jessica poundstone

Artist: Jessica Poundstone
Web site: Jewelry by Jessica
Etsy: Jessica Poundstone
Location: Portland, Oregon.

What do you create?
Professionally, I create my jewelry line, Jewelry By Jessica. In my spare time, a whole lot of different stuff - paintings, toys, drawings, photographs, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, knitted things, books, etc. - some of which is up for grabs at my Etsy site. I can’t seem to shake the desire to make lots of different things.

What is your first memory of being inspired to make/craft something?
As a kid I had (and still have, actually) a little book called “Fun With Paper.” I remember loving the idea that, just by following a set of very simple instructions, you could make something really cool out of nothing but a sheet of paper. I’m still pretty inspired by all sorts of instructional books for kids, actually! My mom and my grandmother were also always making neat things – drawings, paintings, crafts, etc. – so perhaps it’s just in my blood : )



When and why did you decide to start your business?
About three years ago I saw a picture of a pendant someone had made by transferring their own artwork onto a piece of polymer clay and decided I’d give it a try. But after reading the detailed instructions, it just seemed too involved. So I got to browsing around the art supply store and ran across a packet of clear shrink plastic. And so the two ideas collided: jewelry and shrink plastic. Next thing I knew, my house had turned into a jewelry-making factory. Once I got brave enough to wear what I was making out in public (no one else I knew of was making jewelry from shrink plastic at the time, and I dreaded the question “are those Shrinky Dinks!?”) I started getting a lot of questions about it, including one from a store owner who asked if I’d be willing to consign with her. I did, and things just sort of kept expanding from there. Basically the jewelry was a creative outlet that had the side benefit of adding some extra income to our household.

Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
Beautiful things anywhere and everywhere I see them: pictures in books and magazines, plants and flowers, things in my neighborhood, images made by friends, my old sketchbooks, all kinds of web sites, etc. etc.

Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
Color!



What is your favorite part of your creative process?
It’s a tie between idea gathering (another way to say looking at all sorts of things I find to be beautiful) and the process of actually developing and executing a particular idea.

What keeps you motivated?
Making something beautiful that’s never been made before and the chance to share it with other people.

How do you get the word out about your work?
Up until about a year ago, I was working 40+ hours a week, so I wanted to keep the business small. After having my daughter, I moved to doing freelance work. I now have a bit more time to spend on making — and promoting — the jewelry, so I’ve been doing a few things here and there, like sending inquiries to a few stores, putting it on the radar of people who write shopping blogs, hosting an occasional Jewelry By Jessica open house, and doing a craft show here and there. But mostly I’ve gotten the word out by living my life online - just meeting people who often turn out to like my work. That’s by far my favorite way to get the word out.

What is your main goal for the next 6-12 months?
Working to increase the order stream a bit, and creating new designs!



What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
Start doing the thing you want to do, learn all you can from other people who have done something similar, be patient, have high standards, and learn as you go. Also, make the up-front time investment of truly figuring out your costs. I find the book “Wishcraft” by Barbara Sher to be an amazing resource for information and advice on practical steps to take to accomplish anything that might seem out of reach.

What’s the most important thing you’d like people to know/understand about your work?
I guess that everything I make comes from my heart. I know that sounds kind of goofy, but it’s true : ) And also that anything I sell will have a high quality of workmanship and be built to last – those things are really important to me.

What adjectives would you use to describe your work?
I try to make things that are simple and beautiful.



Who are some of your favorite indie designers/artists?
Anja Boretzki, Natascha Rosenberg, Keri Smith, Cynthia Korzekwa, Jessica Ji Williams, Dan Price, , Jen Corace, Rena Tom, Lena Corwin, Maki Squarepatch, Christina Bissell (ScissorStitch), Mariana Massarani, and Kate T. Williamson, to name a few!

If money, deadlines, scheduling, etc weren’t an obstacle what new project would you like to take on?
Finally publishing an art-related book I’ve made, and maybe dabbling in some metalsmithing.

What's your definition of a perfect day?
Have eggs benedict for breakfast while reading through the Sunday NYT and doing the crossword puzzle, visit my favorite galleries, draw some stuff, take some pictures, make some notes on ideas, have some pizza, go see a movie in a theater, camp out in Powell’s magazine section, head to a French restaurant for dinner, then home to watch Conan O’Brien.


Thank you Jessica!

Tsk Tsk Illustration and Design

Artist: Tiel Seivl-Keevers
Web site: Tsk Tsk Illusation and Design
Etsy: Tsk Tsk
Blog: Tsk Tsk

Where are you located?
Brisbane, Australia.

What do you create?
Mostly artworks.

For a few years now I have been creating personalised artworks for children called ABCme Designs. I came up with the idea when trying to think of a personalised present for some friends who were first time mums. The works illustrate a child’s name and underneath each letter of the name is an image starting with that letter. For example, S is for Socks, A is for aeroplane, M is for Moon. I have over 70 illustrations that the customer can choose from and several colour combinations. Once the customer has chosen the design, I render them all individually to make them original and unique. The works are designed on paper and can be bought with a frame, or larger artworks can be placed onto canvas. Basically, I don’t like mass marketing and commercialism especially when directed to children, so wanted people to have an option where they could purchase something original.

In addition to this I have started to produce other paintings that are also suited to children’s décor. I’m working on one for boys called with a monster theme and one for girls with a Matryoshka theme.

When time allows, I design greeting cards and small paintings on paper and sell them to my customers and also through my etsy shop.

Apart from that I just freelance when I can. Mostly editorial illustration and brand identity.


How did you come up with your company name?
After some initial brainstorming and research I decided to work with my initials. T S and K. Hence, tsk tsk. Some people initially thought it might be some erotic, adult company…something naughty. So I added the design and illustration part on at the end. It is far from erotic, but I do like making people think. I also wanted something generic so I could expand into other products later if I wanted to.

When and why did you decide to start your business?
When?…About 4 years ago. We moved interstate when #1 was 9 months old and I was pregnant with our second. Because the children are so close in age, and given the time of the year, I didn’t want to go and hunt for a new teaching job and then leave it once #2 was born.

Why?... I was bored being at home with a baby and needed something creative to do. I enjoy being at home. Getting out daily can be too difficult when you have a small child…too stressful. I battled with the idea for sometime. I didn’t have a happy second pregnancy, and was very tired chasing #1 around all day. I knew it would be difficult. I didn’t make any initial promises to myself that I would start a business. I just had a few ideas about a product I wanted to make. So I made them for friends and the response and support was inspiring. So somewhere in the big blur of #2’s first year, I started making more and selling them. Now, almost 4 years on I want to better the product and make other ideas come to light.



Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
I hate this question, and probably because I feel as if my answer should be something intelligent and unique. Quite simply, I look where I can. The internet, magazines and art books. I don’t get to see much contemporary art or design in galleries because I just don’t get to those places as often.

I like seeing what others are doing, but I like altering, changing and developing what I see so that it becomes different to what everyone else is making. I take parts of things I see and blend them with other parts and images in my head to create something new. Well I try. There are plenty of artists and designers I look at… I have a few favourites for each genre, but there are so many. I have always loved the simplicity and beauty of Scandinavian Designers.

Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
The computer and printer. I would love to do more painting but it isn’t working in my life right now with little inquisitive hands always in the way. I have just returned to some printmaking and am enjoying that. I majored in printmaking at university so will always have a passion for ink and paper.

I love textiles, so fabric and paper are always apart of what I do.



What keeps you motivated?
Mess. I see it and walk away. I say to myself, ‘Go and make something, this can wait’.
The Children. Most of my artwork is for children. I wonder if this will change as they grow older? My husband. A great man who supports my mad, creative mood swings. Other creative people from all around the world.

How do you get the word out about your business?
Advertise in magazines for children. Word of mouth. Direct emailing. I have samples in hospitals, cafes and centers for children. My website, and blog site. Online baby/children shops. Good friends with big mouths.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?
Mmmmmm. I was supposed to write that business plan wasn’t I? In 5 years, I will have more time to dedicate to the business on a daily basis. I would like to have more exposure… a little shop would be nice with my products and perhaps other artists/designers with similar goals.

What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
Don’t set your goals too high initially. Small steps are best. Be very aware of what you are making and what others in your community are making. You will need to balance the creative part of the business with the marketing/finance side. Keep all your receipts and don’t leave your tax until the last moment.



What's your favorite quote?
I never really remember quotes or use them in my life. My father always says, ‘Waste not, Want not’ Good advice in this consumable world we live in. But I love Lewis Carroll’s work so this is a favourite.

‘Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.’
Lewis Carroll

Can you recommend a good book or great music?
Book: Any of Nick Bantock books are truly beautiful to hold and read.
Music: Camille and Emiliana Torrini are 2 artists I am currently listening to.

Who is your favorite indie designer/artist?
Just one? Right now I’m loving Amy Huddleston and Lotta Jansdotter.


Thank you Tiel!

Five and a Half

Artist: Judy Lee
Web site: Five and a Half

Where are you located?
Brooklyn, New York.

What do you create?
I design and make journals with pages of sugarcane and recycled paper and limited-edition covers featuring illustrations and original photography.

How did you come up with your company name?
I wanted something fun that wasn't too girly, but I couldn't think of anything I liked. Then, my husband (fiancé-at-the-time) suggested my shoe size, five and a half, and that's what I chose.

When and why did you decide to start your business?
I started Five and a Half in the Spring of 2006 when I moved back to New York City after living abroad for a couple of years. I thought it'd be a fun side-gig to do while I got ready for my wedding and that I could possibly continue later. A store in Park Slope, Brooklyn, sold some of my journals for me, and a month later, I got a big wholesale order from a museum design store. Next thing I knew, I was working on Five and a Half full-time.



Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
I like to look at things like furniture and accessory design, art, and photography. I spend a lot of time inside bookstores, looking at how books are bound and assembled, and what different covers they have. And I like reading art and design blogs ~ seeing what interesting things other people are up to helps me think of how I too can do something fun and different.

Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
It's a four-way tie between my bookbinding glue, bone folder, Rotatrim paper cutter, and Epson printer.

What keeps you motivated?
I have a pretty short attention span so once I've been making journals of a certain design for a while, I get a bit bored looking at them. Then I start thinking of what a new journal might look like. I start sketching out ideas, making prototypes, churning out test prints. Making things fun, fresh, and challenging keeps me working on new things all the time.



How do you get the word out about your work?
I send out e-mails and/or cards to many of the people who have previously ordered journals, and they pass the information along to family and friends. The design bloggers have been so helpful in featuring my work on the internet. And my retailers have been really great with sharing my work with traditional press.

What is your main goal for the next 6-12 months?
I have a bunch of different ideas brewing in my head, so the next few months will be about making those ideas actually happen.

What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
Do whatever makes you happy. Listen to the suggestions of everyone around you, but ultimately only act on those that you feel are true to what you want to do and what you like.

What's the most important thing you'd like people to know/understand about your work?
Five and a Half is about making things that are fun, inspiring, and worth collecting, using, and keeping.



Who are some of your favorite indie designers/artists?
Darrell and Julia Gibbs of Sukie, and I'm currently in awe with everything Miranda July has done.

What city, that you've never been to, would you like to visit?
There are many cities that I'd like to visit so I can't point to just one ~ I'd like to travel (with my husband) anywhere and everywhere in the world where it's sunny and peaceful, with dozens of quaint little stores and tiny restaurants.

What's your definition of a perfect day?
The perfect day is one full of sunlight, with a table strewn with art materials and the light banter of the radio. My husband is keeping me company, drawing, making a collage, or working on his photographs. Throughout the day, I work on different projects -- a new journal design, a landscape painting, doodling in my sketchbook. Ideas keep popping up, making me really excited about the things I'm working on. So many of my actual days are close to this perfect already!


Thank you Judy!

Surgarloop

Artist: Bernadette Sipkes
Etsy: Sugarloop
Blog: Sugarloop

Where are you located?
I live and work in a very old cottage in Auckland, New Zealand.

What do you create?
Limited edition Gocco (serigraph) art prints.



When and why did you decide to start your business?
Although I've been printing with the Gocco since 2005, it wasn't until the beginning of this year that I decided to sell my prints on Etsy. I've always wanted to offer art prints that were in limited edition yet affordable. I collect such prints myself and seeing an artist's handwriting really does make any piece of art, extra special.

How did you come up with your business name?
I came up with Sugarloop back in the days when I was freelancing as an illustrator for women's magazines. In an industry that was saturated and competitive, it was crucial to have a business name that was fun, quirky and memorable!



Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
My fascination with organic shapes and naturally occurring patterns is evident in the subjects and themes of my work. I am fortunate enough to live in a country whose major selling point is its nature so I'm constantly surrounded by amazing flora and fauna. I also find inspiration in many aspects of the mid-century era such as the wallpaper & textile prints; furniture design; poster graphics; children's books and even kitchenware.

Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
The pigment ink pen liner is my tool of choice. It feels like a natural extension of my hand once I start drawing with it. I also like its permanence - it forces you to commit (since I am the most
indecisive person at the best of times!)



What is your favorite part of your creative process?
The inspiration. I have amassed quite a collection of design books, interior magazines and daily blog reads. I think it's really important to take a step back and see the periphery - specially if
you are working on your own.

What keeps you motivated?
The encouraging emails and positive comments from the new owners of my prints. It is so invigorating when people email to say that my work makes them happy. It truly is a constant and comforting reminder of why I am in this business in the first place.



How do you get the word out about your work?
I rely primarily on my blog to update people about new prints. I also post them up on several relevant Flickr groups to spread the word even further. Both channels eventually lead back to Etsy which, in itself, is a ready-made audience.

What is your main goal for the next 6-12 months?
I would like to offer archival quality giclee prints in larger formats since at the moment I am limited to Gocco's postcard size. Trying to source the best equipment and paper is an art in itself with the variety of choices available out there.



What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
From experience I would say that having a blog is invaluable. I mainly sell online so it adds that important human and personal dimension to my work. Unlike mailing lists or standalone portfolio websites, blogs foster a sense of community and allow you to regularly interact with a like-minded audience. It is definitely the most enjoyable way to raise your visibility!

What’s the most important thing you’d like people to know/understand about your work?
I actually found this question quite difficult to answer because at the end of the day, I want people to gain their own perspective about my work. All I can say is that, I enjoy creating these Gocco prints and hopefully the end results reflect and impart the same feeling.



Who are some of your favorite indie designers/artists?
Amy Ruppel, Matte Stephens, Jennifer Causey

If money, deadlines, scheduling, etc weren’t an obstacle what new project would you like to take on?
Textile and homeware print design - in a heartbeat!

What's your definition of a perfect day?
Spending the day in bed listening to the rain hit the tin roof while I read, craft, draw and drink many cups of hot tea. In reality, I have a five month old daughter to take care of so days like that are indeed a luxury.


Thank you Bernadette!

Mrs. Eliot Books

Artist: Francesca Iannaccone
Etsy: Mrs. Eliot Books

Where are you located? I’m in North London, which Londoners find important to stress since there is a great north/south divide! It’s a great neighbourhood with a lovely local community vibe and lots of green spaces nearby.

What do you create?
I create little wooden books made of birch plywood and paper, which fold out in a concertina and tell a story in just a few words. I also make larger tryptic pieces and single pieces, prints and cards.

How did you come up with your company name?
When I was at art school I was very into random words and cut-up poetry so I went to the second-hand bookshop and bought a book that I could tear words and sentences out of to create illustrations in my sketchbook. The book was ‘The Middle Age of Mrs Eliot’ by Angus Wilson. It happened to have the most wonderful sentences both in and out of context and random words jumped out at me. I still use this book today.



When and why did you decide to start your business?
Rather than decide to start my business, it kind of evolved. After art school my work took on various incarnations, including ceramic tiles and t-shirt design but because of various interruptions it was hard to keep the momentum going and I also found it difficult to find something that was creative enough for me while also being sellable. I wanted to get back to being as free as I was at art school and I looked to my old sketchbooks for inspiration. I started making my books while I was pregnant with my little boy and as soon as I was back on my feet after he was born I started to think about selling them. When a friend in Australia introduced me to her blog and etsy, that was it.

Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
I’m inspired by many things; mainly, I love working with text and cutting it up to create a completely new narrative and atmosphere. At the moment I'm interested in the idea of landscape and still life and breaking down the detail into shape and colour and pattern. I have been obsessed with winter trees for a few years, just how stark they are sometimes and their shapes. I also love working with vintage wallpapers and patterns. I love bright colours. I have a lot of my best ideas in the middle of the night so I keep a notebook by my bed so I don’t forget anything. Sometimes just one image can trigger off several ideas. Which of the tools you use is your favorite? I would say my favourite tool is my scanner, which doesn’t sound very romantic, but it links my sketchbook to my mac and both are invaluable. My sketchbook is great for scratching ideas down and making notes but I do a lot of my compositions and playing around with colour and size on the mac. I also use my scanner to scan fabric and objects that I wouldn’t be able to use otherwise.



What keeps you motivated?
What keeps me motivated is when people email just to say how much they like my work, that they’ve taken the time to tell me that. It’s lovely. Plus I just love doing what I do. All I ever wanted was to be an artist so as long as I’m doing that and people like what I make, I’m motivated. I love thinking of my work in different houses all over the world.

How do you get the word out about your work?
My blog has been invaluable, as has the discovery of etsy. There are some very passionately written art/craft/design blogs that have been kind enough to feature my work and then it’s word of mouth. I’m also a member of various art organisations that have their own websites or online shops and I’ll hopefully do a couple of craft shows this year. The great thing about blogging and etsy is the way they are structured to make it easy to communicate with each other, the way you can link back to your own blog just by leaving a comment on someone else’s. If someone leaves a comment on my blog, I always check out theirs. I can spend ages clicking from one link to another and forget where I started but I will have discovered five or six wonderful artists.



What is your main goal for the next 6-12 months?
This is a good question because it’s forced me to think about it and I should make a plan! Mainly I just want to increase my visibility and get my work out there. I’ll be juggling making new work with selling and trying to carve out some more time, which is my biggest constraint at the moment. I’m going to be working with a couple of shops which I’m excited about and I’ll hopefully be doing a couple of artist’s book fairs. Ultimately I’d love to have a show. My favourite artist, Rosalie Gascoigne didn’t have her first show until she was 57 so I have a little more time!

What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
I would say start a blog, get some work up there and contact the relevant people. Try to work your prices out fairly but don’t undervalue your work. If you undervalue your own work, potential buyers might too. Find an easy way to sell either on etsy or through your site. Be open with people and not too precious, don’t be afraid to change something that isn’t working. Start off small and grow so you have the chance to find out what people like. Try and find a niche for yourself.

What’s the most important thing you’d like people to know/understand about your work?
I’d like people to know that I take commissions and I really enjoy making them. With the first one, the client gave me song lyrics to illustrate and turn into a wooden book. The one I’m working on at the moment is more open; I’ve found some text relevant to the person and I’m making a book. The books make really special gifts.



Who are some of your favorite indie designers/artists?
I recently bought an Alyson Fox drawing. I’d been eyeing them up for a while and finally decided to find out if I could afford one. I absolutely love it and my son loves the pigs. I also have a Mirta Vignatti painting, an Italian artist based in Lucca and I recently bought a print by illustration student Caroline Gaedechens. She’s incredibly talented.

My favourite artist is Rosalie Gascoigne, an Australian artist who works with found objects. When asked ‘How did you come to be an artist?’ She replied ‘I didn't ever become one, I was one. I was that sort of animal.’ I love that quote. I have always been very reticent about calling myself an artist. Even though I always felt like one, I had to be selling work to be bold enough to call myself one. I’m just starting to be able to call myself an artist now.

What city, that you’ve never been to, would you like to visit?
I’ve been lucky enough to have done lots of traveling. I’m definitely a city person and I like cities that seem to have it all. My favourite city is Sydney, I’ve been three times. I also love San Francisco and Santiago, Chile. We’ve been to Central America a couple of times but keep missing Oaxaca in Mexico, which everyone raves about, so I’d love to go there. I’d also like to go to Cape Town, Jaipur and Edinburgh.

What's your definition of a perfect day?
For this I would have to stretch time and be in several places at once but it would involve a walk on a beach, an art exhibition where I could afford to buy some work, some time on my own, drinks with my girlfriends, sunshine and swinging in the hammock with my husband and little boy, which is the best feeling in the world.


Thank you Francesca!!

Paper Cloud

Artist: Ariana Broerman
Website: Paper Cloud

Where are you located?
All of our work is done from our home studio just East of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.

What do you create?
We create art to share-- specifically hand-crafted journals, pillows, art, and soon lampshades.

How did you come up with your company name?
When my husband Matt and I first started Paper Cloud, we were only creating handmade greeting cards. The basis of all of our products was paper, and we wanted our name to reflect that and also have a light, ethereal quality. We went through lots of different ideas, all of which included "Paper". Honestly, we wanted to go with Paper Thought, but it was taken, so we landed on Paper Cloud.



When and why did you decide to start your business?
Since probably 1999, every year I'd been making Christmas cards for friends and family. It was always something I loved to do-- sketching the initial designs, getting materials, sewing beads onto the paper and gluing pieces together. I would visit my family over Thanksgiving weekend and happily stay up late working on the cards. People always enjoyed getting them, and they told me they kept the cards. Matt and I got married in the summer of 2005, and that fall we decided to try and sell the cards and start the business together. We loved the idea of working and designing for ourselves, and the freedom it would bring. We were inspired by people hanging onto a beautiful greeting card.

Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?
When designing my first cards, a lot of the inspiration came from materials I would find-- an iridescent pinwheel sequin, a spherical silver bead, textured paper with leaf inclusions... Now our designs are more pure, I guess-- less collaged. Our first doodles are inspired by the city we live near, by the flowers and trees in our yard, by Matt's childhood on his parents' farm, by the art I grew up with in the home of my Lithuanian & Ukrainian parents, by the design background we share.

Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
This may sound like a strange, not very creative answer, but Matt built a long wooden work-bench in our studio, and I love it. Being able to roll out yards of fabric, having the space to screen-print and sew and glue and cut all in one big area is great. Maybe I love it because it's this singular place where all aspects of our products come together.



What is your favorite part of your creative process?
I love the moment after we've decided on a great idea for a design, and the layout of it is coming together. In that space of time between a finished design and an actual physical product, there's all this potential and anticipation-- what colors will work? Is the proportion correct? How will this design translate to various pieces? It's exciting to see something just start to emerge.

What keeps you motivated?
Seeing how far we've come in the last year is a huge motivation, and hopefully and indication of our success down the road. Realizing the potential we have to really make this happen is huge. I feel that we're so lucky to be able to do what we're doing, and that gives me a sense of responsibility to make the absolute most of it. And Matt is a huge motivator-- his work ethic and optimism are unmatched.

How do you get the word out about your work?
Initially it was a lot of cold-calling, and to a large extent it still is. We have a growing number of people who sign up for our mailing list. Blogs like this one and local press have spread the word too.

What is your main goal for the next 6-12 months?
In the next 6-12 months we plan to check out trade shows and begin exhibiting. We're always adding new designs, and we'll also be expanding our lines to include different kinds of products like lampshades.



What advice would you give to someone starting a creative business?
Don't underestimate yourself and the power of hard work. Ask questions of other successful people in the creative field. Build relationships. Keep track of the business stuff.

What’s the most important thing you’d like people to know/understand about your work?
Everything we make is created by hand, one at a time. That gives us a lot of freedom. We love what we do and working with our clients-- if someone likes one of our designs, but our colors don't match their decor, we're happy to work with them to create an individual palette that complements their home.

Who are some of your favorite indie designers/artists?
Amy Butler. Chris Sickels of Red Nose Studio.

What city, that you’ve never been to, would you like to visit?
Madrid, Spain

What's your definition of a perfect day?
Waking up early to a beautiful morning and going to the gym. Coming home and spending time on our back deck and watching the birds at our bird feeder while making calls, brainstorming new designs and products, and enjoying the sun. Going downstairs to make products with Matt, listening to music and talking as we work. A day full of things to do, and a satisfied evening with nearly everything crossed off my to-do list.


Thank you Ariana!