Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know I am a day early, but I wanted to get the word out about our super deals this week since I will be too busy stuffing my face tomorrow to remember anything else! Papoose Clothing will be offering 25% off everything in the store, plus a free surprise tucked in with a value of over $10.00! All you have to do is plus in coupon code "Gobble2013" for instant savings off your entire purchase! Use your code towards...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/papooseclothing?page=2
anything from the Spring/ Summer 2013 collection, Color Me Ruffled (which will soon be gone to make way for the new collection!), or...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/papooseclothing?section_id=7520837
anything from the Fairytale Collection (these make-believe items are great Christmas gifts!), or...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/papooseclothing?ref=si_shop
 
anything from the Autumn/ Winter Collection 2013, Midnight Moon (stock up on stylish winter essentials)! Your choice!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/papooseclothing
 
Shop Papoose Clothing at the Etsy shop or the website!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Fairytale Mania

I feel like everybody I know has either been to, is at now, or will be going on vacation within the next few weeks, and I am having a pretty hard time not being jealous! Albert and I encourage our own little inner children by going on family-oriented vacations. As with most adults who are young at heart, we love how some vacations bring us back to the simplicity and imagination of our childhoods. 

Since it's apparently vacation season, I decided to put together my favorite fairytale inspired designs. I still have so many character ideas I need to fabricate, so maybe this will encourage me to be more productive in that area while also working on the new collection. Many of these designs were originally custom orders from awesome moms who wanted a certain fairytale character I didn't have available yet, but brought me on board for creating their little papoose's new make believe outfits!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/127157283/ariel-inspired-pink-ball-gown-by-papoose?ref=shop_home_active
 
A sweet customer had a little papoose who was a huge Little Mermaid fan, and she asked me if I could come up with a design for a ball gown. I loved the idea, and it would never have occurred to me to do a gown. The design is wearable and still such a beautiful dress whether or not you're a mermaid fan! I loved how it turned out, it is so pink and girly and the perfect little twirly dress!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/104300538/ariel-inspired-mermaid-outfit-by?ref=shop_home_active
 
Speaking of, this mermaid inspired outfit has to be the sassiest and most comfortable outfit to wear! I adore this design because it doesn't reveal too much like some toddler mermaid outfits, but it's still obvious that it's evoking a mermaid image. I think the outfit has the perfect balance of imagination and wearability, and I am proud to have originally come up with the bandeau design for the top, though other people are using my idea for their items.
 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/98877943/cinderella-inspired-toddler-custom-made?ref=shop_home_active
 
I absolutely go giddy when I see toddlers in bubble outfits, they're just so adorable, it makes me want to pick them up and hug them out of sheer cuteness! With this design, I wanted something a little different. I decided to make Cinderella's dress into a bubble and added a sweet little peplum. The soft blues are so precious, and it's such a darling outfit to run around and play in while being absolutely hug-worthy!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/100317001/snow-white-inspired-toddler-custom-made?ref=shop_home_active
 
Snow White will always be remembered as a classic, and her beauty and dress is forever stamped in our brains as an ideal image. I love the colors in her dress, and I am not particularly a yellow fan, maybe that's because it's not a good color on me so I never wear it. This design is another one that is totally wearable but stylish and classic all at the same time. The flutter ruffles was a fun idea I came up with to incorporate the colors of the sleeves without using actual sleeves, although it's another stolen design I've seen around. The shorts help with potty breaks, but the dress makes such a beautiful statement!
 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/104387767/mickey-mouse-toddler-custom-made-bubble?ref=shop_home_active
 
A mouse can be so endearing and fun to dress up as, and there are many options for dressing like him. I wanted my design to be something extra special for all those little fans, and I particularly love this outfit for its classic colors and simplicity. I think many can appreciate this outfit for its charm and wearability, but I have many moms who purchase this item for their little boys and girls. I love that it can be gender neutral for all the little papooses!
 
Please visit my Etsy shop for the complete fairytale inspired experience: https://www.etsy.com/shop/papooseclothing?section_id=7520837


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Feature Friday: Miss Teapot

As a fellow artist, imagination is something I feel is essential to a happy life. I could go poetic and quote something likening it to oxygen because it's that much of a necessity, but I will hold myself back. I am so appreciative of my parents for encouraging playtime outside and helping me develop my imagination by buying me countless books and playing make believe with me. I used to live in my own little world as a child, and it definitely shaped who I am today because my imagination was encouraged to run wild.

I get so incredibly giddy when I find items or shops that thrust me back to my childhood games of imagining fairies were among us, and Cheryl and Madlyn Smith's precious shop, Miss Teapot, is precisely one of those fantastically curated works of imagination. As a mother and daughter collaborative, these ladies have fantasy fairytale down to a pat that simples radiates their love at creating inspired playthings for children to enjoy. I delight in their treasures because they look like they came straight out of a fairytale book, and one would have a hard time arguing that fairies weren't real with accessories like these!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/missteapotdressup?ref=ss_profile

1. How do you define art?
I think it is how one sets about providing for and following ones longings and inspirations. The bloom of the inspiration I think is art. This makes art not just capable of physical happenings in form but also emotional, like how we approach and see the world around us and decorate it with us, our own unique design of what we would like to see in the world. Not just paintings and sculptures but parenting and caring for others too is art to me.   

2. How would you define your art? 
Old world, fairytale imaginings with modern sensibilities. Kind.

3. Name 3 adjectives that describe your artistic point of view. 
Honest, pure, happy


4. Who has most personally influenced and inspired you as an artist?
Walt Disney and his vision of Disneyland. Costumes, lands, fairytales, miniatures, innocence. It’s a small world (and all those costumed dollys singing), storybook canal boats (with the tiny castles and homes, Swiss Family Robinson treehouse...me in a nutshell. I could have lived in any of those places happily and still do in my art.

5. Has your artistic sensibility changed since you first began?
Yes, so much. I first started with making fairy crowns for wholesale 13 years ago, and I was using so much readymade floral materials and wasting a lot as I broke all that down and discarded things. I was always uncomfortable with that process of discarding and waste. The discomfort helped me move in a direction of being more conscientious by using recycled and thrifted materials and natural materials and starting from scratch. We also use less glue and more sewn and wired details for better quality. It's slower to be conscientious but it feels better for us and more honest in the end.

6. What inspires your art?
Fairy tales, folk costumes, tiny natural forms, plant life, flowering forms, dollhouse miniatures, kindness


7.  Do you have a favorite artist from another field?
Mary Blair. We love the happy innocence in her art. Her simple forms and color palette. And Masha Dyans, such whimsy and free expression!

8. Who is your favorite competitor from your field?
We haven't ever looked to see who may be offering the same sort of things. Our vision is purely from our hearts place.  

9. Do you have any occupation hazards or mishaps?
Needle pricks from all our hand sewing. Lots of accidental pin stabbings :)


10. What did you wish you would have known when starting out?
That we should believe better in our art and our abilities. That being who we are in our art is really important. It is okay to be us.

11. What is your favorite item currently for sale in your shop?
All our dolly comforts (ie. miniatures). They are so pure and delicate and natural and earthen. They are so simple.  But then there are all the vintage textiles in our dress up pieces, they are so precious to me.  Hmmm..? Such a hard decision to pick one item since I love them all.  Maybe the teacup with tiny spoon crowns? They are miniatures and textiles all rolled into one :) They feel simple and perfect to me. 

12. Who is your favorite author?  What was your favorite book as a child?
We love children's authors...Frances Hodgson Burnett for all her positivity in her stories and Rumer Goden for the sweet simple nature of her characters and stories in her books for children. My favorite book as a child was "The King The Mice and The Cheese" (a Doctor Seuss beginner book) for reasons I don't really remember but I loved tiny animals and cheese. I always thought the book smelled like cheese, probably just the glue, but it always smelled delicious to me.


13. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A hair dresser. I loved making dress up dancing costumes for my doll's dancing shows and cutting and styling their hair. My mom discouraged me from that, which is probably a good thing, although I wish I knew how better to cut my children's hair and style my own.

14. Where is the farthest you have traveled?  Where did you dream about visiting as a child?
Cairo, Egypt. Physically, mentally, spiritually the furthest from home I have ever been. I was always really fantasy-oriented, so probably only make believe places. I used to love to make Barbie campsites in the green, mossy, moist places in the yard. It was magical there imagining visiting through my doll's experience.

15. Which musician or musical group inspires you the most? What was your favorite childhood song?
We love old records, big band and twist records especially. So anyone who plays that flavor of music on a record uplifts us. Favorite song from childhood was probably on my favorite record of "Alice in Topsy Turvy Land." Probably "Topsy Turvy Flowers" or "Copy Cat Crows" from that record. In fact the name "Miss Teapot" came from a character in a song on that record about a tea set ballet :) Miss Teapot was the prima ballerina.


16. Where can people find you and your art online?  
Currently only in our Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/missteapotdressup

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Think Tink

Awhile back I had a mom contact me about possibly doing a Tinkerbell inspired outfit for her little papoose's birthday party. I was so eager to come up with a design because I already made a Wendy Darling Character Inspired Blue Nightgown, and I wanted to add to the character attire in my shop. I absolutely love custom orders and working with moms to make sure they get exactly what they want, and this mom was so much fun to work with.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151486495/tinkerbell-inspired-green-dress-outfit?ref=shop_home_active
Original Design Idea
 
I knew I wanted to make Tinkerbell's dress in a signature green color, which also happens to be my favorite color! I had the hardest time deciding on which hues to go with though, I didn't want too dark or too muted a color. Tinkerbell is quite the little fairy, and I wanted a color as vibrant as she is! In the end, I went with the "pear" and "apple" colors, which I thought were sweetly appropriate names for a fairy's dress colors.
 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/151486495/tinkerbell-inspired-green-dress-outfit?ref=shop_home_active
Work in Progress
 
I kept the design fairly simple but with so much sass! I knew I had to incorporate a petal skirt somehow because a fairy costume without a petal skirt seems unthinkable to me, and it helped bring in the somewhat tattered look to her original dress she wears. The rest of the dress I designed while imagining how a fairy would actually want to dress, but keeping in mind the necessities of little one's wearing the outfit so I made the dress separate from the bloomers for easier potty breaks!
 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/151486495/tinkerbell-inspired-green-dress-outfit?ref=shop_home_active

Although I've seen other character dresses that are strapless and somewhat plain, I wanted to add my usual ruffles and bows. I felt like straps were necessary to keep the outfit in place, especially for a toddler, and the bow adds so much drama. I knew I wanted two green colors to keep the outfit interesting and not so plain, so I chose to do the dress in a darker green and highlight the straps and bloomers in a lighter shade. This outfit is particularly awesome in that there is elastic at the waist and chest so there is plenty of room to grow in, and it is made out of cotton so it's suitable for dress up and everyday wear.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/166175363/tinkerbell-inspired-green-infant-dress?ref=shop_home_active
 
One of my cousins recently had a baby girl and requested an infant Tinkerbell costume, and I loved the way it turned out so I decided to add infant sizes to the shop. The size pictured above is a 0-3 month, which is so tiny I didn't think it would fit. The whole time I kept doubting whether or not it would be too small for her to wear, but all turned out well and the little papoose looked adorable in her new costume!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Midnight Moon Lookbook

I have been seeing many clothing shops utilizing a "lookbook" to showcase their designs in a real world setting, and it is something that has been on my to-do list for awhile now. There is so much to the Midnight Moon collection that inspired me, and I imagined a little short story as I was constructing the line and seeing all the whimsical animal prints that demanded further tales.

http://www.papooseclothing.com/the-lookbook.html
 
I did a little research and came across Issuu, an actual website that publishes your lookbook once it's made. I had read somewhere that using Microsoft Word was the best place to start in forming your layout, so that's what I did. I used up an entire Saturday trying my hardest to make it look fantastic and detailed. I went to upload it, and nope! Fonts were not the same, overlay images were skewed, the arrows I had copied onto the pictures tripled and moved places so it looked like a hot mess!

http://www.papooseclothing.com/the-lookbook.html
 
In the end, I finally figured it was best to just use the simple slideshow option on my website, and that seemed to work out perfectly. I set the elapse time to seven seconds thinking that gave enough time to look at the pictures and read the text, but the viewer still has control with arrows to skip or go back. I have an account with PicMonkey, a wonderful little website that allows you to create collages, edit pictures, and just have fun with your creativity. It is free with basic features available to use, but there is a royale level that has all kinds of fun extras to play with for a reasonable monthly or yearly fee.

http://www.papooseclothing.com/the-lookbook.html
 
I use PicMonkey all the time, it is so handy, and I used it to create the lookbook collages and for the moon overlay and texts. I came up with the circle to tie in the moon aspect, but I knew I needed a colored moon and not just a plain white one. I wanted white text to pop against the pictures so that meant a colored moon, and though I wanted a metallic one, I settled on this moody color that reminded me of a harvest moon. For the story, I moved the moon around on each text page to create a sense of elapsed time, but I placed the moon on the pictures in areas that didn't interfere with showcasing the clothing. I really like the way the lookbook turned out, I think it creates the mood I was going for and highlights the collection in a fun way.

http://www.papooseclothing.com/the-lookbook.html
 
Find the entire Midnight Moon lookbook on the website: http://www.papooseclothing.com/the-lookbook.html

Friday, November 15, 2013

Feature Friday: Ginably

I have a history with sewing machines. My mom taught me how to sew when I was little, and I remember eagerly watching her as she made some of my Halloween costumes. I didn't grow up knowing I wanted to design and make children's clothes, but I had the basic knowledge. This could also be said about art. I took two art classes in school, and while I had a passion for it, I was no brilliant artist. I never seemed capable of fully expressing myself no matter which medium I chose, but I still love seeing something created out of someone's imagination that didn't exist before.

With that said, I will always have an interest in people who are more than capable of expressing themselves through painting, illustration, and such mediums. One such person is Gina Su, the talented artist behind Ginably. Her incredibly feminine and imaginative artwork pulls you into this whimsical world that reminds me of garden parties and the innocence of Spring. Her charming animal silhouettes are so soft and sweet, I can practically smell the flowers wafting from the them!


1. How do you define art?
For me, the definition of art is something that is always changing. Art is more of an expression. It is the expression of how an individual perceives the world. It is how I express what inspires me. Maybe I'll see something walking down the street that makes me want to pull out a pencil and some paper. Or maybe today, it is simply my emotions that drive my art.

2. How would you describe your art?
Definitely whimsical and simplistic. I love lines and floral, and it comes across pretty loudly in my art.

3. Name three adjectives that describe your artistic point of view.
Minimalistic, playful, abstract

4. Who has most personally influenced and inspired you as an artist?
I don't think I can say any one person has influenced or inspired my as an artist. My immediate family has always been more math and science oriented. My sister inspires me not as an artist, but rather as an individual. She is such a great role model, and her success motivates me to become the best that I can be.

5. Has your artistic sensibility changed since you first began?
Oh, for sure. I began very much in the realism realm and pastel was my go to medium. Since then, I have moved more abstract and more... fun. I think my art from before was beautiful, and now it is still beautiful. Just in a different way.

6. What inspires your art?
The simple answer? The pretty things in life. I love flowers. I love animals. What better way then to combine them (as seen in many of my pieces). Sometimes I will see a stunning photograph of flowers, and I cannot wait to start drawing it from my perspective. And sometimes, I just let my imagination drive my paintbrush.


7. Do you have a favorite artist from another field?
There is this television show on the SciFi channel called "Face Off". I am so inspired by all those special effects makeup artists; the way they sculpt, paint, and fabricate characters is just so amazing.

8. Who is your favorite competitor from your field?
I have a few competitors from my field who are my favorite. There are many great artists and the thing though is that we are all so different. We all have different styles. Maybe two of us are whimsical, but we are whimsical in different ways. I admire them for what they have accomplished.

9. Do you have any occupation hazards or mishaps?
Sometimes I get paint on the floor or other places that wish I hadn't...


10. What did you wish you would have known when starting out?
I would not be where I am today without having made the mistakes that I did. But I would've liked to known how much work I needed to put into this craft from the start. And I wish I invested in my printer sooner!

11. What is your favorite item currently for sale in your shop?
I love my bear silhouette print in black and white. I find it really cute and just fitting for my personality. Is it cheating if I say I also love the floral stationery set I have in my shop? My friend did stunning photography work. It looks so beautiful to me.

12. Who is your favorite author? What was your favorite book as a child?
Favorite author is another question I have a hard time answering. I do have a guilty sweet spot for mystery/crime/romance novels. As a child, I loved reading "The Night I Followed the Dog". It is this cute adventure story about a boy who follows his dog. His dog is actually a swanky boss dog of some club, haha.


13. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
The better question is what didn't I want to be. I wanted to be a teacher, a doctor, and a mom. Then for the longest time I dreamed of being an architect.

14. Where is the farthest you have traveled? Where did you dream about visiting as a child?
The farthest I have traveled is overseas to China and Taiwan. As a child, I am not sure if I had a dream vacation. We got to explore many different states in the U.S. and I remember my mom collecting a magnet from each of these places.

15. Which musician or musical group inspires you the most? What was your favorite childhood song?
Right now I have an affinity for electronic music. Especially something with a great beat and bass. But otherwise, who can ever forget the great pop songs of the 90's and early 2000's. Those were my favorite growing up and I still love them.


16. Where can people find you and your art online?
www.etsy.com/shop/ginably

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Elmo Party Dress

Awhile back the little papoose was obsessed with Elmo, but she has now moved on to all things fairy, including Abby Cadabby, which inspired her Halloween costume this year. Last year she received tons of Elmo presents for Christmas, and this year will probably be all things Abby. My sister had bought tickets to a live showing of the Sesame Street gang featuring Elmo, so of course I had to make her a special party dress!

 
I knew exactly the kind of design I wanted, and the dress came out just like I'd imagined, which is always a good thing! I knew I wanted fun stripes and an Elmo print, naturally. I normally steer way clear of flashy prints, but since this was for a live show and a special occasion, I swallowed my pride and bought a print that wasn't too bright and childish.

 
The print has just the right amount of playfulness and charm without being horribly obnoxious, so kudos to the designer of this print! I was actually expecting a smaller face, but I grew to like it. I think it brings out the child-like quality of the dress. I wanted to stick fairly strictly with a red theme, so I was absolutely not interested in the prints with every color imaginable. I love primary colors, I think they are sweet and indicative of childhood and crayons, but that just wasn't the direction I wanted to go in.

 
I already had the red and white stripe fabric on hand, and it lends such a festive and whimsical element to the dress. It really brings out the playfulness, and I love how it's a more muted red than the hue found in the Elmo print. It creates a nice balance between the two fabrics, I think.

 
I really can't explain how I came about with this design because it was in my head from the very start with no reference that I can think of. Maybe circuses from the stripes, but who knows! It turned out so darling, and the little papoose was absolutely adorable in it! I made sure there was enough fabric in the skirt to make it full and twirly, and there was plenty of opportunity to dance around at the show!
 
Waiting outside before the show with Paw Paw!

There's Elmo!

Goodies from Nana and Paw Paw!
 

Monday, November 11, 2013

Midnight Moon Photo Shoot Outtakes

As precious as my little model is for the pictures, there are a few that just simply don't make it through final editing. For an almost three-year-old, a two day photo shoot can be full of fun with a few fits thrown in there to keep things interesting. I'd written a post with some pictures from the Color Me Ruffled collection that didn't make the cut, and I thought it would be fun to do it again for the Midnight Moon collection!

Momma posed her, and I don't think she knew what to do next! I love how she has this disdainful expression like this is so beneath her.

We sometimes point out things for her to look at so I can get a certain angle or particular view, but looking at the leaves on the ground didn't turn out like I'd wanted. 

We made up this game where she starts at a far point then runs to "catch" us while I click away at my camera. Sometimes she is adorable and happy and sometimes she just makes weird faces like this toothless grin!

She is a dinosaur in this one, obviously, and she is coming to get me!

She is slightly obsessed with the baby duckies, like, we had to stop taking pictures for fifteen minutes because she was so enthralled and uncooperative and giddy about them taking a "bath."

She was so close to the edge of the pond that we made her back up because she was going to fall in and I wanted a front shot of the outfit. This is her expressing her thoughts on that move!

Towards the end of day one, we were all pretty much tired, and this shot is perfect. She was supposed to be standing by the fence, but what you don't see is her literally huffing sporadically as she walks away.

I don't know what she was pointing at, but that finger is always out!

Look at that face! I think she wanted to go look at the baby duckies again, and we wouldn't let her.

And when the thumb comes out, she's just about done!

Closing up with day two, this is her response to, "Harper, go run!" This closely resembles my response when my husband asks me to exercise with him.

Bringing bread is an incentive to get happy smiles, but sometimes it's an unnecessary accessory and an ugly background piece. Oops.
 
 
Find all the sweet and perfect pictures found in the Midnight Moon lookbook on the website!
 

Friday, November 8, 2013

Feature Friday: Handsome and Lace

I am a designer for little girl's clothing utterly and completely, but I have been faced with many of my friends and family members giving birth to little boys recently that it makes me want to attempt a boys line. I will admit, it's almost easier making little girl's clothing. Add ruffles and bows and you're basically set. I hear all the time from my friends how it is so much more fun to shop for girls than boys. I have experienced this first hand trying to find fun boys clothing for baby showers and birthday gifts, and I've got to say, it is hard to find something stylish and cool, and it doesn't get easier the older they get.
 
I came across a beautiful shop awhile back called Handsome and Lace that specializes in unique bowties and neckties that are "tailored to stand out." Designed and created by Keira Morgan, these incredibly vibrant and fresh pieces are perfectly suited for the dapper man in your life who has his own style and isn't afraid to stand out. I love all the beautiful fabrics and prints she chooses to create truly unique and memorable fashion accessories because let's face it, "bowties are cool" (bonus brownie points for all those who get that reference)!
 
 
1. How do you define art?
I never really thought of art as something you can define. It's personal, whether it be a painting in your favourite room or a tie (wink wink) that you love to wear more than any other, it's up to your interests and feelings to draw you to it. Art is anything if you can see it, it's there. 

2. How would you describe your art?
My art is totally selfish! I create whatever pleases my soul and senses at the time. It's exciting, unique, fun, thoughtful, extreme at times, or subtley beautiful. 

3. Name three adjectives that describe your artistic point of view.
  . Colourful
  . Detailed
  . Artful
 

4. Who has most personally influenced and inspired you as an artist?
Hmmm. I never had anybody to look up to growing up and I can't think of anybody in particular now who inspires me in that way. Is that something I should be worried about?? I think I'm inspired by visuals and things around me more than certain people. Actually, when I was 17 an acquaintance (someone's mom) took an interest in me and bought me a second hand sewing machine. My first one. That definitely inspired me to create!

5. Has your artistic sensibility changed since you first began?
OH YES!!! It does by the month it feels! I went from using much crazier fabrics to keeping within a certain limit. I have jumped in quality a load not only in my fabric choices and attention to hand stitching details, but to my own personal style. I crave quality more than ever. If it feels like it won't have a long life, it isn't worth it! I don't need more disposable things. 

6. What inspires your art?
Every day! An email from a happy customer, a sale of a tie that I thought only I could love. My fiance's kind soul, living life to the fullest. I believe that what we are content with inside of us will bring ease to everything else even if it has no direct link. Being at peace brings out the best in my art. It really does! 
 
 
7. Do you have a favorite artist from another field?
 I'm VERY passionate about the creative choreography of dance instructors like Derek Hough from Dancing with the Stars. I know that sounds silly, but I watch dance with every part of me, so I cry a lot watching that show. I think Dancing is the most beautiful expression of art there is! Once I get the guts to take lessons I will. That's the only thing that eats me up inside every day. I MUST DANCE!
 
8. Who is your favorite competitor from your field?
Is it bad that I don't expose myself to other designers in my field?. I like to not be influenced by other ideas. I literally love to be the most unique I can be and I'd be afraid of something subconscious leaking in. Sort of like Earmuffs for the eyes...
 
9. Do you have any occupation hazards or mishaps?
HAHA. what a fantastic question! YES! I've stabbed myself in the eyeball with the tip of a sewing needle, and my middle finger, which I use to push the sewing needle through fabric as I stitch, is wrecked. deformed at this point. I also get tiny fibers stuck in my eyes, nose, lungs, and even my skin. After putting on my face powder each day there are hundreds of fibers from my cutting between shower and make up time. I've also cut fingers and furniture...
 

10. What did you wish you would have known when starting out?
I believe that in order to do something right, you have to learn in the moment, and not pre-emptively. I knew nothing before starting and through trial and error I've learned way more than I could have being taught or warned about. That doesn't work for everybody as some people need guidance to thrive but for me, I need to see, and do! 

11. What is your favorite item currently for sale in your shop?
LEATHER SUSPENDERS!!! I'm wayyyy too excited about them. Not just because they are cool but because they genuinely look soooooo good on the guys! *swoon !!
12. Who is your favorite author? What was your favorite book as a child?
Okay. You are the first person I will admit this to, other than my sweetheart. I've never ever read a whole book. My mind goes a mile a minute so after reading a paragraph, my mind wanders and I end up staring for 45 minutes before realizing what I've done. I'm very hyper active and don't appreciate reading. I have managed to get through half books though. "Raving Fans" is a good book. I only read 60% of that.
 

13. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Anything creative. It started with an actress, then photographer, then hairdresser, then fashion designer, then drawing artist, until I started making womens accessories from neckties and then finally mens accessories. That allowed me to sort of bring everything together. I get to take the photos of my product, create fashionable things, and do some sketches for the new pieces. I also get to do my own hair every morning so it's all full circle!


14. Where is the farthest you have travelled? Where did you dream about visiting as a child?
I've been to Ottawa and Michigan for like 45 minutes. lol. I have never been anywhere. We were foster kids growing up so there wasn't any family trips or anything like that. I've never wanted to be too far from my sewing machine anyway. It scares me to be honest!


15. Which musician or musical group inspires you the most? What was your favorite childhood song?
Oh I have many many favourite bands! Pixies, Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, RL Burnside, San Cisco, Budos Band. Whatever makes me feel alive because when I work, I dance and sing while I do it.  
 

16. Where can people find you and your art online?