Scoutie Girl

I love Owl and Mouse. This small printing company in Missouri is adorable! I love that they make scarves now too! Rock on!

Can you describe yr art and process? Tell us a bit about yrself?

Owl+Mouse Textile Designs is a small printing company based in Kansas City, Missouri. All textiles are hand designed, dyed and printed in a cozy studio by Alice Youngblood and Cristin Llewellyn. Alice and Cristin work together as a duo to create unique designs for Owl+Mouse. They currently print shirts, but would like to explore different paths within the “fiber realm”. They met in 2005 as students in the Fiber Department at the Kansas City Art Institute. Alice, born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, was surrounded by her mother’s sewing and embroidery projects and always knew she wanted to be an artist! Cristin grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma in a family that embraced art. She loved drawing and began taking classes and participating in school art shows at the age of 6. Both currently create, explore, and live in Kansas City.

So – Can you just tell me a few things that inspire you and how you work – yr process?

We are both inspired by the natural world and various forms of art. Although we have separate design processes, we have found that our ideas and aesthetics usually end up going in a similar direction! Alice enjoys collecting an assortment of images from the Internet and books, and then she sketches and collages her own designs. Cristin usually works out ideas in her head then puts them to paper by drawing and piecing units together to form a complete design.

I want to know some things about what is it really like to be a working artist…the good and the bad? What are the three top things you wish you would have known before you started this art/etsy journey?

We have found that it is really hard jumping into the “art world” not having a client base or a reliable source of income. We both recently graduated from college and work various jobs to be able to survive and still make art! We have had to explore and discover our own way, transitioning from being individual artists to becoming production artists, and found that this path is filled with bumps and is not always so clear. It is easy to let fear hold you back from jumping into a new venture. Starting your own business can be scary, but we would not have been so afraid if only we’d known just how many artists and friends would appear out of the woodwork and help us get going and keep us on track.

For us, the best part of being working artists is being in the studio and working side by side in a creative and fun atmosphere. We have found a rhythm in the studio, and everything just comes together when we are working. Also, it has been wonderful to become a part of the Kansas City art community and Etsy. We have met so many new amazing people and artists. Seeing their reactions is what encourages and motivates us to keep moving forward.

What are yr five top blogs/shops/etc on web?
Who would you love to meet online?

sarahkraly.tumblr.com
Sarah is our amazing friend, talented photographer, and biggest fan. She plays a huge part in our company.

www.debbiebarrettjones.etsy.com
Debbie dyes and weaves the most beautiful textiles.

antlermag.com/blog
Great place to find inspiration and discover new talent.

elsita.typepad.com/allaboutpapercutting/
There are no words for this one!

http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/my_weblog/
This one has cute and informational posts.

We would like to meet the girls from inkandspindle.com because they are a small business that prints textiles they seem sweet and full of knowledge!

Thank you so much! We love yr work!!!!

Check out Owl and Mouse!

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Please contact me at my blog or Etsy or email me at amytsharp (at) gmail (dot) com or twitter to give me scoop on cool things that you find or make! I want to hear from you!

It was a pleasure to speak with Local Library of Etsy fame! I am in love with the simply gorgeous work she makes.

Can you describe yr art and process? Tell us a bit about yrself?

My creation process is somewhat spontaneous and heavily visually inspired. I start by searching for materials that I appreciate. When something grabs my attention I start to see shapes and colors, and ideas come
flowing into my head and out through my hands. I rarely ever sketch out a design – it’s more of a jump-in and-try-it-out technique. Which, as you might imagine, has its flaws. I’ve learned over the years that sometimes it is good to get something on paper first. This helps figuring out the technical side jewelry; will it lie flat, straight, be sturdy and of good quality?
It is very important to me that the jewelry I create is the jewelry I would want to wear. It needs to be beautiful and stand out but also comfortable, classic, versatile, and of the best quality at an affordable price point. And when you’re wearing a piece, I want you feel like you could conquer the world. On some level anyway.

So- Can you just tell me a few things that inspire you and how you work- yr process?

Colors, shapes, and textures inspire me. My favorite designs have a classic, simplified structure with a burst of something unexpected and appealing. Walking through my neighborhood I’m fortunate to be surrounded by people, fashion, art, nature, architecture, etc. This provides more than enough visual inspiration. I enjoy watching people and seeing what they wear, how they carry themselves and what they are doing. I like thinking about the neckline (or wherever the jewelry is suited) as a sort of puzzle; what shape or structure would best compliment that spot? Sometimes after I’ve created a new piece I can almost picture someone I saw days, weeks, or months ago. And in my head, I put the necklace on them and they are happy.

I want to know some things about what is it really like to be a working artist…the good and the bad? What are the three top things you wish you would have known before you started this art/etsyjourney?

Oh, the ups and downs!

Right after I wrote that line I actually googled the well known, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. Full text available here: http://www.teamhope.com/seuss.htm

Heavily gifted for graduations it actually applies really well to how I feel about my business and being self-employed. It can be amazing and frustrating simultaneously.
The most important things I have learned are time management and staying motivated. I try to plan my weeks out and develop a schedule of work based on a triage system. Through trial and error I’ve found out what methods work best for me. But the same might not be true for everyone. For example, it is easy for me to get distracted working in front of my computer, but at the same time, that’s what makes my work fun and interesting (since I don’t have any coworkers to chat with). And I’ve accepted that a 4 hour production work load might turn into 5 hours. That’s one of the positives; I can make my own schedule. I just have to make compromises. I can take a two hour lunch, but I’ll still be working at 11pm.

Staying motivated takes a little more finesse but when I sit down and think about it, I am so grateful to be at this point in my life. It is truly unbelievable sometimes and to not give it my all would be complete self-sabotage. If I have a bad day, I scoop myself up and try again tomorrow. Chances are I was just feeling tired or overworked. When I give myself some time off I come back fresh: inspired and motivated.

What are yr five top blogs/shops/etc on web?

I love so many places online – I’m not sure where to start!
1) Can I say iTunes? I couldn’t get through a day with listening to podcasts from The Moth, This American Life, The Splendid Table and Ted Talks.
2) I check the Gothamist multiple times a day for little mix of local and national news.
3) I’m also obsessed with packaging design so The Dieline is serious favorite.
4) The Apartment Therapy family of blogs including Unplggd and The Kitchn.
5) And Cake Wrecks because it makes me laugh out loud, even when I’m home alone.

Who would you love to meet online?

That’s another tough question but I think in keeping with the theme of small business and craft and I would answer Emily from The Black Apple. She’s seemingly always creating something new and wonderful and I would love to hear about how she structures her business and daily schedule.

Thanks so much – We love the beautiful art you create! Congrats on all yr success!

Check out Local Library on Etsy!

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Please contact me at my blog or Etsy or email me at amytsharp (at) gmail (dot) com or twitter to give me scoop on cool things that you find or make! I want to hear from you!

I am in love with the photos that this etsy seller takes of her handspun wool. Gorgeous! Here is some more info about this new etsy shop that is turning heads!

Can you describe yr art and process? Tell us a bit about yrself?

Howdy!
I’m Maya and I live near Atlanta, Georgia, with my husband Ross and my
daughter, who I call V when I talk about her online. I’m left-handed,
have lived in three different states in the past five years, and I grew
up loving my stuffed giraffe named Ayapap Ayam.

My art is
spinning yarn on my trusty spinning wheel, which is just the most fun
ever. Right now I’m into dyeing wool a bunch of different colors and
then sitting and looking at it all, thinking of which colors should go
together. I also keep a notebook of ideas to try – like there’s a
particular photograph I love & I want to spin a yarn in its honor.
I need lots of time to daydream, always have. I find that when I think
about not much of anything for long enough, good ideas come to me.

So – Can you just tell me a few things that inspire you and how you work – yr process?

Buttermilk
pie, my Wham-O Magic Window, cat head biscuits, kudzu, old photographs,
my grandmother’s bread bowl, the historic district of any small town,
sweet iced tea, rust, moss & lichen – these & other things that
make the South a wonderful place to live.

Music, movies, art
& especially photography inspire me. Cats inspire me – them lying
around mid-morning all languid & lithe & then play-fighting in
the early evening. Light, shadows, the color of your eyes, the
recurring dreams I have.

I love spinning yarn for many reasons,
but because there are so many steps to go through to take wool all the
way to a finished skein of yarn, it’s ideal for my situation as a work
at home mom. I work in short bits throughout the day & then for
longer stretches at night. It’s refreshing to be able to take breaks
throughout the day – I can build forts with V for an hour & then
set her up with some Playdoh while I spin a skein or check on my
shop/answer emails/etc.

I want to know some things about
what is it really like to be a working artist…the good and the bad?
What are the three top things you wish you would have known before you
started this art/etsy journey?

To me, the only bad things are
that I’m not getting nearly enough sleep and I don’t have enough time
with my husband. I’m just getting started, though, and I’m constantly
trying to refine my process so that eventually I can have more evenings
free. Or free-ish.

The good things are many. Freedom to explore
what’s in and outside my head. Working with colors and textures.
Knowing that there’s always more to learn about spinning; I’ll never
get bored. I love the other spinners I’ve met online; they’re very
supportive and I’ve found it to be a great community to be a part of.
And it’s very cool that I make art – and then other people use it to
create their own art. A hat or cowl or baby cocoon that’s been handknit
or crocheted from handspun yarn is so very cool.

Having the
opportunity to build a business that will allow me to be both creative
and stay home with V is such a blessing. Being able to give my daughter
the chance at developing an entrepreneurial spirit is so important to
me. She’s three & she helps me all the time. We card (blend) the
wool together, and she turns the handle to wind the yarn into a ball
for shipment – she thinks it’s great fun.

Top three things I
wish I could’ve known … hmmm … not to worry so much, not to worry
so much, and not to worry so much. Ha. I have a tiny problem with the
worrying. But ask me again next year when I’ve been doing this longer
and I’ll likely have better answers for you.

What are yr five top blogs/shops/etc on web?

Camp Creek Blog makes me think about how I plan to educate my kid.

The Crafty Crow ensures that my daughter never runs out of fun artsy things to do.
Jessica Claire inspires me with her beautiful photography.
Baby as Art because I love me some babies!
And on Flickr I’m always checking out Tafari’s & Evan Leavitt’s photostreams.

Who would you love to meet online?

I
would love to meet the lovely women who have been visiting my blog for
the past year or so & leaving me such wonderful comments along the
way – like Alexis (http://knotsewcrafty.typepad.com), Gayle
(http://planetmfiles.com), Melissa and Claire
(http://knittingsandwich.typepad.com), and many more (I’d name them all
for you if I thought I could get away with it). It is these connections
that make it worthwhile to share your life on the Internet and I’d love
to take a weekend away with all my regular blog readers – they’re
interesting, kind, supportive women. I think of them often & offer
up little wishes for happiness for them.

Thank you so much! We love yr work! It makes me want to spin wool!

Check out Maya here and here.

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Please contact me at my blog or Etsy or email me at amytsharp (at) gmail (dot) com or twitter to give me scoop on cool things that you find or make! I want to hear from you!

I love love love the photography of Kari Herer. I am swooning over some of her prints in her etsy shop.

Check her out:

Can you describe yr art and process?

For my Etsy shop I sell
photographs using a few different processes. One process is called
“through the viewfinder” or TTV. I start with my modified Duaflex Kodak
camera and literally shoot through the viewfinder with my Canon 5D. The
viewfinder of the Duaflex is square and causes an interesting border on
my digital files. I then work in Photoshop to process the RAW files. I
usually bump up the contrasts, eliminate pesky shadows, and color
accordingly.

Tell us a bit about yrself?

I started
photographing professionally for a high-end wedding invitation company
and fell in love with styling/lighting such beautiful products. While
practicing for new ads, I started creating small arrangements of
flowers that I had in my garden. A friend mentioned Etsy and I thought
I would give it a try.

So – Can you just tell me a few things that inspire you?

Food
photography is one of my inspirations – I love to eat (I leave the
cooking to my hubby:) and find so many interesting textures in everyday
ingredients. I also look to nature to provide colors, surfaces, and
variety in my photographs. Cannelle et Vanille is one of my favorite blogs.

I want to know some things about what is it really like to be a working artist…the
good and the bad?

Working
as an artist can be very lonely. I have to force myself to get out and
work with others. Otherwise my work can become very boring. Etsy has
gotten my work to places in the world that my photography would have
never seen. Places like London, Paris, and even Australia.

What are the three top things you wish you would have known before you started this art/etsyjourney?

I
wish that I would have taken advantage of all the Etsy forums before I
set up shop. There is so much information about selling – take
advantage of it!! I also wish that I got involved with my local Etsy
group sooner – although I don’t go to enough meetings, they are a great
resource for local gatherings, craft shows, and charity work.

Who would you love to meet online?

I
would love to meet Annie Leibovitz (but more in person then online).
Not so much because of the stars that she photographed but because of
her talent behind the camera.

What are yr five top blogs/shops/etc on web?

Lens (from the NYT)
Design*Sponge
The Bigger Picture
Cup of Jo
Cannelle et Vanille

Thank you so much! We love yr work! The Paris print makes me giddy! Kudos!

Check out Kari and her website and blog!

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Please contact me at my blog or Etsy or email me at amytsharp (at) gmail (dot) com or twitter to give me scoop on cool things that you find or make! I want to hear from you!

Love me some blackbirdtees. Awesome and Amazing. Like listen:

Can you describe yr art and process? Tell us a bit about yrself?

My
process is pretty disjointed actually. I never set out with a detailed
agenda in mind. The early stages of a new design consist mostly of me
digging through old photo and image archives, mostly turn of the
century stuff–newspaper and magazine ads from the the early 1900s, Art
Nouveau illustrations, film stills, natural history sketches–to gather
inspiration or get ideas. Then I will start drafting a design by hand.
I’ll typically go through at least 3-4 drafts before I settle on a
final version. I then scan the image, pull it into Illustrator, and
play around with size & color variations, shirt styles, layout,
etc. Finally, I print out my transparencies, burn the screens, and
start laying the image down onto shirts.

Most of my
illustrations are created using a pointillism technique. I’m sure you
can imagine how fun this is–slowly drafting an image from thousands of
teeny, tiny hand-drawn dots. Why? I have no idea. It must be some mild
form of OCD creeping up from the depths. It nearly drives me to madness
each time, but I love the texture and silhouette that results. I put
lots of time and care into photographing, naming, and describing new
designs when I add them to Etsy. Ultimately, I feel like it’s the small
details and finishing touches that really bring a design to life and
tie a collection together to tell a story or reveal a theme. It’s all
part of fleshing out a unique aesthetic–something I’ve gained a whole
new appreciation for over the last year.

So – Can you just tell me a few things that inspire you and how you work- yr process?

For
whatever reason, I’ve always been fascinated by women and animals that
elicit mixed emotions. You feel simultaneously drawn in and a bit
terrified at the same time, i.e. femme fatales from early cinema and
animals that will inevitably leave a mark. I went to grad school for
film studies & screenwriting and developed a strong affection for
silent film and film noir, and those influences definitely surface in
my designs. Starlets in both of those film genres could tell you
everything you needed to know about them through purely visual cues.
So, even if there was dialogue, it usually wasn’t necessary. Similarly,
the animals I choose to feature display emotion and intention
visually–changing color, lighting up, recoiling, etc. I’m currently
drafting new Mata Hari and tigress designs for October that also fall
within this general theme.

I want to know some things about what is it really like to be a working artist…the good and the bad? What are the three top things you wish you would have known before you started this art/etsyjourney?

Ahh,
the life of a working artist. It makes me giggle a little to think of
myself that way. For me, this lifestyle consists of 50 hour work weeks
spent shifting between my print studio, my pint-sized boutique, local
farmers markets, and special events. Self-employment can be such a time
vampire, sucking up all hours of the day, every day of the week if
you’re not careful. I think most people have romantic notions of what
it’s like to do your own thing, and I certainly won’t rob them of that
because it can be pretty fantastic, but it’s an exercise in
self-discipline and it can take some time to develop a routine.

Hmm…top
things I wish I’d known. That’s tough. On the one hand, it would have
been great to start off with a stronger grasp of the tax and accounting
stuff. Knowing your way around both makes life significantly easier. At
the same time, I’m somewhat relieved that no one sat me down and gave
me a glimpse into the future when I first started. If I had known all
the challenges I’d be confronting, I think I would have thrown in the
towel very early on. In a way, not knowing protected me from feeling
too overwhelmed.

It’s funny because now I get to see my
boyfriend, who just recently became self-employed, go through the early
stages of this process. Aside from acting as a sounding board for ideas
and feedback, all I can do is cheer him on and encourage him to remain
flexible. Yes, you are creating art, but you really can’t cling too
tightly to any one idea. Public response will often surprise you. Items
you assumed would fly off the shelves don’t, and ones you came up with
on a whim and had serious doubts about will become best sellers. You
just have to go with it. This can be a difficult and humbling lesson to
learn, but if you allow the inevitable mistakes, wrong turns and
failures to completely knock the wind out of you, you’ll never regain
momentum. An ability to rebound quickly and land on your feet is
invaluable. It’s the best skill you can possibly develop and will carry
you through all the ups and downs.

What are yr five top blogs/shops/etc on web?

etsy.com
theauteurs.com
boingboing.net
nypl.org/digital
designspongeonline.com/category/biz-ladies (Design Sponge’s fabulous collection of biz ladies guides on anything and everything small business related)

Who would you love to meet online?

The future me. Let’s say 5 years in the future. I’m nearly certain she would calm all my fears and wire me some money. 

Thank you so much! We adore what you make!

Check out BBT here and a cool hip shop is here:

Flock
7305 Linden Avenue N.
Seattle WA, 98103

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Please contact me at my blog or Etsy or email me at amytsharp (at) gmail (dot) com or twitter to give me scoop on cool things that you find or make! I want to hear from you!