88 Words

Mad Hatter Emily Gives Us the "Ladybird!"

No, the Ladybird is  not a fancy, delicate, classy new way to give someone the finger. The Ladybird is this gorgeous, handcrafted hat, by Emily of Moe Sew Co. AND! it is up for grabs in This Thursday's sweet giveaway! You can win it, but ONLY IF YOU FOLLOW THE RULES. ALL OF THEM. If you are a seasoned Haikuligan, you know what to do. If you are new here, you might also want to READ THIS.

Win The Ladybird!

Meet Emily Moe
Join me, on MY BIRTHDAY! for an entertaining interview with one of my favorite blogger buddies, and learn a little bit about millinery and husbands who embroider.

Tell us the story behind the name MoeSewCo?
It’s not much of a story.  Adam (husband) came up with it because we’re Moe’s who Sew.  And Co rhymes with Moe and Sew.  He also came up with the tag line: “distinguished millinery and hand-embroidery for the discriminating weirdo” which also has no story.  It’s just memorable, and an accurate description of how we feel about our tastes.

Who is behind MoeSewCo? How did it start? How long have you been creating your hats n stuff? Give the world a little background.
Moe Sew Co is Emily and Adam Moe.  We’ve been a creative team for a very long time having lived through a foray into theatre.

We’re also both musicians, though different kinds.  He’s a hippie jam band fiddler, I’m a classical pianist. 

We used to live in a tiny little town in the middle of the wilderness in northern Minnesota, Grand Marais.  Living in this town really nurtured our natural inclinations toward a creative life.  While there, we had a theatre company that specialized in recreating vintage radio dramas live on the stage.  My favorite part was the dressing up.  40s dresses, my hair in curls... and hats.  Such fun.

We moved to Chicago in some part out of exhaustion. We wanted to see some things that other people were creating, and not have to worry about setting up chairs.  After a little while though, it became apparent that we couldn’t really sit still too well.  Making theatre and music in the city is really hard and not very profitable.  Adam stumbled into embroidery first and together we made Moe Sew Co. I got into millinery a little later and joined up.

What inspires you?
Things that make me laugh.  Turning language around and messing it up. Soft things like feathers and millinery felt.  The color that you can only get through textiles.

Do you have a personal design philosophy?
Not really.  We’re kinda making it up as we go along. Is that a design philosophy?

Where is your work sold? Where can people find you?
Our work is sold at our Etsy store, moesewco.etsy.com.
We also have a website where you can find out all sorts of useful information: www.moesewco.com.
And of course the blog: http://moesewco.typepad.com/discriminating_weirdos/

What's your bestseller? Or, if you do mostly one of a kinds, what sells the best?
Things are more or less one of a kind.  There’s some repetition.  I suppose my best seller would be Mrs. Mustard which I’ve sold a couple of. I have one of my own, and that always gets a big response wherever I go.

   

Adam thinks he might sell a lot of rockets. I wonder why that is?

>

What are some of your favorite materials to work with? What do you find yourself drawn to most often?
My favorite material is velour millinery felt.  Most of my hats are made of this.  It’s incredibly soft and pliable, and the colors are just vibrant.  It’s not wool, which is scratchy and doesn’t mold quite as well, but a mix of animal fibers.

 

I also love feathers.  A lot.  I would like to say that I can’t get enough feathers, but I kinda have... gotten enough.  I told my duck, turkey and pheasant hunting dad that I needed feathers and he told every other hunter he knows, and now I think I might have a whole room full of feathers.  Sadly, I could really use some ostrich plumes, but don’t tell Adam.  He’s got a pretty good argument that I should use the feathers that I have. 

His favorite material is embroidery floss.  He likes the variegated kind because it looks really fancy.

What's your favorite piece that you've ever done (and is it still for sale)?

My favorite piece tends to usually be my last piece.  In this case, it is still for sale, or will be the moment I get to listing it.  I’ve been dragging my heels a bit because I love it so much it’s going to be hard to let go. 

It’s a bright red cloche called That Girl that has a beautiful button creation by CallooCallay.  She sits very high on the head because she’s a little small, but I like it that way.  Gives a bit of a beehive effect.

What's one piece of advice you wish someone had told you when you started?

Beware the addictive nature of millinery.  And be sure to have enough storage room.

What's the best piece of advice you can give someone starting out?

The difference between successful artists and unsuccessful ones isn’t always talent.  It’s usually about business.  Learn everything you can about your business: website design, accounting, PR, photography, graphic design.....  learn to do as much as you can yourself.  Learn enough so you know what you should hire out, and so you can ask the right questions when you do.

Learn how to write.  Learn how to express yourself clearly and make vivid and memorable pictures in people’s imaginations. 

And of course, work on your craft.  I’m a piano teacher as my day job, so I spend hours a day teaching people how to practice.  Diligence and discipline are not dirty words, and they can be learned.

Looking ahead a bit, what's upcoming for you?

We just got done with the St. Paul Craftstravaganza.  That was the Big Upcoming Event for a long time.  The summer will bring many trips to the north woods to make a lot of music and that will also yield lots of time to stitch.

We’re working hard one making our Etsy store successful.  I’m going to be teaching a class in Grand Marais to teach others how to sell on Etsy. Getting the class together will definitely help me become a better seller, and I’m looking forward to helping two communities that I love so much. 

Recommend three artists the world should know about (but doesn't).
Stephan Hoglund

Tim Kaiser

John Rezmerski

And finally, what is your favorite word?
I can’t list just one. 

I love to say “bucket.” and "mukluk"

For the joy of them:
omphalaskepsis (gazing at one’s navel)
urwurm (the song that gets stuck in your head)
horripilation (having goosebumps)
hemidemisemiquaver (a 32nd note in British English)

Thanks Emily!

This Thursday. Three Red Hens.

This Thursday, we're going to talk about letterpress. I covet these machines. The same way my husband covets vintage fiddles. By spending countless, pointless hours drooling over them on Ebay. I can't help it. I want one. I don't know the first darn thing about how to use such a creature, especially to create gorgeous works of art, but I want one anyway.

You may or may not know that hubby and I own a house in a small town in Washington. It's over 100 years old, and it's a pretty crazy place. I recently revamped the downstairs bathroom, which has a cute clawfoot tub, really high ceilings and a pedestal sink. I found these fantastic black and white scrolly curtains for the big windows by the tub, and now I'm constantly on the lookout for cool black and white stuff to put in there. I was looking for a small piece of art for a blank wall, and I came across this adorable shop, Three Red Hens. I fell immediately in love with Erika's shop. It's new, it's not filled to the gills, but you can see by what she has in there, that nothing but goodness is in store for her lucky customers as time goes on. I twisted her arm for an interview after I bought my new "Love Nest" print, which currently awaits its perfect frame. Haven't found it yet. But trust me, I'm looking.

Here's what you can win, just by rwiting a little haiku about the interview, a gorgeous collection of three of Erika's newest (frame worthy) cards.

Don't forget to READ AND FOLLOW the rules, and refresh your memory about the HAIKU.  Enjoy this awesome interview with Erika.  I highly recommend her beautiful blog, it is simply stellar. I love it.

Tell us the story behind your shop name.
My day job is as an educator on a farm and I definitely have an affinity for the Rhode Island Red/White Rock cross hens that we have there. My first inclination was “Little Red Hen Press” – I wanted my brand to evoke my fun-loving & light-hearted spirit. Unfortunately that name was already taken and would probably have buried me in Google under all the books & products of the same name anyway. I was tossing & turning over it for weeks (literally not sleeping) and could just not get past that name. Finally I started throwing out numbers and came up with “Three Red Hens Press,” although now it’s become expanded as “Three Red Hens Letterpress & Design.”

Who is behind Three Red Hens? How did it start? How long have you been creating your letterpress art? Give the world a little background.
Three Red Hens is pretty much just me at this time as far as illustration & printing goes, my name’s Erika. My husband helps me develop ideas & helps with shipping orders.

My interest in letterpress started a year ago and was developed in a continuing ed class at the School of Visual Arts here in New York. The business started with the purchase of my letterpress, a 1909 Golding Pearl, which was an interesting road trip for my friend & I. It was my husband who really pushed me to try to sell some of my designs. Up until then, cards I had printed in the SVA studio were given as gifts to friends & family. I’m still doing most of my printing at the school’s shop.

What inspires you?
I’m really inspired by the farm & education center where I work (as you can tell with the chicken-inspired business name). I hope to have farm-inspired vegetable, fruit & animal cards designed & printed in the coming months. I also like Japanese art: nature prints, simple spacious designs, and cute cartoon characters.

Although I may not share the aesthetic or subject interests of other letterpress printers out there, the printers I come across and the printers who’ve come before us endlessly inspire me. There’s definitely a delicate science to letterpress and I’m still learning.

Do you have a personal design philosophy?
I wouldn’t say that I have an articulated design philosophy. I’d hope that my cards are simply balanced (aesthetically), fun and modern. Not that any artist stops developing their craft, but I’m still getting a feel for my style on a more basic level.

Where is your work sold? Where can people find you?
Right now I’m only selling on Etsy, but I hope to have sales running through my website soon. My husband’s working on it! I’m definitely open to wholesale but am waiting to build up my selections before pursuing wholesale outlets.

What's your bestseller? Or, if you do mostly one of a kinds, what sells the best?
So far my “Love Nest” has been my best seller, but I’ve just gotten started so I’m not sure I’d call it a trend just yet. I saw a lot of sales for it around Valentine’s Day and hopefully it’ll be of interest for Mother’s Day and throughout the year for folks wanting to share the love.

What are some of your favorite materials to work with? What do you find
yourself drawn to most often?
I love thick paper with great texture, although I’m sure most letterpress printers would say the same. Since letterpress can accommodate thicker paper than offset printing, I find the feeling of letterpress pieces in your hands so impressive so I try to take advantage of that. Also, since letterpress printing uses solid areas of ink and not a composition of color halftone dots, the color is especially bold. I love using plain black ink and hand-mixed bright colors together for a stunning effect.

Describe your biggest artistic disaster to date.
I don’t know if I’d call this an artistic disaster, but it’s related to what I do. My friend and I went out to Ohio to pick up my letterpress and a dozen or so cases of type. Even though we tried our best to secure everything, we ended up tipping several cases of neatly-sorted type, spilling everything. To this day have thousands of sorts (individual letters) that need to be sorted_ and unfortunately it’s in 8 & 10pt! I’m waiting for a rainy day… or week.

What is your favorite moment in your creation process?
I’d have to say I’m split between loving the beginning & the end. The initial idea and subsequent early development is very exciting, because it’s like peeling an onion (hopefully minus any crying) and discovering new possibilities with each step of exploration. And then, of course, having the final product in your hands is such an amazing feeling because you have physical proof of all the work you put into it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the printing aspect, but it’s very meticulous and sometimes very frustrating work. Having the final product in your hands makes it worthwhile.

What's your favorite piece that you've ever done (and is it still for sale)?
I’m really in love with my “Berries” card. I designed & printed it originally as a Christmas card for my husband & I and have just recently reprinted it for sale. It’s really quite a difficult card to print because I need to be very precise to get the registration just right, but in the end the effect, I feel, is so simple & beautiful.

What's one piece of advice you wish someone had told you when you started?
I had no idea how time-consuming a business could be, and I’m not even selling that much! I’m finally learning how to manage my time better and balance it out with my full-time job and free time with my husband & friends.

What's the best piece of advice you can give someone starting out?
For any artist starting out, it’s really important to stay positive and concentrate on expressing yourself the best you can through your art and working toward a final product you’re proud of. Sometimes that means not worrying at all about what your “competitors” are up to. Instead, use the experience of others to help you learn tips & tricks for your art/craft or as a resource for troubleshooting. I’ve found that there are so many great folks ready to help you out or give you advice. Search out communities of like-minded people in local clubs, online organizations/clubs, academic classes, and art studios/collectives as a support system for your endeavors.

Looking ahead a bit, what's upcoming for you?
I hope to start offering some design & custom printing services soon. I would like to start by designing business-related items like business cards, envelopes, correspondence & promotional mailers for offset printing. I also hope to get set up to do custom letterpress items like wedding invitations & personalized stationery, but I’m not quite there yet. I just started offering custom banners and avatars in my shop.

What else do you want the world to know that I didn't think to ask?
I grew up in Wisconsin. I share a birthday (day) with Britney Spears & Versace. I love Thai, Indian & Japanese food. I’ve also tried a hand at acrylic painting, knitting (I now have more scarves than allowed), and cold process soap-making (never have to buy soap again!). I love red velvet cake. I have a cow cat named Ushi and dream of having a Corgi dog one day. My first artistic passion was (and still is) photography.

Recommend three artists the world should know about (but doesn't).
Béatrice Peltre – food writer, food stylist, food photographer, chef and blogger behind La Tartine Gourmande.  

Nikki McClure – probably not unknown to most, but simply an amazing paper cut artist 

Purgatory Pie Press - my wonderful letterpress instructor, Dikko Faust, from the School of Visual Arts has a letterpress business with his wife. 

And finally, what is your favorite word?
You saved the toughest question for last! I guess I’d say, “homegrown,” in the sense of local, artisnal, if not created with your own hands then by someone whose name you know. That feeling of knowing the artisan through their work is important to me and I hope others are able to get to know me through my work.

Thanks Erika!
I love your style, sister! When I make it back east, I hope you'll give me a hands on letterpress lesson. I'll even help sort through your sorts!

This Thursday...I'm it. I'm Sooooo It.

Here's a funny to start off your day, and then if you are so inclined, read on. I've been tagged by Beads in the Belfry!

A woman went up to the bar in a quiet rural pub. She gestured alluringly to the bartender who approached her immediately. She seductively signaled that he should bring his face closer to hers. As he did, she gently caressed his full beard.

'Are you the manager?' she asked, softly stroking his face with both hands.  'Actually, no,' he replied.

'Can you get him for me? I need to speak to him,' she said, running her hands beyond his beard and into his hair. 

'I'm afraid I can't,' breathed the bartender.. 'Is there anything I can do?' 

'Yes. I need you to give him a message,' she continued, running her forefinger across the bartender's lip and slyly popping a couple of her fingers into his mouth and allowing him to suck them gently.   

'What should I tell him?' the bartender managed to say   

'Tell him,' she whispered, 'There's no toilet paper, hand soap, or paper towels in the ladies room.

So, I'm It.

The rules of tagging are as follows:

1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

1. I could be happy traveling forever, living in hotel rooms and bed & breakfasts across the globe.  As long as I own a house on a nice beach somewhere, and a sweet cabin in Montana.  And they are five star hotels, and quaint bed & breakfasts. And I can bring my own pillow and blankie. And I have a great laptop to write on, which always stays connected to the internet even in the jungles of the Amazon.
2. My kisses actually, really truly fix my baby's boo boos.
3. I secretly wish I could speak seven more languages. Finnish being first on my list. Followed by  Japanese, French, Italian, Greek, Swedish and Spanish from Spain, in that order. But, if I could speak fluent elvish instead of all of these...I would.
4. When I write my stories, I write them whilst sitting up in bed with a laptop. Usually in the wee hours. This is why traveling and living out of hotels and bed & breakfasts forever is fine with me, as long as I have a laptop. I would love a Mac Air, actually.  Especially if it isn't prone to spontaneous combustion, like my (stupid) Dell.   
5. I really, really, really want my stories to be made into movies someday. Preferably soonish. Not after I die and stuff.
6. If I had millions of dollars, I'd probably spend it helping other artists succeed.

Tag, You're It:

• Carrie of Pink Crow Studio because Carrie is my sister from another mother
• Emily of Moe Sew Co. because Emily just plain rocks.
• Gretchen of Gretchen's Creations, because she wears boots and a hardhat while knitting sometimes
• Rory of Fry Pan Amnesia, because oh my gosh this girl can write.
• The Diva from the High Desert, because: DIVA!
• Tim of Timothy Adam Designs because we need a dude playing dumb blog games too.

And here is a picture of what Cyrus has been working on quietly for the last half-hour.  What you are seeing here, is the fruit of his labor. It's a piece of scotch tape, stuck lengthwise to the bottom of his foot. I know. Amazing. It was very important to him to accomplish this task. There is about ten feet of scrinched up tape strewn about my living room that didn't make it to the honored spot on the bottom of his foot. This is a serious accomplishment. My  kid is SMART. And yes,  I know scrinched isn't a real word.

This Thursday...WIN a Lucy Bracelet!

Okay, this all started when my hubby gave me this awesome bracelet for Valentine's Day. How amazing, is that, anyway? But wait, there's more. Staci, of Pink Pooch Designs, creates these patterns herself and stitches each impossibly small bead into these wearable portraits of  the famous faces we love by hand.  They look positively machine made!  KEEP READING, AND YOU COULD WIN THIS:

Up for grabs for This Thursday is this spectacular Lucille Ball bracelet!  Good luck, and DON'T FORGET TO READ THE CONTEST RULES! If you don't follow the rules, your entry will be disqualified! Also, don't forget to brush up on HAIKUS. CLICK HERE.

MEET STACI

Tell us the story behind the name PinkPoochDesign?
Well, I don't have a dog. I have a cat so my first choice was not appropriate. I'll leave that to your imagination. Since I am a graphic designer I threw around a couple different names and made logos for those names - Pink Mouse - Pink Hound - Pink Dog and then Pink Pooch was suggested. I loved how it sounded. I made a couple logos for Pink Pooch Designs. I emailed then to family members to see which one they liked the most and that's how Pink Pooch Designs was created.

Who is behind PinkPooch? How did it start? How long have you been creating your amazing photo bracelets? Give the world a little background.
Behind Pink Pooch Designs is a graphic designer named Staci. I work for an electrical supply company making their catalog and monthly flyers. I started out making wire jewelry about 3 years ago. I didn't really find it to be very relaxing. I had stopped making jewelry for about 8 months but still had a need to create something. One day, one of my bead magazines came in and there was a pattern for a Mona Lisa bracelet (not the one I had on Etsy, that's my pattern). I just loved it. It was so beautiful. So, I bought the beads for it. I had no idea how to do a peyote stitch but in the back of the magazine there is a little section on how to make the stitches. I read it and just started stitching away. I was hooked. That was just a little over one year ago. Then I started making my patterns on the computer and couldn't stop. These photo bracelets take about 8 - 10 hours to make one. They are definitely a labor of love. But like I said before, I'm hooked. It's like an addiction. I want to bead all the time.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by the diversity in people and seeing them happy with the creations that I make for them.

Do you have a personal design philosophy?
My design philosophy is to make jewelry that I would enjoy and hope that other people will also.

Where is your work sold? Where can people find you?
Right now you can find my photo bracelets on my Etsy shop PinkPoochDesigns and I have other jewelry that I make at PinkPupDesigns.

What's your bestseller? Or, if you do mostly one of a kinds, what sells the best?
Right know it's a tie between the Marilyn Monroe Seed Bead Photo Bracelet and the Audrey Hepburn Seed Bead Photo Bracelet.

What are some of your favorite materials to work with? What do you find yourself drawn to most often?
I have a couple favorites. I like to paint with watercolors, Polymer clay is also a favorite. I enjoy crocheting but, seed beads are the number one favorite material. I love all the colors and what you can make with a little bit of imagination.

Describe your biggest artistic disaster to date.
I love to make Santa clauses. I sculpt there faces make the body, make the clothes all with out patterns. I was making a Cowboy Santa for my sister. I decided to carve boots and mittens out of balsa wood. The boots were perfect. It was the mittens, I had made 2 left hands. I was lucky I had found a miniature saddle, so I put it on his arm and over his mitten. I was only for my sister.

What is your favorite part of your process?
All of it, from making the pattern to sewing the clasp on. I truly enjoy creating these photo bracelets from the beginning to the end.

What's your favorite piece that you've ever done (and is it still for sale)?
I have to say my favorite piece is the Audrey Hepburn bracelet.

What's one piece of advice you wish someone had told you when you started?
To be patient. That things will happen. People will notice the things that you are creating.

What's the best piece of advice you can give someone starting out?
The same thing to be patient. That their time will come.

Looking ahead a bit, what's upcoming for you?
I'm planning a new series of photo bracelets in color. I also plan on doing some craft shows in New York and New Jersey. Quitting my job to make and sell my jewelry is a plan I have for the distant future.

What else do you want the world to know that I didn't think to ask?
I have a fascination with the Pin Up Girl art. I think the artists that painted Pin Up girls are just incredible. I am trying to make a pattern with Pin Up girls. They are very hard to do. I have not perfected a pattern yet. But hopefully soon.

Recommend three artists the world should know about (but doesn't).
The first is an amazing artist on Etsy called Blakeswork. I bought a bunch of her hand painted pendants. I get so many compliments when I wear her pendants.

The second is jlblake, although I have not bought from him yet. I think his Scratchboard Art Prints are spectacular.

And the third is a fellow beader Triz. She has beautiful beaded work.

And finally, what is your favorite word?
I thought about this for a couple days I love the way lackadaisical sounds. I am not lackadaisical, I just like the sound of the word.

Interview With the Glass Man: Inside the Infinite Cosmos

No, this is not an article about some sort of super monk who meditates high in the Himalayas contemplating the far reaches of the universe until he becomes Crystal Clear about All That Is, this is much more exciting than that. This is an interview with Todd Kelly of Infinite Cosmos Glass & Etsy shop: Infinite Cosmos Girl.

Todd and wife, Marlena make up the team behind Infinite Cosmos Girl, the mystical shop which features the spectacular glass creations Torched Into Being by Todd.

As a gal who is crazy about marbles, (I have quite a collection) glass art has always appealed to me. When I had the good fortune of accidentally discovering Infinite Cosmos Girl, I was smitten! I think you will be too. You've got to check out the shop, because there are treasures untold in there, I had a really tough time choosing pix for this interview.

Meet Todd, who did the answering of the questions, while devoted and important wife Marlena is the reason why Todd's exquisite items are available online, making her my personal favorite in the team effort. Sorry Todd. But you're a close Second!

Tell us the story behind your shop name.
Infinite Cosmos is a name we came up with as a team, my wife, Marlena, and I, back in '03. She liked the idea of "infinity" being worked into the name somehow and originally came up with the name "infinity plus 1" but we decided that was too long a name so it became Infinite Cosmos (our dog's name is Cosmos).

xxRobot - Archive Your Life!

It is no secret that I love books. and you all know by now that I am especially fascinated by handbound books of all sorts. You recently met Kiley of Kupo Kiley Handmade Books. A different kind of bookbinding creature is Scott of xxRobot.

These are the things that I noticed right off the bat about this particular bookbinding fellow:

1. Seems like a choice companion for a road trip.
2. Knits his own hats.
3. Makes journals and writes in them.

Based solely on thing #1, I knew this would be a wild interview! Get ready for it.

Tell us the story behind the name xxrobot?
xxRobot is a personal screen name that I made up to span the entire internets!!!! When I make stuff I call it Rocket Paper.

Who is behind xxrobot? How did it start? How long have you been creating your handbound journals? Give the world a little background.
"YOU'RE GROUNDED!" was the beginning of the angst-y journal binding along with "Why can't I find a perfect journal."

I'm very particular when it comes to journals, the vessel that will archive my life. I hate spiral bound notebooks, and notebooks that aren't designed to be written in. I need thick pages and books that can take abuse.

A few internet tutorials and underground office supply visits later the LOVES DESTROY book came to be, but that's a secret story.

What inspires you?
....Martha.... Stewart............she's a crazy bitch.

Do you have a personal design philosophy?
If I wouldn't use it, I won't sell it.

Where is your work sold? Where can people find you?
Only on Etsy. I didn't start making books to sell it just kind of happened because I needed money to buy more paper to make more books. Vicious cycle, right?

What's your bestseller? Or, if you do mostly one of a kinds, what sells the best?
I seem to attract the love of old Victorian housewives. :O
(ummm...?)

What are some of your favorite materials to work with? What do you find yourself drawn to most often?
Super thick paper, weird things you find on the side of the road, stolen signs.

What's your favorite piece that you've ever done (and is it still for sale)?
My suicide journal. A beat up book from miles of travel. Different paper on each page some printed on, and a name tag: Hello, my name is Suicide. This book was never for sale.

What's one piece of advice you wish someone had told you when you started?
How to advertise, and the secrets of the USPS.

What's the best piece of advice you can give someone starting out?
It's a challenge, a lot easier if you have a mental disorder.

Looking ahead a bit, what's upcoming for you?
I'm going to eat candy 'cause its good.

What else do you want the world to know that I didn't think to ask?
Sometimes I hide secrets in the spines of books.

Recommend three artists the world should know about (but doesn't).

Cubist Literature, a curiosity.

Bryce Avary, musician.

Sipho, photographer. Website takes a while to load, but is so worth the wait! blog. website.

And finally, what is your favorite word?
Excellent

Thanks for playing, Scott. Keep making awesome stuff!

Handbound Books & Journals by KupoKiley

It is no secret that I LOVE handbound books. This is something I am dying to learn how to do, mainly so I can bind my own books, with words and pictures and all. I highly doubt that I would open yet another Etsy shop selling handbound books! This is why I will be running a series of interviews about some of the incredible bookmakers I have come across on Etsy.

Meet Kiley, of KupoKiley Handmade Books. I fell in love with the Japanese influence seen in her work, and her clever little folding photo albums. I am accused of never having pictures of my kids on hand, so I bought one of Kiley's  gorgeous photo albums so I can start bragging about my kids in style.

   

Who is behind KupoKiley? How did it start? How long have you been creating your gorgeous books? Give the world a little background.
Behind KupoKiley is a very busy woman named Kiley.  I work for a fair trade African Imports company, currently doing post-bac work in Chemistry, and I bind books when time allows.  I am taking the classes in Chemistry right now to apply in a few years to a graduate program to become a book and paper conservator.  Which is how I got into book binding. 

I worked in a library for all my undergraduate career and knew when I was done that library science was the next step in my educational journey.  At the time I was not ready to keep going with school and wanted a few years to look at my options and just work for a bit.  About a year after I graduated I got serious at looking into library career choices and knew what I didn't want to do.  I was drawn to conservation because it wasn't just another desk job and it let me use hands to do something useful for years to come. 

I took a class in book binding at that time to see if it was something I would really enjoy and feel in love instantly.  I've been making books ever since, I think it's been about two years now.  It took me a long time to get up the nerve to open an Etsy store, but I needed an outlet for the growing pile of books in my house.  I enjoy making books as it feeds my own creative side and I need the practice as I'm working on the "perfect" set of books to submit with my portfolio application to graduate school.

 

What inspires you?
As cheesy as it may sound my moods inspire me.  For example when I made the octopi book in my shop I was in a really funky mood, I wanted to make something playful.  I chose a fun paper and a really unique structure and got to work.  I love the end product, but then again I love all of my creations!  Very rarely when I buy a sheet of paper do I know what I am going to use it for. 

Do you have a personal design philosophy?
Not really!  I as I learn more structures and try new bindings I think of it more as personal growth rather than design.  I buy papers that speak to me in one way or another,  and then build around them as my moods strike me. 

Where is your work sold? Where can people find you?
The only place to buy my work online is Etsy.  I keep a blog and a flickr account which often show the projects that I've been working on for things that may not end up on etsy for various reasons. I have done a few local shows but don't usually have the time to put into all the wonderful shows and markets in the area. 

What's your bestseller? Or, if you do mostly one of a kinds, what sells the best?
I think my origami books have been my best sellers.  Sadly I haven't made any since I did a holiday show in December- I made a bunch in almost production line style and it really burnt me out on them.  The good news is they all sold so I don't have any left for my store.  Other than my origami books I don't tend to stick to one type of binding and the rest of my bindings all sell pretty equally. 

What are some of your favorite materials to work with? What do you find yourself drawn to most often?
My favorite papers are handmade Japanese papers, they are a dream to work with.  However they are not cheap and I often find myself shying away from using the ones I do have because I always worry that I won't like the finished product.  My husband got me a great stash for a Christmas present that I am just working up the nerve to use right now. 

I think that I find myself drawn to anything Japanese the most.  My origami books use origami paper, most of my fabric books are from Japanese kimono remnants, and I buy lots of large sheets of Japanese paper that I never use! 

What's your favorite piece that you've ever done (and is it still for sale)?
Right now I think it's a tie between the Retro Flower Moleskin and the Octopi Book.  The Moleskin is no longer for sale.  It found a very loving home in Malaysia, I have been in contact with the woman who bought it and I can't be more thrilled about where it ended up.  I almost kept it for myself when it was finished, but there was nothing wrong with it and I usually only keep my mistakes for myself.  However, the octopi book I was talking about earlier is still available. I love this binding and this paper.  It was a small sheet and I bought the last piece the store had so I won't be able to make another large book with it.

   

What's one piece of advice you wish someone had told you when you started? Or, what's the best piece of advice someone gave you when you were starting out?
I wish someone would have told me what a pain cutting book board is!  My first class the instructor had everything pre-assembled for us and I never had to cut anything- of course he also has a board sheer so cutting board is not a chore for him. 

The best advice I had when I was learning was about paper grain.  A good book binder will always make books with the paper grain and it is so important for so many reasons!  I see so many binders on Etsy who just fold printer paper in half and I cringe.  I know that is has cost me some custom orders when they have wanted a book that size, but I just can't do it knowing what I do about paper grain and the importance it has to the life of the book. 

Looking ahead a bit, what's upcoming for you?
I'm splurging spring term for school and taking a silk screening class that I am very excited about.  I am hoping to learn about paper and fabric and will hopefully be offering some journals with my own patterns on the covers!  In the non-book world I've been working on a new scarf all week and I am going to make a hat to go with it.  It's going to be a work in progress for awhile as I always have other things come up.  I only crochet when I'm watching tv which doesn't happen very often. 

What else do you want the world to know that I didn't think to ask?
Hmm... I think I've pretty much gushed about everything already.  I guess I haven't talked much about my love for custom orders yet!  I absolutely love doing custom orders, I tend to go all out for custom orders because I know they are going to someone who really wants them. 

Recommend three artists the world should know about (but doesn't).
Rhonda of MyHandmadeBooks. she does amazing leather work.  Leather is a medium I have yet to try, and until I do I'll covet her books.

 

Mmmfiber- While I don't know her I love these scarves she makes!

Sally of Dogwoodlane- I've had her make two custom orders for me and I couldn't be more pleased with her work.  I get complements every time I take my wallet out of my purse or when I carry it alone.  She has amazing turn around time and her work is perfect!