Happy Holidays!

Fear not Crafty Synergy is still alive and well! I haven't forgotten about you all. Due to the busy holiday season it has been difficult to obtain more interviews but I'm in the process of gearing up for the new year. I will resume posting after the holidays are over. In the meantime please visit any interviews that you may have missed.

I hope you all enjoy the holidays with your family and friends and thank you for this first year of Crafty Synergy inspiration. I've enjoyed every minute of it! Be safe and "see" you soon!

xo,
Patricia

16 Sparrows

Artist: Kathy Zadrozny
Web site link: 16 Sparrows

Where are you located?
16 Sparrows is strictly an online shop, but the studio is in Chicago. My business partner, Donovan, lives in Chicago, while I go back and forth between Chicago and Savannah as I attempt to complete a Masters degree in Art History.

What do you create?
Sarcastic paper goods for quirky, cynical and unique individuals.

How did you come up with your company name?
As a little girl, I saw a woman with a sparrow tattoo and worked up the nerve to ask her what it meant. She told me that sparrows were a signal to sailors that land was near and developed into a source of hope for those who had been out to sea for a long time. Since then, I’ve loved the symbol of the sparrow and its many interpretations. As far as the sixteen goes, it’s simply my favorite number.

When and why did you decide to start your business?
It was early 2003 and I was working for “the man” (aka an advertising firm) and began to feel my creativity withering. I was already making cards and stationary for my friends, which gave me a great and fulfilling creative outlet. One night, my friends suggested and insisted after several drinks, that I open up a shop. At first, I dismissed the conversation as bar talk but they insisted, sober even! Long story short, in the Fall of 2003 I organized myself and opened the online shop.



Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
Again, it comes from significant details, pranks and intimate jokes for my friends. For example, the telegram stationary we offer came about because I’d bought a vintage typewriter that I wanted to write letters to my friends with. After experimenting, I realized that I wanted to up the look of the letter and decided to mimic an old telegram. I loved the final product so much, that I decided to add it to 16 Sparrows.

Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
Oh brothers and sisters, let me tell you about the glory of the guillotine cutter! It officially changed my life and saved me from cutting individual cards by hand. Also, I have a fixation with the swish sound it makes as I cut through paper.



What keeps you motivated?
Protecting myself from a zombie uprising – kidding (kind of)! In all honesty, life motivates me, even though it may sound cliché. A beautiful day, a friendly conversation, a run in with a quirky stranger… The list goes on as far as things that keep my mind moving, invigorated and otherwise inspired.

How did you get the word out about your business when you first started?
Word of mouth. We have never used advertising or paid for any promotions. We have been lucky enough to receive press from people who just happened upon our products and thought they were unique and worth mentioning.

What marketing avenues do you use now?
We have yet to pay for advertising or press, but we do promote through The Sampler and at craft fairs like Renegade.

What is your main goal for the next 6-12 months?
We are in the process of creating paper goods that will benefit several charities and causes we feel strongly about. We are also slowly moving to sustainability by printing our goods with soy inks on recycled paper and expanding upon our custom design press.

What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
When you first begin, write down why you want to do this and what your goal is and post it on your workspace where you can see it everyday. Starting up and running your own business is hard work and you are going to need the reminder of why you started this in the first place. Also having your goal in front of you will help you to continue on the path to it. Oh, and keeping a frosty beer in the fridge in case of emergencies doesn’t hurt.


What's your favorite quote?
"What strikes me is the fact that in our society, art has become something which is related only to objects and not to individuals, or to life. That art is something which is specialized or which is done by experts who are artists. But couldn't everyone's life become a work of art? Why should the lamp or the house be an art object, but not our life?" - Michel Foucault

Can you recommend a good book or great music?
52 Projects by Jeffrey Yamaguchi. It is a great book for when you are in a creative slump. It has wonderful ideas that motivate and inspire.

Who is your favorite indie designer/artist?
I have way too many, but if I have to narrow it down, I have to say two: one who I’ve admired, Jill Bliss, and one who I have worked with, Stella IM Humberg.

What do you consider a perfect day?
A sunny, breezy day filled with friends and good food.


Thank you Kathy!!

Adorneya

Artist: Georgia Hadley
Website link: Adorneya
Where are you located? Rural Vermont

What do you create?
I create handcrafted jewelry, handbags and accessories.

How did you come up with your company name?
I wanted something that related to the word adorn, was unique and started with an "A". I had originally chosen Adornia but a real estate company beat me to the domain name.

When and why did you decide to start your business?
Things were getting really tough for me trying to juggle the schedules and needs of an elementary schooler, a baby and a job. I started Adorneya as a way to earn money without the stress that comes with working outside the home. Adorneya will officially be three years old in January, just before my youngest boy turns four!

Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
It varies. Sometimes I'll just be doing something mundane like laundry and I'll suddenly have this great inspiration for a design. That's how I got the idea for my pocket clutches! Other times it will be the colors I see outside or something I see in a magazine. Really I draw inspiration from everything around me in one way or another.



Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
I have a very trusty pair of Swanstrom round-nose pliers that I could absolutely not live without!

You work with different mediums. Which is your favorite?
I have a very creative mind (and apparently a hyper-active muse!) that is constantly jumping from one idea to another. My favorite medium is whatever I'm most inspired to work with on any given day.



What keeps you motivated?
Seeing my business grow slowly but surely keeps me going. There were times in the first year that I often questioned myself but now I've experienced enough success to really believe in what I'm doing. I wouldn't say that I'm anywhere near to "making it" yet with my business, but there is always measurable progress which tells me I'm on the right track!

How do you get the word out about your work?
I do a lot of networking and sponsor events. I also advertise online and in print publications from time to time. What is your main goal for the next 6-12 months? I plan to re-form my company in the beginning of 2007. I am forming an LLC that will be called August Lately. After the busy holiday season, I plan to get to work establishing the new brand and getting the word out!

What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
Many of us start our businesses without really thinking about the BUSINESS part. Do your homework. Do tons of research and write a business plan. Network with other creative business owners (The Switchboards is a great place for this!) and learn from their experiences. If you lay the groundwork, you have a much greater chance for success!



What's your favorite quote?
Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right. - Henry Ford

Can you recommend a good book or great music?
I really loved the book Snow Falling on Cedars, and yes, it was much better than the movie. As for music, I'm a die hard Sting fan. Love him!

Who is your favorite indie designer/artist?
Heidi J Hale has always been a great inspiration to me.

What is on your nightstand?
Honestly, I don’t have time to read these days. However, An Inconvenient Truth is next in my Netflix queue! (I can always work while I watch movies)

What's your definition of a perfect day?
A nature walk with my husband and two boys, then a picnic outside and snuggling up to watch a Miyazaki movie with a big bowl of popcorn in the evening. (Of course, by then I'll have some project in front of me- either crochet or jewelry!)

Thank you Georgia!

Love Plus One

Web site link: Love Plus One
Where are you located? We relocated from NYC to Austin, Texas

What do you create?
I create one of a kind embroidered garments for man, woman and ...beast.

How did you come up with your company name?
It is the name of a Haircut 100 song from the 80's, when my daughter was born,my friend Jenn gave me a card that said "Congratulations, Love Plus One"! Referencing the song and the baby, I thought that was pretty darn clever, so I named my company after the quip.



When and why did you decide to start your business?
I decided to start Love Plus One after the birth of my daughter, Juna. I had little to no full time child care options available to me at the time so working outside the home was not an option. Luckily, my husband's career was a bit more stable than mine at the time, so I was able to pursue my dream of being a designer while staying at home with Juna. I never wanted to be a "stay at home mom or a work at home mom" for that matter, things just worked out that way. We lived in NYC at the time, I saw an article in TimeOut NY about crafty websites on the rise and how a lot of women were doing well and pursuing their goals, some while raising kids. So I decided, after playing around with Sublime Stitching patterns for a few months, to design a line of embroidered baby tees and shop them around hip baby boutiques in the east village and Brooklyn. Shop owners loved them so much that they bought my unfinished samples! I figured investing in a business plan and website would be a good thing to start thinking about...and the idea grew from there.

Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
Mostly, kids books or vintage designs that I see at flea markets on housewares. Like my Vintage Floral Lap T in the baby collection comes from a ceramic serving platter and my Walrus design comes from the cover of an old photo album pattern that belonged to my mother. Really designs are everywhere, we just have to keep our eyes open and learn how to work with them to create our own meanings.

Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
My floss of course! So many colours, so little time.

What keeps you motivated?
I am my own worst enemy in the sense that failure is not an option for me. Being successful at something I love to do, has always what been what motivates and drives me. My passions have changed and meandered a lot in my 29 years on this planet, but I always delve as deep as possible into whatever I am doing at the time and try to be the best I can be at it. Sometimes I can be a bit too serious and hard on myself too though. I do a lot of Yoga now, that helps me relax.



How do you get the word out about your work?
Well, just the fact that I have been on the internet as long as I have helps, I was in that "first wave" of crafty bizs three years ago to spring up. I do no paid advertising, mostly, nice people like yourself, decide to feature me in their newsletters or blog and I use forums a lot to network especially the Switchboards. I got a teeny mention in Time Magazine at the beginning of November which has been driving a nice amount of traffic as of late. All sales are serendipitous at this point!

What is your main goal for the next 6-12 months?
Learn web design and start a new company.

What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
Don't be afraid to be poor for a while, it's worth it if you are doing what you love. It will pay off in ways that you cannot imagine. Working for yourself is an invaluable, rewarding experience. You will kick yourself if you look back and you didnt give it a try! Be fearless! You will learn more than you ever imagined about yourself, your talents and your limitations.



What's your favorite quote?
One of them is Benjamin Franklin (I Think?) Success is 99% Perspiration and 1% Inspiration

Can you recommend a good book or great music?
Oh god, don't get me started! Good book that I am currently reading is P.G Wodehouse- The Jeeves series, unbelievably funny, if you are in a bad mood its an instant pick me up. Great music? There is so much-I'm mainly a New Wave person so 70's and 80's rock and roll stuff. One of my favorite modern bands is The Sea and Cake

Who is your favorite indie designer/artist?
Favorite indie designer would have to be Jenny Hart/Sublime Stitching not necessarily for her art, although that's great, but for her ingenuity and the fact that she was a pioneer so to speak, she saw an opportunity and she didn't waste time being afraid or talking herself out of it, she went for it and her business is a huge success and an inspiration to thousands of women.

What’s the best gift you’ve received?
My husband and my daughter

What is your definition of a perfect day?
Brunch, a hike, great music or a great film, drinks with friends.

Thank you Danielle!!

Petra Börner

Web site links: Petra Börner site and Petra Börner blog
Where are you located? East London

What do you create?
I make illustrations, textile prints and art, mainly by drawing, painting, collage making and sewing.

When and how did you get started on your chosen career?
I have always been interested in art and crafts and used to make my own clothes and draw as a child. My mum and my aunts are all very interested in hand-craft and we'd spend summers making things by dying fabrics and yarn, sewing and weaving. I started to work as an illustrator and animator after A-levels, but decided to go to London to study fashion design at Central St Martins College of art. I was working within the fashion industry and also I had my own label, Rosetta, for three years after graduating. Since 2004 though I work as an illustrator/artist after making the decision to stop the label as my heart is in illustration and art rather than fashion.

Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
My work is often inspired by flora and animals, perhaps because I now live in a very urban environment and I miss the green. I tend to use photographic references as well as being inspired by the arts and crafts. Flea-markets are fantastic for finding inspiration for design,
packaging, patterns, drawing, colour and texture.




Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
At the moment I am excited by doing blackboard drawings, since I just made a big blackboard for my studio.


Your work with different mediums. Which is your favorite?
I like using a variety of medium to create my work. I like them all, at the moment it seems I am drawing a lot, so pencils are great.

What keeps you motivated?
Using varied tools, working with a great mix of products, having a good balance between developing my own personal work and interacting and collaborating with companies or other artists. Having a goal to work towards and having time off to see inspiring things. Tasty food and nice tea or coffee times with friends.



In fashion, what is your favorite thing to design?
Prints for textiles.

What projects will you be working on in the next 6-12 months?
Continued collaboration with Habitat, collaboration with sports brand designing snowboards, collaborations with different fashion companies (i.e. Cacharel), mainly designing prints, range of book covers (i.e. for Penguin (Selected Poems)), private commissions and preparations of
artwork for exhibition next year.

What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
You have to like what you do 100%, because you will spend all your time doing just that. Being positive and setting small targets in the beginning. It's very important to keep developing new work as to get satisfaction and confidence and to have a reason to keep in touch with people you want to collaborate with.

*****

Little Extras

Can you recommend a good book or great music?
I really like the soundtrack to a lovely movie 'A love story' (Enkärlekshistoria) by Roy Andersson

Who is your favorite indie designer/artist?
Stig Lindberg

What is on your nightstand?
I don't have one unfortunately and I really miss having one. I always look for a good place to put my sewing, my bottle of water and whatever book I am reading.

What's your definition of a perfect day?
Waking up to a beautiful sunny day with a great project to do and having all day to do it, then having dinner with a friend in the evening.

Thank you Petra!

A quick hello

I just wanted to pop in real quickly to let you all know that in the next few weeks there will be less interviews posted. I have several people interested in getting featured on Crafty Synergy but they simply don't have the time to answer my questions right now. The holiday season is understandably keeping everyone very busy. I will try to spread out the interviews that I have so we won't miss a week without posts. After the holidays everything will hopefully pick up again.

On another note... I just want to explain a little something. My original intent with this blog was to feature only indie artists with small shops that we could help spread the word about. Although that will still be one of my top priorities I also want to explore interviewing other artists that are more well known or have experience in other endeavors that we can learn from. I think you may have seen me doing this already in the last few weeks. The wealth of talent and experience that I see everyday is immense and I'd love to learn more about the artists behind all the amazing work.

If you have any other ideas on how to make this a better place to visit feel free to shoot me an email at -- interviews at craftysynergy dot com. I'd love to hear from you all!

I hope that you're enjoying this holiday season.
xo - Patricia