We've started a new feature in the team blog, to coincide with Self Portrait Thursday. Each week we'll feature another team member. We're continuing things with Amyof Amy's Treasures.
To start, please tell us a bit about yourself. What's your story?
My favorite color is clear with transparent polka dots… I mean….
Let’s see… my shop is something my mom, sister and I had been talking about doing since the early 90s. Only with my sister and I both working and putting ourselves through college, it just wasn’t the right time. Now that I’ve discovered etsy, I have a venue for that. I have very little formal training in pretty much anything except singing. You don’t spend 13 years in choirs without learning a thing or two. ;) But as far as my crafting goes, really it’s a lot of hands on training, or figuring it out as I went along. I did work at Michael’s for a few months around ’94, I think it was, doing demos. I learned a lot in terms of working with different crafting materials. One day I would like to bring back some of those techniques and put them to use on something for my shop.
What is your favorite quote?I just can’t get past this one, it’s too fun “Personally, I prefer a good shag.” Ducky from the episode "Dead and Unburied" - NCIS
What is your favorite movie?
Too many good ones to nail one down, I like action, sci-fi, comedy (not most of the crap out now), thrillers, things like that
What is your favorite TV show?
See above. But to name a few… NCIS, Hustle, Burn Notice, Psych (do you see the pattern?) also watch a lot of food network and HGTV, but not as much of the latter.
Hm… don’t really have a favorite at the moment…
What kinds of music do you listen to?Persian, Christian, classical, piano, 80s music, 70s, classic rock (exSCUSE ME, oldies, you have no idea how old it makes me feel to hear 80s songs on oldies stations)… pretty much anything except any form of rap, old school metal (the new metal isn’t metal to me, but the screaming stuff I don’t care much for), any form of country.
How long have you been creating?Since the 80s, at least. I grew up in church and did crafts in Sunday School and VBS, so this is nothing new.
What inspires you?
Anything and everything.
Please describe your creative process (the how, the when, materials, etc.).Well it probably depends on different things. Some times I’ll see beads that inspire me to make something, while other times I’ll have something on my heart that I want to do (my sunrise, sunsetpieces) that I’ll carry with me until I find the right materials/beads. I would like to move past the “costume jewelry” stage and work with more “real” materials some day, maybe even learn a little metal smithing. I do plan on learning how to make stained glass though. That is something I’ve wanted to do for nearly as many years as I’ve been wanting to start my shop.
What's your biggest artistic disaster to date? How did it help you progress?
It has to be when I worked at Cookies By Design (which is where I got carpel tunnel). I walked in one morning to be handed an order for pizza cookies, one that was to read “Congratulations on the engagement”, only I was so rushed and no one checked my spelling that, I forgot an e in engagement (it read engagment) . I was banned from pizza cookies after that. Course had they not rushed me that would have never happened.The ban was eventually lifted when we got an order for the Northwestern University’s logo on a pizza
cookie with the words Happy Birthday, and a person’s name. That came out great, I’m so glad I took a picture of it. I should mention, unless it was a Disney cookie, all designs were freehand drawn and colored with frosting. We had stencils but those were for the licensed Disney cookies, and the soccer balls. I always free-handed the soccer balls, because I’d fill them all in with frosting, instead of only do black on a white glazed cookie. It looked so much better fully frosted.
Hmmm… I have so many pieces that I love, it’s hard to pick a favorite. Off the top of my head though I’d say either my Rat Pack set or my Rose and Babies Breadth headband/tiara. I love roses though, so that could sway me to liking that piece. ;)
Hmm…. Can’t say I’ve been given any advice per se, but I’ve been given lots of encouragement by the ladies that got me started on etsy; old friends of my sister’s.
Do you have any advice to give others?Just keep making what inspires you, do what you like. Don’t try to make things that you don’t like just to go with the latest trends. You will ultimately hate what you are doing and no longer want to do it. Don’t worry about being trendy, trends only last a season or two. Just concentrate on making your shop something you’re proud of. Fill it with things you love and enjoy making.
What's coming up for you; any big plans artistically?
I recently opened a café press shop, which I’m having fun with. When I have the funds, I will be getting a paid account there to add more options. I will soon start experimenting on making cuffs that will cover wrist supports. Since I have a weak wrist, I have to wear one most days and hate when I wear it to weddings or something. It’s not that I hate the “what happened to your wrist” question, it’s that it sticks out like a sore thumb. I know, that’s just being vain and picky but it just doesn’t go with anything. It’s functional and necessary, but not always wanted.Also, my sister and I are going to be working on trying to duplicate a tree top angel our late uncle gave us back in the 60s(?). We will fight to the death over this angel but she’s all mine! The lights need to be restrung but I can’t for the life of me find a short strand of Christmas lights that aren’t battery operated. So if I can find that, we will try to make my sister one and if all goes well, add them to my shop.
Where can we find you? Both online and in stores.
http://www.amystreasures.etsy.com
1 comment:
GREAT feature on Amy! I love learning more about people in the team :)
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