08.21.08
Posted in Uncategorized, jewelry, fun, hand crafted jewelry, shopping, site promotion at 7:20 am by KellyM
Please meet Fabiana Fusco, Owner of www.fuscogioielli.com
Where are you located? I live and work in Italy, in Rome.
What do you design? I make precious jewellery in silver or gold.
Where/How did you learn this? I was always interested in Art since I was a child. I attended an art school, then graduated in History of Art. After University, I decided to become an artisan and take classes in jewellery making, especially in wax casting and lost wax techniques.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? I don’t have a favorite jeweller, my inspirations come from Art in general.
Where does your inspiration come from? Music and dance are my sources. Every movement in dancing inspires my hand and becomes a little sculpture for a necklace or a bracelet. Jazz music is also a good chance to create with instruments and music mood special jewells.
What do you do to combat creative block? Well, usually it’s a great moment for cleaning…yes, clean my lab and put some order in my stuff. To find new inspirations, if I can, I like to make a little trip or take a rest for a weekend on the sea or on contryside in Umbria, read books, and look at all magazines I found.
Where do you design your creations? I don’t usually make a sketch, I prefer to work directly on wax in my laboratory.
What does your work space look like right now? Completely messed up because I am working on the next exhibition and I’m preparing ten housebirds that I need to display the jewells and a piano table!
How does your family feel about what you do? They try to support me but it’s not an easy living having a job in art and crafts in Italy…I attend this job full time and I didn’t really earn too much money…Too much taxes to pay in Italy for an artisan.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Practice and patience…and also a lot of creativity! I tell people that they have have to find their own way to make something special without looking on others or copying from others.
Favorite part of owning your own business? FREEDOM in every sense, time, things to create….
Least favorite? People don’t really understand how difficult it can be.
How do you relax? I take dance lessons two times a week
Favorite color? Red
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Not so much.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? I love my job very much, so for me, the more time I can spend on the table, the more I’m happy!
A sample of Fuscogioielli products. For all products, please visit Fabiana’s website
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08.07.08
Posted in Uncategorized, jewelry, fun, hand crafted jewelry, shopping, site promotion, interviews at 6:21 am by KellyM
Please meet Kerry Wilkinson, owner of www.penny-dog.co.uk.
Where are you located? Leicestershire, UK
What do you design? Resin and Silver jewellery, but also photography.
Where/How did you learn this? Self taught from books and the Internet. Had one silver clay session at Quicksilver in Jersey.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? Sherri Haab, Claire Marie Adams, David LaChapelle.
Where does your inspiration come from? Nature and our present society.
Where do you design your creations? I do all the drilling and silver clay stuff in the kitchen, some sanding in the living room whilst watching TV, and all the smelly stuff in the study, which is really just my work space now.
What does your work space look like right now? Messy!
How does your family feel about what you do? They’re supportive, if I found it worthwhile to go full time they’d be worried but proud that I can do it on my own.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? You can cut out some of the finer sanding stages by spraying your pieces with a few coats of car lacquer.
Favorite part of owning your own business? Can do what I want, when I want, and there’s little I don’t like about it.
Least favorite? Filling in forms.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Housework!
A sample of Penny Dog products. For all products please visit Kerry’s website.
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08.06.08
Posted in Uncategorized, fun, shopping, site promotion, interviews, Books at 11:42 am by KellyM
Meet Leigh Moss, Owner of www.lmoss.etsy.com
Where are you located? Athens, OH - but not for much longer.
What do you design? Books, boxes and frames.
Where/How did you learn this? A good friend taught me how to make books. She had taken a class in college on bookbinding. From there I branched out to boxes, with the help of ready-to-go kits where the board is already cut for you and detailed instructions are included. I recently started making frames and I am proud to say I figured out how to make those on my own. It was the first time I had ever developed a prototype, and that was really thrilling for me. No one coached me throught it, I came up with a way to make them (out of bookboard scraps) all on my own.
Where does your inspiration come from? I am inspired my modern, large, bold, graphic takes on elements from nature. I am inspired by the materials I work with. I don’t design the paper I use on my books, boxes and frames. In that way I am less of a creator and more of an editor. My strength lies in putting things together.
Where do you design your creations? I work in the kitchen. It has the most light.
What does your work space look like right now? I actually *just* tidied up so it looks quite nice right now. Very organized.
How does your family feel about what you do? The are incredibly supportive and encouraging. My husband is always telling people about my shop - it’s sweet.
Favorite part of owning your own business? Sending off packages and hearing back from customers. It is such a thrill!
Favortie color? Brown.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Yes, quite a bit.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? I would spend more time outside with my dog and husband - picinics, hiking, reading under shady trees, etc.
A sample of Oh Pangaea products. For all products, please visit Leigh’s website.
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08.04.08
Posted in Uncategorized, fun, shopping, site promotion, interviews, Perfume at 9:14 am by KellyM
Meet Diana Rajchel, Owner of http://magickalrealism.etsy.com .
Where are you located? Minneapolis.
What do you design? Perfume.
Where/How did you learn this? Like nearly all indie perfumers, I am self taught. This involved books, herbs, experience, and sticking a lot of things near my nose.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? Paul Rucker is a Pagan artist who creates these vivid inspirational paintings that tap straight into my subconscious and forces experience out of me. Anything he does triggers my own creative process.
Where does your inspiration come from? I think that question might be more awkward to answer than Where do babies come from? In my case, I think if it sparks my sense of humor - I have great comedic timing - it also sparks my creative inspiration reflex.
What do you do to combat creative block? I look at the many, many bills I still need to pay. Also, I do take breaks to read a book or watch a DVD - sometimes the brain just needs a different type of exercise before diving back in.
Where do you design your creations? I have a shared studio/office where my boyfriend does geekboy things and I write and do perfumey things. Yes, it is well ventilated.
What does your workspace look like right now? It’s more chaotic than usual. We’re moving soon so I’m trying to get as much stuff as possible placed in good homes - consequently, there is bubble wrap and paper strewn everywhere.
How does your family feel about what you do? They’ve been astonishingly supportive. My father even asked me to make him a sales kit of perfume samples he could show to the ladies he works with!
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? In perfumery, it’s all don’t ask, don’t tell. That said, I think I would tell any other perfumer that was serious enough about it as an art form to take risks and to honor instincts. There are a few people in the botanical community that have turned a little bit preditory, and they take advantage of people’s lack of faith in themselves. To make truly great perfume, you have to have faith in yourself, because without it, you’re just a timid smartass with an eyedropper looking for validation that it isn’t really possible to get.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? Be prepared to work your butt off.
Favortie part of owning your own business? It’s between being able to take naps as I need them and having the freedom to watch episodes of Doctor Who while I pack orders.
Least favorite? Having a business is much like having an infant - it takes nearly all of your time and attention, and you just don’t have the money to go out.
How do you relax? I watch entirely too much TV, I do yoga and I go for a walk. I also have a friend who comes over once or twice a week to ensure I get out of the house and do something non-businessy and to double check that I’m still capable of human speech.
Favorite color? Red.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Actually, yes. It shows up not only in my product photography, but my favorite perfumes in my own line usually have a substance that colors them red naturally, like red sandalwood or dragon’s blood.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Still working. Also, I might get more writing done.
A sample of Magickal Realism products. For all products, please visit Diana’s website.
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07.14.08
Posted in Uncategorized, jewelry, hand crafted jewelry, shopping, site promotion, interviews at 7:30 am by KellyM
Please meet Alison Armstrong, Owner of www.everythingworksifyouletit.com.
Where are you located? Online boutique, based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
What do you design? Pretty & quirky handmade jewelry and accessories. Everything is made for nice girls or girls who wish they were nice. Always adorable, always affordable.
Where/How did you learn this? I learned over the span of about 15 years through a lot of trial and error and tyring to figure out how other people made their stuff. I’m completely self-taught, that’s why it took so long.
Where does your inspriation come from? Crazy stuff rolling around in my head and observing creatively-accessorized people walking around.
What do you do to combat creative block? I always tend to get burned out after the holidays or a busy art show schedule. I’ve learned to deal with it. I put the beads aside for a while and do other things…work on my website, catch up on paperwork, play with my dog. The creativity always seems to work it’s way back.
Where do you design your creations? Right now, I’m pretty much based on the living room couch. I had a studio once, but it’s been turned into a nursery for the impending birth of our first child (a boy!) coming this summer.
What does your work space look like right now? It’s as organized as can possibly be, and that’s not saying much.
How does your family feel about what you do? They’ve always been supportive, even though they thnk that I’m wacky.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Go for it. Three years ago, I didn’t have a company name, know anything about building or maintaining a website, creating business cards ect. When it’s your own deal, you don’t mind investing time and energy into it, even though you may screw up a lot. For everything I’ve done right, I’ve done 20 things wrong. I’ve come a long way, baby. And trust me, if I can do this, any gal can.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? I didn’t tell anyone but my mom and my husband, I was too afraid of getting negative vibes thrown at me. I was a closet starter-upper.
Favorite part of owning your own business? The idea that maybe someday, I can support myself being creative and not have to keep working for the man.
Least favorite? Going to work for the man everyday, when I would rather be on the couch watching a Cubs game, playing with beads.
How do you relax? Eat candy and make fun of people. You know, regular stuff.
Favorite color? I’m in a big orange phase right now, along with loving the combo of turquoise and lipstick red.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Heck yeah. I have to love the pieces I’m making, or I’m a horrible salesperson.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? I would love to learn to make gourmet chocolate, resin jewelry, or clean out my purse, but there never seems to be enough time.
A sample of Everything Works If You Let It products. For all products, please visit Alison’s website.
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