Name: HAIIKU by Iris Taborsky-Tasa
Website links: HAIIKU

What do you make?
I make clothing for women who appreciate comfort and subtle details. I have a modern aesthetic, with an ode to the past. I want to create pieces that people feel good in.



What or who inspires you?
What inspires me can be quite random...Anything from cut fruit to cracks in a rock face can spark an idea. I am an avid lover of vintage and I'm very inspired by styles of the past. What I find most interesting in vintage are the patterns that can be found on the fabrics of the garments. The color combinations are amazing! In the past, one vintage fabric inspired me to design a whole collection. I tend to let the fabrics inspire me when I find them. It's what makes the design process so interesting.

How did you get started?
At a very young age I would rifle through my mother's bins of stuff from her travels. I would play around with it, make outfits...accidentally chop embroideries up...eep! This was the first time I put scissors to cloth. I started sewing when I was ten, using old clothing and making them new again. I've been sewing ever since. Five years ago I took a leap, and started up HAIIKU.



What are your favourite materials to work with?
I love natural fabrics. I try to use them as much as possible. My favourites include all cottons, linens, wools, silks, bamboo, etc...

What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
PRODUCTION. By far, the number one hardest thing to keep up with! I have to be my own toughest boss to get the job done.

My favourite part of crafting is when someone trys on one of my pieces. Seeing their face light up when they fall in love with it truly is gratifying.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
design*sponge: It is such a great resource and wonderful for inspiration.
Modish: They compile such cute stuff!
Refinery 29: Very good style site. I also enjoy their travel guides.
fantastic-dl: I love the art she finds.
101 Cookbooks : One word: YUM.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
The best advice I can give is to get organized and stay that way! Easier said than done, but it really does help in keeping things moving. Read as many posts online from other indie artists who have already hurtled the hardships of starting up a small business. I find the etsy business posts helpful and modish is too.

Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
I think that Art and Craft are different, although they both have the same foundation. Art isn't necessarily tangible, while Craft is. Craft is more of a practical, functional art. I come from Art and Craft background, though now I consider myself more of a designer. It's exciting to see the change and growth that has happened in the last 10 years with the DIY movement. There's been a big shift in peoples perceptions of what Art & Craft are, breathing new life into them and making it alot more accessible to people. It's an exciting time!

(photo images courtesy of HAIIKU / Iris Taborsky-Tasa)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

Smidgebox Designs - feature #29
heyday design - feature #28
Smeeta - feature #27
ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

Labels: diy, fashion, featured artist, haiiku, handmade clothing, iris taborsky-tasa

Name: Lesley Stenning from Smidgebox Designs
Website links: Etsy Shop, Blog

What do you make?
I sew handmade this + that. I know that sounds like a pretty broad term, but that's the best way for me to sum up what I make!!

I make fun tote bags and fabric buckets for adults and for children. I make many different accessories for babies + tots, including cloth play blocks, wee chef apron sets, and cozy blankets. Many of my items can be personalized with a child's name or initials. I am also planning a line of housewares which I hope to introduce fairly early in the new year.



What or who inspires you?
I am inspired by so many things. We're pretty lucky to be surrounded by some amazing scenery here in Vancouver, and I find the colours of the seasons very inspiring. My family is a great source of inspiration. My two kids are super fun and energetic, and watching them learn and grow inspires me to make new, fun things for children. My husband is an incredible artist, and i love seeing the new art that he produces, kind of keeps me on my toes! Finally, I'm inspired by the amazing fabrics that I choose. The vast array of colours + designs are amazing, and I love mixing patterns in different and unexpected ways.

How did you get started?
Well, I've always been a creative person. I've loved drawing for as long as I can remember, and my mom taught me to sew when I was quite young. I always took art class in school, and also loved woodwork and pottery. Working with my hands is essential. After a few false starts in my post secondary education, I ended up taking an architectural drafting program at BCIT, and fell in love with the detailed and technical side of art. I worked in the industry for a couple years before I had children. When my son was born almost 5 years ago, I stopped working for others and turned my creativity back to myself. I started off making greeting cards and tags out of cut paper, combining collage and paper quilling. i loved doing that, but it was rather time intensive. I bought my first sewing machine when my son was about 1, and I haven't looked back. Someday I hope to introduce a stationery + paper goods division to smidgebox designs, but for now, sewing is keeping me very busy!!



What are your favourite materials to work with?
I am a self-professed fabric addict. I can still remember when I first discovered the world of designer cottons online, and I was instantly hooked. I have a pretty healthy stash going on, and it's all I can do not to buy more and more. I love mixing fun designer cottons + japanese import fabrics with denim + wool felt.



What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
The hardest part for me at the moment is that I have way too many ideas and designs floating in my head, and yet I haven't even got a fraction of the time I'd need to pump it all out. I love being able to be at home with my kids, and am trying to enjoy every moment of that before they are both off to school. Time sure flies. My favourite part of the crafting process is seeing a final product realized in my hands. But the best feeling has got to be getting wonderful feedback from a super happy customer, or seeing people's faces light up when they receive one of my items as a gift for their baby or for themselves. That is pretty great.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
Etsy: for obvious reasons. It is a total treasure trove of goodies just waiting to be found.

Sew, Mama, Sew: great source of sewing inspiration, also lots of tutorials. oh, and a fabric shop, of course!

Room 6: one of the best shops in vancouver. it's the first place I go when i need a gift [other than etsy!]

Poppytalk: who doesn't love to read poppytalk? design, art, handmade. all good stuff! and i love love that jan is from vancouver, writing one of the most popular blogs in the 'sphere.

PaperNStitch: another fun curated online marketplace, and a great blog too with lovely finds and great tips. I like Brittni's sense of style, and enjoy her posts.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
I am a total newbie, as I just opened my Etsy shop in May this year, so I'm not sure that I'm in a great position to give advice :) However, I have found that it's important to have a presence online other than just your shop. If you had a brick + mortar shop, you would spend lots of time and energy promoting yourself and your business in person, so the same applies online. What you have to decide is how far you want to go. Start a blog, a facebook fan page, a flickr account, or join twitter. You could choose all or one of these, but I do think it's important to be out there and get seen, and meet some peers. Not to mention, there is a fantastic community of people just waiting to welcome you. The handmade community is incredibly supportive, and if you're looking for more advice, or a sounding board for ideas, you don't need to look too far.



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
I think there is a lot of overlap with those terms these days. We're not talking about grandma's craft corner here, although there is such a resurgence of this type of crafting [crochet, knitting, sewing, quilting, etc.] that it's hard to say even that. I guess what I feel is that in the past several years, craft and handmade has become so hip and current. And the quality of work that is being produced is absolutely incredible. So I definitely think that craft and art should be somewhat interchangeable. That being said, I'm not sure I'd consider myself an artist in the traditional sense. If you could see me paint a picture you'd know what I'm saying, it's definitely not my forte. But I do consider myself an artist in the sense that I am creating works with my textiles, and I hope that they are appreciated as being beautiful and functional, both.

(photo images courtesy of Lesley Stenning / Smidgebox Designs)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

heyday design - feature #28
Smeeta - feature #27
ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

Labels: etsy, featured artist, handmade, lesley stenning, poppytalk, room 6, sew mamma sew, smidgebox designs

Name: Clare Madill
Website links: heyday design

What do you make?
I work in ceramics – I make molds of found, mostly vintage, forms and translate them into fine porcelain objects. These are currently taking the form of vintage canning jars. Also, I make countless variations of earrings and brooches from the positive and negative patterns on the bottom of vintage glass pickle dishes. I am also currently working on a series of porcelain lights...

What or who inspires you?
I definitely get inspired when I go thrift-store shopping – seeing what I can find and how I can use these found snippets of information and translate it into something else. I am super-inspired by the people I know who are successfully make their living creating things with their hands.



How did you get started?
Before going to Emily Carr, I took some ceramics classes at a community centre in Ottawa. While studying at Emily Carr, I found a fantastic community of people; it was easy to be completely immersed in ceramics. Participating in the annual student show + sale was great experience for making and selling my work.



What are your favourite materials to work with?
I love the translucency of porcelain, of course. But I'd also have to say plaster is a favourite – I can't believe I'm writing that, but it's actually true now. It's the material I need to make my molds so that I'm able to make what I make. It helps that i've gotten waaaaay better at mold-making so it's not the disastrous chore it used to be!

I kind of have a thing for platinum lustre, too – it adds a bit of glamorous detail to the situation.



What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
Hardest: the long hours and how physically hard on my body my work can be. Favourite part: meticulous fine details really satisfy the obsessive/compulsive part of my personality...



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
design sponge: great bizladies articles, and always fun to see what creative and talented people make and how they integrate design in their environments

musing about mud: great for links to all kinds of calls for submissions, etc., for people working in clay

I like having a bit of a laugh at the end of the day... regretsy is a new fave.

since i just got home from a 14 hour day in the studio and have emails to send, i don't really leave much time for surfing around... gotta go to bed (1:24am)...

(photo images courtesy of Clare Madill / heyday design)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

Smeeta - feature #27
ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

Labels: buy handmade, ceramics, claire madill, design sponge, featured artist, heyday design, musing about mud, regretsy

Name: Rita Leung from Smeeta
Website links: Smeeta on Etsy, Noticle blog

What do you make?
I make lots of different things... but as for what I make to sell that would be mostly felt brooches, toys, and bags/purses. I was encouraged to be creative with what I had when I was a kid (read: no money for fancy toys! Oh wait... that's now too! haha) so I've always that "well, if I can't buy it, can I make it?" mentality.



What or who inspires you?
What doesn't inspire me should be the question here I think! Whether I see something that is so fabulous that I want to try making it myself, or whether it's something so horribly designed that I know that I can make a better version, I find that I'm constantly inspired by the things around me. I think particularly in the spring and fall I'm influenced by the natural environment and I love all things Japanese so that definitely plays a part in my style and design.

Also, when I go shopping for supplies, rarely do I have an extensive list of things I need to purchase. A lot of the time the things I make come from being attracted to a particular material. When I go to the fabric store, if I see something I like and really want to use, I think, what can I make with this?



How did you get started?
I guess I've had a bit of an entrepreneurial streak ever since I was a kid. When I was 12 one of my best friends and I started "R & B Odd Jobs". We went around the neighbourhood stuffing mailboxes with our photocopied fliers offering services such as babysitting, garden work, dog walking etc. We ended up with only ONE gig all summer which was cutting grass for my friend's dad's friend. Hah!

As for the craft selling, when I was fourteen I learned how to make my own little weaving loom out of cardboard and wove a bunch of purses. My mom sold all 6 of them for me at $15 bucks a pop. I was hooked! First off, I really enjoyed the process of creating, and then secondly, I realised how satisfying it was for other people to like my work enough to pay for it. Mind you, they probably only bought them because they were my mom's friends... but hey, it was that little bit of encouragement that planted the seed for my crafty future!

What are your favourite materials to work with?
Currently that would be oil cloth. I do have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it though. I love the way it feels and looks but I hate the way it sews! I also really enjoy working with felt. It comes in such pretty colours, is soft, and is non-fussy to work with.



What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
Hardest: Not being able to figure out what you're doing wrong while making the same mistake over and over again. For example, I was not a happy camper when I first tried sewing in zippers.

Favourite: Holding the finished product in your hand and just feeling proud because you created something (you think) is awesome.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

flickr: In addition to the crafty stuff, I also love taking photographs. This is a great wealth of inspiration not to mention a great site to find really cute pictures of cats. meow. p.s. my flickr is here: http://flickr.com/photos/smeeta

keyofgrey: did I also mention that I'm into music? Key of Grey is run by my boyfriend and is a daily blog with music gear reviews, questions and answers about producing music, and general music banter.

facebook: I was hesitant to join at first, but am so glad that I did! It's really helped me connect with so many people and made organizing my 10 year high school reunion soooo much easier.

etsy: I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. It's a place I get to sell my wares, and sometimes, more importantly, a place I get to *buy* goodies! It's so easy to get lost in browsing all the incredible things that people make.

icanhascheezburger: no explanation required. hehe.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Two words: TIME MANAGEMENT. Learn it. Do it. Or else get sucked into spending 6 hours too many surfing the net and only 1 hour being productive. Lesson learned. :P

And a few more words: spend some time to really think about pricing. In general, things always cost more than we think they do to make and sell them. It's not only the cost of the materials and the time you put in creating - there's so much more involved. For example, are you going to charge for the time it takes to design your product, purchase supplies, photograph, list, promote, package, and ship your items? Also, there are the cost of packaging materials, your tools, electricity, internet bills, camera, and so on. Eeps! I'm still not sure if my prices are what I want them to be or what they should be, but for now, they will suffice!



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
Yes, these are different. What I am at any given point depends on what I'm doing... I consider myself both an artist and a crafter. However, for the business side of things, I would say that I spend most of my time as a crafter.

Craft for me is something that is generally done with your eyes and your hands. You can craft without designing your own product and you can also make several of the same item. To be a skilled crafter is to be able to produce something of high physical (and preferably aesthetic) quality. Art, on the other hand is emotional and very subjective. It might be difficult to quantify the quality of a piece of art whereas you could simply say a craft is either well made or it isn't. I would say a lot of the people in this business are both artists and crafters. It's a very good combination. :)

(photo images courtesy of Rita Leung / Smeeta)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

Labels: etsy, featured artist, felt, handmade, noticle, rita leung, smeeta

Name: Kris G. Brownlee from A Cagey Bee
Website links: Etsy, blog

What do you make?
I'm a painter inspired by people, so I like to create character portraits with a storybook feel. I tend to paint girls and cute companion critters, though some of my paintings have a bit of a darker edge to them. I also really enjoy making tiny art pendants. Not everyone can afford an original painting, of course, so this is a fun alternative to a print. Plus I really love the idea of my characters being taken out and about in the real world.



What or who inspires you?
Oh goodness...so many things! I love to people watch. Vancouver is great city for that. I walk my dogs every day and literally *every* day I see someone who would make a great painting.

I'm also really inspired by my fellow artists. It's amazing to see so many people, especially women, representing themselves via the web and doing what they love. Whether it's painting or sewing or making jewelry, it's fantastic to be part of this shift towards more personal, handmade businesses.



How did you get started?
I've always been creative and enjoyed creating images in one way or another - photography, graphic design etc. But it never occurred to me that becoming a full time artist was even an option until a few years ago. I thought you had to live in a loft in NYC and have a trust fund to have any chance of making a living as an artist; it just wasn't on the menu for a girl like me. It wasn't until I started seeing self-represented artists selling their own work via eBay and Etsy that I allowed myself to consider it. I began taking classes at Emily Carr and never looked back. As cheesy as it sounds, it felt like I had finally stepped into who I was supposed to be. Now I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

What are your favourite materials to work with?
I'm very impatient so I like to use acrylic paint. It dries quickly, so I can add lots of layers & go over a piece again & again. With oils, you have to let it dry in between and I just don't have the patience for that! I've been painting on wood a lot lately too which has been fun. When I make prints, I love seeing the texture of the wood show up in the detail.



What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
The hardest part is probably letting go of my favorite paintings. I do tend to hang onto them for a bit before I'll list the original for sale, but you can never tell if it's going to be available for months or be snapped up right away. It helps when I have time to paint a few new ones in between because the newest one is always my favorite. I'm fickle like that. :)

My favorite part of crafting is the community. I've met so many wonderful people both online and in person at local craft shows and markets. There's just something about the community that appreciates handmade, from my fellow crafters to my customers, that is helpful and welcoming and just plain awesome! Seriously. I had someone buy couple of prints from my website and she liked them so much that she sent me a thank you gift in the mail. I'm unbelievably lucky.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

Etsy: This is an obvious one. Between updating my shop, reading the forums & shopping for supplies, I'm on here daily.

This Life: I'll often spend 7 or 8 hours straight working on a painting, so I need lots of podcasts to keep my ADHD-addled brain occupied. This American Life is one of my favorites.

Bad At Sports: Another podcast focused on the art world, specifically in Chicago, that keeps me entertained. The hosts are so casual that it feels like hanging out with your friends rather than stuffy contemporary art critics.

Twitter: I post on Twitter regularly & check in dozens of times a day. I love it because I can stay in touch with people & share things about my day to day life that I wouldn't necessarily write an entire blog post about. I know a lot of people don't get it, but it's been great for me. I follow lots of other artists and local Vancouver folks, so I've been able to find out about all sorts of things that I would have normally missed.

Vancouver is Awesome: Speaking of local Vancouver folks, I love this site. From the best noodle bowl in the city to my new favorite off leash dog park, I have discovered a wealth of local Vancouver awesomeness via this site.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Make what you love. This is not to be confused with doing what you love because I don't think that's always true. Just because you like to bake pies doesn't mean you want to make 100 pies a day and market a pie business and deal with customers and overhead and taxes. Sometimes turning a passion into a business can drive the passion right out of it. This is why I say make what you love to make.

And, of course, promote yourself! It still feels awkward for me, but one of the best things I've done was to join an artist group. We meet every other week to share resources, do goal-setting and practice talking about our own work. It's been really helpful to get feedback in that kind of friendly environment.



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
I do think they're different, but the crafters have definitely upped their game in recent years. I think traditionally art would be
something that had a statement or point of view whereas craft was more about function. I think that gap is closing as crafters become more interested in expressing themselves and experimenting rather than doing it "right". I consider myself both an artist and a crafter. I love to paint, but I really want my work to be accessible to everyone; I'm thrilled to see my girls on magnets or pendants, and not just hung on the wall.

(photo images courtesy of A Cagey Bee)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

Labels: ACageyBee, bad at sports, buy handmade, etsy, featured artist, jewelry, kris g. brownlee, painting, twitter, vancouver is awesome

Name: Maked - a collaborative group of 3 (sometimes 4) girls
Website links: Maked



What do you make?
A bit of everything!   We've done adorable little zipper pouches, cheeky notebooks from repurposed old novels, melt and pour soap with a sassy side, jewelry from vintage buttons, silkscreening.... I could go on - there are so many crafts to dabble in!



What or who inspires you?
The whole craft community (online and in person).  Seeing all the fantastic stuff that all these creative people come up with inspires us to put our heads together to see what happens. The internet (craftster.org) brought us together originally and gets us all excited to try new crafts; the internet is a powerful thing.
 


How did you get started?
Our group formed because we each wanted to learn the crafts that the others knew.    That desire to learn and willingness to teach turned into Maked!   Also, our passion for making stuff far outstripped our ability to find uses for the stuff we made, so we started selling our products and discovered the fabulous Vancouver craft scene in the process.



What are your favourite materials to work with?
We love repurposing stuff that would otherwise go to waste.  Our novel notebooks, for example, take old cheesy novels and give them a new life.   We also love beautiful yarns, cute fabrics, and vintage buttons.   One of us is nuts for tiny delica beads.



What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
The hardest part is probably finding the time to do all the crafty things we want to do (both Maked stuff and personal crafting), or finding space for all the craft supplies.  ;)   Favourite part is the inexplicable satisfaction/pleasure that comes from using your hands to make a thing - something that at one point was just an idea in your head and turns into something that makes someone else smile or laugh.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

Colour Lovers: So fun to play around with colour schemes and get inspiration for the ones other people make.
 
Burda Style: Another great one for inspiration, but also a wonderful source for modern, fun patterns.

Flickr: I'm very visual. As much as I like reading blogs I feel like Flickr gets down to the good stuff. The groups and tags make it such a great place to go for specific inspiration. Speaking of which, if you want some ideas for what to do with your charm packs and jelly rolls, I manage a group on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/charmandjelly/

Wists: I'm trying to get all my friends to start a wist. It's basically an online wishlist. The great thing about it is you can pull items from any place on the internet which makes it so easy to collect all your etsy wants. I also like to search through other peoples items because it tends to be a much craftier, eclectic group than just googling.
 
Craftster: The crafty gathering site that brought us together - the forums are filled with inspiration and amazingly crafty people!



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Produce a quality product and do whatever it takes to make your customers happy.  And have fun!



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
We've never had this debate among ourselves.   We view ourselves as crafters/makers.    I think there is a difference between art and craft - not that one is better, they just aspire to different purposes.   And there comes a point where the two get blurred and people start to debate it.   We'd rather use our energy to make things than debate.  ;)

(photo images courtesy of Maked)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

Labels: burda style, colour lovers, craftster, featured artist, flickr, maked, wists

Name: Sandy Bahrich from Firefly Notes
Website links: Etsy Shop

What do you make?
Papercrafts, accessories and lots of wedding favors!!

What or who inspires you?
I am inspired by arts and artistic people, culture, vintage and history



How did you get started?
I have always been a crafty person who is drawn to the obscure but it really became a part of my daily being as I transitioned into motherhood and I needed a regular outlet for my own energy. Once the wee men are asleep, mama gets down to business.

What are your favourite materials to work with?
This can change with the weather but for now I seem to like resin and varnish. Anything you can coat on and have harden up is the bees knees for me... at the moment.



What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
The most difficult thing for me is finding the time to do all of the things I want to do. Striking a balance between home life and crafting as a business is tough. My most favorite thing is the instant gratification that comes with selling something I made. I thought what I made was kinda cool, but it is really cool if you think so too!



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

Etsy: really needs no explination!! So much fun to shop and sell!

Stamp Diva: ahhhh!! Best stamps ever, reasonable prices , A+ shipping charges (actaully what it costs), great customer service.

Papier Valise: ohhh! Gems in a treasure chest. Based in Canada too!!

New York Public Library: Crazy database of images and text. Recomended by one of my customers on etsy!

Mother of a Deal: for the mom in me looking for a bargain. oh yea! I have scored some good deals from this site!



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Don't underestimate yourself and what you have to offer!



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
I do think that they are way different. I am a crafter for sure. I often use others art (with permission of course) to craft my designs. It's like rap vs. rock and roll really. ha!

(photo images courtesy of Firefly Notes)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

Labels: featured artist, firefly notes, sandy bahrich

Name: Florence Ann by Erin Gibbs
Website links: florenceann.com, florenceann.etsy.com, twitter.com/Florence_Ann

What do you make?
Felted mittens, scarves, spats and collars from new and reclaimed wool
Machine-knitted scarves and hand-knitted accessories
Books, cards, and other papery things
Silk-screens and block prints on canvas bags, paper and fabric
Performance and installation works



What or who inspires you?
Local makers! The folks at the Gulf Islands Spinning Mill on Salt Spring Island are a great example of a local operation. I did a week-long work study with them to learn about what they do and I was so impressed with their tenacity and enthusiasm for keeping their small industry alive and thriving. They are involved with local wool producers and really build relationships with them, including visiting the farms where sheep and goats are raised.

All types of artists from actors to painters really get me excited! I am a member of the B:C:Clettes, a bike-inspired performance group who works as a collective; working with these strong women who are so focused on changing our world for the good helps me better myself.

How did you get started?
I completed a degree in graphic design (Emily Carr) and was working at a computer all day. I craved something more tactile in my non-work time and started participating in craft fairs. I had a lot of ideas but lacked the knowledge and resources to go further with my work, so I enrolled in the Textile Arts program at Capilano University. My two years there gave me a solid technical foundation for almost any textile technique imaginable, from block printing and natural dyeing to installation and performance art.



What are your favourite materials to work with?
Wool is a my favourite! It's versatile in that it can be used as fleece to create felt or as yarn to create knitted, crocheted and woven fabrics. It responds well to 2D and 3D applications, loves dye and can be sourced locally. I'm also getting into collage techniques that include wood, textiles and illustration.



What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
The hardest part is staying focused. I get really distracted (and inspired!) by all of the amazing websites and blogs that are out there. I recently rented a studio which has helped me hunker down and get my work done without the distractions of working at home.

I also find it difficult to reconcile my feelings on waste/production of goods for sale. On one hand I feel good about creating things that are bought locally, on the other hand, I feel that there are more than enough 'things' in our world and I'm just another contributor to consumerism and waste. It's a tough nut to crack.

It's simple - the satisfaction of creating something useful and beautiful that people love.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

Design Sponge: Well put-together design blog covering home decor and more

Apartment Therapy: All things small-home related with a bent for good design. Verges on OCD in some cases, but lovely photos, DIY ideas and more

saint verde digest: this blog is sort of finished, but it's an excellent resource for imagery and Neville Trickett artfully curates each post with inspiring visual combinations

the uniform project: Inspiring one-year project by Sheena, who is endeavouring to prove that fashion can be philanthropic and easy on the earth

Dots and Lines are Just Fine: great resource of repeat network textiles, most of which are vintage and oh, so delicious.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Keep people around you who are creative and supportive. Encouragement to keep going when feeling frustrated can come from the people who you surround yourself with, who either by example of their amazing work, or through their lovely words help you stay focused and feeling good.

Get involved. Read papers, blogs and keep your eyes out for posters for local art and music events. Support other local artists by attending their events, volunteering and buying their work; this helps build a vibrant and healthy art, design, fashion and textile community. Let's keep our art, design and craft scene thriving, especially in light of the recent cuts to arts in BC.



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
Hmm...The Art vs, Craft discussion is an endless one, but for me, the terms are equal and not easily separated. So, I'm going to skip that and move onto artist/crafter terms. To me, a craftsperson is a skilled individual who dedicates their life to a technique, process and/or creation of a type of object. A crafter is a newer term, one that for me implies less formal training or apprenticing, with an approach to their work as fun and not necessarily a life-long career pursuit. The term artist is pretty loaded, so I'm not even going to try to define that one! I consider myself a designer-maker on most days.

(photo images courtesy of Erin Gibbs / Florence Ann)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...

Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

Labels: crafting in vancouver, featured artist, felting, florence ann, handmade, knitting, silk-screening, vancouver crafting