Artist Profile: An Astrid Endeavor

If you're anything like me, you'll see the name of this month's shop and think: Who is Astrid and what is she endeavoring to do? Well, Astrid id delightful and I believe she's endeavoring to take over the world -- you know one carefully embroidered accessory at a time.  Check out my interview with her below and then head over to Martha Stewart's American Made contest and show this awesome artist some support.

Rain or shine

Describe your shop
I make unique hand embroidered jewelry and home décor as well as beaded jewelry.


What are your favorite pieces to make?
Currently, my favorite pieces to make are from my latest collection inspired by my love of textile wall hangings.

Each of these pieces are somewhat improvised and become one of kind. When I start I know the basic color combination and shape- but as I make each one it evolves and changes as I add colors, or beads, so I never know what the end result will look like exactly - it’s very cool, and I love how individual and textural they are!


How would you describe your style?
I would definitely say my style is unique and modern with ethnic influences. My undergraduate degree was Medical and Cultural Anthropology as well as art, and I have always been interested in other cultures and how they adorn themselves. Like my own personal style, my jewelry reflects a love of modern design, respect for traditional materials, influence from other cultures, and sometimes a nod towards the quirky and kitsch. I like my jewelry to be statement pieces in and of themselves! 

 


When did you learn to do what you do?
Growing up I was taught many different art forms and making things to wear and play with was how I was raised. My mom would organize summer “art camps” for us at home and one summer we focused on embroidery. Fast forward to years later as I had to adjust my jewelry making techniques because of time constraints (work and family) and safety issues (baby in the house so no more metal working or lampworking in our apartment!) I utilized my knowledge and love of  textiles and embroidery to create pieces using minimal supplies and tools and embroidery was something I could  do in the quiet moments after my little one went to sleep at night. I know I am going to get back to using metals and glass as well as other mediums in my jewelry, but I am so excited with all the incredible possibilities by using textiles and thread- I have so many ideas, that I’m not in any hurry!

photo courtesy of Sandra from HappyMorningblog.com

 

What inspires you?
I am truly inspired by people and the human condition. It’s so fascinating to me all the aspects that go into living this one amazing life- so full of beauty, color, textures…And of course, the natural world around us that provides an infinite amount of inspiration each day.



Where would you like your shop to be 5 years from now?
I’m really excited about potential collaborations with other artists and creative people. I’d love to have seasonal pieces that appeal to everyone and for regular customers. And of course, having my creative work be a major portion of my income would be a dream!


What does your work space look like?
I think my creative workspace could be described as “organized chaos” I am a person who uses her senses a lot, so I love to have my visual field full of colorful, inspirational images. I also love to be surrounded by things I can touch and experience like rocks, ribbon, and other tactile things. 

photos courtesy of Sandra from HappyMorningblog.com

How do you spend your time when you're not creating?
I do have a full time job so that keeps me busy busy busy. On my free time I spend it with my daughter making things for her as well as getting out and exploring the world; traveling, swimming, going for walks, museums, music, and THE BEACH; which is my favorite place in the world.


What is your favorite thing to have for breakfast?
For breakfast I love to eat a salami sandwich with butter and brewers yeast. Weird, I know.


Where else can we find your work; Are you doing any events this holiday season?

Right now I sell primarily via my shop - AnAstridEndeavor - on Etsy:

I have sold on flash sale sites like Uncovet, OkayAfrica, and CurioRode as well as a few sites overseas.  Locally I will be selling at Wonderland SF and also have a selection of my jewelry at Angela Adams in Portland Main.  AND I hope this holiday season to be a part of the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco!!! 
                 (I don't know about you guys but I'm exhausted just reading that)

The big news right now is that I am participating in the Martha Stewart American Made contest for American designers, artists, and craftspeople. I’m so excited to be a part of this and would love your support- you can find my profile here: http://www.marthastewart.com/americanmade/nominee/81005

photo courtesy of Sandra from HappyMorningblog.com

There you have it. Now head over to Martha Stewart's American Made contest and vote, vote vote, Then head to Astrid's store and shop shop shop! Remember:

OK not really, but I couldn't help it!

Artist Profile: Iris & Rose Designs

Happy spring everyone! This month I'd like to introduce to you  Danuta Dias of Irish Rose Designs. I also want to be honest - I did NOT know you could even do this with felt. Her work is absolutely GORGEOUS!

  
Describe your shop. How would you describe your style?

I'd like to imagine my shop, Iris & Rose Designs, has a flower shop vibe but instead of offering plants, I sell fiber based creations like flower brooches, luxurious scarves, pillows, lampshades, wreaths, wall hangings... - all reminiscent of the outdoors adorning your home and adding luxurious beauty to your wardrobe and home. I try to have an organic vibe by adding real flowers (when doing shows), lots of little adornments for hair and felted jewelry. I'd like to add original watercolors to this in the future as I was a painter prior to discovering fiber " painting" and that would bring my love of art full circle.

My style of work is heavily influenced by a combination of nature, its elements (air, water, land) and art. I draw inspiration from both to decide on a theme for my work. I’m currently shifting my approach from “make it/sell it” instant to a more scheduled organized collection offered twice a year, with a specific color palette and theme. Currently I’m working to have a collection of @150+ pieces due out in mid-June. It’s a big switch that requires a lot of control; from staying with the color palette and theme across the items I’m making to managing the schedule of rolling something like that out. I find that it helps me to stay more focused and better organized. Here’s a link to my prior collection.

The topic of style is interesting to me and I'm starting a blog series on "Adventures in Real Life Personal Style," where I chat with many different women on their style. Style is fluid as much as our lives are and rediscovering or finding an authentic style is a reflection of being in touch. It's an eye opener to talk about this with others as what we wear is such a mental conversation for most of us. I hope you can join me for that series, starting soon on my website, which is under construction currently; so please check back soon.

When did you learn to do what you do?

I've always loved art but that took a backseat a few years back to raising a family which was life changing on many levels as we moms know! - but was even more so for us due to severe food allergies. I had to learn how to cook and bake in a new way altogether and make sure I had control over the ingredients at all times.. After several years of throwing myself into that experience I was very much spent and stressed and was yearning for a way to find relaxation and also something that I alone enjoyed. I found that voice through a dear neighbor who showed me how to nuno-felt. I truly fell head over heels with the ability to create practical wearable art and my art therapy has continued now for several years, with good results!

When I try to make sense of why what I do is so important to me and why I’m so passionate about it, I realize that I finally had the courage to own up to myself that making art for me is intrinsic to who I am, how I relate to the world around me, and how I heal. My grandma was a seamstress who supported herself through two world wars that way, my mother is a lace fanatic and a crafter and here I am connecting with fabric and fiber that continuum of handmade work.

What are your favorite pieces to make?

If we step back, what really fascinates me about working with fibers is the ability to make something two or three dimensional out of it! Felting and working with fibers is 5000+ years old technique so I ask myself ‘what can I make that’s new out of this old medium?’ I’m driven to find new applications to this medium and yes I started with scarves and embellishments, which is how a lot of people get introduced into it, but now I’m constantly trying to find ways to use it in unlikely ways. That is what makes is challenging and fun for me.

Currently I’m working on more home accents and special projects for specific clients. I’m loving making felted projects on big scale and over Easter make a cross shroud for my church that started as 17 feet long and felted to 13 feet long. It was so big that I had to rinse it in my bathtub! I’m collaborating to make more pieces for them based on symbolic holiday colors of the religious calendar. I love the idea of being able to marry color with spirituality and to bring that beauty to enhance and honor that experience.

What inspires you?

Children, Adele’s music, nature and its’ melody through birds, texture of fibers, amazing and real to-the-bone women I’m graced to know in my life, baking, and a cup of great hot-steaming coffee!

Where would you like your shop to be 5 years from now?

When I launched my Etsy shop a year or so ago, I was so naive and wanting things right away. In this past year I’ve been humbled by the amount of work and the learning curve that goes into a creative enterprise. My goal for Iris & Rose Designs in five years is to be a “well-oiled creative machine” and what I mean by that is that by then I have all the non-creative parts of running an online biz figured out so I can be creating, going to more events, being published in magazines and being enjoyed by people out there.

How do you spend your time when you're not creating?

Running a household, teaching classes, watching “New Girl”, having get togethers with friends once in awhile and working on home projects.

What does your workspace look like?

I’m blessed to have the perfect space - a sunroom - to use for my workspace. It has wall to wall windows on two sides, views of trees, water and sky and I love, love, being there all the time. This space is not very orderly though as most of the family loves to sketch, sew or paint there so I just try to clean it up as best as I can. I have two big tables to work on and good lighting and a space dedicated for picture taking. In the future I’d like to get more cabinets to organize it better and make window shades for it.

What is your favorite thing to have for breakfast?

Oatmeal bar - I make a batch of oatmeal, and set up bunch of bowls with toppings (brown sugar, coconut, granola, cocoa nibs, sprinkles) for us to have. Everyone in my family loves it, including me!

Where else can we find your work? Are you doing any craft fairs this year?

My work can be seen at my Etsy store or in the near future on my website.  You can find a catalogue of my work in Issuu.com or just click on the “Lookbooks” tab on my website.   I am checking in on Facebook and would love more fans!   In person you can see it at the gift shop at the Blue Line Arts Gallery in Roseville, CA.  I recently joined in The Tin Thimble’s five year anniversary student show too; the yellow and pink scarves are mine and are available on Etsy; I really appreciate Tin Thimble’s  welcoming atmosphere and the amazing international teachers that they are able to attract.

I am hoping to do Crocker Holiday Festival in Sacramento and the Bella Vista Craft Fair, they are reasonably small and short duration shows. I am looking to doing more East Bay shows (Danville, Walnut Creek, etc) or even maybe SF Renegade show, if not this year then for sure next year. Because these shows require more investment in time and money I would love to break into them with another person to split the bill to test what the reception is like. Anyone else in the same boat? If so please contact me. I would love in the future to do bigger shows on the East Coast, like Country Living Fair. Ahhh, but that’s dreaming...


Where can we learn more about you? (blog address, other articles/profiles you'd like to link to)

Right now, you can read more about me at Etsy and my blog.  In the summer, you’ll be able to learn more about me through Blue Line Arts Gallery as I’ll be teaching a “Fiber Fun” class there in August!

Artist Profile - the BackLoop

Is it spring where you are yet? Alas it isn't ALWAYS sunny in California but hopefully this next profile will bring you a bit of sunshine. Let me present ME! A few people have sent me a message wondering about the person behind the questions for the monthly profiles and - since I have no other profiles in the queue I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself, Julia Akpan, designer and owner at the BackLoop.

Describe your shop.

The BackLoop is simple, beautiful and handmade.  Everything in my shop is hand crocheted and/or knit by me.  Spring is coming up so I'm working on posting more necklaces, earrings, and lightweight spring scarves but what's taking up most of my production time is making prototypes for my new wedding line - lightweight shawls for spring weddings, thicker ones for those winter, bridesmaids accessories, groomsmen hand crocheted ties, hanging garlands for photo booth backdrops -- all customizable.  I'm super excited! 

When did you learn to do what you do? 

My mom taught me to crochet when I was 8 or 9. It was just before a flight to visit relatives back in Chicago.  I made the longest scarf ever on that plane ride!  I taught myself to knit just after my son was born (he's 4 1/2 now). I used one of those Klutz books you find in the kids section of the book store.  I quickly became the resident yarn instructor among friends and colleagues. Having the responsibility of teaching someone else can be one of the best motivations to learn your craft even better than you thought you could.

What are your favorite pieces to make? My giant rose brooches and long spiral earrings.  I like accessories with personality. I like working with really thick yarn and huge hooks...or yarn so thin you could sew with it.

 

What inspires you? I like mixing the feel of vintage patterns with modern lines and colors. I love soft, cozy, and fluffy everything. I adore Japanese craft books.  

What does your work space look like?I treated myself to a trip to Ikea for Christmas and got a bookshelf and these drawers I've been fawning over for a year or so. Now all of my yarn is (mostly) tucked away. But the area where I do most of my work is the left corner of the couch.

(that's my sister)

Where would you like your shop to be 5 years from now? 

I'd like to be selling regularly and often to people outside of my immediate friends and family! I want to be a go to spot for brides who want handmade accents in their wedding but don't have the time or the skill to actually use their own hands. I'd like the BackLoop to be associated with a place to find the perfect gift. In 10 years I'd like to have a small brick and mortar shop that sells my merchandise but mainly that of other local artists and doubles as a handmade learning center of sorts with small DIY craft workshops in the back room.

How do you spend your time when you're not creating? Well, I have two kids (4 1/2 and 2), a husband, and a house with about 1/3rd acre of yard to take care of so I stay pretty busy. I also work as an editor in the publishing world. 

(these two test all prototypes for durability...and enjoy string cheese)

What is your favorite thing to have for breakfast? My breakfast is usually one of two things: fruit and granola with a splash of soy milk OR 1 fried egg on a piece of jalepeno cheddar corn bread; either of those, plus a mug of green tea.

 
Where else can we find your work? I have my own little corner of the web at www.thebackloop.com and, if you're in the SF Bay Area, you can find many of my items at Modern Mouse in Alameda.

Where can we learn more about you?
Etsy: www.backloop.etsy.com
Blog/shop: www.thebackloop.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thebackloop/  Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/thebackloop 
Twitter: @thebkloop


If you're interested in being profiled, just contact Julia A. This post contributed by Julia A. of the BackLoop. 

Artist Profile - Allies Adornments

Happy February everyone, it's time for a profile of another amazing California artist. This month is all about Allies Adornments. Have a read; I love the surprising bits of her family's history that pop up in her shop.  

Describe your shop.

My shop is AlliesAdornments on Etsy. The official name is Allie's Antiqued Adornments & it's where my family history mingles with my love of vintage & art in an attempt to share antique buttons as miniature pieces of art.

  Allie is my great-great Aunt & the namesake of my jewelry line. I use her picture from 1878 in the packaging for my button bookmarks.  

A photo of Allie & Louise (my great grandmother) from 1881 is used to package my button hairpins. The smiling girl wearing a crooked hat was a young cousin of my great grandfathers & this image of her from the early 1900s is my online avatar & tags for my button jewelry.

Allie passed away at the young age of 31 and never had any children. The way her items & image have sparked my creativity is her legacy. One thing that my family believed about "things" was that they needed to be used in order to be properly appreciated. That we should let those things bring you joy every day instead of locking them away for special occasions.

When my great aunt gave me her collection of vintage buttons, many were so lovely that I was inspired to find a way to use & enjoy them more often. Some I sewed onto sweaters, coats & scarves. But because most of these older buttons are too delicate to wash in a modern machine, wearing them as jewelry occurred to me. Allie's Antiqued Adornments evolved as a way to share the romance & craftsmanship of antique buttons as miniature pieces of art.

How would you describe your style?

My personal style is somewhat eclectic. I have an affinity & appreciation for a wide range of eras & art styles. I do have a special fondness for the styling of the Victorian era. In my jewelry I like to use old elements in a way that makes them new again.

When did you learn to do what you do?

I am self taught & started making jewelry because I love to wear a variety of pieces. I began with making beaded jewelry & some strung button bracelets. However, the design on many of the Victorian buttons is lost when they are strung sideways so I searched for a way for them to be displayed & used face up.

What are your favorite pieces to make?

Bracelets are some of my favorite pieces to make. With 7, 11 or 22 buttons I feel like they let me tell a little story in the way I can combine them based on size, color, texture, material & theme.

 

What inspires you?

For the button jewelry, it's the individual buttons themselves that inspire me. Some are incredibly detailed. When I first started, I didn't clean the buttons much in order to retain their integrity. One day I scrubbed some grime from the center of a button & found lovely copper strip that was engraved with a Greek key design. After that I was determined to gently clean the years from my Victorian buttons in order to return them to their former glory. One of my favorite buttons is a storybook button of the character Yum-Yum from the 1885 comic opera The Mikado by Gilbert & Sullivan. The button is normally brass & shows a Japanese lady holding a fan in one hand & a parasol that forms the background of the button in the other. The fan is detailed with a floral design that is often lost under 120+ years of patina.

Where would you like your shop to be 5 years from now?

In the 5 years that I've been on Etsy, my sales have been fairly consistent even with price increases. For the next 5 years I'd like to step it up to the next level. To do that I know I'll need to increase production & list more product. My goal for the past couple of years has been to get 300 items listed in the shop. I've come close many times but feel its ok to not quite get there if it means the new pieces are selling. Being able to make a living making button jewelry would be ideal.

How do you spend your time when you're not creating?

When not creating I spend a lot of my time seeking out old buttons to make jewelry with. I love antiques & share some extras in my other shop OldeTymeNotions.Etsy.com. I moved into a new home last fall & enjoy fixing up the house & yard as well as finding new/old pieces to refinish & furnish it with.

What does your work space look like?

My workspace is always a bit of a disaster & since I moved a few months ago, I'm still juggling how I like things to be organized in the new space. My work is never as straightforward as having one piece that I can put together in single sitting from start to finish. There are always dozens of projects in various states of completion. The buttons often have to be cleaned & prepped & often that prepping requires that the shanks be cut off & backs carved down so that the buttons can lay flat. Many of the pieces, like my most of my bracelets, are going to have 2-3 layers of jewelers epoxy used to securely adhere the buttons. 

As a result, there are always lots of piles of things. Piles of recently acquired buttons that need to be sorted; to be cut or used for charm bracelets & not cut. Prepped buttons then need to be organized into drawers. Designs are laid out, findings are added & then pieces are put together. Start to finish can be a week or more for certain items to allow for drying times.

What is your favorite thing to have for breakfast?

Bacon. I could easily eat bacon every single day.

Where else can we find your work?

 I can be found online at:

http://www.AlliesAdornments.com

http://www.AlliesAdornments.Etsy.com

twitter.com/AlliesAdornment 

www.facebook.com/AlliesAdornments

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allie_mae2/

In person, my gallery pieces can be found in Old Town Sacramento at

http://www.taylorsartandsoul.com/

Antique photos & postcards are on the blog at my website for others to use in their artwork

http://www.Alliesadornments.com/Victoriana.html


If you're interested in being profiled, just contact Julia A. This post contributed by Julia A. of the BackLoop.