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.
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.
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.
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.
