03.01.08
Posted in Uncategorized, style, fun, shopping, site promotion, interviews, clothing at 7:31 am by KellyM
Meet Stacy Wolfenden, Owner of www.tumtumtreedesigns.com.
Where are you located? Kelowna, British Columbia in Canada.
What do you design? Sustainable children’s wear and accessories made from hemp fabric.
Where/How did you learn this? I have been sewing since a very young age, having learned from my Mom and Grammas. I took design studies in college and put the two together to create my line of wares.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? There are so many! One of my all time favorites is Arthur Rackham. I collect illustrated classics, especially children’s books.
Where does your inspiration come from? I live in a very beautiful area of the world, surrounded by mountains and a beautiful lake, so nature is a big inspiration. Also, my kids and the materials I use. Hemp is such an amazing fabric, much like linen, it has an inherent beauty to it.
What do you do to combat creative block? Going for a walk definitely helps, spending time outdoors, or reading seems to work for me.
Where do you design your creations? I have a studio/office in my basement, so I am a work at home mom. I draw a lot though, which I do pretty much anywhere.
What does your work space look like right now? Don’t ask! I am an organized chaos production worker. I tend to get very bored with the production end of things (which frankly sucks the fun right out of it), so I’m always starting something new or changing things up and this makes for somewhat of a messy work area. Also, I am challenged with storage in that I don’t have enough shelving for my (ever growing) stash of fabrics.
How does your family feel about what you do? They are very supportive. My mother is an artist and my father is a retired CEO of a large company, so they are both happy that I seem to be combining the best of both worlds, creativity and business. And I still get to stay home with the kids, so everyone wins.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their creations using this method? Keep at it. There are always bumps in the road, but if you stick to your vision, it will pay off eventually.
Best advice you recieved when starting your business venture? Do something for your business and for yourself everyday; there has to be a balance.
Favorite part of owning your own business? Being the boss!
Least favorite? Being the boss!! And the accounting side of it is my most dreaded task.
How do you relax? Watching movies.
Favorite color? Green of course.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Most definitely.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Sewing and drawing.
A sample of Tum Tum Tree Design products. For all products, please visit Stacy’s website.
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02.26.08
Posted in Uncategorized, style, fun, shopping, site promotion, interviews, clothing at 8:58 am by KellyM
Meet Meredith, owner of www.spookystarclothing.etsy.com.
Where are you located? Ohio
What do you design? Clothing (DIY)
Where/How did you learn this? I am self taught. I taught myself how to sew and make my own patterns. I also use online to get tips as well.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? I’m very inspired by tons of different DIY sellers out there. Hard to choose. I also get inspired from looking at maufactured clothing and see how I could make those into my own style. And sometimes, just by looking at fabrics can give you ideas.
Where does your inspriation come from? Everywhere. In my dreams, going to rock shows, watching fashion shows, magazines, anything really.
What do you do to combat creative block? I usually play my guitar or drums.
Where do you design your creations? My room.
What does your work space look like right now? It’s a little cramped right now in my room. I plan to have another room just for my sewing and business things.
How does your family feel about what you do? They support me. They think it’s neat how creative I can be and how long I’ve been doing it for.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? If this is what you want to do, then go for it! But make sure you really want to do it.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? Make sure this is what you really want, or is it just a hobby thing. Because running your own business isn’t easy and you have to promote like crazy. Not everyone will like what you make, but make what you want. Also, don’t expect to get tons of sales real fast, it takes some time to get your name out there. Good luck!
Favorite part of owning your own business? My favorite part is that I can be as creative as I want and no one telling me how to do things. And I can work as much as I want and when I want.
Least favorite? Dealing with non paying people or people wasting your time.
How do you relax? I relax by listening to music a lot.
Favorite color? Red and Black.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? It does at times, I am trying to add more colors and different styles in my work, so I’m not stuck in one style category.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? More time to work, play my music, promote and time to help out more in the animal field, which is what I also do besides clothing.
A sample of Spooky Star Clothing products. For all products, please visit Meredith’s website.
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02.24.08
Posted in Uncategorized, jewelry, style, fun, hand crafted jewelry, shopping, site promotion, interviews, paper crafts at 8:51 am by KellyM
Meet Anna Sofia Poirier, Owner of http://www.annasofiadesigns.com/
Where are you located? Monterey, MA
What do you design? I make glazed paper jewelry~Earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
Where/How did you learn this? I’m self-taught. I wanted to make jewelry with paper, but I didn’t have a fixed idea of what that would look like. I just let it take shape on it’s own. I played and experimented until I came up with my flat glazed paper beads. I continue to incorporate new techniques ~ I’ve started doing cut-out style beads ~ very very fun.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? On the wall above my work space, I have a gorgeous photograph of orange blossoms by Thea Coughlin, and an illustration of a stout boy with an orange fox by Terese Bast. Two amazing artists. I’m really inspired by all of the people out there following their dreams ~ it gives me the motivation and excitement to keep going.
Where does your inspiration come from? People who follow their passion in life and are true to themselves are huge inspirations to me. Music~everything from the Beatles, to Sinatra, to Swing, to Samba, to classical piano, jazz, doo-wop….I could go on and on! Dance. Color. Pattern. Nature. I get to work with the most amazing papers ~ it’s outrageous ~ I want them all ~ my favorite are the papers from Japan.
What do you do to combat creative block? A change of scenery or activity. If I get too immersed in what I’m doing I can easily get stuck. Getting away from it helps refresh my perspective. And it reminds me ~ taking breaks is essential!
Where do you design your creations? In my home office, which gets flooded with sunshine ~ it’s awesome.
What does your workspace look like right now? I sit at a long work table that faces the window with a lovely view of the trees, and lots of black-capped chickadees. I have a pretty vase of eucalyptus on the table which is very calming. I keep essential supplies within arm’s reach ~ scissors, x-acto knives, my box of beautiful paper organized by color, adhesive, sealer, pliers. Everything else is organized in nearby cabinets and shelves. I like to keep my space in order. I’m more productive when everything’s organized.
How does your family feel about what you do? They love it and are super supportive. I’m very lucky to have that.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Be inspired by others, but be original ~ let your own creations emerge.
Best advice you received when starting your own business venture? To charge what you’re worth. To have patience with the process of building your business.
Favorite part of owning your own business? Having such a flexible schedule.
Least favorite? Taxes. And the unpredictability of income.
How do you relax? Sitting in front of the fire. Dancing. Reading. In the warmer weather, feeding the birds by hand in our yard.
Favorite color? Orange.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? It does. I’m nuts about orange, among all the other amazing colors out there. Certain colors just have that wow factor. Right now, I’m loving orange, lime green and turquoise.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Reading, cooking, relaxing.
A sample of Anna Sofia Designs. For all products, please visit Anna Sophia’s website.
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02.23.08
Posted in Uncategorized, jewelry, style, fun, hand crafted jewelry, shopping, site promotion, interviews at 8:23 am by KellyM
Please take a moment to get to know Peggy Li, Owner of www.peggyli.com.
Where are you located? San Francisco, CA
What do you design? Handmade jewelry.
Where/How did you learn this? I am self-taught. Since I started my business, I’ve taken various workshops and classes to broaden my skills.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? Jewelry designers I admire are Robert Lee Morris, Ten Thousand Things and Melissa Joy Manning.
Where does your inspiration come from? I like to make things that I would wear myself. The materials I use are very inspirational, especially the semi-precious and precious stones! My designs are usually very simple, clean and feminine.
What do you do to combat creative block? I go look at fashion magazines or hit the mall - the whole fashion industry is very inspirational.
Where do you design your creations? I have a part of my apartment dedicated to my supplies and workspace.
What does your workspace look like right now? Messy!
How does your family feel about what you do? They were skeptical at first, but now they are very supportive.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Learn as much as you can about the business side of things, understand your own personal style and target customer, and be persistent.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? To know your audience.
Favorite part of owning your own business? I can control all aspects of what I make and how I sell it.
Least favorite? I have to control all aspects of what I make and how I sell it.
How do you relax? I go and watch movies, hit a few balls at the golf course, or watch some bad reality TV!
Favorite color? Right now I’m very into Kelly Green.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Not yet!
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? My bookkeeping.
A sample of Peggy Li products. For all products, please visit Peggy’s website.
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02.21.08
Posted in Uncategorized, jewelry, style, fun, hand crafted jewelry, site promotion, interviews at 8:34 am by KellyM
Please meet Hilary Milne, Owner of www.gemkist.co.uk and www.beadsite.co.uk.
Where are you located? Scotland, UK
What do you design? Bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Where/How did you learn this? I am self taught. I also use online tutorials and crafting books.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? Mary Hicklin of http://www.virgomoon.com
Where does your inspiration come from? Anything and everything I see. Sometimes it is something natural like a moss covered rock, but sometimes it is more prosaic, like a guy’s jumper in a supermarket!
What do you do to combat creative block? Go for a walk.
Where do you design your creations? My bedroom.
What does your work space look like right now? Just tidied it yesterday. Usually it is a jumble of beads, but that often leads to lucky inspirational colour combinations.
How does your family feel about what you do? Take two tablespoons of toleration, three teaspoons of amusement, a cup of admiration and a pinch of general suppoort. That’s about the right mix!
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Follow your heart. Not everyone will like everything that you make , so you might as well make things that give you pleasure.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? There were two things: “You are selling too cheap. Raise your prices by 33%.” And not advice so much as a statement by my business adviser, “Put all those beads in front of me and I could not do what you do with them.” If something comes naturally to you, you tend to take it for granted that it would be easy for anyone to do.
Favorite part of owning your own business? Working as much or as little as I want.
Least favorite? Tax returns.
How do you relax? Make a piece of jewellry, surf the net, play with Photoshop, participate in forums and design websites.
Favorite color? Turquoise.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Oh yes!
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? Trying out new techniques, and using tools that I have bought.
A sample of Gem Kist and Beadsite products. For all products, please visit Hilary’s websites.
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