Monday Spotlight On: Sandi Nenga of Quiddity Designs

Today's interview is with Sandi Nenga of Quiddity Designs on Etsy.   Sandi, why don't you introduce yourself?
By day, I’m a mild-mannered sociology professor. No, I’m kidding. By day, I’m a snarky, irreverent, high-energy sociology professor. I research the sociology of childhood and youth, which basically means I spend a lot of time trying to experience the world the way a middle school or high school student does. Yeah, sometimes that makes me crazy. To try to find sanity again, I design jewelry at night.

Crystal and Silver Necklace with Olive Green Navette Drop

Tell us three other things about yourself.
I want to be a telepath when I grow up.
I’m not a telepath, so I guess that means I’m not a grownup.
I know what you’re thinking–don’t laugh at me. Oh crap. This means I’m a grownup, doesn’t it?

What’s your medium and how did you get into it?
I’ve always loved jewelry and wanted to learn how to make it, but could never find time to take a class. One day at a bookstore I started leafing through a beaded jewelry craft book and thought, I can do this! My first attempts at wire wrapped jewelry were rather sad, but fortunately, I bought another book and tried again.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
Right now it’s the Lapis Lazuli Silver Seaweed Necklace in my store. I’d had a bad day and just wanted to pound on something with a hammer. The next thing I knew, all that frustration had turned into this beautiful, shimmering necklace.

Lavender Pearl and Silver Drop Necklace

From where do you take inspiration?
Usually from the silver and stones themselves. I’ll pick up a pretty stone and think, how can I best show you off? But when I’m stuck, I’ll look at jewelry making books and browse Etsy to see if a shape or a silhouette inspires me.

Name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
I wish I had created a lovely, water-wise flower garden. I love flowers, but I live in Texas which is currently in a horrible drought, and all the water-hungry plants in my yard are dessicated/dead right now.

What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
It depends what time of year it is. During the school year, I’m teaching, doing research and grading. During the summer, I can often be found doing ethnography at a summer camp, trying to blend in with the high school or middle school students. I also am a proud reader of trashy books (especially books about telepaths).

If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?
Why? What do you know about Madame Esmeralda? No, I don’t want to give her up. She predicted I would be a telepath someday and I believe her. In here. *taps forehead solemnly*

Silver and Apatite Earrings

Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.
Actually, it was a custom order. A customer asked me to make some earrings that would match a necklace, so I sent her a design for a bead and a circle dangle. She suggested putting the bead and circle on a short length of chain so they would swing and move more. I tried it and it was such a great idea that many of the earrings in my shop now have that chain element.

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
I make pretty, sparkly things. See? Hey! Come back here with that necklace! No, you can NOT put that on a CAT!

What’s your favorite part of the process?
To design, I usually pull out a bunch of stones and silver shapes and arrange them on a mat. Then rearrange. Repeat a trillion times until I find a design I like. My favorite moment is when I execute the design and it looks even better than I had thought it would.

Red Pearl and Silver Bracelet

One random thing you think people should know.
People who know random things are more interesting than those who know orderly things.

Where can people find you and your work?
Shop: quidditydesigns.etsy.com
Facebook: facebook.com/quidditydesigns

What did you want to be when you were ten?
I don’t remember. But when I was 11,  I wanted to own a women’s clothing store that sold pants for every occasion. I was going to name it “Outskirts” and the logo was going to be a skirt with a diagonal red line through it. I did okay sewing vests and shirts, but I never could figure out how to sew pants well so that dream had to be put to sleep... I mean taken to a farm. It’s living happily at a farm. A dream farm. Yeah.

Monday (Night) Spotlight on: Marisa Roberts-Hauptman of RisaRocksIt

First, a brief apology to my readers for a lack of posts last week (I had my first cold in two years) and the fact that today's post should have been posted yesterday (my best friend got married over the weekend and I was still recovering from the excitement! Congrats, Sarah and Chris)! Now, where were we....

Risa is, aside from being a creator of all kinds of amazing paper art, is also the Chief Creative Officer for a website called uniimi, still in it's beta phase,  a place for people to find artists to create custom work for them.  In addition to her love of art, she also enjoys music, food and nature near Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children.

Set of 12 Pinwheel Cupcake Toppers

Tell us three other things about yourself.
I am a forensic science dork and am also very passionate about the current state of our criminal justice system.
I am proud to be Latin American. I was born in this country but my parents immigrated here from Venezuela and Cuba. I love my Latin heritage.
Besides art, I also have a little bit of the acting bug and when I can I like to do background acting work.

What’s your medium and how did you get into it?
I work in several mediums and artforms. For drawing, I love colored pencil the most. I discovered this medium when I was 12 and was introduced to it by my art teacher. I found I instantly had a knack for it and in fact use that same set of colored pencils she helped me to purchase.

I also do a lot of work in paper. I like to treat the paper not just as a surface to put art on, but as a medium itself. This started when I was working on my personal wedding album. I liked a lot of the paper I was finding in the scrapbook stores, but wasn't really happy with the embellishments they had to offer. Our wedding was rock 'n' roll themed, but classy, and nothing I found really fit that. So I ended up creating my own stuff and then things took off from there. I've expanded beyond just paper embellishments to art made from paper.

I also do graphic design and paper sculpted flowers. These both branched off from my experience in other art forms.

Pink Paper Lotus Flower Hair Clip

So many mediums, so much art.  What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
So hard to pick a favorite since usually the thing I'm working on at the moment is my current favorite. But probably the piece I'm most proud of is a drawing I did of Adam Ant.

With such a variety of ways to create, where do you take your inspiration from?
Most of my inspiration comes from everyday life. I will take something I see or even something one of my kids say and then that will spark an idea.

I am also a lover of pop culture and like to make artistic homages to the things I love.

Name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
My "to do list" is a mile long! I so very busy creating custom stuff that other people want that the list of things I want to make for my own enjoyment is a little neglected.

That's a shame.  I love doing original work. What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
My family and I are usually out on a hike, at a rock concert, or finding new places to go out to eat.

Conan O'Brien Hair on a Stick

If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?
They would need to pry my medium out of my cold dead hands!!! But one thing I wish I knew how to do is sew. I can sort of sew simple things, like a pillow, or hem a pair of pants. But that there are people out there who can take fabric and make beautiful clothes sort of astounds me.

I also wish I had musical talent. But alas, I was meant to enjoy music not perform it.

Same here.  I cannot play an instrument, nor sing and never will be able to.  But maybe you can tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.
I had a bride who wanted some paper flowers to wear in her hair for a wedding. I had never tried that before, but I knew I had the skills to pull it off. But when I did a prototype out of plain colored paper, there was something missing. I decided that the color was TOO perfect and that natural flowers have some variation. So I did a little experimenting and ended up hand painting each petal. The end effect was something that I thought was very cool. They turned out with the right balance of looking both natural and sculptural.

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?
I think it would be super-awesome if something I made were to end up in Conan O'Brien's living room.

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
I used to teach my kids' art appreciation classes in school so I actually HAVE had to explain what I do to 8 year olds. Basically, I make pretty things out of paper and draw cool stuff on the computer.

Corseted Notepad in Cherry Polka Dots

What’s your favorite part of the process?
I love starting with a vision in my head and then when I'm finished seeing the completed item match what was in my mind's eye.

One random thing you think people should know.
Sweetened condensed milk is the tastiest substance on the planet.

It's also amazing in iced coffee.  How and where can everyone find you on the Internet?
 http://twitter.com/#!/RisaRocksIt
http://www.facebook.com/pages/wwwRisaRocksItcom/134342372286
http://uniimi.com/risarocksit/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RisaRocksIt

Monday Spotlight On: Elizabeth Ogden of Southern Carnival

Elizabeth Ogden, the craftily talented milliner behind SouthernCarnival, is a native of Mobile, Alabama. Her family moved in and out of the Mobile Bay area with her father's job. She always considered Mobile home and she spent her formative years with her nose pressed against the glass of the City Museum's Mardi Gras display. Many a custodian was troubled by the amount of her drool they had to wipe off the display cases that were filled with the sparkling crowns and ermine lined robes that so captured her imagination.

Elizabeth came to the world of handcrafts and textile design out of necessity and obstinacy. In a world dead set on minimalism and function over form the only way to satisfy her childhood fantasies of opulence and grandeur for everyday life was to make it herself.  She currently resides up the road a bit from Mobile in the beautiful city of Demopolis, Alabama.

Venetian Gold Carnival Mask

Tell us three other things about yourself:
I'm a little crazy, but "fun at parties" crazy not "straight jacket" crazy.
I'm stubborn, almost to a fault.
Most people are amazed at the things I make, but not because of the things themselves. Their awe typically arises from the fact that I do it all while raising 5 children that are still school age.

Not having known that fact prior to this interview, I  too am awed. What’s your medium and how did you get into it?
I don't think I have one specific medium. Really, anything that will sit still long enough to be manipulated into something else is fair game for me to use. I work in sugar, chocolate, textiles, paper, feathers and wire too. But typically not at the same time.

However, to satisfy my compulsion to constantly make pretty things I have had to focus. I do have a rather rich, vivid and highly detailed fantasy life where money is no object and I live in an oasis of endless supplies. Sadly I have yet to find the mythical Garden of Arts and Crafts where rhinestones grow on trees and the rivers run with silk damask. In an effort to turn my one woman craft fair into a business I've had to pare away at all that I can do and get down to a single theme that still is multifaceted enough so that I've got the diversity to keep me interested.

Peacock Feather Large Fascinator

I think I have done that with my Mardi Gras theme. Most people don't realize, unless they live near New Orleans or Mobile (by the way, Mobile is home to the oldest Mardi Gras in North America and was celebrating Carnival before New Orleans was even a city), that Mardi Gras is a year round event. The balls and the parades are what most people see, but there are countless events all year long leading up to the grand explosion of irreverent glitz and glamor on Fat Tuesday.

A lady needs a mask for the ball, but she's also going to need a fancy hat or fascinator for the garden tea that happens six months before the ball. Mardi Gras also is one of the few places where costume and fashion are expected to mix and so I can let my imagination run wild.

That sounds like a place I need to visit.  There aren't enough fancy hats and fantasy where I live. What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
Usually it is whatever I'm working on at the time. Every mistake I've learned from and every skill I've mastered goes into the next thing. So whatever I'm currently working on is the culmination of all that I have done or the beginning of a new skill. Right this hot minute I'm focusing on adding veiling to my line of feather fascinators and cocktail hats. While I have every intention of creating classic looks, I also want to push it so that I'm doing something that is unique, but in a good way. Unique in a good way is harder than it looks.

White and Purple Feather Fascinator

You live in a small town, way deep in the South.  From where do you take inspiration?
Any where and every where I can get it. But, for the most part nature, specifically the flora.

Name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
Anything wildly commercially popular with a big fat copyright and trademark on it. Oh that I owned Mickey Mouse, then perhaps I could finance the expedition to find the Garden of Arts and Crafts.


You could probably finance expeditions for the entire crafting community of Demepolis then.  What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
Mostly when I'm not crafting I'm doing something horribly mundane, tedious drudgery and the like. Occasionally I have the good fortune to have time to read a good book.

If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?
Hands down, ceramics. I do some sculpting in paper mache and the process is so joyful. It is like magic and conjuring forth something from almost nothing. Fired ceramics have such permanence to them and they function in ways that other mediums do not. No matter how well I sculpt in paper clay a paper vase will never hold water. Ceramics offers a way to use art in every day ways that other mediums just can't. I'm currently plotting to procure a kiln in the foreseeable future.

Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.
I am the queen of "happy accidents" so there are far too many times that something turned out better than I thought it would.

Green Swirls Venetian Mardi Gras Mask

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?
I wish my sainted grandmother, whose been gone 10 years now, could have one of my hats. She came of age during a time that ladies still wore hats. In fact, for most of her life she wouldn't have been caught dead at the grocery store without a hat on. I didn't get into millinery until a few years after she past away. I would love to be able to take my Grandmother to a ladies' lunch sporting hats that I made.

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
I've taught a few classes in various mediums to a range of ages. I think that the simplest explanation is that no matter what you are making, it's all a trick. You just have to know the trick and when to use it.

What’s your favorite part of the process?
The "ta-da" moment when I'm done.

One random thing you think people should know.
That our ability to accessorize is what separates us from the animals.

Jester King Mardi Gras Mask

Your shop address/facebook/Twitter/blog/website. Etc.
shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SouthernCarnival
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Southern-Carnival/112156765502381
blog: http://southerncarnival.blogspot.com/

And, of course, the final question, which is usually the most interesting. What did you want to be when you were ten?
From my earliest memories right up until the age of 10 I wanted to be a florist, because heaven was working with flowers all day. At the ripe old age of 10 I saw a TV movie about Downs Syndrome children and how their condition was caused by an extra chromosome. I decided then and there that I would be a doctor and learn how to sew the extra chromosome back to the others and cure Downs Syndrome. I later realized that being a doctor requires a lot of time spent with sick people and their bodily fluids. I further realized that I was far too prissy for that, no matter how noble the idea.

Monday Spotlight On: Kim Ulrick of Moolric

Kim Ulrick of Moolric is a photographer and April's Army member who I met through the super-secret Regretsy chat room  whose breath-taking macro photography of nature ensured that I bug her until she agreed to answer my questions.  An Australian, born and raised, Kim studied graphic design at university and decided on a career in web design.  She went back for a few years to study photography, fell in love and now presents us with her passion (which she thankfully has the talent to back up) in her Etsy shop.

Paperbark Blossom 8 x 12 photograph

Tell us three other things about yourself.
I'm a scuba diver - certified to rescue diver.
I love my pets; I have two cats and a dog.
I play a lot of video games - especially WoW.

Tell us about how you first got into photography.
 I did it in high school. I got my first SLR at 17 and had a darkroom set up in the laundry. I did it a bit more during my design degree, but i didn't really get into it until I got a digital camera.  I started posting on fotolog  and for a long time I managed to post every single day. Knowing that people were actually looking at my photos, and liked them, made a huge difference.


What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
I really like the wedding album i made for my brother and his wife. It was a big project, but having a physical book at the end that i had designed was so much better than a pile of photos. I've always thought that combining photos well, will make them greater than the sum of their parts.

Pounce 8 x 12 Photograph

From where do you take inspiration?
I do a lot of nature macro photos. I love looking for the little details that most people walk past. So I guess I get inspired by the weird and wonderful in nature - the bits that aren't as obvious as sunsets.

Name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
Do you count documentaries as art? I wish I'd had anything to do with making The Blue Planet. It really showcases how beautiful the world is and how different things are underwater.

I have to count documentaries.  My husband is a filmmaker so I know the art that goes into it. Aside from watching the Discovery Channel, what are you doing when you’re not crafting?
Well, video games as I said before. But now that summer is coming up I'll be spending a lot more time at the beach.

I'm jealous of your summer beginning as ours comes to a close. If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?
I have tried a lot of different crafts. Pretty much anything that sounds fun - embroidery and sewing toys have been the big ones lately. It's rare that anything holds my attention for long though, the way
photography has. If I did do something else it would need to be something that was a large part digital.

Misty Day 8 x 12 Photograph

I appreciate people who have a capacity for digital art.  It's never been something that's come out weel for me.  Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.  
I bought a lomo camera to help me do 'messier' photos. I'm really bad at faking messy in my photos and design, so letting it happen naturally in the camera seemed like a good idea. But when I got the
first roll of film printed. the photos were so terrible. Underexposed and blah. But a couple of months later I found the bag and had a look at the scans I'd had done, did a bit of post-processing in photoshop
and I was amazed at the difference it made.

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?
I honestly can't think of anyone. I don't really care too much about my photos being owned by individuals. I would much prefer to see my photos in a book or magazine and owned/seen by a million people instead.

I like the way you think. How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
"I take photos." I think photography is self-explanatory to even a small child. And
kids get their photos taken so much now, I think they all understand
what a camera does in essence. Unless you use a film camera. Then they
get confused when their picture doesn't show up on the back.

There is a lot that is involved in taking a great picture.  What’s your favorite part of the process?
Going for walks looking for bugs and flowers to shoot. I become hyper-aware of my surroundings. Though the times I've done aerial photography have been pretty awesome too.

Alien World 8 x 12 Photograph

One random thing you think people should know.
The animals in Australia won't actually try to kill you if you come visit.

Your shop address/facebook/Twitter/blog/website. Etc.
Shop at  http://moolric.etsy.com
Website at http://pets.kimulrick.com and also at http://www.kimulrick.com
Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimmau


And one final question. If you could go anywhere on Earth at any point in time, where and when
would you go and why?
Assuming I could get home again safely, I'd want to go to the
Cretaceous period and see some dinosaurs.

My husband would be inclined to agree with you.  As Kim's a Regretsy member, I'm going to take this time to let you guys know the April's Army Charity store opens tomorrow, August 30th, so check it out.  This month we're helping pay a girl's tuition to beauty school.  Please make a note and go by tomorrow and at least share the links and love. 

Monday Spotlight On: Amelia Schmelzer of the Frippery Factory.

This week, I think I'll let this one introduce herself.
Hiya! My name's Amelia Schmelzer, and I'm the wee lass behind the Frippery Factory, which I run with the assistance of my lovely mother, Mary. The Frippery Factory started in June 2010 as a place for Mama to sell her absolutely fantastic greeting cards; I just tossed up a few of my own creations. It turns out that it's a lot harder to sell greeting cards than miniature deviled eggs, and the Frippery Factory became a miniatures-only zone for nearly a year. It wasn't until recently that Mama reintroduced some of her creations: Pantone-covered composition notebooks in custom colors that the good ol' FF became a multi-media hangout again.

Miniature Pumpkins

Tell us three other things about yourself.
I'm 16 years old, I'm quite partial to a bad pun, and I hate corn dogs.

What’s your medium and how did you get into it?
Polymer clay is what I spend most of my time. Poly clay is a soft, Play Doh-like material that bakes into a durable plastic in the oven. I don't remember exactly what got me into polymer clay, but I started fiddling with it around my 9th birthday. You should have seen some of my first creations; they look like something you'd scoop out of a litter box.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
The baked Alaska. I don't even know if I like baked Alaska in real life, but it turned out really nicely in miniature. It's the chopped chocolate, I think. Everyone loves chopped chocolate. Even when it's plastic.

From where do you take inspiration?
Our stash of retro cookbooks (and, yes, that includes The Joys of Jello) as well as old magazines and catalogs. Mom and I love to scour flea markets and antique shops for "scary vintage" as well as the stuff that's just plain cool.

Deviled Eggs for Six Dollhouse Food

Name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
Whoever created the EasyBake oven is a genius. They basically made my childhood. Did you know that the Easy Bake oven cooks things using a lightbulb? No wonder that cake took an hour and a half to bake.

What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
Well, since I'm still a veritable youngster, a lot of my life involves school and trying to find more money. In my free time, I really do love to read, and cook (and eat), and spend time outside. I'm a pretty dangerous badminton opponent, and my brothers and I are really into archery.

If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?
I think I would have a gas making bath and body products. My signature scent would probably end up being something snarky like "Campgrounds".

Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.
Well, my expectations were pretty low. I had just wrecked three or four pieces in the final detailing parts, like when I brush on chalk for a toasty look or cut a slice of cake out. I was pretty crabby and in a particularly stubborn mood, so I just kept making things until, lo and behold, tiny tater tots came into existence.

Dollhouse Food Tater Tots

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?  Hmmm...probably Julia Child. She seemed like the type who would like wearing noodles on her noodle. And she could cook me something in return for free earrings.

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
"I make tiny food to feed leprechauns. Yes, they like eating plastic. No, you can't chew on it."

What’s your favorite part of the process?
Putting the shiny glaze on stuff, when I put shiny glaze on stuff. All the colors come to life and it actually looks like it could feed a small drove of fairies after a day at the beach.

One random thing you think people should know.
Jello and mayonnaise is the most delicious combination ever invented. Seriously.

Your shop address/facebook/Twitter/blog/website. Etc.
Shop: fripperyfactory.etsy.com
Blog: fripperyfactory.wordpress.com
Newsletter subscriptions: fripperyfactory.wordpress.com/emails

What did you want to be when you were ten?
A hobbit, a racehorse jockey, or an Irish folk dancer. I kept my options open.

Monday Spotlight On: Mark Trussell of WrathofRa

A writer and editor currently living in Seoul, South Korea, Mark Trussell is originally from British Columbia, Canada.  Painting and drawing since he was a child, he became addicted to the creating Egyptain-themed art after seeing pictures of Egyptians in a baby Moses tale at church.  Married to a wonderful man, Mark and his partner have a Yorkie named Louis, and will be returning to Canada this year, to reside in Vancouver.

The artistic talent behind WrathofRa, Mark is another of those clever and snarky folks I met on the Regretsy forums.  I don't remember how I first stumbled onto his artwork, but I do know it immediately brought out the child in me, the little sixth-grader that was obsessed with Egyptology, who spent half that year trying to learn to write (and even speak) Ancient Egyptian fluently along with her best friend.  However, Mark's work also bring out the adult in me, as his artwork often contains a bit of tasteful nudity.  This interview is also very true to Mark: honest, bright and entertaining.  

Pharaoh's Court, Fine Print

Tell us three other things about yourself.
I have lived in Canada, US, India, Singapore, Italy, and South Korea.

My hobby is collecting action figures (Star Wars/Trek, LoTR, Batman)

I detest the words “moist” and “pudding.”

Your theme is Egyptian art, but what’s your medium and how did you get into it?
I paint and draw with acrylic, coloured markers and pencils. I use a lot of gold leaf as well, and paint mostly on wooden materials which have been discarded. Many ancient artifacts are simply things that people threw out or discarded. Now they are priceless art. I like the idea of making trash into art NOW rather than waiting thousands of years.

So many pharaohs, so little time. What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
Many things, but right now I am quite partial to Monapatra.

Monapatra

The era of the civilization you love to paint has been gone for thousands of years.  From where do you take inspiration?

I have a collection of archaeology books on ancient Egypt. Also, I like the idea that some of my work almost looks like modern perfume advertisements…so I get ideas from promotional materials in magazines etc.

Name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
I usually make everything I want. I really want to learn more about sculpture though. I’d love to work with clay.

I like you're interpretation of that question.  Most people take it to mean other people's art. What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
Playing on Regretsy forums, walking my dog, working, writing, cooking, having sex, going to the bathroom, drinking cheap red wine, biting my fingernails, watching porn, talking on Skype to my mom, checking out Facebook, arguing with my husband, contemplating my purpose in the universe.

Nefertiti Print

All of those things could be great inspiration.  If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?

Probably clay. I really would like to work more with 3-D art.

Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.

I was doing a portrait of Queen Margherita and was using an old pizza box to mix my paint. Suddenly, I realised that pizza margherita was actually named after her. So, I painted her on the pizza box and it turned out great.

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?

Meryl Streep. She’s fabulous. Who wouldn’t want her to own their creations?

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?

“I paint pretty pictures of Egyptian people from long ago onto wood. No, that’s not a penis/boob/bum. Okay, you really shouldn’t be looking at this.”

(Just as a side note, I'd like to say, I personally believe children should be exposed to nudity in art, so they can understand there is nothing wrong with the beauty of the human body or using that beauty in something you create. Anyway, back to the main program).  What’s your favorite part of the process?

Doing the details. I love putting in tiny jewels or details onto my work. Most people would find it tedious…but it’s my favourite part.

One random thing you think people should know.

Pharaoh Hatshepsut was one of the most powerful pharaohs in Egyptian history. She was also a woman…a rarity. But she actually dressed in drag and even wore a false beard.



Where can people find you if they want to learn more about your art?
Shop:  www.wrathofra.etsy.com
Blog: www.thebluebells.wordpress.com

Gods and Goddesses: Osiris, Fine Print

We've talked so much about historical figures, let's switch it up a bit. One last question: if you could be a character in fiction, who would you be?

I would be Lestat in Interview with a Vampire…because he’s sexy, powerful, and lives for a very long time.

Monday Spotlight On: Marie of WeeBindery

As this post goes up, I'm on vacation with my husband and his family at Lake Michigan and there is one thing I do almost constantly, every year when I'm there. I read.  So it seemed only fitting that, while I'm off reading a book, you should be reading about someone who makes them.

Marie (nicknamed Wee, so we know where that comes from), has been an artist for over forty years, but before she really got there, she went the traditional route or marriage, a family and a job in the business world.  When they relocated to North Carolina from Massachusettes for her husband's job, Marie was able to pursue her lifelong dream of being a full-time artist.  WeeBindery is the result.

Handmade Leather Journal

Tell us three things about yourself we don't already know.
I love to read, can't stop creating, and love to go to museums.

What’s your medium and how did you get into it? 
I am a book artist. I design and create journals and notebooks. It all started when I came across a Japanese bookbinding workshop in a catalogue. That was it! I haven't looked back.

Bookbinding is not a common art.  What's your favorite thing youve made? 
I always say my three sons but seriously, a colorful coptic stitch book using 8 needles at the same time. It was a great challenge.

From where do you take inspiration? 
Books and museums.

Name one piece of art you wish you'd created and why? 
Great questions - hmmm - I would have to say Michaelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel or Giotto's paintings in the church of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy.

Eco-Friendly Handmade Sketchbook

I have a feeling I'll already know the answer to this, but what are you doing when you're not crafting? Reading.

If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why? 
Well, I also paint with watercolors but haven't found the time to do it because of my bookbinding business. If I placed aside the books, I would paint.

Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened. A small one inch book with all different colored papers. I call it my rainbow book.


Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why? Probably Abigail Adams, the wife of our second President John Adams. Abigail was an avid writer and a very intelligent and strong woman ahead of her time.

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old? 
You take paper, needle and thread and sew.

Petite Handmade Leather Book

What's your favorite part of the process? 
The sewing.

One random thing you think people should know. 
I absolutely love what I do.

Where can people find you?
On Etsy: www.weebindery.etsy.com
On Twitter:    www.twitter.com/weebindery


My last random question. What did you want to be when you were ten?
An art teacher.

Monday Spotlight on Suhita of Sketch Away

I've decided to start trying to do theme weeks, where each of the five posts on Monday through Friday will all tie in together a bit.  This week is 'art' week and I'm starting out with an interview with Suhita, an amazing artists I met through my treasury team.  She's been the inspiration for quite a few of my treasuries with her watercolor illustrations.  Suhita lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a self-described obsessive sketcher, doodler and graphic designer.

Orange Temple and Flags

Tell us three other things about yourself.
I am one of those people that grew up loving to draw, forgot about it along the way, and came back to it only a couple of years ago.
I am inspired by travel, both to faraway places, and in taking a fresh look at the everyday world around me.
I had a pet tortoise for more than 20 years. I had to give him to the friend when I moved across the world and couldn't take him with me...

That's really cool.  Turtles and tortoises are some of my favorite creatures.  What’s your medium and how did you get into it?
My medium of the moment is pen, ink and watercolor. I love the simplicity and immediacy of the medium and that watercolor has a mind of it's own. It helps me keep it light and loose and let go.

When I'm painting, I have the same choice of medium, but for different reasons.  What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
My favorite works are always sets of sketches that remind me of a trip, like this set from a recent trip to India.

From where do you take inspiration?
From travel, both near and far. And when I'm not literally traveling, I like to look at everything around me as a newcomer would... it makes the everyday and mundane interesting. Like the ferris wheel my kids rode while I made the sketch below or this one of poppies growing by a fire hydrant.

Ferris Wheel A Summer Carnival

You make beautiful art of your own, but name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
This is hard! There are just so many, many artists who's work I love, it's hard to pick just one. Or even just 10!

What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
I am a graphic designer, illustrator and have a 4 and a 6 year old who are threatening to bring in a pet into the family. Between it all, I have my hands and days full.

Even though you've already got a full plate what would you take up if you had to give up your medium and pursue another?
I think I'd enjoy acrylics just because they're great for the bright, bright colors I enjoy using. And, they're relatively easy to cleanup... One reason I shy away from oils is the cleanup involved!

You should try them.  Acrylics are really fun and can have that same immediacy, because they dry quickly and can force you to work the same way.  Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.
I'm constantly surprised by which of my pieces works and which doesn't: I work very quickly, often reacting and sketching without premeditated ideas. So its always interesting to see what I end up capturing.

Empire State Building Modern Art Deco

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?
My hero is an artist/illustrator called David Gentleman, who travelled the world and made books of incredible sketches from his trips. I've tried tracking him down and emailing him to let him know how much his work inspires me, but I haven't been able to get in touch yet.

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
Exactly the way I tell it to a grown up: I draw and paint. That is really all I do. If I end up capturing the essence of the scene I work on, it works. Since I sketch on location, I often have kids come peek at what I'm doing: at museums, in parks. They're always surprised to see an adult drawing. I didn't realize how surprising this would be to a kid until a kid came by on a recent trip to the Metropolitan Museum in New York, looked at my book, and said "look mom, she's drawing and she's a grown up!".

Afternoon Light

That tells me more artist need to be paintingin public, so children know they can keep being creative all their lives.  What’s your favorite part of the process?
The doing. Truly. That 20 minutes to an hour that I draw/paint each piece is a frenzied yet zen process. to make it work, you have to be totally present in the moment,and it all comes together intuitively: the line,the color, the mood.

One random thing you think people should know.
It's never too late to pick up an old passion and take it to the next level.

Your shop address/facebook/Twitter/blog/website.
Shop: http://www.sketchaway.etsy.com
Blog: https://sketchaway.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sketch-Away/194253643924688
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/sketchaway

City in Purple Pink and Mauve

And my last, usual, random question.  If you could be a character in fiction, who would you be?
Long John Silver. He wasn't the nicest guy, but I loved him as a kid!

Monday Spotlight on Holly Bowers of EvilTwinPixies

I also came across Holly in the Regretsy forums new listing thread, and was blown away by this amazing embroidered hot air balloon necklace she'd stitched.  The twenty-five year old, originally from Lancashire England and now living in Massachusetts, moved here to be with a guy (which worked out for her--they've been married five years, next month).  Currently studying at university, she picked up the  fiber art of embroidery to fill time between classes. I'd said it's worked out for her and her amazing work.

Hot Air Balloon Pendant

Tell us three other things about yourself.

-I’m a history major and an English minor

-I was eighteen when I moved to the US—and terrified of flying!

-I never thought I’d be any good with a needle—before February I’d barely even done any basic clothing repairs.

You embroider, which isn't exactly an common hobby for someone our age.  How did you get into it?  I wanted to get into some kind of fiber art, and I started out with knitting on the recommendation of a school counselor who said that it had helped other students with ADHD to concentrate in class. Knowing that keeping my hands busy helps, I picked up the supplies and had a go. I have a strange mental block when it comes to translating a printed pattern into a real-world object, though—I can’t read maps, and I can’t follow a knitting pattern. I also wanted the opportunity to be more spontaneous and complete projects in a short timeframe. Around February, someone suggested embroidery, and it turned out to be a really good match for me.

For something you've only done for six months, you have an obvious talent.  What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?

So far, my favorite thing is a satin-stitched lovebird pendant. I would definitely make him chubbier if I was to do it again, but I like the stitching and the bright colors. It’s a step up in complexity from things I’ve made before, and on a cute tiny scale.

Lovebird Pendant

You seem to have a lot of aerial items, from lovebirds to balloons.  From where do you take inspiration?

From everything I see! I’m still relatively new to embroidery and very excited by the possibilities, so my problem is keeping inspiration down to a level where I can actually make all of the ideas that I have. I tend to have them just as I’m drifting off to sleep, or I’ll be talking to someone and suddenly it sparks off a thought that I just HAVE to run and write down… and then I’m kicking myself for adding another thing to an already too-long list!

You've made everything from snowflakes to constellations to the hot air balloon. Name one piece of someone else's art you wish you'd been the creator of.

Kim Ulrick’s embroideries of children’s drawings. The idea itself is true genius—really one of those “I wish I’d thought of that” moments, and her interpretations of the artwork are beautiful and so much fun. (See one of Kim's embroideries here )

You've gotten a lot done for only doing this for six months.  What are you doing when you’re not crafting?  Sleeping, usually! I tend to take my embroidery with me wherever I go, because it’s good for me to have something to do. If I don’t have a needle in my hand and I’m awake, I’m probably playing with my dogs or walking in the forest with them and my husband.

If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?

Probably baking. I love making beautiful cakes, especially cupcakes. It fulfills the same crafty drive AND it tastes good. I’d love to own a cupcake shop and sell the most gorgeous cakes around.

Ace of Hearts Embroidered Pendant

Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.

My hot air balloon pendant. My brother’s girlfriend gave me the idea when I asked her what she wanted me to make for her. I knew it was going to be interesting as soon as she said it, but when I actually made it I was so proud of myself. It looked fantastic, and it got a LOT of attention in the short time it was listed before someone bought it. I want to make more in different colors and on different fabrics, but I have so many other ideas to try out as well.

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?

I’d love it if my Grandma could see the things I make—well, not the things with swearing in them. The nice things. She was very traditional and would have really appreciated me being into embroidery.

Embroidery is something that was often popular with an older generation.  How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old so that it might interest them?

I take a piece of fabric and I draw pictures on it using a needle and thread instead of pens and pencils. I like to make them colorful!

Everyone has one part of the process the love, one moment or step that is better than the rest.  What's yours?  Those last few stitches. Unless it’s a repeat of something I’ve already done—which is rare for me—I always start a project not knowing whether or not it’s going to work out. I love that moment when I can see exactly how it’s going to look and can enjoy the last little pieces of floss falling into place before I have to go and take photographs and all the rest of the stuff that comes afterwards. I also take a real delight in packaging orders. I’m always trying to figure out new little ways to make it look pretty, from finding the perfect way to fold the tissue paper to making my own stickers to decorate bags and boxes. It’s a true pleasure to look at something you made nestled in decorative packaging and think of the person at the other end opening it up like a little gift. It’s still amazing and exciting to me that people want to wear things that I made, or decorate their homes with them.

Snowflake Embroidered Pendant

One random thing you think people should know.

About anything? I think they should know the story of Alcibiades from ancient Greece. I could do a stand-up routine about that guy, I swear. His life was just one big “and THEN guess what happened” after another.

Your shop address/facebook/Twitter/blog/website. Etc.

Here's my shop address:  www.eviltwinpixie.etsy.com

And I'm Eviltwinpixie on Twitter, too--though I haven't used it in a while.

  

And because I always have to ask one weird random questions. What did you want to be when you were ten?

 An archaeologist. I went through many different “I’m going to be-s” since then, but I’ve come back around to wishing and dreaming about digging up ancient treasures and spending my days in old libraries reading crackling documents. Perhaps someday I’ll end up doing some kind of historical research, but right now I have no idea!