03.16.08
Posted in Uncategorized, jewelry, fun, hand crafted jewelry, shopping, site promotion, interviews, crochet, knitting, Stained Glass at 3:29 pm by KellyM
Please meet D’arcy, Owner of www.littlesalem.com
Where are you located? St. Paul, MN.
What do you design? Stained glass (panels, lamps, pendants, jewelry boxes). Various knitted and crocheted items (chokers, halfmits, soap satchels)
Where/How did you learn this? I returned to college when I was 42, and spent most of my time in the Fine Arts Dept. There, I learned sculpture, watercolor, graphic design, but mostly fell in love with all aspects of glass, from stained glass and fusing to glass blowing. I learned how to crochet from my grandma when I was very little.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? Oh, there are so many! I love John Waterhouse. There are so many people in my life who are artistic though, and they inspire me.
Where does your inspiration come from? Life and dreams. Sometimes I can see art in the mundane, and I dream so much when I sleep it’s like I’m just visiting another, more colorful place. That’s given me a lot of ideas in my waking hours.
What do you do to combat creative block? I have so many different things I like to do that I don’t even have the time to get to all the ideas I have now.
Where do you design your creations? I have a workspace in my basement that I use for doing my glass. Soon, I will be setting up space to include pewter casting and silver metal clay. (I just got a new torch and I can’t wait to fire it up!)
Upstairs I have a little room where I do my sewing and beading, and I crochet and knit when I’m watching tv at night.
What does your work space look like right now? Very cluttered! I’m always working on at least a couple of things at the same time!
How does your family feel about what you do? My whole family is very supportive! My partner in life is a very talented artist, so he is not only supportive, but he “gets it”. My kids are following a creative path also, so there’s always plenty of creative energy in this house!
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? For any method, follow what drives you. Learn what you can, and get your hands dirty and try it. If you’re passionate about it, you’ll succeed.
Favorite part of owning your own business? The hours. I can work around family, appointments, etc. I just need to remember to stop sometimes.
Least favorite? The actual business end. I’m still learning that, and I feel like it takes so much time away from what I love to do.
How do you realx? A bonfire in the back yard after my guy BBQs a great steak!
Favortie color? Hmmmm. Lately, I’m liking reds. Overall, black and purple.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Oh yes, lots of black.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Learning to play my harp, and playing my guitar more.If there were more hours in the day, what would you
A sample of Little Salem products. For all products, please visit Darcy’s website.
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03.10.08
Posted in Uncategorized, fun, shopping, site promotion, interviews, fiber art, knitting at 7:35 am by KellyM
Meet Shellee, Owner of www.etsy,com/shop.php?user_id=5165141
Where are you located? Minnesota, USA
What do you design? I make recycled yarn and sometimes hand knitted items.
Where/How did you learn this? I first learned (self taught) how to knit about three years ago when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter. I was addicted form the start, but didn’t have enough room in my budget to support my habit, so I started using recycled yarns. I wasn’t happy just doing that, and since I was well versed in dyeing plant fibers (thanks to my love of tie dye) I started dyeing the yarns to my liking, still not perfect, I started respinning the yarn. My yarn can now compete with any new yarn and I love it!
Favorite Artist who inspires you? Honestly, I don’t have a favorite artist, I take inspiration from several fiber artists as well as friends who are very creative. I’ve got 3 little girls at home so I incorporate their likes into my designs a lot.
Where does your inspiration come from? Besides my daughters, it really just comes from inside of myself. I don’t play by the color rules very often, so sometimes my inspiration is simply what yarn on my wall is ready to be spun together. Often times I haphazardly grab two skeins and start spinning away with little thought of how the final product will look.
What do you do to combat creative block? Luckily, I’ve got several facets to my work that can be done at any time, so if I’ve grown sick of dyeing, I deconstruct, when I get sick of deconstructing, I spin, when sick of spinning, I knit etc…I’m always thinking of my next project while I’m working on something else.
Where do you design your creations? I do the original designs in my brain, then I move on to the physical realm and that may be in my living room, kitchen, art room, or several other places I often find myself, like the mall play areas and local family coffee shops.
What does your work space look like right now? Well, I don’t have one specific place I work since I really do so many different things. I store my yarn on a pegboard wall in my family art room and other various knitting/dyeing supplies on a shelf in the art room, or in baskets throughout the house.
How does your family feel about what you do? Well, I’m sure my kids would like it if I did less fiber art, but being a mother of three young homeschoolers, I need to do this to get myself out of my otherwise preschool world and save my sanity. My husband had is reservations at first, but seeing my success and happiness has opened his eyes and he’s now my biggest supporter. He’s also my DIY yarn tool man making me several yarn tools including a spinning wheel!
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Yes, just dive right in and find your own groove, don’t worry about who does what this way or that way, there is not one right way to take a part a sweater, or dye yarn, or knit it up.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? Stick with it for 6 months before getting discouraged or quitting.
Favorite part of owning your own business? I can work when and where I want, or not at all if I don’t want to work one particular day. Also, as we homeschool our children, owning a business will be an integral part of their education.
Least favorite? Networking and marketing, anyone wanna do it for me? LOL
How do you realx? I play with yarn or daydream about yarn, or, once in a blue moon, I go out and have drinks with my husband.
Favorite color? This is always such a tough question for me to answer. I truly love all the colors, just in different seasons of my life. Seeing as Spring is on it’s way, I find myself gravitating to bright greens, blues and purples.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Again, my favorites come and go with the seasons.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Playing with yarn.
A sample of Soulful Hues Knits products. For all products, please visit Shellee’s website.
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03.02.08
Posted in Uncategorized, fun, shopping, site promotion, interviews, crochet, knitting, handbags at 8:26 am by KellyM
Meet Robyn Vines Smith, Owner of www.burstofhappiness.com.
Where are you located? Albuquerque, NM
What do you design? Accessories such as handbags, totes, knitted scarves, fancy-pants aprons.
Where/How did you learn this? I am self-taught. I learned to sew, knit, crochet on my own over the past few years. I never thought I had creativity in me because I never gave things a try. Now I’m eager to learn more and more-for instance, I’m currently learning yarn dyeing and spinning. Each thing I do takes me down new exciting paths.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? I guess the natural thing would be to pick someone in fashion or someone really famous, but I’m going to pick my friend Ren Adams (www.artbyrenadams.com). It’s not because I aim to do work like hers, because we do really different things. But she inspires me because she’s really passionate about her work and she’s taken so much time to learn about Asian culture. She really draws from her knowledge and passion and she takes her artwork and the culture behind it very seriously. Through her, I’ve learned to take interest in many new things.
Where does your inspiration come from? Fabric prints and fashion. I just see a fabric and know I’ve got to make something out of it.
What do you do to combat creative block? I don’t really have creative block–my problem is more a lack of time to get to work on things.
Where do you design your creations? Spare bedroom at home.
What does your work space look like right now? Today it’s quite messy because I’ve been sick and not inclined to clean up. But usually I keep it quite neat. I’m a very organized person, so I can’t work if things aren’t kept tidy and in place.
How does your family feel about what you do? They are very supportive, I’m not making a living this way, so nobody has any reason to think I’m nuts or criticize me.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? With sewing and knitting, it’s all about practice. But my advice is to really take pride in your work and sell the best product you can. Quality, all the way. To do business as an indie shop online, you must put a lot of time into researching free or inexpensive ways to network and get noticed. Otherwise, you’re just one Web site out of a zillion floating through cyberspace.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? Promote, promote, promote! It’s all up to you to get noticed.
Favorite part of owning your own business? The feeling I get when somebody wants an item I made!
Least favorite? When sales can’t match the amount of time I put into it.
Favorite color? Yellow!
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? I do have colorful items.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Sewing more.
A sample of Burst of Happiness products. For all products, please visit Robyn’s website.
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02.28.08
Posted in Uncategorized, fun, site promotion, interviews, fiber art, knitting at 8:08 am by KellyM
Meet Jenny Hofer, Owner of www.jennyhoferdesigns.etsy.com and http://icraftblog.blogspot.com
Where are you located? Omaha, NE
What do you design? At the moment I primarily work with fabric and yarn, creating sewn handbags and housewares, and knitwear accessories.
Where/How did you learn this? My mom taught me to sew when I was little, and I remember creating my first purse when I was eight. I sewed it all by myself (it even had a divider panel inside!) and my mom sewed in the zipper. She also taught me to knit when I was about the same age, though she is now quick to say that I have surpassed her in skills. I love how my knitting skills are a direct reflection of how my great-grandmothers practiced the same craft. They taught my mom, who lovingly passed it down to me. I am excited to do the same with my own daughters!
Favorite Artist who inspires you? I love Amy Karol and her work. And who doesn’t love Martha?
Where does your inspiration come from? I’m really drawn to color, pattern, and anything that demonstrates a nice aestetic balance. So, I could be inspired from a piece of fabric, a cool magazine ad, and I always love a reallly good Treasury listing on Etsy.
What do you do to combat creative block? Take a break, read a book, just try to get away for a little while and let ideas percolate on their own.
Where do you design your creations? Several years ago I claimed a tiny walk-in closet as my workspace. It is adjacent to our home offic area as well as my bedroom, so I kind of float between those spaces when designing something.
What does your work space look like right now? Messy! I have been getting better about keeping my sewing area a little neater, but the floor and bottom shelves of my tiny closet are always overflowing the extra “junk” that gets cleared from our office and bedroom. My five year old daughter frequently tells me, “Mom, you should really clean up in here!”
How does your family feel about what you do? My husband loves it. He is the first to mention my business anytime we are with others. And my kids love it too, though I get a lot of requests to make stuff for them-especially from my daughters. They’ve already wizened up to the idea that Mom is pretty crafty and has lots of supplies.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Make what you love. Don’t be afraid to show it off a little and to use your own items-you never know when someone will ask “Where did you get that?”
Best advice you received when starting your own business venture? Keep track of expenses! (from my husband of course)
Favorite part of owning your own business? Creative freedom, and I love the idea that people from all over the world can see what I make (and are willing to pay for it as well!)
Least favorite? Keeping track of expenses!
How do you relax? I love to nap. If only my three year old loved it too, life would be much easier.
Favorite color? I am loving kelly green these days!
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Not yet, but it will.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? I would always get a nap, and then I would make more stuff!
A sample of Jenny Hofer Designs products. For all products, please visit Jenny’s website.
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02.25.08
Posted in Uncategorized, fun, shopping, site promotion, interviews, fiber art, knitting at 9:31 am by KellyM
Meet Zona Sherman, Owner of www.twirlgirlfibers.etsy.com.
Where are you located? Santa Ana, CA (Orange County)
What do you design? Hand dyed and handspun yarn and knit wearables.
Where/How did you learn this? I jumped on the knitting trend 4 years ago and have had wool in my hands ever since. After learning the basics I wasn’t satisfied with knitting 50 scarves before learning something new so my first project was a sweater that still hangs in my closet to this day (inside out arm sewn on and all!). I learned to knit from books and help from others in a knitting group I had found online. I still meet with the same knitting group and now I help others - quite the full circle, huh!
I learned how to dye fiber in a class I took with some fellow knitter friends at a local yarn shop. Shortly there after I bought my first drop spindle, dyed up a little fiber and began spinning according to the directions that came with the spindle. I was instantly hooked on spinning and a few months later, bought my spinning wheel. Now I spin or dye fiber almost every day and I still knit every day.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? When I first started knitting I would search the internet daily to see what others were knitting via blogs. This kept me motivated and inspired. When I dye fiber, I find inspiration for colors in strange things like driving down the freeway on a rainy day and noticing the colors of grey pavement, blue skies and green shrubs along the side of the road. Strangely enough after the fiber is dyed and the yarn is spun, everything is named after songs. I’ll look at the days spinning and some skein of yarn will pop out at me and remind me of a song. As far as being inspired by other spinners, I am! Spinning is like any other art form where everybody has their own style. I am inspired by big chunky and funky yarns that I would never spin myself, but appreciate the artful thought that went into them and try to think about each yarn I make as an individual piece.
Where does your inspiration come from? Music, nature, other artists, experiences, mood.
What do you do to combat creative block? I grab blindly at bottles of color and pour them onto the wool in the dye pot. Sometimes this turns out surprisingly nice when spun later and sometimes it’s a disaster! As far as knitting-I do get knitters block now and then. When that happens, it’s back to the blogs to see what others are working on and I usually get an idea. Sometimes I’m blocked by my own stash. I want to knit something from the yarn in my stash but nothing speaks to me. Next step if that happens: head to the yarn shop! Even if I don’t buy anything, I see yarns that are similar to what I have at home and get the ideas swirling in my head.
Where do you design your creations? I knit EVERYWHERE! I knit in public, on the couch, in bed, in the car (only when parked or I’m not driving of course), in the Drs office, at family functions-everywhere! I spin in my living room while sitting on the couch. I have my wheel on a little rug that slides accross the wood floor easily so I can watch TV and spin. From time to time I take my wheel to events my knitting group hosts like the beach or spinning nights, either at somebodys home or the coffee shop. My wheel isn’t huge so it’s relatively portable.
What does your work space look like right now? Since it’s my living room and I have a 4 year old, there is fiber and toys everywhere! It looks “lived in”.
How does your family feel about what you do? My inability to sit still comes from my mom who is not only constantly on the move but also very creative herself so she supports me whole heartedly. My husband has come around and is very supportive of me making a living at something I love to do. He knows it makes me happy so he puts up with the mess. He’s the best! My four year old daughter thinks I can knit anything! I get asked things like, “Mommy, will you knit me a new ballet dress today?”. I can’t wait until she is old enough for me to teach her.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Experimentation will help you find your own style.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? Don’t expect instant success and don’t get in over your head.
Favorite part of owning your own business? I like the fact that everything that has Twirl Girl Fibers on the lable comes from my own 2 hands. My favorite thing is when I see what somebody has made from my yarns. It’s like I get to see the next step in the life of the yarn I created from fluff.
Least favorite? Selling online doesn’t let me personally know my customers.
How do you relax? I knit.
Favorite color? Anything Earthy.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Yes. Earthtones show up a lot in what I knit, dye and spin. You kinda can’t go wrong when you combine colors that mother nature has already put together before.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? I know you’re probably expecting me to say something like knitting or spinning, but honestly - sleeping.
A sample of Twirl Girl Fibers products. For all products, please visit Zona’s website.
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