Some interviews you listen to rather than read!

Share This

WHERE ARE YOU: I’m in Petaluma, CA. It’s about 45 minutes North of San Francisco in the Sonoma Wine Country. It’s where American Graffiti and Peggy Sue Got Maried were filmed and while it has a small town Americana vibe it’s quite sophisticated and progressive. Although I’ve only been in Petaluma 2 1/2 years I’ve been in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1995.

COMPANY NAME: Queen Puff Puff & Stitchcraft

WEBSITE: www.queenpuffpuff.com & www.stitchcraftonline.com

BLOG: http://stitchcraftonline.com/blog/

CRAFT TOOL YOU CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT: sharp fabric scissors

FINISH THE SENTENCE: When I am not sewing purses I am…… usually cruising the web. Live Journal, Bloglines, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter…. ahhh. such a time sucker! I also love thrift shopping and vintage hunting.

How and when did you decide to make the transition from working in the garment industry to making your own handbags?

Owning my own business has always been my dream. My dad started several businesses and I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. But I wanted to learn as much as I could while being paid. So I worked in a bunch of different garmento jobs like designer, merchandiser, freelance artist, sales & production assistant, etc. and absorbed as much as I could. I started making bags because they are quick, don’t need to come in different sizes and don’t take much fabric. I gave them all away as gifts and people seemed to like them and suggested I sell them. In late 2003/early 2004 I was going through a rough time between getting divorced and my dad passing away. It seemed like the time to make a change and I needed something just for me. Life is too short to work a job that doesn’t make you happy, you know? So I shared a booth at the first Fashion Co-Op in SF with Susan Beal and sold my stuff for the first time. We were crammed into a 4′ x 5″ space and it was chaotic and scary and wonderful. That first taste of success hooked me and I’ve been doing this ever since!

Tell me about the SF Seamsters.

The Seamsters are a collective of women owned businesses that is made up of me, Jennifer Pellecchia of Hambone & Jennicakes and Deborah Maciel of Chic Cosas. We all do sewing and fabric based businesses so we can go in together on fabric & supply purchases. We also share booth spaces at shows and do group advertising & promotion. So press coverage for one is press for all. It’s also nice to have other people to brainstorm and commiserate with.

You recently started Stitch Craft which is your own teaching studio.
How is going? What kind of classes can people take there?

It’s going really well! I have been teaching sewing classes since 2004 when I started freelance teaching at Stitch Lounge in SF and at Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics in Berkeley. But when I moved to Petaluma I realized that there weren’t any sewing studios in the entire North Bay that reached out to a younger and hipper audience. So I started StitchCraft. We have all sorts of classes from super beginning pillow & totebag classes to more advanced things like draping and patterndrafting as well as special events like Halloween costume workshops. Some of the most popular classes have been the A-Line Skirt class and the Summer Blouse class. We also sell tons of fabric and trims (new & vintage) as well as independent patterns like Titus, Betsy Ross, Oliver + S and Sublime Stitching.

People sell their goodies in different ways. Would you say most of your sales are internet based, wholesale orders or do you sell like hot cakes at craft shows?

It depends on the time of year. Wholesale tends to be busy from February to April and then summer craft shows are June/July. Then you have the next round of wholesale from August to September and now you are in the thick of holiday craft shows and website sales. I also do a bit of consignment. I pretty much pursue all sales avenues and try to have as many revenue streams as possible.

I’m sure you have been asked this as many times as I have, but where did the name Queen Puff Puff come from?

Ha! My very good friend Roxanne of Cheetah Velour fame found these vintage knitting magazines from the early 60s. All these horrid sweaters had names like the Easy Enid, Rod’s Ski and the Queen Puff Puff. The actual sweater was awful with the giant crochet puff balls hanging off of it but the model had this awesome dark beehive and winged out eyeliner and all my friends said “That’s you!” So it became my nickname, my Live Journal name and then the name of my company. Everyone calls me QPP for short.

Share This

Also this week on Threadbanger the gang re-released my how to make a resin bracelet video if you are looking for some crafty entertainment to watch!

Share This

We are seeking artists to be interviewed on this blog.

If you would like to find out more about being interviews then please contact the editor at artistlife@craftgossip.com

Share This

WHERE ARE YOU: Weymouth, Massachusetts (about 20 miles south of Boston)

COMPANY NAME: the Sampler

WEBSITE: http://www.homeofthesampler.com

BLOG: same!

CRAFT TOOL YOU CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT: my rotary cutter….I use it every single day.

FINISH THE SENTENCE: When I am not mailing out oodles of fun packages I am sewing up a storm and working on the Boston Bazaar Bizarre (I’m one of the organizers)

1)For those that have never heard of The Sampler explain what it is you guys do over there.

The Sampler is a fun marketing & promotional tool for indie businesses. Each month, independent crafters, artists, shops, zines and record labels who run web-based businesses send samples and promotional materials to a contribution pool. All the samples are photographed, posted to the site and then are portioned out, put in little packages and sent off to Sampler subscribers all over the world. Samplers are also sent to over 40 different media outlets to help get press for our contributors.

2) How long have you been working at The Sampler? How has it
been being the new head honcho?

I started working for the Sampler answering emails in January of 2007, and I became boss in January of 2008. Its been a lot of fun, but a lot of hard work being in charge. The monthly Samplers take up a lot more physical space than I was prepared for, so the office is pretty cramped! For now, I work alone and it isn’t so bad, but if I needed to add space for another worker it would be tough. I’ve got loads of amazing volunteers in Samplerland that help me keep the most important day to day things under control: blogging and emails.

3) Why do you think contributing to The Sampler is a wise marketing move for a small Indie business?

The goal of the Sampler is to get your products into the hands of prospective shoppers. If you’ve participated in a craft fair, you know the importance of having people see your items in person…touch them, examine the quality up close. It isn’t always easy selling things over the internet because people can’t have that experience. With the Sampler, a shopper gets a whole box of items where they can see up close exactly how well made your item is. They can also get exposed to a whole group of crafters that they may not have otherwise know about. With all the amazing craft sites out there, its difficult to find that thing that sets you apart from the competition. By contributing to the Sampler, you’ve made more of an impact because the customer already has a sample of your work in their hands.

4) What is the best piece of press a Sampler contributor has
ever received due to one of your mailings?

hmmm…I don’t think any single piece of press was better than another. In each case, it is usually a pretty big deal for the crafter. Our contributors get featured regularly in Venus, Craft, Bust and can often be found in Real Simple, Readymade, and even Better Homes and Gardens. We’ve heard from lots of our participants to be on the watch for these magazines’ holiday gift guides for many more features! My favorite bit of press was from when we participated in a gift lounge for the 2006 MTV Movie Awards. Anne Heche was photographed wearing a sleep mask by Hambone & Jennicakes, which ended up in OK! Magazine

5) Tell me about The Sampler Coloring Book, I just discovered
it and I am totally smitten!

Back when the Sampler started, we needed content to get people interested in coming back to the site. We had lots of fun stuff: games, coloring pages, and interviews. As the Sampler has grown & changed, some of these things have had to take a back seat to the mailings…but they will be back next year!

Share This

WHERE ARE YOU: South Austin - where everything is just better

COMPANY NAME: Model Citizen

WEBSITE: www.modelcitizenclothing.com

BLOG: www.goodgirlsandgeeks.blogspot.com

CRAFT TOOL YOU CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT: currently? scissors & my toaster oven! I am seriously addicted to shrinky dinks right now.

FINISH THE SENTENCE: When I am not drawing white tigers for Model Citizen I am….. probably one of three things:
1. dancing around my kitchen & making dinner with my Mister
2. soaking up some time with my lady friends.
3. practicing yoga!

You are an amazing artist. I remember the first time my eyes met with my green Beauty and the Beat T-shirt my heart went all aflutter. Do you have formal training as an artist?

Um, Thank You! No, I never went to college. I am self-taught & a little obsessive. In high school I spent every free moment in the art room drawing, painting, playing with clay…That is what I want my every day to be like. Makin’ stuff and makin’ a mess in the process! I do day dream about going back to school and one day I will make this a reality, but for now I am really digging the “trial & error” I’ve got going on. Art is my favorite form of experimentation!

Two constant themes in your work seem to be white tigers and anthropomorphism. What’s the fascination?

hmm… well
A.) Tigers are just freakin awesome!
B.) Everything I make for Model Citizen is inspired by my friends and this goes without saying but, they are amazing! The ladies in my drawings have tiger heads because it was the only way I could think to illustrate the “kicking ass and taking names” spirit of my friends. I mean - they are creative, talented, driven & there for you, no matter what. These ladies have big laughs, great taste, & impressive dance moves. AND - this is going to sound cheesier than a block of velveeta but - they are Model Citizens.

We seem to be kindred spirits in the craft/rock aspect. Before I made jewelry I wrote for music zines doing reviews and interviews and also ran my own record label. I see on your bio that you book bands by day and I know your sweetie is a rocker. How do you combine your love of music with your love of craft?

Awesome! What was the name of your label?

Music + Craft = part of my DNA. My Dad worked for MCA for 30+ years. My parents house is the house that Rock built. Gold records line the walls for his work with bands like AD/DC, The Ramones, Tom Petty, The Who, and the list goes on. A little known fact about me - my babysitter was Tiffany, we drew pictures together, it was rad. So not only was music playing all the time, but it was literally every where I looked, & it paid the bills. My mother on the other hand was constantly creating something. Sewing dresses & costumes, making belts, crocheting, gardening, you name it. I am truly their daughter. Now, my home is the same way. My man friend tours the world playing face-melting guitar solos and I craft my brains out. Ultimately, music inspires all.

I know you do all the amazing illustrations for Model Citizen, do you also do the screen printing? If so where did you learn to screen print?

I am sad to say that currently, no, I do not do my own screen printing. Time is a bandit and there just aren’t enough hours in the day. BUT plans are in the works to move all the printing into my home office. Yay! I am a novice when it comes to the art of screen printing, so I am pretty excited about the lessons that lay ahead.

What are some of your best selling designs?

Definately the “Scoot!” T & anything with “Guns” on it. Anything.
“Beauty & The Beat” & “Venus” move pretty quickly too.

Any new designs or plans coming down the pipe for Model Citizen?

Oh yeah! Right now I’m working on another music related Tiger Lady design & there are
more designs featuring cupcakes up my sleeve. More dresses, more yoga clothes, & more jewelry! Oh and to make room for all this new stuff I have a bunch of items marked down in my etsy shop right now.

Also - it’s been a long time coming but in the near future I will be carrying more plus size T’s!

Share This

WHERE ARE YOU: Phoenix, AZ

COMPANY NAME: Crafty Chica

WEBSITE: http://www.CraftyChica.com

BLOG: http://www.thecraftychica.blogspot.com

CRAFT TOOL YOU CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT: Tool…hmmm…OK, my pinking shears

Every crafter would LOVE to get their own product line how did this turn of events happen for the Crafty Chica. Besides the fact that you are an amazing crafter, one of the sweetest people I have ever known, a host on LifetimeTV.com – how did you get teamed up with Duncan and how was the concept for a Crafty Chica product line born?

I had been chugging along with my websites for years, I love making stuff. One site is ChicanoPopArt.com, and that is art I make and sell, but the other, CraftyChica.com, is all about motivating others to get crafty. There is a strong multi-culti and edgy vibe to it because I’m Mexican-American, I love Bollywood movies, reggae music, the Caribbean, and yet my favorite city in the whole world is London. So all of those flavors are added in everythign I do. I didn’t get paid for it, so I felt free to just have fun. I built a strong following and had no idea that the crafty industry folks were tuning in.

I went to the CHA show a few times to report for my day job as a newspaper craft columnist and met different people in the industry. I kinda knew something might happen because each year I went, different manufacturers would come up to me and ask me about trying their product and if I’d ever consider doing a line. But it was Duncan Enterprises that actually flew me to their head offices, met with me and talked about the idea. A year later they put together a job offer for me to join them create the line! i left my newspaper job, which I loved, to become a senior product designer. I love this job even more!!!

I have seen the product line in person at CHA and was blown away by the breath of the product line and range of the products. There is something for jewelry designers, collage artists, painters and more. Let everyone know what they can expect to find with the Crafty Chica line.

I based it all on crafters like me. I call them “cross-crafters”. We don’t just stick to one genre, we mix and match. So within the display is a bit of everything, kind of like a one-stop-crafty shop. There are 41 items in the line. THHere are the basics like paints in all my faovrite colors that can be mixed and matched together, hologrpahic glitter with shades that I custome mixed myself, a Day of the Dead flocked iron-on, a Sacred Heart iron-on, screen print totes that can be painted or embroidered, and Workshops In A Box - these are kits based on workshops I teach all over the country.

And most everything has a story - the patches for example - the Chihuahua is drawn in the likeness of our dog, Ozzy. The cupcake is a homage to my parents and the time we had a wild, funny, cupcake fight at the dinner table when I was in second grade!

Where can we find the Crafty Chica line? Can I walk into my local Michaels on August 1st and demand some Crafty Chica glitter?

It is supposed to be August 1st, but some stores are still stocking! I know because my crafty spies are informing me! But you can also buy online, just visit my site and there are links that will take you there!

What is your favorite item from the Crafty Chica line? If you had to guess what do you think will sell out first and be the most popular item from the line?

I love the empowerment type of pieces - like the Empowerment Guardian statues. You decorate them for wherever you need a muse to watch over and inspire you. I also love the Love Shrine kit so people can be reminded of what makes them happy. I think the Crafty Chica mojito papers will sell out fast. These are papers that my husband (with the help of the Duncan designers). You get 10 sheets in a pack and they are so vibrant, you can cut them up or use them to line a table - all kinds of things!

Oh! I also love the Crafty Chica Loteria game. It is our version of the traditional Mexican bingo game.

We all know the Crafty Chica line is going to be a smashing success and sell out immediately. That being the case what do you have cooking in the back of your mind as far as products for the second round of Crafty Chica. You are probably the most prolific crafter I know so you could come out with new fun products every year!

I hope you are right!!! The next batch will definately be better, because now I know the process of how it works! I have gobs of new ideas, which I’ve already started to sketch! i would love to branch out into fabric crafts, food crafts, more home accessories.

Visit our sister site Craftbits.com for your chance to win a Craft Chica Hamper

Share This

While snooping around Gurl.com I came across an interview with Megan that I thought you might find interesting.

Share This

I see that you learned to knit and crochet from your mother as a little girl. When did you start using your needle skills for the betterment of the fashion community?

My first crafty web shop was full of a crazy mixture of things, and my crocheted hats sold the best, by far! So I decided to revamp. I launched monicaburnetthats.com in 2005

What are you best sellers? I am partial to the headbands and love the custom one you made me, but I have noticed that loose crocheted berets have been all the rage so I bet they sell like hot cakes for you!

It’s always changing, but right now the “cadet” hats with the little button flaps are hot, but I would have to say my headbands are usually the favorite.

What are your favorite fashion magazines or blogs? Any that you subscribe to or have to read regularly?

Adorn (rip), teen vogue, nylon, paper, Japanese magazines, bits and bobbins, n.e.e.t, face hunter, and of course I read your blog for brilliant business advice!

What are some trends you are seeing in the fashion world right now? Anything you are loving or hating? Any fashion predictions?

I have a theory…when we are kids the teenagers have the BEST style, we envy it, we can’t wait till we are teens to wear it, we just want it.

Of course when we become teens, there is a whole new set of rules, and we wear what’s current.

When we branch off and become “grown ups” we are still engrained with that bizarre yearning for the teenage fashions of our childhood… and THAT’S why fashion is cyclical.

For example, when I was a little bird, the teens were hitting grunge, hard.

Now I make slouchy hats, obsess over plaid, and live for my doc martens.

What piece of clothing and or accessory do you find yourself wearing all the time?

I’m a skirt or dress kind of girl. I have maybe 2 pairs of pants and they only get worn on laundry day. Oh and tights! I love tights, I have maybe 8 pairs, mustard yellow, purple, bright blue, white…

You recently moved from the Los Angeles area to Portland. Have you noticed any major differences in street style? For a big city Los Angeles always seems subdued in their fashion to me. I hear Portland is a sister city to Austin and if that rings true in the fashion community I am assuming there is a pretty eclectic sense of style there.

I had always heard that Portland was 2 steps back fashion wise and I’m about 2 steps sideways, so I get a lot of looks when I walk outside…

Portland is not as trendy as LA/Orange County. The kids love their vintage, I see lots of jeans, sweatshirts, there is a distinct lack of makeup (a welcome change). I would imagine “do you have this in green?” is a question the sales people hear often. Portland loves its nature colors.

Who are some of your style icons? Any favorite designers, rockers, Etsy sellers – who’s style or wares you admire?

I love the personal style of: Vivianne Westwood, Jean Seberg, cast of gossip girl, Heath Ledger, Mary-Kate and Ashley, Johnny Depp, Betsey Johnson, Frida Kahlo, my sister. Some of my favorite designers are: Anna Sui, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Luella, Missoni, Karen Walker, Kenzo.

I see that your bio says you are a Sex and the City fan. Have you seen the movie yet? What did you think of the outfits? Sarah Jessica Parker sports a sequined beret in one scene!

Ooooh yes I saw the movie. My buddie and I bought tickets in advance, got dressed up, did the whole thing.

I dug the outfits. My only beef is that Carrie seemed to ditch her love for vintage. Like what, now you are “successful” and you can afford real clothes…so I suppose she only shopped vintage because it’s what she could afford at the time? I like to think of her being a little more creative then that.

I know that your headbands have been featured on shows like Your LA and iCarly and in print places like Adorn and Metro Pop Magazine. How does one get their headbands into the hot little hands of say the stylist for Zoey 101 like you did?

Actually she found me! I was a vendor at Felt Club and she was a shopper. Of course she did not introduce herself, she just bought a headband and scampered away as stylists do. Later she purchased another headband off my website and the shipping address was the Zoey 101 set, that kind of tipped me off.

She called me a while later to do a custom hat for iCarly, you can actually see my hat in the opening credits of the show! You have to look pretty hard…but its there

On a scale of 1-10 how addicted to Polyvore are you? Are you on any other fashion related websites like This Next, Style Hive or Iqons? Which is your favorite.

I would say a solid 8, my favorite thing is when people use my hats to create outfits, I live for that.

Yes I believe I am on all those other sites as well, I don’t really understand how to use those sites though, I don’t check them too often, just for marketing purposes.

Polyvore is definitely my favorite!

Share This

Share This