In the Craftlight: JustPuff

Today I have another very special artist to feature in this week's edition of In the Craftlight! She is my very own mother, Puff, of justpuff.etsy.com. She has many cute, quirky, and beautiful ceramic clay items in her shop, so please check it OUT!

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

My artist's name is "Puff" (so my Etsy shop is called JustPuff!) I'm a sensible gal with a sense of humor and I love nature.

What is your craft?

I do many things, but mainly sculpt and build clay pieces.

How and when did you get involved in it?

I realized that I had an interest and skills in sculpting when I was about 35 years old and was playing with my daughter in her sand box. So, I began taking a sculpting class.

How would you describe your style?

My style is pretty much all over the place!

Who inspires you?

Can't say who inspires me, just myself.

What inspires you?

Nature inspires me. I really like to create realistic faces, or sweet little whimsical characters. I also love fish, mushrooms, owls...

What are your favorite materials to work with?

Low fire white clay and Missouri gold stoneware clay. I also like casting things out of molds that I've made and sometimes altering them.

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

One of my favorite things to do is cast a fat, cute, little pig that I made for the company I work for. It's intended use was a piggy bank, but I cut a hole in the side and plug the bottom so it's sold, and cut a small hole in the top so that I can hang it from a jute cord. Then I attach a pair of wings I sculpt from clay. After firing it, I paint it with glaze, fire it a second time, and have a flying pig birdhouse! It's so cute. I also like making clay plaques and putting messages like Peace, Hope, etc. on them. I made one with just an olive branch that I really liked. I also have a piece called Pixie Z that I sculpted out of Missouri gold stoneware, finished with red iron oxide; her wings are made from rusted wire.

Where can we find you online?

justpuff.etsy.com

Paper Flowers

I love these. So simple, fun to make, but very elegant and lovely. At least I think so. Made from a book that I didn't think much of. At least it has a use now!! ;)

Orchids in the night

In their fragrance hidden -

The flowers white

~Buson

Simple Pleasures

...ah, buttons. White, cream, ecru, and ivory buttons, no less...reminding me of pretty vintage things and snow and milk and lace and Doris Day.

And I love it when a tiny little button inspires an entire piece!

{cloth corsage available at the shop...of course!}

No Shave November!

Yes!! It's No Shave November. Didn't you know? Of course, I had never even heard about this until a couple days ago. I have absolutely no idea why, but the concept really tickles my fancy. Perhaps it's because I have a gentleman friend who decided to grow his beard out, and who told me about this just less than a week before I learned about NSN. He didn't know about this special month, either. Hopefully the brotherly bonds of this--um--cause will give him the strength he needs to deflect the haters, i.e. the girls at work.

I'm thinking of offering some custom beard portraits at my Etsy shop...or not. We'll have to see if I can depict actual people. (This guy's just from my imagination.) And I know it's been a while since I've posted any actual "crafty" stuff...please be patient, my pretties!

"Art"

Once upon a time...I used to draw and paint! Incredible, I know. The only things I've drawn in the few years have been sketches and designs of things I want to sew. But, thanks to a friend, I've decided that I want to start drawing again! I am a little rusty, to put it mildly...or maybe I'm just as good as I ever was and don't want to admit that I was that bad. :P

ANYWAY, I may try to make a point of sharing some of my sketches with you. It seems like maybe I try a little harder if people actually have to see my work. ;)

But for today, I'm just going to share my favorite recent drawing. The hand is a little weird, but I SLIPPED when I was doing the ink! It was fine in pencil. Trust me.

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