Did you guess?

Did you guess what I was making? It's a purse! I need to put on a better handle, but this is just a prototype.

A new adventure...

I like to make things with newspaper and magazine pages. I had this idea and I went with it. I'm not going to let anyone in on the secret of what it is until it's finished. Here is a picture of what I have done so far. I'll post the finished product when I'm done making it.

New treasuries!

I've been featured in a couple treasuries this week.

Thanks! Holmtherese

And the second..

Thanks! ThingsThatBling

Featured Artist week 3

It's Monday again and time to feature a new artist/crafter/diyer/what-have-you...

Today I'll be featuring Staticwhite. Please check out her shop and show her some love.

What do you create?

Scrap Bats™ (adorable bat dolls), ooak teddy bears (ex: pirate, fairy, angel...), fabric art pillows, fabric portraits, bloomers, mini tricorn hats, costuming and anything else that strikes my fancy!



What made you start?

My great grandmother and grandmother were both seamstress. My grandmother had a cutting table, patterns, forms, industrial Singers, etc all in her basement. Everything a forever curious young child might find fascinating. To keep me from sewing my hands together she gladly taught me the basics.

Describe your craft room/area in three words or less.

Semi-organized madness.



Do you sell your product? If so, where do you sell? (online and offline)

http://SWStitchery.Etsy.com

Where can we find you on the net? (myspace, blog, etc.)

Livejournal: http://swstitchery.livejournal.com

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/staticwhite

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/staticwhite

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Static-Whites-Stitchery/10366781836?ref=mf



Is crafting your full time job?

For now, yes. Let's hope it continues that way!

Any crafts you would like to learn or are currently learning?

I'd like to learn sashiko (a type of Japanese embroidery) and fabric folding techniques among many many other things.

What is your favorite material(s)?

Brocade, silk, striped cotton



Are you a self taught crafter or have you taken some classes?

I was an Art major in HS, took college jewelry and fashion design related courses but a large percentage of what I do now is self taught.

Apples or oranges?

Apples please! I'm allergic to oranges.

What do you listen to when you are crafting?

Depends on my mood. Anything from Fleming&John to Tricky to Dresden Dolls to Fear Factory. I have eclectic tastes and a huge music collection.

Are you a night owl?

Absolutely. I'm usually not tired until around when the sun is coming up.



How many people live in your home town/current town?

Hometown: 8+ mil. Current: 600+k.

Read anything good lately?

Night Watch, Day Watch and Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

Featured Artist week 2

It's Monday again and time to feature a new artist/crafter/diyer/what-have-you...

Today I'll be featuring Deadthingsgrrl. Please check out her shop and show her some love.

What do you create?

I try to do a little bit of everything just to hone my skills
and because I like to learn new things, but right now I'm
working on the Snuff Stuffies, slightly twisted stuffed animals
with real animal skulls for heads. That's done me pretty well
since I started and I look forward to seeing where I take it.

What made you start?

I've been creating things through different mediums since I was
a child, my mother is very creative and encouraged my different
styles and projects. It was a way to spend my free time when I
wasn't reading, and expend energy without getting in trouble :)



How long have you been crafting/selling/creating?

Crafting and creating, probably since I was able to hold a
pencil. Selling started about 10 years ago when I began Custom
Cranium to sell my etched and painted skulls. It's been off and
on since then, but lately has gained a fairly good amount of
momentum.

Do you have any short/long term goals?

I would LOVE to get big enough with my artwork to supplement my
income comfortably. Really my goal is to have the Snuff Stuffies
and my bone jewelry well-known and create custom pieces for
people on a regular basis. I'm not looking for riches, just a
tiny bit of fame and extra play money.

Do you sell your product? If so, where do you sell? (online and offline)

I'm working on selling offline at specialty stores, but that
market is difficult to get into if everything you do is
one-of-a-kind and you can't really reproduce anything in mass
quantities. What I do can't be duplicated easily, and depends on
a supply that may or may not be available all the time.
Online, I've done really well on Etsy and MySpace, and even the
DIYscene boards. They are great contacts with great people that
are supportive and full of ideas for marketing and publicity.

Where can we find you on the net? (myspace, blog, etc.)

www.myspace.com/skullgrrl

www.deadthingsgrrl.etsy.com

skullgrrl@yahoo.com

What inspires you?

That's a heavily broad question. I pull inspiration from
anything, mostly nature and my darker side. They co-exist quite
nicely, and it seems to mesh well in my products. I've been
known to get inspiration from friends and music as well, but I
can mostly attribute my ideas to animals and the skeletal
structure of living things.



What is your favorite material(s)?

I love love love working with bones and leather. I would love to
have a metal-working studio and lapidary wheels, but those
require more space and money than I have available at this time.
So mostly skulls and animal-related things at the moment.

Are you a self taught crafter or have you taken some classes?

I've taken a few jewelry classes and the requisite generic art
classes in school, but most of my skills are self-taught or
learned by watching friends work. Studying people is a hobby of
mine, and learning is the reason for life!

What do you listen to when you are crafting?

I listen to such a wide variety of things, but mostly Australian
weirdness like Nick Cave, Foetus, Beasts of Bourbon, some Middle
Eastern and Celtic folk, and a ton of industrial and synthpop
like VNV Nation, Otto von Schirach, Apoptygma Berserk and L'Ame
Immortelle.

Are you a night owl?

Most decidedly yes. I wish daily for a 24 hr society so it would
be easier to find a good job with later hours.



Do you have any other hobbies?

I collect things related to death, anything cephalopod, read
anything I can get my hands on and LEARN things. Every day is a
new chance to do something I've never done before.

Read anything good lately?

I always do! If it's book recommendations you want, you are in
the right brain :) Check out anything by Matt Ruff, especially
Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy. Right now I'm
re-reading Ayn Rand and Harlan Ellison.

Front page!

I logged into Etsy the other day and discovered my recycled bracelet on the front page. I was super excited. I'm not sure how long it was up there but I got over 700 views and 31 hearts on the bracelet. My shop got 22 news hearts from being on the front page.

Featured Artist

My first featured artist is MTcoffinz.
Please visit her links and show her some love.

1.What do you create? I mainly make Gothic and alternative clothing and accessories. Lots of tutus, cyber masks with matching hair falls, screen printed bags, corset tops etc.

2.What made you start? It was a hobby that just took over when I wasn't looking.

3.How long have you been crafting/selling/creating? I've been crafting for more years than I care to admit :) MTcoffinz was established online in 1996 and was underground for a few years before that.

4.Describe your craft room/area in three words or less. organized chaos

5.Do you sell your product? If so, where do you sell? I have several of my own online shops as well as having my products in retails shop in several countries.

MTcoffinz.com

MTcoffinz.etsy.com

http://stores.ebay.com/MTCoffinz

6.Where can we find you on the net? I have accounts on Myspace, Livejournal, Vampirefreaks, DIYscene, Vampire Rave, ModelMayhem, etc. My user name is always my Business name MTcoffinz

7.Is crafting your full time job? Yes, and then some :)

8.What inspires you? I am often inspired by music, I go to a lot of concerts and always have a ton of new ideas after being at the show all day or night. Something about the loud music and the energy of the band and the crowd that inspires me.

9.What is your favorite material(s)? I love to work with PVC, and tulle. There aren't many fabrics that I don't like to use, other than fur or leather, I won't use any animal products.

10.Are you a self taught crafter or have you taken some classes? Mainly self-taught. My Mother did teach me the basics of sewing when I was very young, but I mostly just learned by watching and cutting old clothes apart to see how they were made.

11.Apples or oranges? Oranges.

12.What do you listen to when you are crafting? Loud angry rock, industrial, and Gothic music.

13.Are you a night owl? Absolutely!

14.Do you have any other hobbies? Not that I get much time anymore but I do love skydiving, reading, traveling, and just having free time!


Thank you for reading my first featured artist interview. I will be having a new artist featured on my blog every week. Be sure to check back next week for the next interview.