In the Craftlight: RedPlanet

Happy Friday! I hope it's happy for you. Today I have an especially special guest, my BFF Mandi of Red Planet! I know you will enjoy her kookiness as much as I do! :)

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have so many things to say at once I never know what to say!

I am Mandi and I should disclose the fact that I am a stereotypical redhead. I love bad jokes and corny punch lines. I listen to a lot of Tom Petty and Paul Simon. I love creating. I love, love, love sewing (when the Singer cooperates). Beautiful fabric turns me on and I own more buttons than you could imagine. I HATE using patterns but will do so if requested, although I am guaranteed to NOT read the directions. At the same time I am a perfectionist and have spent several hours of my life obsessing over a single stitch or

the color of my thread. My husband thinks I am crazy.

I sew fun little bags and clutches for my Etsy shop, Red Planet, annnnd I am working on a new project that I hope to have up and running by the beginning of next year! It involves dresses by me!

I have vowed to have a COMPLETELY handmade Christmas this year...I challenge all of you to do the same!

What is your craft?

My craft is sewing and love with a little bit of water color and bad joke tellin’

How and when did you get involved in this?

Oh geez, when I was a zygote? Crafting and sewing goes back several generations.

My mom used to macramé plant hangers and sew those terrible bunnies everyone had in their houses in the early 90s. She would sew the bunnies then make these huge elaborate dresses of lace and ruffles for them, while I painted macaroni noodles and glued them to old Wyler’s bullion jars. Then she taught me to make friendship bracelets that I would try to sell to the neighbors along with my handmade paper airplanes and colored color book pages (I was the original Etsy lol). Eventually, once I hit Jr. High someone trusted me with a sewing machine. And for my 16th birthday I got my own Singer. Ten years later here I am.

How would you describe your style?

Eclectic, a bit eccentric, colorful and random.

Who inspires you?

My BFF (Ms. Leanne of Folk!), My mom, my siblings and their crazy ideas, and my husband who doesn’t complain when we spend our Saturdays together at Joann Fabrics and random thrift stores.

What inspires you?

Oh geez everything around me. My life is full of so many lovely things that inspire me daily, I couldn’t possibly list them!

What are your favorite materials to work with?

Fabric. I also have an odd love of interfacing. Oh! And buttons!

Do you have any particular favorite pieces that you've created?

Right now there is a purse I made for my sister-in-law for Christmas that I am in LOVE with. Of course I didn’t use a pattern or write anything down so I am not sure If I can recreate it, but I WILL try. As far as in my shop, I love all of them, especially the clutches. They look so pretty stacked on top of each other right now; they are so crisp and colorful. Sigh.

Where can we find you online?

SewRedPlanet.blogspot.com

RedPlanet.etsy.com

Lil' Biscuit is Going to Town - Clutch, $28

Gearing Up for Christmas...

As you may or may not know, when I am not listing items on Folk, I am maintaining my mom's Etsy shop, JustPuff. Since she has what you might call a "real job," she doesn't get to make nearly as many things as I do. But don't let the small quantity of items fool you; they are all wonderful and all quality handmade, not to mention extremely affordable.

These recent items are a couple of my favorites: personalized Christmas ornaments! So far you can choose from the steampunk gear or traditional stocking, but there are more to come! (I don't know if this confidential information or not, but I've seen some mittens, owls, and mushrooms floating around her studio lately...) ;)

YOUR NAME GEAR--Personalized Steampunk Ornament, $9

Personalized Stocking Ornament, $8

Falling Down Again

Once again I find myself not keeping up the blog, and for no good reason. But I saw my babies yesterday and wanted to share some pictures! Also, I've decided I need to start drawing again. There was a time when I did real "art," but I just sort of...quit. :( No more! I'm going to be practicing, practicing, practicing, and perhaps will share some of that on here as well...um, maybe.

In the Craftlight: AmberLynnFoster

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a 25 year old single mom, I am finishing a bachelors degree in art and psychology so when I graduate I kinda don't wanna work for anyone but myself. I am about to move into a mini mansion with my best friends and combine our family units to make one big commune style household. 4 adults and 4 kids.

What is your craft?

I knit mostly but have several other things I mess around with like taking a stab at needle felting ( oh I crack my self up!)

How and when did you get involved in it?

Knitting just since this summer but I love it. I have been sewing since before I could read... this and making homemade pastas were what my old Italian grandmother felt was necessary.

How would you describe your style?

Classic and always fashionable. I don't watch much tv and I only read Rolling Stone and Martha Stewart mags so I don't know what is going on. Etsy shops are my inspiration.

Who inspires you?

Etsy shops and my friends. They ask for some really awesome custom things that just knock you socks off.

What inspires you?

Nature and my son who is always picking up fun stuff for necklaces.

What are your favorite materials to work with?

Soft, luxe yarns.

Do you have any particular favorite pieces that you've created?

My fingerless gloves that I sell out in person so quickly I still haven't had a chance to list on Etsy. Oh and The Sheila Cowl... which hasn't been listed yet either but it is amazing!

Where can we find you online?

amberlynnfoster.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/amberlynnfoster

www.twitter.com/PimberKnits

Knit Neck Warmer with Heart Buttons, $15

Cloudy

Etsy Finds: Black + Orange

What a perfect color combination for the Haunting Season! In fact, I like these colors anytime...enjoy!

Necklace by bionicunicorn

Charm by zombuki

Bath Scrubbies by CocoaBeans

Clutch by RedPlanet

Photograph by NestaUsa

Apple Cozy by panAsh

Necklace by luxedeluxe

Felt Bracelet by lilacwoman

Garden Prep

Today was sunny and warm, a nice change from the almost freezing temperatures we've had lately--it's been kind of cold for mid-October! So today we worked on the future garden spot. Our ground is mostly clay, and not really ideal for growing anything decent, but we are trying to fix it. We will probably have to bring in some topsoil before it's over, but we've been digging it up, adding grass clippings, goat poop (a great fertilizer), and tilling it. And today, Mom transplanted her rhubarb.

I love gardening more and more all the time. It seems to be one of the few real things left. I'd really like to be able to share some of this with my Etsy customers! I have been thinking about selling this great fertilizer...and some seeds that I have around the house...and a number of other things nature-related, simply to share a the wealth. Ah, as if I don't have enough big ideas already! Whenever I do get a garden category, I will be sure to share with all of you!

In the Craftlight: TheDizzyPixie

Happy Friday!! The sun is out for the first time in more than a week! And I am so excited about my brand new feature, In the Craftlight, where I plan on featuring a different artist each week. This week, I am very proud to present an immensely talented artist, Briana Morrison. Read the interview and check out her etsy store after that!

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello! My name is Briana and I live in a small

college town in northern California with my boyfriend Andrew, our two cats, and our roommate Meaghan. I am finishing up my BA in Art Studio this December and will be traveling to Europe for the first time this coming spring. I can't wait! Aside from travel I absolutely love being at home. My goal is to someday be able to support myself as an artist and

photographer so that I can work from my house. Lets see... Some random facts about me are: I love tea & coffee. I feel oddly connected to cats (large and small). I love almost all music but my current obsession is with bluegrass and techno. I really want to learn how to make books and pottery. I can't get enough of antique stores and thrift shopping. Oh, and I would eat sushi every day if I could afford it.

What is your craft?

I am a photographer. In addition to the work I do for my shop The Dizzy Pixie, I work at a portrait studio called Poise Photography here in Chico, CA.

How and when did you get involved in it?

The first time I picked up an SLR was as a senior in high school. I took a beginning photography class for a couple months and fell in love with it right away. Once I started college I stopped shooting for about a year. I was in a really tough place in my life so the next semester I decided to take a photography class to bring a little fun into my schedule. It was in that class that I met my good friend Emily at Love & Laughter and reconnected with my camera. It was then that I switched from majoring in English to Art Studio and started snagging up every opportunity to do photography professionally that I could find.

How would you describe your style?

I would say my style is "fresh" with a little vintage thrown in. I like to find beauty in the ordinary. I believe a photograph is successful if it makes to think about the place or object and what its story might be. My mind is constantly drifting into Neverland and I hope my photos will help others find their way there as well.

Who inspires you?

A lot of my inspiration comes from other contemporary photographers. (I have Flickr to thank for that!) I am currently infatuated with Susannah Conway and Welcome, Ghosts.

What inspires you?

Everything! Weather. Music. Love. Life. The sky. Travel. Dreams. Old things. Nature is a huge inspiration lately as well as the actual process of going out and taking the photos. A lot of what I do revolves around the process lately as that's where I find a lot of personal gain.

What are your favorite materials to work with?

As much as I love my Nikon D80 I would have to say I am currently loving my new-t0-me SX-70 and my old Minolta X-570. Its the process really...you just can't get the same satisfaction out of a digital camera, its too easy or something.

Do you have any particular favorite pieces that you've created?

Lately I've been working on a series of micro leaf photos that I am absolutely loving. I haven't posted any in my shop yet but I'll give you a little sneak peek here. I used a couple negatives from this project to create

cyanotypes and am super happy with the result. I'd like to get some original cyanotype prints on canvas in my shop soon. The only thing delaying me is the weather as sun is needed in order to create these prints and the rainy season just hit.

Where can we find you online?

My Blog: The Dizzy Pixie- www.BrianasSpot.blogspot.com

My Store: The Dizzy Pixie- www.TheDizzyPixie.etsy.com

My Facebook: www.facebook.com/thedizzypixie

My Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/BrianaMorriso

My Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheDizzyPixie