The Nursery

So the one artsy thing I managed to do while I was pregnant was decorate the nursery.   It was already painted green from when it was my studio (I like being surrounded by color).  I went with a forest/bird theme, and put everything together myself, from the birch tree decals on the walls to the goldfinch shadowboxes.  Have a look:

Wide view of the birch decals.

Opposite corner of the room.

Goldfinch shadowboxes I made. These were the inspiration for the room.

I got cheap art by cutting prints out of an old Audubon book I picked up for $2. 

Birdhouse mobile I made for less than 10$.

I still feel it isn't quite complete.  I plan to add some brightly colored birds among the birch trees to match the colors on the mobile.  Soon, if I have time, I'll do a tutorial on how I did the birch tree decals (which also cost less than ten dollars to do)!

Stuff I'd Love To Try: Recycled Magazine Coasters

I have a ton of magazines around my house.  From the free year subscription of Real Simple (my personal favorite magazine) to my husband's issues of Game Infomer to all the copies of Glamour my sister got me for Christmas last year, I am continually tossing magazines in the recycling bin.

Being the artsy type (obviously), every time I have to toss another one in the bin to make room for the three more which have just come in the mail,  I get a little sad inside. My absolute favorite way of creating when I was a teenager was making collages.  I would get posterboard and rubber cement and cut apart all my issues of Seventeen and Cosmopolitan and make everything from color collages to dramatic poetry.  

So even now, as I am thinning the herd, I find myself thinking, what could I have made with this?  Could I have made envelopes for my cards? A new collage (for the first time in a decade)?  Could I have tried an entirely new (to me) form of artwork by saving these lovely, beautiful, colorful magazines?  And then I toss them in the recycling....

Recycled Magazine Coaster Tutorial

Then I came across this tutorial on How About Orange, a blog full of wonderful crafty, upcycled craziness, and so now, every time I go to toss out more magazines I stop and think, maybe next time I'll make coasters...and just maybe I will. 

I haven't yet, but now that I've posted this, maybe one of you will.  And if any of you tries sealing them (with Mod Podge, perhaps?), let me know how it goes. 

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: 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.

Feature Friday: The Soap Experiment

I first got interested in soapmaking back in November, when I took a trip with my in-laws and husband to Brevard, NC for a weekend of camping.  At a little sort of head shop in town, I found a bar of lemongrass castile soap that smelled absolutely amazing.  My mother-in-law bought a bar for me and one for herself and when we got home I started washing with it right away.  It was fabulous and creamy and my skin wasn't dry and scaly for once.

So I toyed with the idea of soapmaking for a long time, all the while continuing to buy fantastic bars of soap from fellow Etsians such as Mr. Kitty, Happy Hound and Sacred Suds, all of which were wonderful and different in their own rights.

Finally, a I picked up a few books, ordered the stuff (lye included), and made my first batch. It was a somewhat success.  It came out alright, but the cheap fragrance oil I used nearly seized the batch and the scent has faded (the soapiness part is actually creamy and cleansing and I'm still using the last few bars).  The second batch came out with oily patches and I've put aside to rebatch.

One of the soap molds made by my father-in-law, waiting to be opened.

Then I started reading about sodium lauryl sulfates and the fact that most soaps are actually detergents.  Plus, I couldn't find a shampoo I was happy with as they were all drying out my scalp. So I made my own, adapted from a recipe on the internet, and with rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils.  It came out better than I could have hoped.  As a matter of fact, the first batch only has one bar left.  My husband and father-in-law both love it because they can wash their hair and bodies with one bar.  My mother-in-law loves it because it gives her hair texture and body.  My BFF loves it because it has cleansed her once oily hair and for the first time in her life, she doesn't have to wash it every single day (which is bad for your hair, if you didn't know).

The second batch of shampoo soap.

So I think I've found something to pursue. I am presently tweaking my shampoo recipe and my FIL was kind enough, being a master carpenter, to knock me together a couple of two pound wooden soap molds.
Now the second, twice as big batch (rosemary-lavender scented this time) is waiting to be cut up and set out to cure.

It's interesting how my art has become my work and it looks like my hobby could be headed the same way.

Stuff I Love: Repurposed Books

I love books and read often.  But some books are just too boring to keep or aren't the stories you hoped they'd be or are simply too old too and falling apart to be of much use.  These Etsy sellers have taken book that weren't good for much else and made them into art.

This book purse from Bibliobags could hold your keys, cell, wallet and perhaps even a small paperback!

A folded sculpture from RecycledReads is a great reminder to be crafty and wonderful inspiration as to what to do with an old book.

Bringing new meaning to the term 'bookmobile' this one from  TheShophouse is just too cool to hang over a babies crib.  Put it in your workspace and watch it drift lazily in the light.

Can't decide if you want to read the massive tome, "War and Peace"?  Have a drink instead.  Then, hide it in this book safe from SecretSafeBooks.

And there is even more awesome stuff.  I'm going to have to do a two-parter and continue this another week.  One could probably decorate an entire house in things made from old books....and if I had the money, I just might.

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!

Stuff I Love: Knitting

I don't knit in summer, because it is always so blessedly hot here in North Carolina, but today it's so overcast and feels cool (it's 76 Fahrenheit), I could almost pick up a knitting project and maybe start a scarf or socks.   So here are a few knitting related items in honor of the (slightly) cool weather.

Knitting Takes Balls Hand Embroidered Hoop

Police Public Call Box Yarn Bowl

Strong Leprechaun Sock Yarn

Hand-knitted Cream Aran Chair Slipcover

Thursday Spotlight on: Joe Bagley of PapercutsByJoe

A few months ago, I attempted to get into the art of papercutting.  I thought it fit in with the simple silhouettes I love to draw and paint, but I found I just don't have the patience for the incredibly artistry and intricacy involved in snipping away so carefully at paper (to make truly beautiful papercuts, one has to practically have the steadiness of a surgeon).  Joe Bagley, a twenty-six year old Boston native and proprietor of Papercuts By Joe, does have that skill and tons of it.  (He's and his wife are also archaeologists, which is just downright cool in my book.  Then again, so is papercutting).

Ibis Hand-cut Paper Silhouette

Tell us three random things about yourself.
I recently convinced myself that I like blue cheese, I desperately want a dog (but our aparment forbids them), and I play the fiddle.


Papercutting is an art that has it's roots in a lot of different cultures, from China to Mexico. How did you get into it? I first started cutting stencil designs when I was 10 during a summer art program for kids. I then copied designs from a book on paper art and crafts that my mom had. By 20, I started making my own designs using my photos as references, and developed my own style. I actually did not know about the regional styles until a few years ago when I started researching the history of my art and collecting books on it.


What’s your favorite piece you've made? Why?
My favorite piece is called Flour and Grain. It combines everything I like, impossible detail, stone texture, challenging patterns, and a bit of branch designs. The piece was purchased by the owner of the building and it now hangs on their office wall in the building.


You have cut everything from shapes of islands to squid to couples on bicycles. What makes you decide you want to cut something? I go through phases. I started with people and bikes, then did a bunch of map designs, and lately I've been doing a late 19th century anatomical/wildlife drawing approach. Fortunately, what I'm interested has sold well, so I just keep doing designs I think are good, and hope people agree.

Tall Ship Hand-cut Paper Silhouette

Name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
I wish I had made the "Bean" in downtown Chicago. When I was about 15, I had a half-asleep mental image of a gallery full of fancy mirrors where the glass was dripping and pooling out of the frame and making blobs on the gallery floor. I've been wanting to create a series of polished chrome framed drippy mirrors since, and the Bean would fit in well with that.


What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
I'm working on archaeological digs! I work for a company that does archaeological survey before major construction projects, then document, excavate, and publish important archaeological sites in New England before their history is destroyed.


If you had to give up papercutting and pursue another medium, what would it be and why?
I've always wanted to draw like the old masters (DaVinci, Verrocchio, etc).


Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened. I tend to work extremely close to the piece, especially in areas with lots of tiny detail. Because of this, I don't always get to see the overall effect of the piece unti it's done. I think Bass Harbor is a good example of it. I thought it was a good design, and I enjoyed working on it, but it wasn't until I had framed it and looked at it from across the room that I was like "wow, that came out good!"

Bass Harbor Hand-cut Paper Art

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why? I would be beyond honored if Tord Boontje or Peter Callesen purchased one of my pieces. They are major paper artists that I really admire.


How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
The same way I say to everyone else: I take a piece of black paper and cut lots of holes in it. Being humble is a very good thing.


What’s your favorite part of the process?
Cutting the last piece and holding the finished design up to see how it looks finished.


One random thing you think people should know.
My paper is actually white paper with one side painted matte-black. In other words, if you peeled the piece of the background and flipped it, it would be white! Its the best paper available for this art and is specifically designed and manufactured for silhouette artists.


What do you think you'll cut next?
I'm working on designing some less-literal designs that are combinations of two more literal things. The one I'm designing now is a large skull composed of tree branches.


Your shop address/facebook/Twitter/blog/website. Etc.
Shop: papercutsbyjoe.etsy.com
Facebook: facebook.com/papercutsbyjoe
blog: papercutsbyjoe.blogspot.com
website: papercutsbyjoe.com

Adams Courthouse One-of-a-Kind Papercut

If you could have one superpower what would it be?
My wife and I have listed travel as our #1 priority so I would love to have teleportation abilities to avoid 12 hour plus plane rides.

Thursday Spotlight On: Eric Young of Tangled Metal

Eric is a metal smith and April's Army team member, who I see everywhere in the team forums. He's continually commenting, being active and supportive toward the other team members. After reading 'The Lord of the Rings' series, at thirteen, he decided he wanted to make himself a set of chainmail for himself. Twenty five years later, he's made dozens of suits of armor for other people, all kinds of cool chainmail items and has expanded into the all-too-awesome territory of steampunk items and still has yet to make a suit of chainmail for himself.

Mechanical Crow Pendant

Tell us three things about yourself.
1. I come from a long line of metal smiths and stone masons. My ancestry is mostly Irish and Scottish but I was born in America.
2. I am a Master Stone Mason and Master Armorer. I hope to one day be a Master Metal Smith.
3. I am a professional stage technician. I have worked with touring Broadway shows to Heavy Metal concerts. I can run sound, video, stage curtains, and hand set pieces.

What’s your medium and how did you get into it?
I am primarily a chainmail artist. I started when I was 13 by taking coat hangers out of my closet and making rings and linking them together. That was how it started. Over the years I have worked for museums, movies, stage plays, reenactors and plenty of other people making chainmail from armor to jewelry. I recently started making Steampunk jewelry and am having a lot of fun creating things from recycled antique and vintage clocks, pocket watches and hand watches.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
I like my 3D chainmail items the best. I do not have any of them in my shop at the moment, but I have made all kinds of creatures and such. I am working on a line of 3D chainmail to add to my shop soon.

From where do you take inspiration?
I am inspired from many things from nature to movies. I like to be challenged. It is great when someone asks if something can be made in chainmail. I say yes, then I create it.

Name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
Cher wore a chainmail dress once. I really wish it had been mine. I would be a lot more famous and probably a little better off had that happened.

Birdcage Chainmail Bracelet

What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
Well, up until the beginning of April I was working a 9 to 5 job that was more like 7 to 7. It paid the bills. After the layoff, I have been making as much as possible and hoping that it will start to pay the bills before I run out of money.

If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?
I am not sure what I would do. I did take a break from my art for a while and did a few other things. I learned how to run sound equipment and worked with stage and such. I am not really interested in trying to learn anything from scratch. My father is a silver/gold smith. I guess I would start apprenticing with him and learn more about how to make things with torches and precious metals.

Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.
That would be tough. I have made so many things. I guess my first full chainmail shirt came out quite a lot better than I expected. It was also one of my very first pieces. Coat-hanger-mail! The shirt sold before it was even finished. That was pretty shocking.

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?
See the above answer about Cher.

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
Funny enough, 8 year olds understand what I do better than adults. For them learning is just a part of who they are so it is easy for them to understand. I have shown several young kids how to make chainmail and they pick it up quick.

Chainmail Dice bag

What’s your favorite part of the process?
The end result is always my favorite part. Taking a pile of rings and organizing them into a piece of jewelry or armor is quite satisfying.

One random thing you think people should know.
Though compliments are very nice they do not pay the bills. :)

Your shop address/facebook/Twitter/blog/website. Etc.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TangledMetal
http://www.artfire.com/users/TangledMetal
http://www.facebook.com/TangledMetal
http://www.twitter.com/TangledMetal
http://TangledMetal.blogspot.com
http://www.TangledMetal.com

If you could go anywhere in the world, at any era in time, for one week, where and when would you go and why?
I would have to say sometime during the Victorian or  Edwardian era. I have always loved those time periods and would love to get more inspiration for my Steampunk jewelry.

Monday Spotlight On: Heidi Carpenter of, well, HeidiCarpenter.

Another April's Army team member and an awesome one at that, Heidi loves jewelry and her horse.  As a matter of fact, all of the sales from her colorful, chunky jewelry go to covering the costs for taking care of her mare, Limerick.  As a matter of fact, the whole reason started selling jewelry in the first place is for the love of her animal and it's well being.  That is something I can get behind.

Tell us three things about yourself.

I’m deaf, have about 50 hours of tattoo ink on my petite frame, and met my husband on an online forum for tropical fish keeping! I swear, we’re not as nerdy as we seem!

Amethyst and Pearl Double Strand Bracelet

What’s your medium and how did you get into it?
Jewelry—semi-precious gemstones are my favorite part of this venture. I began making my own jewelry a few years ago because I wanted more bling yet could not afford it. So I figured, why not make it and satisfy my artistic side? Those initial necklaces were much, much more difficult than I thought they would be, however, and I now cringe at the techniques I used. I’ve come a long way!

What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
Right now, a necklace and bracelet set I made for an aunt in the UK. For these pieces, I tried wire-wrapping for the first time and used a beautiful combination of amazonite, “African turquoise” and opaque white Swarovski crystals. The result is stunning!

From where do you take inspiration?
My own desires—I consider myself something of a fashionita, and every single piece I make is something that I would personally love to wear. Of course, that makes it a little difficult to put anything up for sale… I also love to play with color combinations, and draw inspiration from nature (everything from trees and flowers to thunderstorms) for color combos.

Agate, Aventurine and Gold Earrings

Name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
Any painting by Richard Stone Reeves—he is a famous racehorse artist, and all the horses in his pieces convey majestic elegance. I greatly admire the man, his skill, and the love for horses that he has.

What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
Spending time with my husband and animals (four cats, lots of fish, and my 20-year-old Thoroughbred mare, Limerick), running, and working my 9-5 job.

If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?
Creative writing or perhaps drawing. Drawing is my first love, but sadly I was burned out with it after my AP art class in high school and never truly recovered. Writing is more likely; I love working with words and have a B.A. in fiction writing.

Agate and Tigereye Necklace

Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.   I found some beautiful fire agate tubes a few months ago, and set out to create a necklace around them. The end result far exceeded my expectations—I am honestly not sure how it happened; all I know is that everything seemed to click together beautifully. I used a carved owl centerpiece for my necklace and while I don’t typically (or, ever) use these types of focals, I think it fits in so well here. And if it doesn’t sell soon then I’m keeping it! (http://www.etsy.com/listing/68594436/triple-strand-carnelian-owl-red-fire)

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

Angelina Jolie—I secretly love her and think she perfectly walks the fine line between bad-girl-style and high class.

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

“I make necklaces, earrings, and other sparkly things!”

What’s your favorite part of the process?

When I create things, I first pile beads onto a beading board and slowly start to piece things together. If all goes well, then after about twenty moments the jewelry really begins to take shape and I am suddenly very inspired. It’s a magical moment when you can finally see the piece coming together before you.

One random thing you think people should know.

I am working on animal collars and jewelry for horses. I have no doubt that my mare will be a happy guinea pig for my horse jewelry--she is rather vain! :-)

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

Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/heidicarpenter, 

blog: http://heidicarpenterdesigns.blogspot.com/,

Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/HeidiCarpenterDesigns

If you could be a character in fiction, who would you be?I would be Sonja Blue from Nancy Collins’ series about her. She was the cool, badass vampire girl long before vampires became hot. My old Volkswagen Jetta is even named Sonja!