work Archives - Page 3 of 48

Interview with Jessica Lyons, Ragamuffin Design

December 23, 2019 by Leah Peterson Leave a Comment

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Meet Jessica Lyons, designer behind Ragamuffin Designs. She splits her time between Troy, NY (where she is working on her PhD) and Clifton Park, NY (her hometown). Jessica says, “I’m a big fan of Upstate New York between the months of April and December. The rest of the time I would much rather been in a less muddy/cold/gray environment!”

Jessica loves spending time with her Sphynx cat, Lux. She describes herself as a Quirky Indiana Jones wannabe, and a hippie without the drugs or patchouli. When she’s not creating, Jessica can be found working on her PhD and perfecting her ‘ass kicking’ techniques with karate and judo.

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Interview with Manny Neuzil of Mannybeads

December 19, 2019 by Erika Jurney 8 Comments

What is your craft / art / creative endeavor?

I am a jewelry designer and creator with a passion for unrefined stones and other elements that inspire me to create jewelry that is designed with an organic feeling to it: a bit unrefined, beautifully irregular and suggestive of the spiritual. Some of the elements I am most drawn to are organic and unrefined stones, vintage buttons, Tibetan mala beads, and ethnic additions.

How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?

Some years ago I found myself really wanting to breath some fresh air into my creative lungs. I learned how to knit, took some pottery courses and dove into making jewelry. I had been creating jewelry for myself and others for many years but suddenly found myself spotting stones and beads everywhere! I’d collect them up and notice that there were some stones that just felt compelled to share the same future in an earring or necklace design!

Is there a story behind the name of your shop?

Certainly not an interesting one! I was eager to open my first shop at Etsy and needed to create a name so I impulsively picked ‘Mannybeads’ thinking I could change it in the next few weeks without confusing buyers…but at Etsy once you’ve got a name it’s yours for life! And…I’ve settled right into it quite nicely.

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?

Well, my day job is not jewelry making so I feel privileged to be able to create without the pressures of paying the mortgage. That truly frees me up to follow the ebb and flow of creative energy and excitement without getting in the way. Creating jewelry is very much a part of having a life for me…I’m a bit of an introvert so working alone when I feel inspired and energized is very meditative and so satisfying…

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?

I sell my work primarily on line at Etsy, 1000Markets and Zibbet. I also have a virtual table at Poppytalk Handmade.

I participate in just a few seasonal shows and really enjoy that. I think if I participated in more I’m afraid it might start to feel tedious! The preparation and set up is quite something and I really admire folks who do it full time.

Hmmm…favorite venue…I must say 1000Markets is a beautiful site. Just first rate. In terms of exposure and sales I’d have to say Etsy continues to be the Gold Standard for me.

Do you have any favorite handmade shops or sellers?

I do! I have many so these three represent, perhaps hundreds! but here they are…
Desert Talismans (crazy-beautiful, inspired work…)

Artsy (my favorite in assemblage art)

Artquirk (just love this artist and the beautiful rendering of place and time…)

What inspires and motivates you?

I am most inspired by stones and beads that are very earthy, organic and natural in feel. The stone or bead leads me in design rather than having a design in mind that I’m then looking for just the right stones to complete it.

It’s a bit like finding a treasure that you just can’t keep to yourself…and waiting to find the design or arrangement that best supports the essential nature of each stone.

I am also very passionate about working with Tibetan Mala beads. The ones that I am most drawn to are very hard to find so I treasure them when they find their way to me.

Thanks Manny! And if you would like to be interviewed next, just stop by DIY Interview.

Interview with Annie Mohaupt of Mohop

December 18, 2019 by Erika Jurney 4 Comments

What is your craft / art / creative endeavor?

I make wood-soled sandals with interchangeable ribbon ties. They’re sometimes referred to as the “infinity sandal” due to the limitless styling options. The shoes are composed of domestic hardwoods and other eco-friendly components.

How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?

I worked as an architect for seven years before embarking on my new career as a shoemaker. My background in architecture was incredibly helpful in preparation for my shoemaking business, both in terms of design and engineering as well as project management.

Is there a story behind the name of your shop?

Mohop is the phonetic pronounciation of my last name, Mohaupt. Mohaupt is a German name, and would typically be pronounced with all the letters (just like it looks), but the American Mohaupts simplified it.

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 currently work alone, although my husband helps with a lot of the administrative tasks. I’ve had many interns, assistants, friends and family help out in the past, but at the moment, I’m scaling back in preparation for a launch in a slightly different direction later in 2010.

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?

Right now, I only sell at mohop.com and mohop.etsy.com. My shoes were carried in close to 30 shops in 2008, but the pressure of the demand was just too much, and I’ve taken 2009 to re-evaluate my business and production methods. I’ve also stopped doing fairs and most events because my online store keeps me plenty busy!

What inspires and motivates you?

I’m inspired by the beauty and sculpt-ability of the wood I use, materials I find around the architectural firm my husband works at, and my preference for comfort *and* style at all times. I’m motivated by the piles of orders on my to-do list that will be late if I don’t put in 15-hours days ;)

Thanks Annie! And if you would like to be interviewed here, just go over to DIY Interview.

Interview with Erin, Sock Zombies!

December 15, 2019 by Leah Peterson 1 Comment

[hLeah]

Erin of SockZombie.com has lived in and around Tempe, Arizona since 1990. After years of moving around town for college and jobs, she somehow settled directly across the street from her old high school, doomed to listen to the Aztec Marching Band play every morning for all eternity. Erin and her husband of two weeks, Randy, have a five-year-old Australian Shepherd named Jake. When he was a puppy he jumped out of a four-story window and walked away with nothing but a badass attitude and a secret fear of windows. Erin describes herself as “Perpetually jumping from one patch of levity to the next.” Don’t miss the Zombie Interviews on her Etsy pages!

How long have you been making zombies?

I started making (or trying to make) monsters out of socks for birthday gifts. I’m not a natural craft talent, mind– I’ve been crocheting for literally twenty-five years and to this day I can’t make a blanket that isn’t shaped like a trapezoid– so the monsters took quite a bit of trial and error. My first efforts were decidedly less “monster” and more “bunny”. Early on I started using standard white men’s crew socks for the monsters’ bodies, and their little pale bodies paired with their gray heel “mouths” just screamed ZOMBIE to me. So I spent some time figuring out the best way to attach the arms to stick straight out from the body in a classic zombie stance and after a few dead ends it clicked and I got it.

Can you explain your process for us?

The zombie creating process involves a lot of Diet Coke and a lot of daytime television. I spend two or three mornings a week in front of my sewing machine, stitching together the zombie “skin” out of sock parts, and I spend almost every evening stuffing, closing and detailing those zombies. Both steps incorporate television.

Do you do it for fun or for fulltime work or both?

I’m making sock zombies full time now because my “day job” as a history writer seems to have dried up with the economy, so I’m being much more proactive these days in terms of promotion, seeking out wholesale/consignment opportunities and craft shows. The sock zombies differ from all of my other crafting forays in that I actually seem to be better at making them now than when I started. Surprisingly, I haven’t gotten bored with the process yet, either; I’ve made and sold upwards of 1,200 sock zombies both on and offline since September of 2007, and I still genuinely enjoy watching each zombie become his or her own little entity. I’ve added different variations on the theme, though, like Throwing Zombies (smaller zombies made out of child-sized socks), sock zombie puppets, etc, and I’m sure that helps combat craft monotony. I think my favorite zombie is the “toehawk” zombie– a zombie with a mohawk made out of toesocks.

Where do your ideas come from?

I get a lot of ideas for zombies themselves from custom orders on Etsy– the Pirate Zombie is a great example.

Someone asked if I could make a sock zombie that was also a pirate which led to lots of awesome brainstorming about what a zombie who also happens to be a pirate would look like. The Pirate Zombie wears a little felt vest and an eyepatch and he carries a messenger bag full of gold and treasure, a tiny sword, a glass bottle of Captain Morgan and a real rolled up treasure map. I think that’s hilarious.

I also get great ideas from people who read my blog; I complained that my metal gearshift knob was too hot to touch in the summer, and an awesome reader commented that I should make a sock zombie gearshift protector. So I did: the Sock Zombie Cozy. It’s fantastic, I feel like I’ve got my own all-star Research and Development team. I’m a writer by trade so I really enjoy the promotional end of my business, writing the individual descriptions and zombie interviews and whatnot.

This entire fluky foray has been and continues to be so incredibly fulfilling. Every time someone looks at a sock zombie and laughs I feel that much more validated. It’s also completely changed the way I look at handmade items; not only do I have a greater appreciation for an individual artist’s ability, but I also appreciate what it means for the artist to hear that.

Interview with jill fine of glazedOver Pottery

December 14, 2019 by Erika Jurney 1 Comment

I specialize in handmade wheel thrown and slab built functional and decorative stoneware pottery featuring vibrant colors and eclectic designs.

How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?

I was pursuing a PhD in archaeology and ancient texts and took a pottery course to relieve the course load stress. That was my offical, structured introduction to ceramics but I had always felt a magnetic attraction to clay, even as a child. I am intrigued and hypnotized by clay…by the texture, the smell, the provocative mess, its earthy unpretentiousness.

Is there a story behind the name of your shop?

love the story about how I came to name my shop. A longtime fan of the English language, I was looking for a clever pun for my shop and was having trouble finding one that was still available. Then I had a conversation with my mother who was telling me about how annoyed with my father she was. She was trying to tell him something important but his eyes “glazed over” and he wasn’t listening at all.
“THAT’S IT!!!” I shrieked.
“What’s it?” she asked.
“I’ll call it ‘glazedOver’! Perfect!”
…and the funniest part was that I, too, hadn’t heard a word she had said. I did get a great shop name, though, even mom had to agree!

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 work alone but with the music always playing while I work, I never feel as if I am. Other than when I am doing custom work, I go where the muse takes me, either at the slab table or the pottery wheel. I lean toward eclectic and wabi sabi wares and I love a sleek profile.

Due to the constraints of the pottery process in which clay dryness or moistness dictates most things, I MUST do work when it demands so I try to schedule my life around it. One slab project can take a number of days to complete whereas wheel work can be done more quickly.

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?

I sell at galleries and shops and online. I prefer online at the moment because the operation is contained and more easily managed from home.

Do you have any favorite handmade shops or sellers you’d like to recommend?

I love
LaTouchables
veroque
theBeadAerie

What inspires and motivates you?

The muse. She never shares her secrets with me consciously, but she directs my hands and keeps my heart ever craving more.

Thanks Jill. And if you would like to be interviewed next, please head over to DIY Interview.