A Very Naughty Blogger

Oh my I have been terrible at keeping this updated! Mainly because I got a job in January and it turned out to be pants! I was never home and being winter when I was home, it was dark! Today is day one of my new job with hours of 7:30-9 then 2:30-6 so I get daylight at home! I am planning to make the most of this time and get Etsy up and running again as it has fallen into disrepair! I also plan to sort out my chickens for spring breeding season and to finally break in my horses. Though Barney has been ridden a few times I want to get him pulling the sledge!

I have been instagramming a fair bit, but with the awful weather it's been hard (also called eksterhuis on there).

A few images from the past few weeks of rain!

 One of my beautiful Silver Laced Wyandotte pullets

 Kristin doesn't like the rain!

Barney in the flood waters!

Favourite Shops -CheriseDesign

I love reading about fellow handmade Etsy people. I'm always surprised to hear how much I have in common with them... Like this time with CheriseDesign I find common ground with shoe collecting though my huge clod hopper feet won't fit vintage shoes, I have to stick to modern shoes and old hats.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Leea and I live in Tampere, Finland with my boyfriend and 2 kitty-cats. I'm a bit of a vintage enthusiast and a shoe hoarder and I love to dance.

Describe your craft
I basically make and sell clothes. I I design and draft most of my patterns scratch, but I also use authentic vintage patterns that I alter to modern sizing.

3. How did you get started with your craft?
Well I've always been into clothing: dressing up as princesses and making little dresses for my Barbies. I guess I can thank my high school student councilor for introducing me to the idea of actually studying clothing design. I was planning to become a psychologist, but now I couldn't think of doing anything else. It was clear to me soon after I started my studies that I wanted to become an entrepreneur.

What is your earliest crafting memory?
I got one of those pink children's sewing machines when I was a kid, that I used to making clothes for my barbies. When I was old enough I got to use my mother's real sewing machine and iron.

What are your favorite materials to work with/favorite mediums?
I love the feel of silk satin, but it's a pain in the behind to work with. The most I like sewing with medium weight wools and cotton fabrics.

How did you come up with your store name?

My name was meant to be cerise (cherry in French), but I mis-spelled it and it stuck :D

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I take ballet lessons and learn to speak French. I also enjoy rummaging flea markets and sipping coffee with my friends. I also enjoy baking and trying new recipes.

I also work part time at a coffee/candy/gift shop at the local market hall. I only work there couple days a month, but I enjoy being there.

Where does your inspiration come from?
Mostly my inspiration comes from the fashions of 1930's to 1960's. My favorite decades are 40's and 50's and I love browsing magazines of the era, looking at pictures and reading blogs inspired by the era. I also enjoy reading books about vintage fashion. I also get inspired by modern people and designers, movies, music videos and fashion magazines.

What does handmade mean to you?
Handmade doesn't mean every stitch would have to be stitched by hand, but merely that the item was made by its seller and not some faceless corporation in a factory producing thousands of copies every day. That the item is unique or produced in small series. When you buy handmade you know your item was attended to with the utmost care and that your money goes to the person who deserves it.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?
I have a few pairs of vintage shoes and I love every each of them. They fit and feel so much better than any modern pair of shoes I own. I know someone put their heart in to making the shoes and that it's a proof of their craftsmanship and skill.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?
I feel the best you can do is simply take a break. Do something completely different. Many times when I have been in a rut for several days the idea finally comes to me in my sleep when I stop thinking about it. I work best after a couple of days of rest and not thinking about business, with fresh ideas and new enthusiasm.

Where would you like to be in ten years?
I would love to have a steady income from my business and I would like to have my clothing sold in at least 5 places abroad. I would also love to have a little boutique somewhere, where I could also sell other items such as shoes and purses to compliment my own collections. I hold it a possibility to move to France, where my boyfriend is from, someday and open a shop somewhere near Paris.

Where can you be found on-line? (besides on Etsy)
I have my own web shop at www.cherise.eu. You can also find my items in England at www.pinuppolly.com and in Sweden at www.butikprimavara.se

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?
Humm, that's a tough one. I appear shy to new people, but I enjoy performing enormously. I love to act and dance on the stage, but holding a speech in front of a crowd would be a nightmare.

Favourite Shops - Chick-Lit Designs

 Oh gosh wow I want to buy so many things from Chick-Lit Designs store on Etsy... It makes me want a iPad, just to get a cover to match! I have a bit of a soft spot for the White Stallion of Lipizza!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

 My name is Michelle. I’m a first generation American with roots in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. I live in a little house in the suburbs of Gilbert, AZ, with my husband. I love to travel the world and study different cultures. In the past few years, I have found that creating handmade items is a huge passion for me. I am constantly thinking of what I can make next, and I spend hours in my studio – it is like therapy to me. I can hardly wait to see the finished product. When I do finally finish a project, I’m so completely excited that I have to run to my husband and show it off!

Describe your craft

   make handbags, clutches, ereader covers and iPad covers out of used books!

How did you get started with your craft?

 I discovered Etsy a few years ago when I was trying to find a way to make extra money to send to my parents during a difficult time. I have always been interested in turning old objects into something unique and different- so i opened up my shop and would send my parents the money I would receive from the profits. Eventually, my parents told me to stop sending them money, but I couldn’t pull myself away from my shop – it has become a part of who I am.

What is your earliest crafting memory?

  I've always been crafting! It's hard to say what my earliest memory was... I think when I was about 5 years old I made a little dinosaur out clay in grade school. I still have that little dinosaur- I'm still surprised at how good it turned out!

What are your favorite materials to work with/favorite mediums?

  Definiately books and fabric. I love finding a fun,unique old book and then finding the perfect fabric to match the book!

How did you come up with your store name?

 I used to have another shop with a horrible store name- so i just recently re-openend a new shop called "Chick-Lit Designs" . I wanted something catchy that was related to books. And I Love my Chick-Lit's!

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

 I have a full-time job as an advisor working for a company that sends American college students abroad to study other cultures in the foreign countries.

Where does your inspiration come from?

 I’m inspired every day by vintage items, bookstores, colors and patterns. Just looking at an interesting pattern can really drive my creativity. I’m also inspired by Etsy. It’s a complete melting pot of creativity and a place where I can be myself and create. Not only is it allowing me to follow my dreams, but I see the community it has created with other sellers.

What does handmade mean to you?

 Handmade is my life. It’s where I came from, it will always be a part of who I am. Growing up, I remember my father making everything. We would get handmade gifts for Christmas. If my mother wanted something from the store, my dad would simply make it for her instead. Handmade to me is the passion, love and effort you put into an item: something that comes from the heart; something to remember a person by. It carries with it a history and a story.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

One Christmas, my mom asked what I wanted for Christmas. They were about to lose their house, and I didn't want them to spend any money so I asked her to make me something. She sent me a painting she made of Slovakia. I love it because of how much time she spent and all the care and thought she put into creating it. It’s now the central feature of our guest room!

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

 I try to do something relaxing — I go to the pool, watch a movie or just go somewhere to let my mind rest. After having had some time to myself, I pull up Etsy and read Quit Your Day Job posts. After reading some, I almost immediately find myself getting up to go find new books and start new projects!

Where would you like to be in ten years? 

 I would love to spend about a third of my time living in Slovakia and the rest here in the US. In both countries, I see us nestled in our own little haven surrounded by beautiful greenery, trees, and streams, but never too far from civilization. I can envision living in a peaceful area with my husband, raising our kids and making a home as special as my parents did for me. I imagine my business being even more developed, eventually leaving my day job behind and making my creative passion a full and complete priority. I’m so interested to see what exciting things will develop for me, my business, and my family in the next ten years!

Where can you be found online? (besides on Etsy)

 I'm currently only on etsy, however my husband is helping me create my own website. I'm not sure when it will be fully running... but hopefully soon!

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

 I was an extra in the movie "The Notebook". I was also a Stand-In for Judy Greer in the Lifetime mini-series "Maneater". :)

What did you like to do when you aren't crafting?  

 In my free time, I am obsessed with international travel. I love to read, watch movies with my husband, and do geeky things like visit waterparks or play mini golf. I love going on picnics and visiting local cultural events like the Polish festival or Oktoberfest.

Favourite Shops - MaudStarrArt

I love the use of chicken as a motif in  MaudStarrArt's images... It's a winner for me....

Tell us a bit about yourself

I am a urban expatriate artist living on a small hobby farm in rural Ontario,Canada... I work out of a haunted historical studio in an old Courthouse(1860's) and am quite driven to create-.I finally realized after many years of making art that it's part of my fabric -and essential to my well being . I live with my partner(human Stephen) a variety of creatures who often play a part as my muse ;-)

Describe your craft

I am a mixed media artist with an editorial illustration background..This has influenced my style and intent as I approach my art with the eye of a storyteller ! My paintings are a hybrid of past and present..and my reverence for old photos/portraits in my work is a way to give new life to old imagery..my art has evolved from working in high realism as a painter..to using found elements in my work to tell a story ..very satisfying process for me..less technical and plodding too :-)

 

How did you get started with your craft?

I have painted,drawn and made stuff for years -from paper mache to puppets to textile art ..to assemblage and collage.

What is your earliest crafting memory?

Making an illustrated storybook in a tent under a huge willow tree in my backyard at ten years old.

What are your favorite materials to work with /favorite mediums?

Found objects,boxes, marvellous vintage bits and pieces,ephemera,old photos ,acrylic and gel matte medium..it is everchanging!

How did you come up with your store name?

I needed an alter ego with a timeless,long ago feel..

7. Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I care for my indoor and outdoor animals,pot belly pigs,goats ,chickens,dogs and cats ..read as much as possible,walk,spend time in nature and work in adult mental health part time developing and piloting socialrec/life skills programs..

Where does your inspiration come from?

The past..rural life..the incredible, human experience!

What does handmade mean to you?

made by hand (grin) not machine..or alternately not mass produced by others

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

all my art from other artists which has either been given to me or traded.. but especiallymy Frida Kahlo qullt which was completed by total strangers in a round robin

11. How do you get out of your creative ruts?

take time awa to quiet my mind....mix up my schedule..visit other places..commune with nature..look at lots of other artist's work for inspiration

Where would you like to be in ten years?

Hopefully happily creating full time and continuing to let my art evolve..

Where can you be found online? (besides on Etsy)  

my blog .."my Ephemeral Imagination"

heathermurrayart.blogspot.ca/

facebook page..

www.facebook.com/maudstarr

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

I am quietly but passionately an advocate for animals and the protection of their well being/lives. I am vegetarian,feminist in my political slant and although never hysterical -a believer in a more equal world for all. I also am a bit of a non conformist (shhh)

What did you like to do when you aren't crafting?

Read,walk,commune with nature,participate in lofty,stimulating conversation with others,sprend time with my daughter in her new urban life.

Favourite Shops - prettygoodthings

I'm just in love with prettygoodthings... I'm rather jealous of the quirky style that's going on

Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Mary Pattavina and I am the owner/designer of Pretty Good Things. I am married, live in Lincoln, NE and have an addition to candy and popcorn.

Describe your craft
I make hats, fascinators and other accoutrements/do-dads for ladies of the radical variety.

How did you get started with your craft?
I didn’t have a clue what I was doing with my life after undergrad, but I knew that making was something I needed to continue doing. I graduated from the University of Nebraska in 2003 with my BFA in studio art and in 2004 PGT was born. During the first few years it wasn’t really a serious venture – more of a hobby and no focus or direction– a ‘oh wouldn’t that be fun’ type of a dream. I worked in the “real world” for a couple years after and returned to get my graduate degree in apparel design from UNL. It was during the summer of 2008 that I started making fascinators. The first one I made was the Oh Deer Fascinator – though it has evolved since then. I quickly realized this was the direction I needed to take because making and building these 3D fashion objects was a good mix of things that spoke to me.: drawing/sketching, sculpting/constructing, crafting. It just fit.

What is your earliest crafting memory?.
One of my earliest memories of crafting solo (you know, outside of school, or supervised events) is making these faceless folksy dolls out of calico remnants my mom had. They were stuffed with cotton balls and glued together with white Elmer’s glue. I was probably 7? And man was I proud of those things! I still have them.

What are your favorite materials to work with/favorite mediums?
I’m an 8 year old half-human half-magpie at heart so I find I am really attracted to anything miniature, sparkly, iridescent, bright or in rainbow order: sequins, glitter, polka dots, animal prints….toys and figurines. I love making wearable dioramas! You know, I am really all over the place: I tend to use repurposed fabric from old blouses, etc. in a lot of pieces. I love soft fluttery things, like organza and chiffon…but man can those things be a pain to cut and sew! I usually look for light weight fabrics – crisp taffeta, lightweight knits and woven fabrics when making hats. The last thing you want is a heavy headpiece! I do love gravity but sometimes it can be a creative challenge to engineer around. Thank goodness for starch, buckram and wire! When I draw or paint I use watercolor, pen/ink/marker, and graphite the most.

How did you come up with your store name?
Picking a name was pretty frustrating as I recall. I had some help. My husband (then boyfriend) helped me find clarity after I was having trouble coming up with one I was satisfied with. This is how I recall it went down: Nick: ‘so…describe what you do.’ Me (frustrated): ‘ugh. Ok. Well. I make things. I dunno. They’re pretty. They are good.’ Nick: ‘why not Pretty Good Things? And so it went!

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I currently just work for my small business Pretty Good Things. Although my past resume contains varied skills:
Instructor at the University of Nebraska to Art Supply Store sales associate to maid/room inspector to insurance agent! (but I think I am done with the hospitality and insurance industries, thanks! :)

Where does your inspiration come from?
I feel like my pieces are inspired by playful concepts, “girlie” themes and silhouettes. There’s a lot of nature involved in my pieces too – bunnies, underwater influence, flowers.

What does handmade mean to you?
I guess handmade usually describes an object’s birth but I like to think about the word and what it means between two people. Handmade connects people in meaningful ways. Handmade gifts are often the most treasured. And when I find myself shopping handmade I know I am directly supporting another human being doing something - creating something they love. And to me, that’s pretty darn cool.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?
A tiny purple warm fuzzy made by my kindgergarten teacher. I also am deeply attached to a couple mini books I made when I was 5 or 6.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?
I walk away from things. Take a day off of work. Focus on me. Feel sorry for myself and then stop feeling sorry for myself. Sketch for fun. Meditate. Relax with a glass of wine. I have to remind myself to be patient and not force it.

Where would you like to be in ten years?
On a personal ten year plan, I’d be delighted to own a home with my husband and if we’re especially lucky to have the funds to swing visiting long distance friends much more often and go on vacation for a week at a time! Oh that would be pretty rad.
In the business end of things, in ten years I PGT will be my sole source of income and I won’t rely on working elsewhere to make ends meet. I would like PGT hats and accessories in many more shops around the country – but still trying to maintain the handmade nature of things. I hope to expand my wedding line and work with more brides with non-traditional tastes…like beautiful, fun, bright wedding veils and headpieces!

Where can you be found online? (besides on Etsy)
prettygoodthings.com
twitter.com/MaryPGT
facebook.com/PrettyGoodThings
pinterest.com/prettygoodthing/
flickr.com/photos/marypattavina/

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?
Hum. That’s a good question! I wish I could say something really fascinating…like I am Dolly Parton’s niece. Or my biological dad is Elvis Presley. But I feel like I’m just a regular gal with certain talents, hang-ups and all the rest of the good stuff that makes humans totally unique and completely the same all at once.

What did you like to do when you aren't crafting?
I enjoy relaxing reading or watching mysteries and hanging out with my dude. I’m a self proclaimed candy and popcorn junkie so often you can find me relaxing with these things in hand. I love illustrating/painting/drawing. Sometimes I feel as though my business is my hobby – which I don’t mind in the least! I love my “job”!

Nautical Treasury

Thank you

AidforAbby for featuring me in your lovely treasury!

Favourite Shops - Willow and Quail

I've tried my hand at doing things with felt a few times and failed miserably but Willow and Quail have the cutest little felted animals with a real Scandinavian vibe. I was surprised to read how much Jessi and I have in common, well both being special needs teachers and drawing horses from such a young age!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Jessi, and I’m a middle school special education teacher/aspiring artist. I grew up in a family of “makers” and have always needed to have my hands busy creating something! I have two dogs, two cats, a lovely husband, and our first baby due in three months!

Describe your craft 

Yikes! Which one? I like to keep busy, so I’m always dabbling in different type of art. Currently I have two Etsy shops (Willow & Quail and Dream of a Dream) where I sell sewn magnets, needle-felted critters, metal clay jewelry, and original paintings.

How did you get started with your craft? 

I think my love for sewing started with counted cross-stitch when I was a teenager. I then started working with felt, which I could create more 3-dimensional pieces with. I sold my sewn crafts at craft shows for the past 15 years, before diving into the metal-clay world. This spring my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our first baby (yay!), and I wanted a safer medium to work with than the metal clays. I dug out my sewing supplies, and have been having a blast creating magnets and pins since then! Since my main shop is all bronze or silver, it’s been sooo refreshing to work with color!

What is your earliest crafting memory? 

I specifically remember having an “autograph” book when I was 5 that I drew horses in, over and over again. That was the first time I realized that I could recreate an image from the world around me. Other than that, I remember making a lot of those pot-holders on the old plastic looms in the 80’s. Those were awesome!

What are your favorite materials to work with/favorite mediums?  

I love working with pure wool, as I think it’s a higher quality and more natural than synthetic material. At the moment anything with a lot of color is appealing to me. 

How did you come up with your store name? 

I go for a nightly walk with my dogs on a country road near our house, and there is this gorgeous old farm with a big willow tree in front of it. I love the way willows sway in the wind, and perhaps you could call that place my dream-farm. We have lots of California quail who come through our yard with their families, and they always seem like they are talking to each other in their own language. Since our mountain winters are cold and snowy, most birds migrate, but the quail are our companions year-round. So the combination between these two beauties created the inspiration for my store name 

Apart from creating things, what do you do?  

I work full time as a middle school special education teacher. I think middle school is the toughest time to try and get through school, and for the students I work with, it’s especially difficult. I love watching my students grow into independent young adults by the time they move on to high school. I use my creativity in the classroom, which I believe is vital for keeping my kids motivated and making connections.

Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration can come from the most random places, from the way shadows dance on the floor, to fallen leaves that have gathered on the ground. I try and keep a journal to scribble down ideas when they come to me, but in traditional artist fashion, I usually can’t find the journal when I need it!

What does handmade mean to you? 

I think handmade differs for each person, and my definition changes as I get older. Personally, if I could raise the baby sheep that I would someday sheer, and spin the wool to create my own handmade felt, that would be the closest to handmade that I could get! But until then, I think handmade is anything where you see an image or idea in your mind, and find a way to create it with tangible items. I shy away from mass-produced machine-made “stuff” made overseas, and I try my best to support individual artists who are keeping their craft alive.

What handmade possession do you most cherish? 

Hmmm… that would definitely be a “quillow” (half quilt, half pillow) my Grandma made me when I was little. The first time I moved away from home and was living in Alaska by myself, I felt really alone and homesick. Once my mom sent me that quilt, things felt like “home” again, and I could feel my Grandma’s love all around me 

How do you get out of your creative ruts? 

That’s a good question! Sometimes I don’t, and nothing gets created for a while! I think that having many different mediums to work with really helps. For instance, yesterday I soldered pendants for 2 hours straight. Today I don’t even want to look at them, so I’m going to work with sewing felt. Sometimes it takes me months to finish some of my projects, but I would rather they get finished with creativity, than just pumping them out like a sweatshop!

Where would you like to be in ten years? 

In 10 years I hope to still be creating, and I hope that I’ve pushed my craft to challenge my own limits. Above all, I hope to have a happy and healthy family, and if I can share my passion for arts and crafts with them, I would be ecstatic!

Where can you be found online? (besides on Etsy) 

You can find me on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/DreamofaDream?ref=hl Pinterest here: pinterest.com/dreamofadream/ And Twitter here: twitter.com/DreamofaDream1

14. What would people be most surprised to learn about you? 

When I was 16, I wanted to sail around the world, and I saved my money and bought a sailboat when I was 19. I sailed for a couple of years on Puget Sound, but something always made me miss the snowy woods where the chickadees lived. I guess the mountains sang a louder song than the sea!

What did you like to do when you aren't crafting? 

When I’m not crafting, I’m thinking about crafting. No seriously, I think I have crafter’s glue flowing through my veins! (or at least in my brain!)

Favourite Shops - Little Alexander

  Isn't this shop just beautiful! I stumbled across Little Alexander on one of my 'find pretty thing on Etsy' times. They seem such lovely people too from their answers! I wish they lived closer (or I lived closer) for talks about chickens and crafting life! 

Tell us a bit about yourself.
We're a partnership of two girls, K + A, K being the artist and A (that's me) being the everything else. Everything else includes usually speaking for our partnership (voila) as well as making notebooks. We like nothing more than spending every minute of every day together, so it's been great to share a business as well as a home. We live at Headquarters, an old farmhouse on 3 acres (about 12000 square meters) out in the rural Midwest of the United States, surrounded by corn and soybean fields. K loves the four distinct seasons we get here, but I sorta miss the temperate maritime climate of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, our previous home. Probably New Zealand would be great for me.


Describe your craft
We make illustrated paper goods. K's art is really the centerpiece of our work, but we both really love paper in all its forms and love being able to translate artwork into useful things you can hold and use and carry around with you rather than just hang on your wall. As letter writers we make notecards and postcards, and as listers and doodlers we make handmade notebooks, all of which feature K's illustrations. We occasionally sell K's original artwork through our Etsy shop as well.

How did you get started with your craft?
K has been making art forever, but Little Alexander really got started when we had both grown tired of working our 'real' jobs. We were feeling like sell-outs at our respective places of employment and desperately wanted to be doing something different, something where we could be more independent, something we could do with integrity, something that used more of our bodies than just our brains, and something we could take with us anywhere. K quit her job first and started working on watercolor pieces to make into cards. I quit my job not long after to help out and we moved across the country to start a new life with Little Alexander at the center.



What is your earliest crafting memory?
I asked K about this and she got this distant and shining look on her face. She described a day in preschool when they put shaving cream out on the table, and you could flatten it out and draw in it with your finger, then smooth it out then draw in it again, and on and on. Her face then clouds over as she also remembers how much she loved drawing with pencil on the desktops at school ("they're smooth and slick but the pencil shows up so dark on them") and how her 2nd grade teacher caught her when the whole surface was covered with her drawings and made her clean them all off.

What are your favourite materials to work with/favourite mediums?
K really likes drawing with pencil on scratch paper. From there, her images sometime become stencils, sometimes get scanned onto the computer and digitally colored, or sometimes are transferred onto thicker paper and watercolored. She loves experimenting, though, so while there are some constants (pencil drawings, watercolor), there are always new things, too. Block printing, for example, is getting exciting. Expect to see some of that show up in our shop in not too long.

We also have particular papers we love. French Paper is a great company who makes amazing papers in great colors, many with 100% recycled content. We're also very into Neenah's soft thick Lettra paper at the moment, made from reclaimed cotton. But maybe our most unique paper source is the paperboard from cereal boxes and the like. Our whole community saves their boxes for us to repurpose into notebook covers and envelopes for mailing.

How did you come up with your store name?
Little Alexander is a translation of our Italian last name, Alesandrini.


Apart from creating things, what do you do?
We're working on fixing up our old farmhouse and the land around it. We're working to put in more gardens and fruit trees and restore a stretch of it to tall grass prairie, the ecosystem that was here before the Midwest became cropland. I'm also a beekeeper, and K is also a knitter and a spinner and a pianist. We keep our life pretty simple, and still there never seems to be quite enough time.

Where does your inspiration come from?
K draws things she likes. Luckily she likes very many things. Getting inspired about what to draw has never been as hard for her as getting inspired to sit down and make art in the first place. It is so easy to get bogged down in everyday things and so easy to lose faith that what you're doing as an artist is worthwhile. K then sees her inspirations as the things that distract her from everyday tasks and doubts and get her excited about the world. And that kind of inspiration can come from books or conversations or fashion or almost anywhere, most often where people show off their own passions. Passion is contagious.

What does handmade mean to you?
That's a big question. We can get kind of obsessive when it comes to handmade, homemade and from scratch. For example, we make our own bread from flour, salt, oil, sugar, and yeast. Is that homemade? Is that from scratch? Yes, compared to buying bread at the store. But what about someone who makes their bread from a package mix? Or what if we grew our own wheat and ground our own flour? Does it matter if we kneaded it all by hand? Clearly there is a spectrum. We think the same is true for handmade goods.

It is important to us that our all images are original artwork by K. It is important to us that our notebooks are cut and folded and bound ourselves. It even matters to us that we do all our own image reproduction, even if we're using a printer as often as a stencil. We don't make our own paper or even all our own envelopes. But we have lovingly handled and shaped everything we sell in our shop, and we feel personally connected to each piece. That's where we sit on the handmade spectrum.


What handmade possession do you most cherish?
K's mom was a quilter, and we have two of her quilts. They are so beautiful, and hopefully will last for generations.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?
This is actually where a lot of K's experimenting with new media comes in. Whenever things are getting stale, she'll put away the materials she most often works with and pick up something new. It seems to work well for her.


Where would you like to be in ten years?

Ha! Our past history suggests we have about a 3 year attention span when it comes to big life plans. Sometimes we hope that we've broken that habit and in ten years we'll still be right here making beautiful things. Sometimes we still dream of all the things one can do in a life that we haven't done yet… We're only a year and a half into our current life and for the moment, anyway, still pretty rooted in the present.

Where can you be found online? (besides on Etsy)
We keep a blog (blog.alesandrini.com) and are on Facebook (facebook.com/LittleAlexander). K occasionally tweets (@lilAlexander) and has an illustration portfolio site (www.alesandrini.com).


What would people be most surprised to learn about you?
We're math and science nerds. My degree was in physics and I taught high school science before we started Little Alexander. One of the exceptions to the 'K is the artist, I am the everything else' role division of our business is the accounting, which K loves doing too much to turn over to me. She'd tell you she considers all the necessary number juggling to be one of the perks of owning our own business.

What did you like to do when you aren't crafting?


We love food, so many of our pleasures are related to that. We garden and keep chickens, which means great fresh produce and eggs, and we love to cook almost as much as we love to eat. We also love to be outside in beautiful places. That could be backpacking in the mountains or wandering through big city streets or just laying around under our trees.

Favourite Shops - Shupg

Hello Everyone, today I am featuring Shupg which is one of my favourite shops on Etsy, check out those cute chicken necklaces! I want one!!!

 

 

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I teach violin in the day, and enjoy playing in chamber groups, orchestras and also in church. I cannot resist a fluffy animal, usually dogs. Can't wait for the day I get to live in a farm, maybe I should join The Farmer Finds a Wife.


Describe your craft
I'm not sure I am skilled enough to be called a crafter, but I certainly enjoy letting my thoughts interact with one another and somehow things get made! Bus rides are the best, alone time but with enough stimulation around and outside.


How did you get started with your craft?
I left a 24-7 job in the media industry because it didn't allow me to be creative (falling asleep standing up and having my Dad say "Are you just going out or coming home?" at 430am doesn't help either). Not all jobs in the industry are like that, but I just drew a short straw on that one. No regrets, the time I had there only prepped me better for the life now. I then went back to my passion, music-making, and making handmade just made sense to me (after I accompanied a great friend on her treasure-picking trips in the many craft shops) because it allowed me to be as creative as I could be. Still learning loads!


What is your earliest crafting memory?
I think it was when I was a kid, I made myself and my brothers Christmas stockings from brown shopping bags.


What are your favourite materials to work with/favourite mediums?
Love wood, and then thread and fabric. Found bits are great too. I like to see a piece of something and think about all its possibilities. It's kinda like teaching, isn't it?


How did you come up with your store name?
It's a childhood nickname. :) It sounds like part of my mandarin name.


Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I teach the violin, do freelance writing and video post production. Actually I wouldn't mind doing anything at least once. Zookeeper might be on the books :)

Where does your inspiration come from?
Everywhere really! But I really do like nature and could stare at greens for ages. Not enough of it at all in urban Singapore.

What does handmade mean to you?
An expression of what a person is made of. Of character.


What handmade possession do you most cherish?
I love all the drawings and little things my students make for me. Children are so creative.


How do you get out of your creative ruts?
I usually give it a bit of time. Take some time out and just be alone for awhile. It energises me.


Where would you like to be in ten years?
Owning a shop cum music studio. Or on a mission trip. But let me pray about it.

Where can you be found online? (besides on Etsy)

I have sold some items to a distributor in Barcelona, so I suppose I can be found in parts of Spain. Also am in a fabulous shop, Dulcetfig, in Singapore's Haji Lane. Am looking forward to being in more places all over the world!


What would people be most surprised to learn about you?
Hmm, I'm not sure I'm such an exciting person. I suppose that... I love watching Masterchef but can't cook for nuts!

What did you like to do when you aren't crafting?
I'm sort of a routine-animal, I like doing some things the same all the time, a little OCD you could say :) Am currently pinteresting like nuts. Reading every chance I get. Spend time with my family (so precious, never underestimate it) and dog.

New Style of Earrings

Hello, I have started making a more romantic style of earring, this is just a taster of a few photos that I have taken (that have been converted from RAW files, this take me a little while when sorting out my jewellery photos!)

Sets of four stud earrings come complete in a gift box and the long dangle earrings feature vintage glass drop beads. I have some of these dangle earrings in lovely bright Frida Kahlo style colours! I'll keep you posted to when these appear on Etsy!