selling it. But I think that one-of-a-kind quality is also one of my strong points and makes my products appeal to shoppers who don’t want a cookie-cutter gift or purchase.

I have a Kittybeast Facebook page- please check it out for news, photos, upcoming events, etc: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kittybeast/

For BazBiz shoppers who visit my etsy shop www.kittybeast.etsy.com after the show, I have a 10% off coupon, just use the coupon code BAZBIZ. Thanks for checking out Kittybeast and enjoy the show!