You know me. I don’t usually fall for Cute… but this is the cutest pincushion ever and even my cold flinty heart cannot resist it!!
By Jen Segrest.
Erika Jurney is the founder of Try Handmade. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or learn more about her love of the handmade.{ Comment :: 2 }
Tell me about your businesses.
I sew and print leather and fabric! I also own and run a small all handmade boutique here in Southern Illinois called Dayshift.
How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?
I moved from Chicago to Carbondale, Il in February of 2008. I bought a sewing machine on the way down from my now good friend Jamie. She was working at Joann Fabrics at the time, and helped me pick out a machine and everything I needed to get started. As luck would have it, she was teaching sewing classes as well, and I learned everything I know from her! She now owns an amazing independent music store called the Practice Pad next to my boutique/studio. I still run next store for sewing advice, she helped me pull a dress apart today.
I had no skills before this at all! I just wanted to learn to take care of things myself, I had no idea it would turn into a career, but I am so thankful that I found out what I love and get to do it everyday!
Is there a story behind the name of your shop?
In Blue is from the Bob Dylan song Tangled Up In Blue, dayshift is from the Bob Dylan song Subterranean Homesick Blues. I got the names while driving to and from craft stores and singing along to my ipod very loudly.
Do you work alone? With a team? Do you engage your family or friends in the work? What is your process? How do you ensure you get your work done yet still have a life?
I spend quite a bit of time with the other artists who have work in my shop, and while I usually create my items alone, I am constantly bouncing ideas off of the many talented artists I know. Dayshift has 40 local artists work on display, so I see each of them all the time…we are constantly sharing our skills with one another and brainstorming new ideas together!
My family is the best family in the whole world :) My dad spends time on ebay checking for great deals on supplies, he is a master at secretly picking out what I need and shipping it to my studio (including my amazing 1957 salmon pink antique leather sewing machine). My mom is awesome, she is super proud of me, I honestly could not ask for a better support system! Hi Mom and Dad! My friends and my boyfriend are also the best in the whole world, they have been so supportive of this endeavor, from laying my floor in my new shop to spending late nights with me in the store working and helping, I couldn’t ask for more!
Where do you sell your work? Which venues are your favorites? Do you prefer selling online or in person? Do you attend shows or fairs? Is your work in a gallery or brick-and-mortar store?
www.inblue.etsy.com and Dayshift, a handmade boutique, and countless handmade boutiques across the United States, Canada, and Australia! I like craft fairs a lot, its so fun to see new people and get to interact with them in person (the food is always awesome too). I love online selling as well! I love the fact that I can be selling things while I sleep, eat, walk the dogs…pretty cool! I don’t think anything is better than selling things in my boutique though, its such a rewarding feeling to know that its mine and that people love it :)
Do you have any favorite handmade shops or sellers you’d like to recommend?
My friend Katherine’s shop is awesome! www.happysolez.etsy.com
My friend Emily’s site is also awesome!
www.ekra.etsy.com
Check out Andrea LeBeau’s site, she is new to etsy!
www.andrealebeau.etsy.com
What inspires and motivates you?
My landlord :) Friends, family, my boyfriend, my dogs, music, books, traveling, and sleeping…I love the pond in my backyard, I get some of my best ideas there!
What do you wish I had asked you?
“Do you have any advice for artists who want to quit their day job?”
You can do it! I worked overnights at steak n shake when I first opened my shop to make ends meet. It was hard work, I never slept, but I didn’t give up, and now I get to do what I love full time. I think everyone should be able to do what they love!
Thanks Mary Lynn! And if you want to be interviewed next, just head over to DIY Interview.
Erika Jurney is the founder of Try Handmade. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or learn more about her love of the handmade.{ Comment }
I really like to be connected–to be aware of other people in the world, how they’re doing, what they’re doing. But what I like even more than being connected to people is being able to have a positive impact, however small. The handmade global-community gives us a way to help each other. And so, with that in mind, today’s feature is about three creative people living in Santiago, Chile. Not long after the tragedy in Haiti, an even bigger one struck in Chile. In Santiago, the nation’s capital, the people have suffered enormous loss. They need the global community to get involved, to lend a hand, to pay attention.
These little kitties might look sweet, but in dreams cat’s represent feminine strength. In Moira’s shop cronopia6 you’ll find Matruskyas, pirates, brooches, and baby things, but these colorful cats are my favorites. Meow—I mean—Miau! She also runs specials where you can get one of these little kitties for free with a purchase of another item from her shop.
Natalia Saldias makes these pretty earrings with horse hair and silver, which is a traditional South American technique. Her designs are all so intricate, and each one is a unique and creative expression.
Christina of ethnicdesign fashions these scarves using a free form technique. I can appreciate that since I’ve basically been using the garter stitch for my entire knitting career. I like the idea that you don’t have to follow the rules to get something beautiful. It’s a bit like fiber joyeria.
There are certainly other ways to help Chile recover from this tragedy, but we can support these local sellers, and perhaps by doing so our love will trickle out to the rest of the country, to all of the people who are struggling with destruction and loss. I believe that the human spirit is strong, and that Chile will heal itself–but I also know for certain that they can not do it without us. So spread the love, and support Chile.
Emily is the author of three books, mother of two small children, wife to one husband, and designer living in New York City. Emily also writes about the creative life, and her pursuit of all things that are good with style on her blog http://www.emilyanderson.com.{ Comment }
Spring is looming. Easter baskets. Hatless outings. Critters creeping out from hibernation. Clearly inspiration is also striking. Take a lookat these awesome stuffed toys from SleepyKing! I’ve fallen in love with all their stuffies, from the bunnies to the foxes to the adorable squirrels.
Equally sweet are their vegan Woodland Owl headbands. I love the somewhat 20’s vibe these have. They make me think “flapper” in a whole new way.
If you are looking for unusual Easter basket goodies or a way to wake up your wardrobe and your children’s playspace this spring, be sure to check out Sleepyking’s Etsy shop. It’s dreamy!
Ciaran is a crafter, writer and shopper. Her children's clothing line Francie Pants was born in her garage on an old serger. She prescribes retail therapy for the masses on a daily basis on her shopping blog Popshopology.{ Comment :: 2 }
Kristin Beltz is an amazing photographer, but more importantly an amazing person! She is so full of life and appreciates the natural beauty around her. I think she captures this emotion so well in her work. She is an Island Girl who loves to Run, Bike and Swim. She enjoys working with plants and enjoys everything to do with being outdoors. She loves animals and is especially fond of Boxers. This first photo is bursting with bright color! It makes me want to get out into the garden.
Kristin has a wonderful ability to capture the magical quality in simple pleasures. I love the out of focus background that lays behind the simple pine needles. Perfection!
Once again, here is another example of how Kristin makes a single green leaf become a beautiful piece of art!
Kristin states, “I like playing around with the lighting during the day to see what type of shots I come up with. There is a beautiful field of these Daisies on the next road over and on Sunday I went down there and shot from different angels. I liked the deeper tones I got from this shot. I like the pretty bokehed blossoms. This wasn’t intended to be in focus, I used another focal point to get the bokehed Daisies. I intended to create a textured feel and a lingering memory sort of feeling.”
Thank you Krisitn for sharing you talent with us. You are truly an inspiration to us all. You may view more of her work on Flickr.
Laura Trevey is a watercolor artist and blogger. You can view her work here and get daily inspiration about art, photography, fashion and design on her popular blog Bright, Bold, and Beautiful. Follow her on Facebook too.{ Comment }
I’ll be honest. I have an apron and I never wear it. I just don’t cook that way. But these aprons are so pretty I could see them over a tshirt and jeans this summer. So arty-chic ;)
Decorative Instincts specializes in fashion-forward accessories for the home. All items are designed by the owners and hand crafted in our Chicago studio. Our love of textiles and beautiful embellishments make the difference in our designs. We believe even the most mundane items should be beautiful and reflect your personal style. Our goal is to help you create your ideal environment.
Erika Jurney is the founder of Try Handmade. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or learn more about her love of the handmade.{ Comment :: 3 }
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Erika Jurney
Palo Alto, CA, US
Erika is the founder of Try Handmade. »more...
Rebecca Hadfield
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Rebecca constantly finds beauty in that which is often overlooked. She combines found objects with decorative papers, ephemera, vintage images and text to form the basis for her collage pieces, magnets, and pins, which she sells online and at local craft shows in her home town of Winnipeg, Canada. »more...
Diana Prichard
Mid-Michigan, US
Diana is a freelance writer and wanna-be homesteader living in rural Michigan with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, three horses, a small flock of chickens and an ever-changing menagerie of other farm animals large and small. She writes about life and work at dianaprichard.com. »more...
Leah Peterson
Southwest Virginia, US
Leah is a consultant for the Showtime series United States of Tara. She writes, blogs, takes photos and makes all kinds of art including crocheted hats, jewelry and large mixed media paintings. Leah has been doing interviews for print, online and video since 2004. Leah's website is www.leahpeah.com. »more...
Susannah Rodgers
Hot Springs National Park, AR, US
Susannah is a self-taught seamstress, painter, and block print maker. Her personal blog reflects her pursuit to live simply, work hard, and find everyday beauty. When she is not creating or writing, Susannah can be found managing her online shop, Art Nest. »more...
Ciaran Blumenfeld
Orange County, CA, US
Ciaran is a writer, a designer, and an avid shopper. When she is not writing bios with the line "when she is not..." in them, she is found hard at work managing her children's clothing line Francie Pants, an endeavor that started out handmade, in her very own garage. »more...
Angela Walters
Chicago Western Suburbs, IL, US
Angela has been knitting, crocheting, and sewing since she was seven years old. A few pieces turned out nicely, so she listed them in her shop, Posy Moe, and continued on her merry way. She writes about her adventures (and misadventures) in fibers on her blog Pocketfulla Posy. »more...
Jennifer Simoni
Hoboken, NJ, US
Jennifer is a long-time editor, writer, and obsessive planner; Jennifer left NYC tech publishing, after a wonderful and busy 12 years, to try things her way--as a freelancer. She designs and sells wine tags at shoptagit.com and on etsy. »more...
Emily Anderson
New York, NY, US
Emily is an author and designer. Emily is thrilled to have a career that allows her to pursue her passions, which include writing about conscious consumerism, designing things, and cooking delicious meals for her family. Emily is the author of three books and blogs at goodwithstyle.com. »more...
Valerie Williams
Washington DC Metro Area, US
Valerie is a sewer, designer, and crafter. She loves fabric and making things to wear, but will try any craft at least once. After being a lobbyist for ten years, Valerie has had enough of politics but still loves DC, and is anxious to share the goodness that the area has to offer. You can see the handbags and accessories she makes in her shop Holland Cox. »more...
Amy L.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Amy is a freelance web designer, blogger and Etsy shop owner. When not scouring the web for the latest in handmade or building websites she can be found either hiking in the woods, visiting art galleries, or sampling treats at local candy and cupcake shops. Amy is passionate about the burgeoning handmade movement. »more...
Laura Trevey
Richmond, Virginia, US
Laura is a watercolor artist and blogger. You may view her colorful watercolors on Etsy. She also is the editor behind the popular blog Bright, Bold, and Beautiful featuring bright ideas, bold vision and beautiful living. »more...
Chelsey Mona
St. Paul, MN, US
Chelsey is a jewelry designer, photographer, crafter and all around maker and sells her jewelry on Etsy as well as locally. She blogs about creative exploration on her blog Silverbug Studio Creations. She loves learning and discovering new things. When not making stuff, Chelsey gets her geek on running web design projects. »more...
April Meeker
Carlsbad, CA, US
April has been designing jewelry for fifteen years, making dinner for ten years, mothering for six years, blogging for three years and illustrating for just six months. She is a contributing writer to several blogs and hopes to one day publish a book on something. She's just not sure what that something is quite yet. »more...
Beverly Rustica
St. Simons Island, GA, US
Beverly writes 'Why Handmade' and is a serious advocate for handmade artists and a staunch supporter of the handmade movement. You can find her at BeachyRustica's Cool Hardware or ByHand.me. »more...
