02.16.08
My Interview with Steph of HeartsandLaserBeams
Meet Steph Calvert, owner of www.heartsandlaserbeams.com.
Where are you located? Long Beach, CA
What do you design? All sorts of arts and crafts items, ranging from paintings to plates to stationery to handknit/crocheted/sewn items.
Where/How did you learn this? I’ve always been super into making things, and have been drawing since I could hold a pencil. I went to Savannah College of Art and Design for my bachelors in 2D animation, and have picked up a bunch of skills through my various day jobs since then, including being and artist at a kids educational website, a graphic designer for Oshkosh b’Gosh and Mighty Fine, and most recently and Assistant Designer at Intercontinental Art Inc. I’ve taught myself how to knit and crochet, and took sewing classes through a local community college.
That sewing class was awesome. My sister and I took it together, and everyone else in the class was much older women than us making very traditional projects, so we decided each homework assignment needed to be as over the top as possible. My vest project ended up being a floor lenth pink pleather travesty with maribou trim around the neckline and horrendous pink and green floral lining. I still have it tucked away in a closet somewhere. There’s no way I’d ever wear it out of the house, but it’s amazing and I just can’t seem to put it in the Goodwill pile!
Favorite Artist who inspires you? Oh there’s a ton of them! Paul Frank, Fawn Gehweiler, the folks at Gama-Go, and friends who are doing amazing things with their art including Melissa Contreras, Brian Viveros. I love certain companies like Cram Cram and Harajuku lovers for their design sense. I’m just super into fun happy graphics!
Where does your inspiration come from? I get inspired by all sorts of things. A lot of times it’s jokes between my husband Josh and I, or things that have happened in my life. Sometimes it’s movies or songs or TV shows or vintage graphics. Pretty much anything that has some sort of impact on me.
What do you do to combat creative block? Doodling is the answer for that. If you just sit there not doing anything, complaining that you have no ideas, you will get no ideas. Make yourself do something, anything, to move forward and it’ll help the ideas start flowing again.
Where do you design your creations? It’s a tie between my computer in our bedroom and the kitchen table. If I’m knitting or crocheting, that’s usually on the couch, or with the Long Beach Stitch n Bitch Group. They’re an awesomely fun bunch of ladies!
What does your work space look like right now? Two words. Mess Eeee.
How does your family feel about what you do? My husband is the most supportive person on the planet in terms of my quest to be a full-time Hearts and Laser Beams employee. He’s super helpful at craft shows and he’s always coming up with fun ideas for me to use. He’s the perfect partner in crime! The rest of my family is pretty awesome about it too, very excited about the progress I’ve been making lately!
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Just keep going, going, going towards your goals and have a blast doing it. That’s what’s been working for me!
Best advice you received when starting your own business venture? Get EVERYTHING in writing when it comes to business agreements! Receipts are a must!
Favorite part of owning your own business? Having projects to work on where I don’t have a boss telling me what to make and what it should look like. It’s been a blast thinking “Hey, this stuff is funny. I want to make it like this” and then doing exactly that. Then having people come up to my table at craft shows and start giggling!
Meeting all sorts of other awesome crafty people has been totally cool too. I’ve joined forces with the Long Beach Craft Mafia (www.longbeachcraftmafia.com) and it’s really been helpful in finding out about shows and sharing information as to what works and what doesn’t for various crafty ventures. I’m excited about venturing into print advertising with them this year to get our names out there more!
Least favorite? Trying to learn all about running a small business is a little intimidating! I’m plowing through it. Though, I’ve been arming myself with books, like Small Business for Dummies to learn important things like how to write a business plan to keep me on track to meet my goal of making Hearts and Laser Beams my only job.
How do you relax? I love to watch movies, the cheesier the better. My husband and I rediscovered laser tag with some of our good friends which has been absolutely AMAZING!
Favorite color? I don’t really have one. I’m just typically drawn to all kinds of bright happy colors.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Oh totally!
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Making tons more stuff for craft shows and my site! Going to the gym! Eating candy!
A sample of HeartsandLaserbeams products. For all products, please visit Steph’s site.
