Posts tagged textiles

Candy Conversations : Kay Guccione

By Dilys Treacle Treasures on October 29, 2010
This entry is filed under Candy Conversations, Craft Candy, Member news and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . | 3 Comments

Hi everyone, this week we’re meeting Kay, of ‘lilidrawspictures’ fame. So without further ado…it’s over to Mrs. Guccione herself!

Candy Stats

  • Name : Kay Guccione
  • Hometown : Sheffield
  • Craft : Accessories from Recycled Textiles
  • Company Name : lilidrawspictures
  • Likes : reclaimed fabric, Star Trek, recycling paper, ballet, found objects, lists, ribbon, exaggerating, tape measures, musical theatre, graph paper, gymnastics, notebooks (terrible costly fetish) vintage comics, stationery, vintage buttons, string, ink, badges and champagne
  • Dislikes : sitting still, waiting, chocolate, noisy eaters and bows on bras

Kay Guccione

Candy Conversation

  • Hi Kay! Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’ve lived in Sheffield all my life, including my seven years as a student, studying Zoology & Genetics, and then my PhD in molecular DNA repair pathways. I now work for the University of Sheffield, as does my husband Ed who is the lilidrawspictures website wunderkind.

Being at the University for so long has afforded me the opportunity to take up a new hobby every year, something I hope to maintain into old age. I sing with Singsoc (The Singers’ Society at Sheffield Uni), and spend a lot of time at the Lantern Theatre.

I turned 30 this year, and I absolutely wasn’t dreading it. I like to surprise people who think they’re talking to a 12 year old!

  • Have you always been creative?

After a lifetime of watching my Mum sew, I suddenly got the point and flung myself fabricwards! It started with the desire to make things for myself. Altering, upcycling, and customizing clothing; making one of a kind dresses from vintage bed linens; having something recycled and original. I enjoyed the designing and creating process so much that I started making things for friends and family, for Christmas. And it was only a small step further to open a shop.

  • Can you explain your craft in a bit more detail?

At lilidrawspictures we design and produce original mod-ish clothing, super-strong book bags, brooches, clutch purses and notebooks. Work stuff and school stuff. We do so without sweatshop labour, and with environmental kindness, using old favourite materials.

lilidrawspictures book bag

  • Where can we buy lilidrawspictures stuff?

I sell through Etsy and Folksy (new stock coming in v. v. soon), and also at a selected handful of fairs each year – mainly our Craft Candy Fairs, but I’m also doing the Reet Sweet Event in Leeds Corn Exchange on the 7th November. I supply the 20-21 Gallery in Lincolnshire, and also Salford Museums gallery. In the USA, I supply Southern Fried Comics with my upcycled comic book accessories and notebooks.

Upcycled Comic Book badges

  • How do you go about promoting lilidrawspictures?

My Facebook page is a great way to promote my work, with a good few commissioned pieces resulting form the showcasing I can do there. My main neglected creative outlet is my blog – MUSEROUND which, although very popular, has been static since February, as I’ve been too busy to do it proper justice since changing jobs. Blogging will recommence in the next couple of weeks though now I am settled in and ready to go!

  • Are you available to produce commissioned pieces and one-offs?

Absolutely I am – I love to make something especially to suit a particular person or event. A clutch bag to match a dress, something in a specific fabric, or a custom size of shopping bag. Just let me know what you’d like – you can email me at enquiries@lilidrawspictures.com

Ridicule is nothing to be scared of!

  • What is your workspace like? Do you work from home, or have a studio?

I work from my tiny studio (dining table) at home in Shalesmoor, Sheffield. I am anally tidy – I can’t work in a mess at all. That’s possibly my scientific training coming through, but in a small apartment like ours, needs must! I would love to have a tiny dedicated studio space one day. Somewhere to go to be creative and somewhere to leave behind when it’s time for dinner!

Home studio space

  • Can you tell us more about your day job?

Following my PhD, I worked for four years in scientific research, working in Plant Molecular Science, on a project to increase food-security in sub Saharan Africa. I now work as a Training and Development Advisor, creating and co-ordinating professional development training systems for The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health. I run lilidrawspictures in my evenings and weekends.

  • Who or what inspires you?

Everything inspires me! I’m short (5’ nearly 1”) and petite, and so I get a lot of inspiration altering shop bought and second hand clothes to fit me, and re-designing them. I take a lot of photos, draw things I’ve seen, and browse a lot of websites and blogs. I catalogue all the pictures, with annotations in a series of small scrap books, and whenever I need inspiration, I make a cup of tea and browse back through my collections. I also love to make lists, lists of dresses I want to make, lists of fabrics I want to find. That way I always have something on the go.

I get something like 130 different RSS blog feeds on a daily basis. Largely they are craft based blogs, all the usual suspects, but I also love Design Sponge, they produce a mean before-and-after style interior design blog. Also to mention are We Are What We Do, and World Sweet World amongst other ‘green’ blogs. And have you seen ‘My cardboard Life’?

Yellow Birds clutch

  • Which of your contemporaries do you admire?

My list of favourite artists is extensive, and I like to have a favourite for each mood and whim. Roy Lichtenstein overall I think. Dresses are my thing too. I pore over any shop on Etsy selling handmade frocks.

I love…

Parsimony

Joodito

SohoMode

and…

Heidi & Seek

  • What is your favourite thing about being creative?

Always having a matching bag and dress. Made from curtains!

  • What’s your favourite thing you’ve made and then sold?

I love all my clutch bags. I only make bags that I’d want to use myself, but it’s not really a good business strategy to keep them all! They’re all original, I don’t like to have duplicates. My favourite is a piece called ‘Yee Har’ that was featured on a lot of blogs/Folksy Fridays etc, but sold almost immediately. It’s a recycled wool skirt with cowgirls and bows.

'Out tonight' clutch by lilidrawspictures

  • And what is your favourite craft related item that you’ve bought?

It has to be my sewing machine Brother BM2600 – it’s the thing I’d save first in the event of a fire (after Ed of course, maybe…). It’s from Woodseats Sewing Machines. I really recommend that shop, they are very good at helping you to get what you need, not what they need to flog.

  • What other hobbies and interests do you have?

Singing and dancing.  Sometimes both together. I have just been involved as assistant director with an excellent production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, at the Lantern Theatre in Nether Edge. I have been part of this theatre group since I was 15 (exactly half my life) and this as my first venture into directing. I’m normally up there on the stage, having been in ‘Be My Baby’, ‘Ladies Day’ and ‘Players Angels’ in the last couple of years.

  • How long have you been a member of Craft Candy, and what do you love best about being part of the group?

I joined in 2008 after receiving an invitation to attend the first Spring Fling fair at The Workstation. Since then I have been on the committee, helping to organise events and members. This summer I joined the management committee as Secretary, and I absolutely love being part of something so well organised and successful as Craft Candy. We’re going from strength to strength – great kudos. I think we’re really going to grow this year, and I can’t wait to put all our great ideas into practise and kick on with the world domination!

Recycled tape measures!

  • And what are your plans for the future?

Short term: To survive the Christmas rush. To get back on with regular curator blogs on MUSEROUND. To accept invitations from a couple more galleries. To grow Craft Candy. To visit more fairs, especially ‘Zine’ fairs. To develop the recycled paper/stationery side of the business. And to enjoy my crafting.

Long term: to do an Architecture degree.

  • Thank you Kay for the insight into your world, it’s been lovely finding out more about you and what you do!

Yee Har! clutch

Candy Conversations : Julia Crossland

By Dilys Treacle Treasures on October 22, 2010
This entry is filed under Candy Conversations, Craft Candy, Member news and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . | 3 Comments

Hello! Welcome to Candy Conversations. This weeks chat is with illustrator and artist, Julia Crossland…

Candy Stats

Name : Julia Crossland

Hometown : Sheffield

Craft : Artist & Illustrator

Company Name : Julia Crossland Art

Website : www.juliacrossland.co.uk

Blog : juliacrossland.blogspot.com/

Etsy : http://www.etsy.com/shop/juliasart

Folksy : http://www.folksy.com/shops/Jool

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Julia-Crossland-Art/14294553611?ref=ts

Flickr : http://www.flickr.com/photos/32380972@N03/

Likes : painting, crochet, walking, camping, cooking, travel, wool shops, the sea, lighthouses, islands, hares, birds, yoga and sea swimming

Dislikes : spiders, fat on bacon, bad manners, slugs and foggy days

Julia Crossland

Candy Conversation

  • Hello Julia! Please tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m 37, I live in a village called Deepcar just north of Sheffield, and I studied Interior Design at the University of Plymouth. I live with my partner of 10 years, and our daughter who is three.

  • Have you always been a creative person, or have you discovered you have a creative side more recently?

I was a creative child yes, and I was lucky to have a very creative Mum and Nan.  My Grandad was also a cartographer and my Mum definitely inherited his artistic ability, which I guess I must have inherited off the pair of them!

I once entered a competition with a friend that was run by Sheffield Museums (around 1989), to design a bedroom, which we did in a large cardboard box.  It had a castaway island theme, and we spent hours on it!! It actually won and we were featured in The Star. It was great fun, I think that was when I first developed an interest in interior design!

I also had a fabulous job whilst living and studying in Devon, I was asked to paint a mural in a 400 year old Inn near Torquay harbour – it took four weeks and was fantastic fun – it’s no longer there sadly, it got painted over a few years back when the new landlord moved in!

I’ve always enjoyed drawing and painting, but it was just a couple of years ago that I discovered a new passion for wool and crochet work.  I taught myself during a weeks holiday at my sisters home in Suffolk, and haven’t stopped hooking since!  I’m really glad I took it up, I think perhaps I was subconsciously inspired by my late Nan, who crocheted throughout my childhood but despite her best intentions to teach me, I was never interested as a child.  Looking back I wish I’d taken the time to learn from her, it would have been lovely.

Julia's crochet work

  • Tell us a bit more about your crafts…

I’m mainly an artist and illustrator, and I’ve enjoyed it for as long as I can remember.  I paint from my imagination, or from scenes I’ve captured in my sketchbook on my travels.  I have always naturally been drawn towards painting, and acrylics are my favourite medium, although I do enjoy vivid watercolour work too!

I paint and sell originals, and create open and limited edition prints & cards.  I’m looking forward to receiving my first commission as a children’s book illustrator since being taken on by the Elizabeth Roy Literary Agency.  It is a long standing dream of mine to illustrate a book!

My work is mainly of an illustrative nature, the sea is a favourite subject matter but I also enjoy character work and you can see examples of these on my website.

I have my own business, which is called Julia Crossland Art.

Alongside this, I have made crocheted and sewn items, which seem to sell well at fairs, but I do think of myself as an artist and these are enjoyable sidelines to my main business.

'A Moonlight Adventure'

  • Where do you sell your work, and how do you promote your business?

I sell my work through my website, and my Folksy and Etsy shops.  I have also taken part in Craft Candy fairs, and prior to that I did a few fairs in Derbyshire and West Yorkshire.  I am not currently lined up to do any fairs this year, as life art-wise is pretty full right now, but hopefully I would like to give them a whirl again next year.

I have a Facebook page, and a blog, both of which I’ve found to be wonderful at promoting my work and encouraging new custom.  I have had enquiries from people who have seen my work on Flickr too.

Any work that I sell is sent out with a flyer and a business card; that way it gives the buyer something to remember me by!

My blog is something that I try and write at least once a week.  I have quite a nice amount of followers and subscribers who visit regularly and I really enjoy doing it.  It’s a nice way to share what’s new with your audience and also give them a little insight into who you are as a person.  I have recently introduced a newsletter which people can subscribe to, this includes subscriber only offers, goodies and freebies – its only been running since September and the interest has been fabulous with new sign ups every week!  Im really excited about it!

  • Do you produce commissioned pieces?

Yes I do.  I always welcome enquiries of this kind, and if anyone is interested they are very welcome to email me.  I also have a page on my website which explains a bit more about my commission work, how I work, prices and so on.

In the past, I have had commission work from a customer in Australia who had previously bought two original paintings and wanted to enhance her collection with two more! These were very illustrative and were of little sailing boats on a moonlit sea – they were mixed media works that were enhanced with iridescent inks.  At the opposite end of the scale I have painted a gentleman’s grandfather working with his old Suffolk Punch plough horses, a real country scene.  This was quite a large piece and is now at the collectors home in Bury St Edmunds.

  • Do you have a studio or special work space?

I currently work from home, my ‘studio’ doubles as our dining table and when we’re not eating at it, it’s very often strewn with palettes of paint, tubes of paint, sketch books, crayons, my table easel and jam jars of paint brushes!  It’s an organised mess, but it has to be packed away at the end of my working day which is the downside of not having a special room to work in!  I would love my own studio, and I envisage having a bright and airy one in the not so distant future!

Julia's workspace - the dining room table!

  • Is Julia Crossland Art your main business, or do you also have a day job?

My main job at the moment is being Mum to my 3 year old daughter, and my art work is very much a part-time thing at the moment.  It’s a great job though as it means I get the best of both worlds, time well spent with the Little One, and being able to work from home without worrying about childminders etc.  It fits in well around her busy schedule (she has a better social life than I do!) and I think she has benefitted from having me at home too – I do realise how lucky I am not to have had to go back to work after having her though.

I’ve been self employed since 2000, but the first five of those years I worked as a freelance signwriter!  I decided to take the leap and begin working as an artist in 2005 or thereabouts, supplementing it with signwriting work here and there, and did this until I had my daughter in 2007.

My daughter is a little well of inspiration, and enhances my work no end.  She has been the subject of several characters Ive created in the past; without her they wouldn’t have been born in my imagination and the agency wouldn’t have found me (as it was those works they spotted) I have a lot to thank her for and I feel very lucky to be Mum to such a vibrant and creative little soul who is already showing huge potential of her own. She is drawing and painting pretty much every day and has quite a talent!

'Can we come too?'

  • Who, or what inspires you?

Well, aside from my daughter, I am inspired by other artists and illustrators; Brenda King, Andrea Stokes, Pam Smy, Martin Proctor and Mabel Lucie Attwell (just a few from a ridiculously long list!) I also love the work of printmaker Penny Bhadresa, textile artist Poppy Treffry and designer maker Kirsty Elson.

Artists and Crafters blogs I like to visit are:

  • Attic24 : Lucy is an absolute crochet sensation and has a very appealing blog presence.
  • Love Stitching Red – a very talented mixed media textile artist based in St Ives, her blog is utter heaven!

I often buy Artists and Illustrators magazine to keep me up to date with things, as well as Carousel (a children’s book illustrators magazine). As well as this, I find Country Living and Coast magazines have endless inspiration amongst their pages!

I think I draw influences from all of the above mentioned.  Sometimes it’s the layout of a piece that catches my eye, other times it’s colour schemes.  I also like to see how other artists create certain techniques or textures within their work, and then have a go at creating it in my own style.

  • What do you like best about being creative?

Being creative really helps me switch off, I totally lose myself when I’m working, to the point that I forget to eat (strange but true!). The hours fly by, and I always feel really good after a day painting.

It’s also a wonderful feeling when someone gets in touch to say they want to purchase something you have created – to sell a piece of work and know that someone has it in their home is very gratifying.  Making money from it is a bonus.

  • Do you have a favourite piece that you have created, and then sold?

I can’t think of a favourite, oh…and I find my originals hard to let go of at times!! I’m happy that they have found a lovely new home, but I do miss them when they go!! I have to be very strict with myself :D   I have kept a couple of works that I’ve done, and they’re hanging in my home.

  • Do you have a favourite piece of art that you have bought?

I feel quite lucky to have some nice bits and pieces of art and craft in my home.  A favourite of mine is a limited edition framed linocut print, which I bought from Penny Bhadresa at Blackthorpe Barns Christmas Market last year in Bury St Edmunds.  Penny is very talented and her print work has a wonderful energy and movement to it.  I would definately recommend her work.  The piece we chose is called ‘Remembering Scalpaigh’, and for me it evokes wonderful memories of the coast – every time I look at it gives me a really nice feeling and it’s hanging in our dining room.

  • What other hobbies or interests do you have?

I have to admit that painting is my main hobby, although I do love sewing and textile art, not to mention crochet!  As well as this I like escaping to the sea as often as possible and walking by the coast – since moving back to Sheffield from Devon several years ago I do get that land locked feeling, so we dash off to Whitby for the day for a bit of sea air!  I also find the coast an invaluable place for finding inspiration for my paintings, and I love to wander around with my camera taking photographs.  It’s also on my ‘To Do’ list to learn how to take really good pictures, and become a better photographer!

Cicada

  • How have you benefitted from being a member of Craft Candy, and what do you like best about being in the group?

Craft Candy is an amazing group of people, there are so many talented individuals involved. It’s a pleasure to have got to know some of these over the last couple of years, and to be able to call them friends.  As time goes on, Craft Candy is getting much wider recognition, and I feel very glad to be a part of such a popular group.

I did two craft fairs with the group last year and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. It’s a lovely way to connect directly with your customers, as well as see first-hand the talent and work of the other artists and makers.

From being a member of Craft Candy, I was featured in an interview with Lucia Kempsey last Christmas which was printed in The Star newspaper. It was all about creating your own home made decorations, being thrifty, that kind of thing.  It was great fun.

Julia's stall at Craft Candy

  • Finally Julia, what plans do you have for the future?

My big dream is to illustrate a children’s book, my second is to illustrate another!  I would also love to have a range of greetings cards published – I think secretly I would love to see myself with the same success as Emma Ball!

I would also (eventually) like to start working full-time on my art again – when the Little One is older and at school and I have more time on my hands!  I think this is when I will be able to dedicate more time to growing my business.

  • Thanks Julia, it’s been really lovely talking to you and finding out more about your work!

'Sailing Day' textile canvas

Candy Conversations : Louise Broomhead

By Dilys Treacle Treasures on October 9, 2010
This entry is filed under Candy Conversations, Craft Candy, Member news and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Hello and welcome! This is the third in the series of Candy Conversations, where we’re catching up with a different member of Craft Candy each week, to find out more about them, and what they do! This week, say hello to Louise Broomhead!

Candy Stats

  • Name : Louise Elizabeth
  • Hometown : Sheffield
  • Craft : Textile Design – Print & Embroidery
  • Company Name : Louise Broomhead Textile Designs
  • Likes :  taking photographs, reminiscing, vinyl records, reading, dancing, interior decoration, brainstorming, rose gardens, orchards, water gardens, childhood memories, nature, woods, tree houses, fields, cherry blossom trees, animals, friendship, fashion, yoga, ice skating, creative & visual thinking, holistic therapy, and psychology.

Louise Broomhead

Candy Conversation

Hi Louise, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I am 34 years old and my birthday is in December, so my star sign is Saggitarius. I live in a rented apartment on the border of Sheffield and Derbyshire and I love it. I’m single at the present time with no children.

I first went to Leeds Metropolitan University and gained a B.Ed (Hons) degree in Design & Technology Education (Early Years), in 1999. Then in 2007 I went back to studying, and gained a BA (Hons) degree in Textile Design – Print/Embroidery, from Derby University, that was kindly sponsored by Madeira Threads and Art Van Go.

I was brought up in the 70s/80s with my younger sister and my 2 younger brothers (one brother has now sadly passed away, as has my mum.)  We loved to make our own fancy dress costumes and do childhood things like fill up old Fairy liquid bottles and have water fights! The good times!!

I have no pets at present, but I used to have 2 rabbits as a child. One was called Misty and the other Smokey (they were both grey as you’ve probably guessed). When I laid on the floor, Smokey would jump onto my back! Also my next- door neighbour had a terrapin and my siblings and I were fascinated by it!

My Y6 school teacher was fantastic with me because he knew that I preferred to draw and paint as a way of expressing myself, so he always let me do so after I had finished my class ‘work’. It was a time of break dancing and disco and I spent a lot of my time disco dancing in my friend’s garage whilst he DJ’d with a mix tape!! I also watched other friends break dancing.

Some of Louise's degree show work

  • Were you always creative from an early age?

I’ve always been artistic and creative since childhood.  One of my earliest memories is of when I was aged about 4 years old, and I was painting using lots of bright colours. I have since re-discovered this love for colour as an adult. With my friends, I could always be found outside exploring nature with the girls or painting stones bright colours and making rose perfume! Plus climbing fences and trees with the boys! I was very adventurous!

My parents encouraged me to enter colouring and art competitions at school and in the Sheffield Star newspaper. I won a lot of things from what was considered the best toyshop in Sheffield at the time, Redgates, on Furnival Gate! Janet and Bernie ran the competitions, and I still have the letters and certificates from them. I also won vouchers to buy Brownie items from the Scout Shop, and prizes in The Lord Mayor’s painting Competition, which involved having a reception with the Lord Mayor himself! Very exciting as a child!

My dad painted using oils when I was a child and he has recently re-discovered that too. When I was a youngster we had one of his paintings on our wall that was a large silhoutte of a boat in black, with an orange sunset behind. Our kitchen was furnished in similar colours, with swirly brown and orange 70s patterned curtains. Even my clothes were similar colours – see pic! ;) My mum had some of the best ideas for us to use within our own artwork but didn’t  physically create art herself.

Little Louise

At Secondary School I won the school prize for Textile Arts for my GCSE Coursework, and I am still in touch with two of the teachers from school as I also studied for an A Level in the Sixth Form. The teachers have been extremely supportive ever since I left school and that is 16 years ago! Now I do sound old! Ha ha! They even came to my Craft Candy stall at last year’s Spring Fling!

I did my Education degree first, and then wished I’d studied Textile Design too, so I went back to university and gained my second degree – it’s never too late I say!

  • What is your craft exactly Louise? Tell us what you do and how you got started.

I studied Textile Design, and my craft is hand screen printing/hand embroidery, encompassing textile art/design/craft. I draw and paint by hand and also create designs on Photoshop which are then translated into digitally printed textiles. I am currently selling these as fabric at Spoonflower with my greetings cards being available through Etsy, and at Created Gallery in Chesterfield.

Initially I brainstorm themes, and choose a specific one after conducting research of new trends and visual/market research. Then I brainstorm again by writing down subject ideas for my drawings, and collect pictures on a theme to inspire me. I also go and take photographs of possible ideas of subjects to draw (for example for my degree work I visited a Hindu temple in Bradford.)

Speculative enquiries mainly come through my blog site comment form, for opportunities such as craft fairs, magazine and blog features. As I focus on my fabric collections I don’t offer commissions unfortunately.  I use business cards at fairs but will also soon be getting flyers printed with the help of SENTA Business Support in Sheffield.

My work is featured on the Arts Derbyshire/Creative Greenhouse and UK Handmade websites. I love to blog as regularly as I can and my followers are growing steadily. I have made some fabulous friends online who have helped me to move forwards with confidence.

Cherry Lips fabric

  • What is your work space like, do you work from home?

I work at home in my living room, spare room and bedroom! If I am designing, I get out all of the tools and materials that I need, and it becomes very messy! Then I have a big tidy up at the end of the day. I am aiming to brighten up my spare room and buy a large art table and more storage units in the near future.

A selection of Louise's work, displayed in her home

  • Is your textile work your main job, or do you have regular employment aswell?

I am a part time Primary School Supply Teacher which works really well as I choose to work on a day to day basis so that I can organise my time around both professions. I initially trained to teach as it was an active and creative job and I had done a period of work experience at a local school that I thoroughly enjoyed.

However once I was qualified I began to miss my textile work so I also trained as a Textile Designer and now I design and teach. I have been a Primary School Supply Teacher for 8 years. I am a specialist D&T teacher qualified to teach any age, but I choose to teach in the Early Years currently as this was my main degree focus.

'Blossom' fabric

  • Who or what inspires you?

I adore the textile design work of the graduates from Cleveland College of Art and Design as they frequently design combinations of both print and embroidery and use the traditional methods alongside more groundbreaking technology. I love to read Embroidery and Selvedge journals and a lot of my Textile Design dissertation was based around research from these.

I use all of the colours of the spectrum in my designs but I particularly like soft or bright reds, pinks, greens, turquoises, purples and blues. When it comes to yellow and orange I prefer to use gentler shades. I love to print and embroider onto natural fabrics.

My favourite periods for fashion and textiles are the 20’s/50’s and Contemporary Styles. I also love Medieval costumes and representations of nature within textiles including animals such as horses/birds/elephants and woodland creatures. Currently my inspirations vary and include Cosplay, Japan & China, Kawaii, Burlesque and Pin Up. The type of films that I love to bits are Pride and Prejudice, Miss Potter and Alice In Wonderland, basically anything with period style costumes.

'Rose Garden'

  • Which of your contemporaries do you admire?

I admire Heidi Turner who is a previous New Designers Award Winner and winner of the Hand and Lock Embroidery prize. I saw her collection at the New Designer’s Exhibition in London.  I also love Tilleke Schwarz’s embroidery work and I own her book. Teresa Cole who is in business as Teresa Green Design was a visiting lecturer when I studied at Derby University and she creates beautiful linear textile prints onto natural fabrics. I own some of Teresa’s postcards and cards.

  • What’s your favourite thing about being creative?

Painting is so powerful for me – it makes me amazingly calm and drawing keeps me focussed and happy. I feel like I do have a niche element to my skills and designs as I combine lots of different mediums in one. I am hoping to develop this further over the next few months. The social side of being a crafter is very important to me and I try to contribute to Craft Candy as often as I can by attending craft fairs, events and get togethers.

  • What is your favourite craft item that you have made and sold?

I made a screen printed picture in a mount which was bought by a lovely lady from a stall that I had with Craft Candy at the Woolfest last year. It was a linear China Blue print including birds onto white fabric. I am pleased that I sold it and that it gives someone as much pleasure to own it as it did for me to create it.  I wouldn’t part with my degree show designs as they are so special to me. However any designs that I make to sell I am pleased to do so as it make me feel good to see the smiles on people’s faces when they like them.

China Blue

  • How long have you been a member of Craft Candy, what do you love most about being in the group, and how does it benefit you?

I joined Craft Candy in Spring 09 and left in January 2010. I took some time away and then rejoined in June 2010 and I am so glad that I have! I was welcomed back by the other members in such a lovely way it was like I had never been gone. I originally found out about the group on the Indie Quarter blog. I have made lots of amazing new friends and being in the group involves getting to know new people all the time.

I had a stall at two Craft Candy fairs in 2009, and also at the Woolfest. I would like to take part in some of the future workshops. I have previously attended workshops in paper making in Stroud and in Machine Embroidery with Karen Woods at Rufford Country Park.  Previously I was responsible for Publicity and Marketing at Craft Candy for a number of months in 2009 which involved me arranging a newspaper article in The Star newspaper.

Louise's stall at Candy Floss 2009

  • Last of all, what are your plans for the future?

I’m hoping to sell my fabrics on my new website, which will be online in Spring 2011. I would also like to undertake more research eventually into Creative and Visual Thinking and an MA in Textile Design, and I would possibly like to lecture in Printed and Embroidered Textiles in Higher and Further Education.

Thank you very much Louise, it’s been lovely talking to you!

Louise



Candy Conversation

By Sarah Waterhouse Textiles on September 21, 2009
This entry is filed under Candy Conversations and tagged , , , , , .

Why don’t we get to know some Craft Candy members a little better – every week I’ll interview a different member and to start us off (seeing as I haven’t asked anyone yet!) I’d better start with me!

Vital statistics:
Name: Sarah
Craft: Hand Printed Textiles
Hometown: Sheffield
Website: www.sarahwaterhouse.com

Glasses Cases


Tell us about you and your craft?
I’m a textile designer and printer, all my textiles are hand printed by me in my teeny studio in Sheffield. I’ve been printing for nearly 3 years now and I love it.

How did you get started?
I started designing prints back in 2004 but had no idea how to get my designs on to fabric.  I used to use t-shirt transfer paper to put my designs on to simple cotton tote bags that I made but that just wasn’t a great long term solution.  At college my favourite medium was printing but we weren’t lucky enough to learn screen printing so I set about teaching myself.

Buttons

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I am huge collector of vintage clothes, ceramics and textiles so all my inspiration tends to come from those.  I think I was born in completely the wrong time as I’m a huge fan of design from the first half of the 20th century and really believe that design was at it’s best in that particular period.

Where do you sell your work?
I sell my work mainly on the internet through my etsy and Folksy shops but also at craft fairs in Sheffield.  I’ve only been selling at fairs for little over a year but I love them.  Being able to chat to people and see who buys your work is one of the best bits!

Blue Coin Purse

What do you love most about being creative?

I love the fact that I can make a living out of doing something creative.  My day is never boring, there are always interesting days (even the ones when I’m sewing millions of knitting bags!)  I absolutely love being self employed and can’t think of a better way to earn a bit of dosh!

Tell us what your plans for the future are?
My next big challenge is the launch of my fabrics sold by the metre.  I’ve always had lots of requests for my fabrics and always hated saying no I don’t sell them.  I always thought that it just wasn’t possible to sell my own fabrics as I only had the space to produce small batch quantities when I was working from home.  Moving in to my own studio in July has meant that this is no longer an obstacle so I’ve been busy printing small quantities of fabrics which I’ll be bring to a fair near you soon.  I’m also making plans to start printing larger quantities I can sell by the metre – it’s all so exciting!