Category Archives: crafter interviews
Featured Interview – Sparrow Primitives
Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?
A few of your favourites (just for fun)….Featured Interview – Made From The Heart
Made From The Heart
What are you inspired by?
I love looking at the craft sites and seeing other peoples work. I also love vintage and antique things that are a bit quirky. Just reading different blogs with like minded crafters is great inspiration too!
Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?
I am lucky enough to have a big room in our house that is solely for my work. Its not quite how I would like it set up but I’m always so busy creating that I never seem to have the time to re-organize myself! The children also have their little spot to work too so its a family affair!
Where can people buy your work?
My online folksy shop, I will soon also be supplying a few exclusive items to www.flaxandfinch.co.uk.
You can also see my items at a few shops in
Big Blue Sky, Wells-next-the-sea
Rooms with a View, Diss,
Norfolk Living, Burnham Market,
How do you promote your work?
Mostly through facebook and twitter, and just word of mouth and going to some great craft fairs.
What goals do you have for the future?
What advice would you offer to someone thinking about turning their craft/art into a business?
Oh I have loads of advice…where to start….
- be brave
- if you want to do it just go for it!
- Make things that you enjoy making and you would want in your home too.
- In the beginning go to loads of fairs and test the market.
- Join some of the women’s networking groups such as WiRE. They have been a great way for me to meet like minded people. Some of the ladies that I met last year have set up a group called Dead Good Designs in which we get together and support each other’s businesses and bounce ideas off each other. We also club together to go to a few of the more expensive fairs ones that we wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise.
A few of your favourites (just for fun)….
Colour: I love to wear black
Animal: horses
Season: autumn, but then love English spring time, being Canadian I am reminded every spring why
Person: my husband, he is so supportive of me and my business I couldn’t have done any of this without him
Food: pasta, I could eat it everyday! Wish it was fat free!
Website: facebook (unfortunately but it keeps me connected to friends and family back home)
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Featured Interview – Little Wren Pottery
Meet: Victoria of
Little Wren Pottery
I’ve been making pots for about two years now, which I know makes me very ‘young’ for a potter I still get things wrong every now and then but its a learning process!
It all really started when my Dad, who’s also a potter, wanted to get me to have a go. It’d been a number of years since he’d done any potting, I can still remember the wheel he used to have when I was a little girl but he’d long since sold it on. So we went to collage together mainly to use their facilities and for me to pick up the basics of throwing. Since then we’ve gone on to acquire our own equipment and set up a small studio space.
What processes & techniques do you use in your work?
I throw all my pots on the wheel. They start out life as lumps of clay and are transformed into cups, bowls, vases and anything else I can think of! Most of my work is embellished in some way either with things like mice, made from a press mould or patterns stamped onto the surface.
I really like adding these elements to a pot, I just feel it gives each one a personality and I’d imagine at home people will be able to differentiate the subtile personalities of particular mice within a set to have their favourites!
In pottery terms I’m largely inspired by Isaac Button, Shoji Hamada, Bernard Leach and Michael Cardew. I like the mix of producing items that are both decorative and functional, the principal of everyday beauty is really important in my own work.
I’ve always loved the Pre-Raphaelite artists as well in particular Gabriel Dante Rossetti and William Morris. In a more general way I really like the beauty of nature, the way light dances through leaves like stained glass and tiny birds that hop around in my garden they’re all welcome.
Do you have a work
space or studio? What is it like?
I have a very small workspace, its a little cramped being up in the loft of the house. Unfortunately there isn’t any running water or electricity so as you’d imagine this makes life a little difficult. I’m pretty fortunate that I have a small compact wheel for throwing on, just don’t stand up too quickly or you’ll hit your head on the roof!
I sell my work largely online on Etsy, Folksy, and Dawanda. Recently I’ve been attending more craft fairs in my local area and hopefully I’ll be able to do more of these as time goes on.
How do you promote your work?
You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, I’m a bit of a Twitter addict I’m on there all the time! I also regularly publish blog articles over on my site, I think its really important for people to feel like they’re in touch with the process. From time to time I get featured in magazines too which is really invaluable to spreading the word.
I’d love a new studio one with running water, electricity and somewhere I can comfortably stand up! I don’t pot full time either but I’d love to spend less time working and more time potting.
There aren’t really many barriers to setting yourself up in having a small business these days, theres only really the barriers you put up for yourself. It’s a lot of hard work especially when your basically starting from nothing to build up your business into a brand, stick at it though, it takes time to become established and for people to find you. I certainly feel like I’ve come on an awful long way in the last 18 months and hopefully there’ll be more changes to come yet!
Colour: Ruby red or plummy purples, I can never decide.
Animal: I love animals just in general four legs or two feet it doesn’t matter! Of course I love Wrens, they have such personalities and for such a tiny bird it has a big song.
Person: Although I work with my Dad all the time I’m a Mummy’s girl at heart!
Food: Got to be chips, or more specifically a chip butty in a lovely soft roll. With vinegar, and mayonnaise and ketchup ha : )
Website: http://www.littlewrenpottery.co.uk
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Thank you for sharing your pottery and work processes with us Victoria. I love the coloured glazes that you use to decorate your work!
Featured Interview – Slugs & Snails
Meet: Louise of
My work is anything artistic. In my Folksy shop you can find paintings, felted bowls and jewellery to mention a few. I like learning new skills and developing my own unique style.
What are you inspired by?
Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?
Where can people buy your work?
How do you promote your work?
What goals do you have for the future?
A few of your favourites (just for fun)….
Colour: Pink or purple
Animal: unicorn
Season: Autumn
Person: My son
Food: Organic and fair-trade chocolate
Website: http://embers.typepad.com/e/
Featured Interview – Penny Spooner Ceramics
Meet: Penny Spooner CeramicsHow long have you been making your work and how did it all begin?
I have been making work to sell now for 3 years. It all started when I signed up with a friend for a term to study ceramics at night classes in our local college about 9 years ago. The first time I threw a pot on the wheel I just loved it and have never stopped feeling like that.
What processes & techniques do you use in your work?
I love printing onto porcelain and have a drawer crammed full of wonderful things I have collected, which can be impressed onto clay to achieve interesting finishes. I’m also really keen on using slip to decorate my work and use this technique for all my cake stands.
What are you inspired by?
Displaying food I suppose, which my Grandmother inspired in me; being a farmer’s daughter she was up with the lark and baking for the day. All these lovely things would then be presented to us on a traditionally laid out table with cake stands, tea plates & lovely little cups & saucers. I love to make pieces that can be used but add something special to the table.
Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?
I’m so lucky to have a studio of my own. In a former life it was a pair of old thatched cottages, but they burnt down in the 1970’s and were turned into a garage, 3 years ago I was lucky enough to get hold of it. It is just the best place to be – I absolutely love walking in there, turning on the radio, filling the kettle, donning an apron and sitting down at the wheel. Heaven.
Where can people buy your work?
I have an Etsy shop, a folksy shop, and sell from my website www.handmadeinhampshire.co.uk
My work is also for sale in a small selection of shops stocking handmade items, as well as at a number of Art & Craft shows – details of these are on my website.
How do you promote your work?
Oh, I’m just terrible at promotion. I like making things, the rest is a necessary evil. I have those beautiful Moo cards which I hand out liberally, and have recently printed up postcards advertising my workshops, which I take to shows and leave wherever I can.
What goals do you have for the future?
To be able to spend every day at the studio making pots, and to sell my work through a larger network of shops. The trouble is I love it in the studio so much, I’m not keen to spare time for anything else! I am getting better at the business side as I’m realising how important it is.
What advice would you offer to someone thinking about turning their craft/art into a business?
Speak to other artists who have gone before you and get plenty of advice, and make sure your family at home understand that you will be busy so that they can help support you.
A few of your favourites (just for fun)….
Colour: Oh definitely blue, as I’m sure you can tell from my work
Animal: Dog. I just love dogs and have always had one, at the moment we have two fabulous rescue dogs who come to the studio with me.
Season: Spring because the weather is warmer, everything perks up and my garden always looks its best in Spring.
Person: Too many to choose!
Food: Mint chocolate and liquorice
Website: www.handmadeinhampshire.co.uk
Featured Interview – Cinnamon Jewllery
Meet:
I’ve been making jewellery for seven years now. It began when I was browsing eBay one day, saw lots of handmade earrings and thought “I could do that”. I really had no idea how to “do that” so bought a book and some supplies and with the help of tutorials on the internet taught myself. I used fuse wire to practise my loops to begin with!
I make wirework, some basic metalwork and torch enamel jewellery.
I love bright colours, swirls and spirals, geometric and abstract designs and rustic style jewellery. I have a bit of trouble finding my rustic side though being a bit of a shiny neat freak but I’m getting
there!
I work on the dining room table which luckily isn’t used to actually eat from any more. I’m slowly spreading out and have comandeered various cupboards including one in the kitchen for my enamelling stuff! It would be lovely to have a room just for making jewellery so I
wouldn’t have to keep getting stuff out and putting it away again but I manage and the cats like to sit and stare at me while I work (as only cats can).
I sell on Folksy, Etsy and in a shop, The Gift Gallery, in York.
What goals do you have for the future?I want to continue to develop my style. I love making metalwork designs so am always looking to learn new basic techniques that don’t require too much new equipment which means I can add something different to my jewellery designs. I recently taught myself fold forming – a metalwork technique that adds texture to metal by folding,
and I’ve learnt how to enamel metal by torch. I would also like to have more projects in other magazines and find more shops to sell in – I think I’ve got my work cut out!
Research the type of items you make – are they popular. Be prepared to work hard at it – not just the making but finding places to sell and promoting. It all takes time and lots of effort if you want to make a go of it. Be prepared for quiet spells, they are inevitable but don’t let them push you off track, just keep going. Learning new techniques within your field is a good idea and means you can develop your style and offer something that’s a bit different or unique to what’s already out there, giving buyers more choice. Overall remember to enjoy it!
Colour: Purple
Animal: Tiger
Season: Summer
Person: My Mum (sadly no longer with us)
Food: Curry/chocolate in equal measure!
Website: Folksy of course!
Featured Interview – The Cotton Potter
How long have you been making your work and how did it all begin?
As a child of the seventies, a lot of my time was spent making things – as shown on Blue Peter and picking up dressmaking skills from my mother who made nearly all my clothes. After a diploma in general art and design followed by a degree in ceramics at
What processes & techniques do you use in your work?
I tend to look at fabric as if it were a slab of clay, often stiffening it with interfacing to reinforce it and then experiment with different patterns to create ‘slab-built’ style vessels. I have started to design my own fabric which is something I want to develop much further.
What are you inspired by?
My main inspiration is Ceramics, particularly vessel forms. I’m also inspired by nature, particularly birds and flowers.
Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?
I do have a small studio in my garden but invariably end up traipsing into the house and working in the kitchen or sitting room instead.
The majority of my work is sold online through Folksy and Not on the High Street though I sell to a few B & M shops and galleries as well.
How do you promote your work?
I have a neglected facebook page and that’s about it, but I am happy with the flow of sales I have currently, so promotion isn’t top of my to-do list at the moment. If I ever give up the day job to concentrate purely on The Cotton Potter, I would definitely need to hone my promoting skills.
What goals do you have for the future?
Although I love my day job I do dream of one day turning the Cotton Potter into a full time business. In the short term I would like to work on some more of my own fabric designs and put them into production in the form of wraps and slip covers.
What advice would you offer to someone thinking about turning their craft/art into a business?
Gosh, I wouldn’t know where to start, but what I found helped me was planning my style, product range, pricing, packaging etc, getting it clear and organised in my head before entering the market.
A few of your favourites (just for fun)….
Colour: Pink
Animal: garden birds, hares
Season: Spring
Food: italian
Featured Interview – Driftwood Boatbuilders
Meet: Andrea Brewster of Driftwood Boatbuilders
How long have you been making your work and how did it all begin?
I have been making my boats for 2 years now. It all started after I collected some driftwood pieces on a beach in Skiathos. I managed to bring them home in my suitcase with the intention of making a few boats for friends and family. Everybody seemed to like them and as I was only working part-time (2 days a week) I thought setting up a business and making some extra cash would be a good idea.
What processes & techniques do you use in your work?
The initial bit is laying out each piece of boat shaped wood and finding a mast to complement the piece. Then comes the drilling and glueing bit. The sails are all different depending on the shape of the boat and mast so each sail is drawn and cut out separately. Once the rigging is attached I then rummage through my box of buttons and other interesting bits and bobs looking for suitable decorations for the boat.
What are you inspired by?
Nature. I love being outside, garden, moors, seaside. It is amazing how I can pick up a piece of wood and see the boat that it could become. Last year I did a trek in
Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?
Since I started my work place has been the dining room table but only two weeks ago my 25 year old son left home to share a house with some friends. I don’t want to seem too eager, but give it a couple more weeks and I will be making his bedroom into my work room. Even though it is only a single room I am looking forward to having a proper work room. So still a work in progress.
Where can people buy your work?
I have three galleries that sell my boats. One is Number Four at St Abbs Nr. Eyemouth, Berwickshire. Another is Finestra Gallery in
I organise a craft fair in Kelbrook, a village near me. This is in November each year and I always have a stall there. Since joining Folksy I have also been in touch with crafts people close enough to be able to exhibit at my fair.
How do you promote your work?
I haven’t been doing much promoting at the moment as in January I starting full time work covering maternity leave and won’t be back to my two day week until September so I am finding it very difficult making enough boats for the galleries I have.
What goals do you have for the future?
What advice would you offer to someone thinking about turning their craft/art into a business?
Primarily you have to do it because you enjoy it. It is a long and sometimes demoralizing process trying to sell your art as not everybody appreciates the time and effort that goes in to handmade goods. But it can be very rewarding and it is a great feeling when people show that they like your work. Finding the right market is also important. I know that my boats sell better at holiday resorts near the coast and wouldn’t do very well in a city gallery.
A few of your favourites (just for fun)….
Colour: Any shade of purple (to the extent that my family call me purple Andrea!)
Animal: Holly, our pet Lurcher.
Season: Spring
Person: I shouldn’t say it as my daughter thinks it’s a bit weird as he is the same age as my son, but Robert Pattinson is the man of the moment.
Food: Vegetarian food
Website: Wallis
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Thanks for sharing your boats with us Andrea. Your interview has inspired me to go beach combing!
Featured Interview – Red Brick Glass
How long have you been making your work and how did it all begin?
I gained a 1st class honours degree in Glass and Architectural Glass from Edinburgh College of Art in 2000. I then set up my studio with support from the Crafts Council’s Setting Up Scheme. I returned to glass last year after taking a few year of to have my 3 children.
What processes & techniques do you use in your work? I use kiln formed glass techniques to create my work. Elements such as sheet glass, granules, rods and enamel transfers are fused together in the glass kiln. . I use beautiful glass colours, petal pinks, sage greens, duck egg blue and cherry red and incorporate screen-printed designs in pretty florals, fun polka dots and stripes.
What are you inspired by? I am inspired by things that make me smile. That can be natural things like blossom, rainbows, weeping willow trees, butterflies and the sea or lovely objects like vintage cake stands, deckchairs, disco balls and beach huts. I love light, colour and pattern.
Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?
I work from my lovely studio, a converted barn and outbuildings at home in the little village of Winfrith Newburgh in Dorset.
Where can people buy your work?
At the moment I sell online and at local craft and design events.
How do you promote your work? I have a new website and have a page on From Britain With Love. Facebook and twitter are also great for spreading the Red Brick Glass name.
What goals do you have for the future?
I am just designing a new product range which I will sell through shops. I will have my fairy lights in Radiance soon.
What advice would you offer to someone thinking about turning their craft/art into a business? Making and selling work is fantastic and very rewarding. My advice would be to go for it, but go for it slowly. Take time and care to create the right image for your business, then build your business slowly and enjoy the process. Spare Room Start Up by Emma Jones it a good read.
A few of your favourites (just for fun)…. Colour: Pink Animal: Butterfly Season: Spring
Person: My husband Richard and my 3 children, Rosie, Jack and Matilda
Food: Fish finger sandwhiches
Website: Etsy
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Thank you for sharing your beautiful glass work with us Wendy, I am in love with your bunting!
Featured Interview – Caroline Green Pottery
Meet: Caroline Green Pottery
Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?
Where can people buy your work?
How do you promote your work?
A few of your favourites (just for fun)…
Featured Interview: Little Paper Gallery
How long have you been making your work and how did it all begin?
What processes & techniques do you use in your work?
What are you inspired by?
Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?
Where can people buy your work?
How do you promote your work?
What goals do you have for the future?
What advice would you offer to someone thinking about turning their craft/art into a business?
A few of your favourites (just for fun)….
Colour: Very difficult to pick one – today it is aqua
Animal: Shh, don’t tell my cat but I kind of like dogs
Season: Spring
Person: My husband – what would I do without him?
Food: If I was going out for dinner tonight I’d choose some kind of seafood
Website: http://www.littlepapergallery.
Featured Interview: Ivy Dean Designs
Meet: Helen Clark of Ivy Dean Designs
What are you inspired by?
Where can people buy your work?
What goals do you have for the future?
Colour: Black – my entire wardrobe is full of it!
Animal: Horse – such solid, loyal companions.
Season: Spring – so full of new hope (and better weather to get out on my motorbike).
Person: My Dad! He’s my hero.
Food: Oooh, how do I choose? I suppose it would have to be freshly baked bread (with lots of butter).
Website: I am biased but it would have to be my Folksy shop – www.ivydeandesigns.folksy.com
