Chick Lit Designs

New Etsy Interview that I really liked and had to share it with you. You can read it here if you want: Featured Seller: Chick Lit Designs

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Michelle. I’m a first generation American with roots in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. I live in a little house in the suburbs of Gilbert, AZ, with my husband. I love to travel the world and study different cultures. In the past few years, I have found that creating handmade items is a huge passion for me. I am constantly thinking of what I can make next, and I spend hours in my studio – it is like therapy to me. I can hardly wait to see the finished product. When I do finally finish a project, I’m so completely excited that I have to run to my husband and show it off!

I discovered Etsy a few years ago when I was trying to find a way to make extra money to send to my parents during a difficult time. Eventually, my parents told me to stop sending them money, but I couldn’t pull myself away from my shop – it has become a part of who I am. I recently closed my old shop down and opened a new shop, Chick Lit Designs. I own a second shop as well, Yesterday and 2day, where I sell found vintage items. I love hunting for vintage items at estate sales and thrift shops and then researching the history in each item so I can share these beautiful and unique treasures with other people who will appreciate them just as much as I do!

IPAD Cover Case- made from an old Book- The Giving Tree $79.00

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I have a full-time job as an advisor working for a company that sends American college students abroad to study other cultures in the foreign countries. In my free time, I am obsessed with international travel. I love to read, watch movies with my husband, and do geeky things like visit waterparks or play mini golf. I love going on picnics and visiting local cultural events like the Polish festival or Oktoberfest.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I’m inspired every day by vintage items, bookstores, colors and patterns. Just looking at an interesting pattern can really drive my creativity. I’m also inspired by Etsy. It’s a complete melting pot of creativity and a place where I can be myself and create. Not only is it allowing me to follow my dreams, but I see the community it has created with other sellers.

Who has been most influential in your craft?

My father has definitely been my biggest influence. He showed me that life is what you make it. He built the house that I grew up in. I watched him dig out a pond so we could ice-skate in the winter, and make a see-saw so my brothers and I could play outside. Every week he had some new project. He has been going through a rough patch lately, and I know the one of the things that helps him get by are his projects. Both of my parents have good hearts and amazing traits that make them very special, and I’m lucky to have received the creative traits passed down from my father.

Kindle Cover or Nook Cover- Ereader Case made from a Book- Le Petit Prince- The Little Lame Prince $64.00 

How would you describe your creative process?

My creative process starts by going to the local bookstore to see what I can make next and what patterns, illustrations, and stories inspire me. I usually come out with more books than I possibly need and immediately head over to the nearest fabric store to pick out matching fabric for all of the new books. Then I lock myself up in my studio and start sewing. I love watching movies and TV shows on my new Kindle Fire while cutting fabric, and I’ve recently become completely obsessed with watching the TV show Lost.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

I try to do something relaxing — I go to the pool, watch a movie or just go somewhere to let my mind rest. After having had some time to myself, I pull up Etsy and read Quit Your Day Job posts. After reading some, I almost immediately find myself getting up to go find new books and start new projects!

Where would you like to be in ten years?

I would love to spend about a third of my time living in Slovakia and the rest here in the US. In both countries, I see us nestled in our own little haven surrounded by beautiful greenery, trees, and streams, but never too far from civilization. I can envision living in a peaceful area with my husband, raising our kids and making a home as special as my parents did for me. I imagine my business being even more developed, eventually leaving my day job behind and making my creative passion a full and complete priority. I’m so interested to see what exciting things will develop for me, my business, and my family in the next ten years!

- Visit her SHOP -

Have a wonderful day, 

M.

Better Off Wed

So cool I had to share it with you my beautiful readers! :) It's an Etsy Interview - Featured Seller: Better Off Wed. 

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My mother told me that the first word I ever spoke was “no.” I’ve always wanted to go my own way. So naturally, when it came time to design my wedding last summer, I went against the grain and rejected the Wedding Industrial Complex and designed everything myself. While I was in the thick of designing my wedding decor, I decided to put some of my creations out to world and see what world thought of it. It was then and there that Better Off Wed was born. It took off like a rocket, and has been such a wild ride!

I live in the Bay Area and do all of my making at this stellar public-access workshop calledTechShop. TS is like a huge playground for makers filled with super high tech equipment like lasers, water knives and 3D printers. Many members, fueled by free popcorn and untold amounts of caffeine, work late into the night with the hopes of making a dent in the universe. It’s always fun to peek over people’s shoulders and see what they’re dreaming up.

The Classic Wedding Cake Topper in Turquoise Blue - Large - Mahogany Wood $69.00

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I teach creative people how to take their products from inspiration to execution. You can find me over at Jitsoo: Blackbelt Strategies for Badass Business. And if it’s not obvious, I drink a lot of coffee!

What’s the most important question a couple should ask their wedding vendor?

“How will this be a memento that helps us remember we’re crazy in love? How will it help us remember the reasons why we made this wild decision to spend the rest of our lives together?”

Your wedding day is just the beginning of your adventure together, and like any good adventure there will be perils – snakes, barracudas, hurricanes – who knows! Anything that can bring you back to that day of total clarity, pure love and reckless excitement can be a lifeline.

My husband wears a piece of our handmade fabric wedding altar around his wrist. Seeing it definitely takes me back to that thrilling moment in time, on a tiny island in the middle of an alpine lake, where we exchanged our vows.

The Monogram Wedding Cake Topper - Vintage Heart in Robin's Egg - Custom $59.00

Who has been most influential in your craft?

I would have to say that it’s a place – the TechShop – rather than a person has been most influential in my craft. I’ve always had tons of ideas, but when I joined the TechShop I had access to the tools I needed to turn my ideas into a reality. I have taken lots of classes there – from welding, to woodturning, to vacuum forming – but have gravitated to the laser cutter because it’s super versatile. You can cut tons of different materials with laser sharp precision. The TechShop has also be an awesome place to share knowledge and collaborate with outside-the-box thinkers.

How would you describe your creative process?

My husband calls me “the tornado,” if that gives you any sense. I usually go for all-out work sessions where I get messy, spread my materials everywhere and dig in. I sketch my ideas, design in Illustrator, cut the wood and fabric with the laser, and then piece it all together by hand.

The Classic Wedding Cake Topper Ampersand in Light Pink $59.00

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

There’s nothing like getting way off the grid to give me perspective and fresh eyes. My family has 100+ year old rustic solar powered cabin at the edge of a protected wilderness area that I have known as paradise since I was six months old. I go there every summer to do an internal reboot, wipe my slate clean and see what new ideas stir.

Where would you like to be in ten years?

I would like to have trained a whole army of people how to quit their day jobs and do something they love. That’s an insurrection I’d love to be a part of.

- Visit her shop -

Have a fabulous day, 

M.

Creative Chics

I just read an Etsy Interview - Featured Seller: Creative Chics. And I must say I felt so inspired by them I had to share it with you. 

From left to right: Carol Shea, Yuriko Kettler, Debbie Mitchell, Freda Mayer and Debbie Pearson

Tell us a bit about yourself.

The Creative Chics all call Kansas City home. Creative Chics was “born” when my mom, Freda Mayer, and I (Debbie Pearson), dusted off our sewing machines after a 30-year hiatus. Mom taught me how to sew when I was in high school, and as a result, I made many of my own clothes. Then life got rather busy for us, and our sewing machines took up residence in the back of our closets.

Jump forward 30 years when both of us officially retired from our “paying jobs” and started sewing again, enjoying a pastime we had long set aside but never forgotten. It quickly became obvious we both had an insatiable appetite for collecting beautiful fabrics, and it wasn’t long before we decided the only way to support our hobby was to turn it into a business.

We were having so much fun but struggled to keep up with demand, and in less than a year we had invited the three other Creative Chics to join us. There is Carol Shea, who is my aunt and my mom’s youngest sister; Yuriko Kettler, my gorgeous and talented daughter-in-law; and my closest girlfriend, Debbie Mitchell.

The five of us work out of our individual home studios and meet every other week for a “show and tell” of our newest creations, photo shoots of the latest aprons, a shared lunch where we dish about family and life, and sometimes we even make time for an afternoon matinee.

Womens Sweetheart Hostess Apron $37.00

Where does your inspiration come from?

We find inspiration everywhere! We find it in fabric and clothing stores, on T.V. (Bree onDesperate Housewives always wears an apron!), the internet and from each other. Ironically, the five of us have very different taste in fabrics and colors, so it is always inspirational to see what each one of us creates.

Womens Flirty PinUp Sweetheart Apron $38.00

What does handmade mean to you?

Handmade means that someone put a lot of thought, love, and attention to detail in their creation. We sew each apron one at a time to ensure it is made of the highest quality workmanship. We want each customer to open their Creative Chics package and feel they have received a very special gift made just for them.

 When did you know you were an artist/maker?

Spend 10 minutes with any of us and it would become obvious we are all inherently creative souls. But like many people, work and family took precedence when we were younger and really didn’t allow time for us to explore our creativity. Now it is “our turn,” and we intend to make the best of it. The irony is that our apron business wouldn’t be this successful without all those years of experience we gained by working in the public sector. It really laid the foundation for us to realize our creative dreams.

Retro Womens Bib Apron $36.00

How would you describe your creative process?

We usually start with an inspiration piece, such as a dress that we think would be super cute as an apron. With a bolt of muslin fabric in hand, we lay it on the mannequin and start snipping away at the fabric until we have the pieces needed to create an actual working pattern. Many apron mock-ups are made before we finalize the pattern, working out the kinks as we go. Once we have a pattern that we all approve, the real fun begins by picking through our large fabric collections to find the perfect color combinations to bring the new design to life.

Retro Womens Bib Apron $36.00

- Visit their shop -

Have a great day, 

M.