You are going to love hearing from Amanda. I just recently met her on the Etsy forums, and she is so sweet. After you are done reading her interview, if you want to read more, check out her blog: http://mandilouise.blogspot.com. As she puts it, “Cross-pollination among crafters is such a valuable tool!”
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Could you tell me about your fabric? It looks special.I am a total fabric hoarder. Much of the fabric I use for plushes is either vintage cotton calico, or newer printed cotton that has been overdyed to soften the bright colors and make it look older. I stain a lot of my plushes with ink, to make them look like they’ve been in a wet attic for a few years. I am enchanted by old, forgotten toys of bygone ages; toys that were made by hand, one at a time, not mass-produced on machines or printed with licensed characters. There is so much love in them, both love from the person who made them, and love from the people who played with them, often playing with them until they fell apart completely, and needed to be repaired over and over again. I want to bring that kind of feel into my pieces, so I never use a sewing machine, and try to use mostly cotton or natural fabrics, though I do experiment with faux fur.
How long have you been crafting? Who taught you?
My mom is also very artistic, and has always encouraged me to make things. I’m a commercial artist by profession, and graduated with a Graphic Design degree, so making art is just second nature to me. The idea of taking something banal and giving it new life as something else fascinates me. There is so much creativity in people!
What you like and dislike about selling on Etsy?
There isn’t much to dislike, for me. I love the community atmosphere, everybody is really supportive of each other. It really provides an outlet for artistic folks who may not have ever thought they could have an internet shop. I’ve had a webstore for years now, selling my soap, but not everybody is able or interested enough to go through the hassle of setting up a web-based store. Etsy makes it available for anybody, and I think that’s just brilliant. I’ve met some great crafters on Etsy.
Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers?
Try and step away from the computer, when you can. I’m definitely an internet-a-holic sometimes, and need to remind myself that there is a whole wide world outside the screen. I take hikes in the forest, I like to watch birds, I love to look at plants and insects. The internet is a great tool for networking and meeting people, and making personal business progress, but don’t forget to observe and absorb what is around you every day.
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Happy Easter Everyone!
