Story Behind the Craft: Wire and Resin Jewelry from Kukla Studio

 

Elitsa is a jewelry maker of Kukla Studio who works with silver and copper wire, resins, and enamel. Her work strikes me as being incredibly unique—each piece is so intricate and detailed that it nearly demands to be looked at more closely. Here, a bit more from Elitsa about her work, all of which you can see right here.

Where do you live?

I divide my time between Sofia, Bulgaria and Barcelona, Spain. Maybe at certain moment I'll decide on one city only, but for now I feel good changing every few months.

 

What sets your work apart?

What sets it apart is the use of the material and also the use of colors I guess. I also like to think my work is more sincere and not a cry to be too modern or extravagant, or too contemporary.

Where do you find inspiration?
I find my inspiration everywhere—in the things I see around, in nature, in my dreams or sudden thoughts. Inspiration is not something to be easily track down but I think it's the combination of what you see, feel, and where you are in life.

How do you balance your creative work with the demands day to day life?

I am careful to always leave some time just to try things out and also some time to turn off and not to work for a while. I've found that this has always helped me. After some time off I'm always with new strengths to work and with new fresh ideas. 

If you are a creative person and would like to share your work, email me to be considered.

Story Behind the Craft: Whimsical Paintings from Andrea Doss

  

I'm so excited and thrilled by both the artwork and the story behind today's post that I'm just going to let the post speak (mostly for itself). Andrea's energy is infectious, so I hope that by hearing a bit about her life and what drives her creativity, you'll find a little more inspiration in your own day. If you have a story and a craft that you'd like to share, email me at thingswemake at gmail dot com!

Name: Andrea Doss

Shop: Andralynn Creative Designs

Where do you live? 

Home of cattle drives, stockyards and bumper-to-bumper traffic, we call Fort Worth, Texas home. We love the unusual combination of country and city life that we get here. Where else can you walk out your door and see cow pastures on one side and the sky scraper city line on the other? 

Is this your full time work? 

Yes, painting is one of my full time jobs. Along with chasing my two-year-old around the house, home schooling my nine-year-old and folding the heaps of never ending laundry that somehow multiply when I'm not looking.

 

How did you learn to make this style of art? 

I've been painting for years and I've tried all kinds of styles, from traditional realism to abstract modern. While I enjoy those styles and can appreciate their beauty, it was something I had to force. Then one day, my daughter wanted me to paint something for her. She helped me with the concept, gave me input on the colors and characters, and before I knew it, I had painted a mermaid. My daughter was more than thrilled and I realized that I really REALLY liked painting in that style. I haven't stopped since.

What sets your work apart? 

Storytelling. Every painting has a little story to go with it (usually invented my daughters). The characters in my paintings are all in the middle of some kind of adventure or mischief.

Where do you find your inspiration? 

I've been telling stories to my nieces and nephews, and now my daughters, for years. Painting is just an extension of that storytelling. I also get lots of inspiration from my nine-year-old. She has a very active imagination. 

How do you make time for your creativity?

I get lots of help. When I'm painting, my girls are doing something crafty, too. My kitchen is filled with crayons, paper, glue and boxes of glitter and paint. I've pretty much given up on having a clean table.

 

Tell me about the review process that you go through with your work and your kids.
After I finish a painting, they gather around to give it their personal, professional critique. This is the point where they inject story elements that I may not have thought of before. One time, after I finished a painting filled with barnyard animals, my two-year-old gave me the sternest look and demanded to know why there wasn't a hippo in the painting. A hippo? I knew I had forgotten something! 

 

Did you start these after you had kids or before, and why? 

Having kids changed my perspective on everything, including the way I view art. Kids look at art and they immediately love it. Or not. There's no analyzing, no trying to interpret deeper meaning, no intellectual debate about its symmetry. I would never have realized before my daughters entered my life how amazing it is to get a child's approval on something I created.  

Click here to visit Andrea's shop which comes in a range of prices. Thanks so much for sharing!!

Story Behind the Craft: Jessica of Cursive Art

 

I have a serious weakness for printed matter—cards, prints, postcards, you name it, I love them, especially when they are clearly handmade. I have a few (ahem, three) places in my office where I keep my stash and love nothing more than to go through and see what I have whenever I get the urge to send a piece of real mail. And I've found that buying cards and smaller prints is a most excellent way to acquire affordable art.

So up for today's post is Jessica from Charlotte, North Carolina of Cursive Arts. I adore her style and her use of color and words on her cards and prints—a business that started out as original paintings, but then changed so that she could get more art out into the world. I have my eye on a few things to purchase when I next need to get an Etsy fix. Also, when you get to the part when she talks about losing her job, know that I (who have also lost many a job...that sigh goes to you publishing world) am giving Jessica virtual high fives for pursuing her artistic passion while during her unexpected window of time.

 

Tell me a little bit about what you make?

I make linocut prints, which is somewhere between stamp-carving and woodblock printing.  I draw a two-tone image, transfer to a piece of linoleum mounted on wood and then carve away the negative space. I then cover the image in thick ink, place my paper on top and then use a tool called a baren to make sure the ink transfers well (this means each of my prints is truly handmade as I don't use a press). I use these prints mostly to make notecards, but I've started branching out to art prints as well.

 

How did you learn your craft and what do you like about it?  

I am completely self-taught.  I have no idea how I first learned about linocut making, but once I found out about it, I went to the Internet and started teaching myself from there.  Other than the basics, most of it has just been trial and error.  I love the art for a multitude of reasons: for one, it's a real challenge to see if an image is going to come out as well as it did in my head since, when carving an image, it's in reverse. Also, I find the repetitive motions of the printing part of the process to be soothing.  Finally, I love making art that is both affordable and unique.

 

Is this your full time work?

I lost my job in February, so while I am basically a housewife at the moment, I do spend quite a few hours a days working on my shop.  I only do not consider this full-time because it does not yet pay the bills.  I am actually grateful in a way, for becoming unemployed, because it's given me the chance to pursue art as a potential career.

 

What are some of your favorite pieces in your shop right now?

My favorite is my Make It print as it reminds me not to be lazy and keep working.  The Sway card has also been a long time favorite because it is most similar to my painting and illustration work.  I also really love the Hullo cards, because of their simplicity.

 

 

 

What do you hope your customers experience when they purchase from you?

I want my customers to feel like they are working with an actual human being, who cares that they're happy and satisfied.  I feel as though you can't even get that face-to-face most places these days, so when someone buys from me, I let them know immediately that I've received their order, and that I'm here if they need anything else.  I also hand write all my thank-you notes, because I so believe in real, personable communication over mass forms like email and text. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPhone, but I love to receive a handwritten letter even more.

If you want to share the story behind the work that you create, email me at thingswemake [at] gmail [dot] com. I love nothing more than to share your story and help us all to find better ways to balance our creative selves with daily life.

Q&A with Kat of We Can Re-do It

As someone who does a lot of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants crafting, I am always impressed by someone who can think their projects through from start to finish—especially when it involves repurposing materials. Case in point, Kat, who's new site We Can Re-do It is filled with awesome ways to turn things you already have into things you will love even more. Here's a bit from Kat on what she does and why she does it.

What inspires you to make new things from discarded ones?

Moving to New York eight years ago, I was confronted with refuse in a way that was far more abrasive than I’d experience anywhere else I’ve lived. Some days the trash is literally spilling out of the garbage cans and out on to the street. This constant reminder of how much we all consume and discard took me from feeling that recycling/repurposing is a good thing we all should do to viewing it as absolute necessity.

How would you describe your style?

Maybe because my style varies pretty wildly, I don’t view it in any real specifics. I'm interested in using my clothes to express something personal so I focus on that and stay away from thinking in terms of whether something looks good or bad. What that expression happens to be changes from day to day, but it regularly involves a lot of layered prints and old boots.

Do you have a favorite type of project?

Years of working as an accessories designer has given me a natural proclivity toward the ones involving shoes, bags and jewelry. I love them, but the most fun has really come from working on projects that are totally foreign to me. Feeling free to experiment with new techniques and objects was one of the primary reasons for my starting this blog. Because all the projects come from second hand and discarded materials, the costs are super low (I've yet to make anything for the blog that has even added up to $10). Not worrying about screwing up the “good stuff” affords me the bravery to try everything I can think of, and if goes awry, that’s fine. Crafting gone bad is usually pretty fun, and if not at least funny.

Why is making things important to you and what do you think it adds to your life?

I stay super excited about what I’ll be working on next and the new things I want to try out. At some point this general feeling of optimism and always having something to look forward to just sort of spilled over in to rest my life. It’s been a surprising but lovely contagion. The other reason would be that I love seeing what I'm able to create with my own hands.

Where do you live and do you think that being there has influenced your style?

I live in Brooklyn, NY. I think city living has mostly affected my style in terms of it becoming WAY more utilitarian. Being responsible for getting myself from place to place and and with everything I need in tow has forced me to view what I choose to wear and carry around very differently than when I owned a car. In addition to how they look, I judge my clothes and accessories by what they’re able to provide for me. Having to think in these terms has caused a major shift in how I now define beauty, and I think it's for the better.

Q&A with Melissa of Everything Blooms

I love today's post because of Melissa's enthusiasm for her crafty side, which is something that I think we all need to pay more attention to. Pay particular attention to the part where she explains how she fits that in with her full time job and also to her husband's advice to her when she was first starting out. He sounds like a good man to have around! And now, here's Melissa, maker of the sweetest shoe and hair clips that I've seen in a long while.

Name: Melissa Moran
Site: etsy.com/shop/EverythingBlooms


Where do you live?
I live in Boynton Beach, FL (South Florida)
Do you think that influences the style of your work? Yes - to some degree. We're so lucky to have such amazing weather here in Florida year round that I do have a tendency to work with bright color fabrics!

Is this your full time work? If not, what do you do?
Unfortunately, no During the day, I work as a market research analyst primarily focused on new product development for food service disposables.

Do you have a partner/husband/family? How do they factor into the way that you show your creativity?
Yes - I have a wonderful, loving husband and a sweet little Beagle named Milly!! I owe the start of my Etsy shop to my husband - he bought me a sewing machine as a Christmas gift - it was a total surprise!! I had mentioned to him that I wanted to start sewing and there is was - my sewing machine on Christmas morning.  Tom is very supportive of all my projects and he really inspires me to continue pursuing my craft ( :

How did you learn to make or decide upon your designs?
For my Fabric Blooms, I first starting making flowers using a Kanzashi method (Japanese art form).  Really like the intricacy of the art, but I wasn't completely happy with the finished product for my hairclips and shoeclips.  I began researching a few different fabric flower methods and began piecing different designing methods here and there and finally came to something that I felt represented my sense of style.

Have you always made things?
I've always had a pretty crafty side, but I didn't start sewing and making accessories until 2 years ago - when Tom bought me the sewing machine!  Now I am completely obsessed!! I continue doing it because the work not only relaxes me but I truly enjoy exercising my creativity by creating designs that people will enjoy. There is nothing like making a Fabric Bloom Hairclip and receiving a picture of a smiling little girl wearing it.  Every time I make something, I think about it as a gift - and there is no better feeling that giving people surprise gifts and seeing their happy expressions when they open it!!

 How do you balance your need to do creative work with the demands of busy daily life?
I make it a point to schedule it into my day. I must admit that I've been up until 2 am before - trying to get "one more done!", but overall it works well. Sometimes I'll have a craft night with my sister and mom - I just love making it fun. I never want my creative work to become "work".

What do you think sets your work apart?
I like designing products that are practical and useful in different ways. I want the products to accommodate and adapt to the people that buy them. For example, my shoe clips are very diverse in that you can wear them to work on cute heels or clip on them on your flip flops for a fun day out.  I've even clipped on them on my dog's collar!! I also must admit that my day job tends to creep up into my creative world here and there, and from work— I've learned that packaging is everything! So, I also wanted to have unique packaging for my products - something that would stand out and claim that it was from Everything Blooms. I decided to make "stems" for my Fabric Blooms. The stems are perfect because it really finishes off the flower look. They're so fun and unique. I've never seen fabric flowers displayed this way and I'm hoping that this will be my trademark!

Do you have any advice for other aspiring designers?
JUST GO FOR IT!! That's what my husband told me. He said to me, "Stop reading that sewing manual and just go for it," and I did and I haven't stopped. At times, I thought that maybe no one would like my work, but I was wrong. If you put your heart into it - people will see that and that's what they'll really learn to appreciate.

Vintage Fabric Accessories from Julie of Belle Rose Designs

 It feels as though all of my friends are having babies—which has me a little preoccupied by the challenge of creating a balanced life. How do you work hard all day and come home to care for your family? Or how do you stay home, work hard all day, and still have energy left for yourself? To help me sort through my own questions, I'm asking other creative women how they do it. Today's post is from Julie, who has a definite way with vintage fabric (which you know I enjoy!). Let's here from this mother of two and maker of bookmarks, jewelry and onesies how she does it. And if you're a creative woman with thoughts to share on this topic, please feel free to comment or drop me a line at thingswemake at gmail dot com. I'd love to hear from you!

Name: Julie

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Site: etsy.com/shop/bellerosedesigns

How do you balance your full time work as a librarian with your creative outlet?

Balancing work and being a mother is always tough for me.  I find the time when my children are sleeping usually during naptime on the weekends.  I crave the time I spend creating.  It's all my own! I get cranky without it but family and work obligations come first so I usually carry a notebook with me with ideas and sketch or write notes about projects.  That way when I get the time I can plan and create with purpose.

What's the best part about making things?

I love creating things and someone commenting on it and being able to say I made it! I also love when my daughter wears something I created for her and she loves and gets complimented on it!

What sets your work apart?

A lot of my jewelry is created with ribbon or fabric as the base and I think this sets my work apart from other jewelry designers.  My Rosette Ribbon bookmarks are fairly unique as well.  I strive to be original and create unique pieces.  I think that sets my work apart.

Have your children inspired you to create?

Immensely. I started creating fabric and ribbon jewelry because I had so many beaded creations ripped from my neck.  Ribbon and fabric can be pulled on but I have yet to have one of them destroyed by tiny hands. My daughter is my inspiration for my shop name too and is my harshest critic!

How old are they and what are their names?

Annabelle Rose is 3 and Dashiell is 18 months.

Emma Corcoran of Blue Day Designs on the Restorative Power of Portraiture

Mini Portrait on Tiny Canvas

Over the weekend I was telling Josh how I was feeling like I'd lost the thread here a little bit, that I wasn't quite sure what purpose I was serving to my bigger online community. Especially with more and more blogs out there. So I decided to tweak the way that I've been doing my Q&A's a bit to get to the heart of what I think is a big issue for all of us—how to balance our lives with our creative selves and find enough energy to do both things well. I wasn't expecting the first post to be so moving, but I'm thrilled to be able to share Emma's story today. The role of creativity in her life has had an enormous benefit—read on to find out how.

Name: Emma Corcoran 
Company: Blue Day Designs

Location: Ballarat, Australia

Website: bluedaydesigns.etsy.com

What sets your work apart?

I think I have a strong design element to my work.  In my portraits, I try to do something that represents the child well - but I also put a lot of consideration into the placement of the design on the canvas, how the portrait will fit into surrounding home decor, and the color of the image. I usually do my portraits in single colors (usually black and white) and I really like the boldness of this. 

I love my mini portraits just because they are so small.  I think capturing a child's personality in such a small space can make for a really special little artwork. 

Your Handwriting on the Wall

Why do you like working with children's imagery? And, what inspired you to start this line?

I used to be a piano teacher until I got a chronic illness (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), which has left me pretty much in bed for the past 10 years and unable to work.  When I stumbled across doing portraits, I realised it was something I could do from home when I had energy. 

I was really attracted to working with children's images for the same reason I enjoyed teaching piano - I wanted to do something that would make children feel special.  This is the same reason I do stenciled artworks using children's handwriting - I like the idea that children's writing can be 'art' and is valuable in its own right.

Medium Custom Portrait

How do you find balance between day to day life and finding time to be creative?

I spend most of my time resting in bed when I'm not working on my Etsy business.  So, I have a lot of down-time where I'm able to think of new ideas.  My frustration is that I don't have the energy to carry out all my ideas!

Mini Custom Portrait

  What benefits does creativity add to your life?

Enormous benefit - I used to be a musician, so now being more of an artist is another great outlet for my creativity.  I find that I really enjoy the balance of having a small business and doing marketing and customer relations  - and the actual process of creating portraits.

What would you make more of if you had more time?

I would love to do an exhibition of my portraits locally.