Meet Ava Chan of Sugin Textiles

by Ava of Sugin Textiles

Hello! My name is Ava Chan, and I make and sell felted goods for home and body under the name Sugin Textiles. I became a member of Boston Handmade earlier this year and I’m thrilled to be here.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.

A: I grew up in New York City in the South Bronx, during that neighborhood’s bad ol’ days in the 1960s and 70s. My family lived on the top floor of a five-story walkup and outside time was confined to the fire escape and the building’s tar roof. Now I live with two greyhounds in a little ranch house in Brighton that has a small lawn and a back yard. Instead of white picket, the fence enclosing my house is chain-link, but it’s still a world away from what I grew up with. I went up to Boston for college (I studied mechanical engineering at Boston University) and stayed. I’m intrigued by different work environments and how one earns a living.  I’ve worked at general office jobs, as an ice cream scooper, a retail clerk, in a food coop, at a food pantry, as a software developer, as a technical writer, as an instructor of college freshman composition, and as a community organizer. Now I’m figuring out the components of owning a creative business. It is so delightful to be in the company of Boston Handmade members on this current adventure.

Q: What is the first thing you can remember making by hand?

A: I don’t remember the first things I made, but I do remember learning how to knit and crochet when I was about 7 or 8 years old – my mom taught me. I remember struggling with getting my rows to line up and to understand how you knew which way you were going when knitting up a row. I remember the thrill I felt when I figured it out. I still get that thrill now when I’m making something and get it to be what I want it to be.

Q : What are your favorite materials?

A: Generally speaking, natural fibers, wool first and foremost. Most feltmakers use merino fleece, which has a fine texture and felts readily.  I really appreciate it after working with fleece from other breeds of sheep, such as Shetland, Icelandic, and Coopworth. I love the way that linen and hemp become softer with use. Silk is delightful.  I also love clay, its malleability and how glazing and baking in a kiln seem to transform it into an entirely different substance.

Q: What do you love most about what you make?

A: I really love the textures that can be developed with felt. I think like clay, wool has an alchemical nature. It can be made into 2D or 3D objects, and the texture of the finished object is influenced by the type of wool, how much is used, how it is laid out and how you stretch and rub it as you make the felt. Felt can be smooth, soft, hard, or coarse. You can increase the texture of a piece by incorporating various fibers or even pieces of cloth or other objects. Stitching on felt, whether by machine or hand, creates a quilted effect. You can even incorporate solid objects into felt.  The more a piece moves away from a smooth surface, the more intriguing I find it.

Q: What is your biggest obstacle with what you make?

A: Feltmaking is slow! It takes a long time to get even merino fibers to mat together. I wish I worked faster.

Q: What’s your favorite way to spend a Sunday morning?

A: I love cooking on Sunday mornings: waffles, biscuits, fried rice or noodles, and then eating them. I share with the dogs.

Interview with Boston Handmade Member Melissa Glick

by Melissa Glick of Hacker Junk Creations

BH: Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, personal stuff).

MG: Hi, I’m Melissa Glick, I live in Central Sq Cambridge with my ltbf Sean and work out of the Artisan’s Asylum (huge maker space) in Union Sq Somerville. I have been involved with the Nave and Nave Annex, www.navegallery.org two all volunteer run galleries in Somerville for over 10 years.

BH: What is your background? (family background, education, former/current day jobs)

I am a youngest child. Grew up in Lexington and studied Art History at SUNY Purchase and at The American College & Parsons in Paris. I have a masters in Art Education from Mass College of Art. I didn’t have the temperament to be a school teacher so instead I managed educational programs at cultural institutions including: Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, Arts in Progress, The Boston Public Schools, Mass Alliance for Arts Education, Boston Ballet, ICA and The Museum of Fine Arts. My grandfather went to Cooper Union and my sister inherited the sewing talent and makes costumes.

BH: How long have you been doing your artwork/craft?

I’ve been doing Hacker Junk Creation for almost 3 years. Previously I did photography. I learned to work in the dark room in high school. I was an early adopter of the digital medium and spent many hours experimenting with Photoshop. I may not know how a computer does it’s magic, but I sure know how to take them apart!

BH: Describe your work.

I transform old computer parts and recycled paper into assemblages, mosaics, tiles and clocks. I play with pattern, perspective and illusion by combining a plethora of 3D abstract shapes, colors and materials found in e-waste with 2D imagery from my personal collection of cultural relics.

BH: Please describe your creative process (how, when, materials, etc).

When I took apart my first computer I was amazed to find so many unusual abstract shapes made of many kinds of materials in many beautiful colors. I was immediately reminded of some of my favorite artists, Bauhaus, Louis Nevelson, Mondrain. Along the way I have learned techniques for attaching and manipulating the materials involving lots of tools, woodworking and recently 3D design software and the CNC Router. My work is about visual connections, playing with shapes, patterns and composition.

BH: What are your favorite materials?

What’s not to love about a shiny hard drive platter that makes a beautiful tone when you tap it? Stators look like snowflakes and come in original copper, blue, green and even red. I especially love the tiny little bushings and other connectors with geometric cut outs.

 

BH: What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?

I studied Art History and have amassed a collection of images of art and other graphics that attract my eye. Its an alchemy of bringing together obsolete mechanical parts with the line and color of beautiful images. The first time I saw the plastic sheet under a key board I immediately thought of Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie-Woogie. By incorporating reproductions of works of art I am giving them new life and reinterpreting them in my unique manner.

BH: How do you promote your work?

Open studios at the Asylum brings over 300 people in. We also host other events where people can see my work displayed by my space. Being involved with the Nave Gallery provides exhibition opportunities and keeps me in touch with the community where I learn about new projects to get involved in. The Somerville Arts Council www.somervilleartscouncil.org supports the artist community by producing many wonderful events and projects to get involved with. I have a website at: Melissasglick.com.

BH: What’s your most interesting fair/show experience?

The Trash Bash! This was the 2^nd year # Graces Productions put on the event. Artists who work with recycled materials get to display and the audience votes for their favorite piece in many categories. There are bands and information about recycling. These are my people!

BH: Why should people buy handmade?

Something handmade has a unique quality and is endowed with the spirit of it’s maker. Being creative and making the world around us more beautiful is a very valuable skill.

BH: How long have you been involved with Etsy and what have your experiences been?

I opened my store in 2008 but never really used it until 2012. I have sold 2/3’s of my work to people in San Francisco, which is totally awesome. I have watched some videos about marketing and love the whole international craft marketplace economy phenomenon, but I wouldn’t consider my experience to be a success. My Etsy shop is called Melsplace, come visit!

BH: Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites

MG: Websites: http://beautifuldecay.com, www.lostateminor.com, whatshouldireadnext.com, www.thisiscolossal.com, www.sca-roadside.org, www.instructables.com

Movies: Amelie, Roman Holiday, Big Fish, Almost Famous, Train Spotting, Usual Suspects, City of God, Black Swan, Borat, Moonrise Kingdom, School of Rock, Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Break Back Mountain, Blood Simple.

Songs: Regina Specktor: Eet, Dylan: Knocking on Heaven’s Door, Bruce Springsteen: Thunder Road, Decemberists: Cinnamon

Books:Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern, Traveling with Pomegranates SM Kidd & AK Taylor, People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks, Song of Chameleons, Truman Capote

BH: Is there anything about you that would surprise people to know?

I was an extra in the Martin Scorsese film The Departed. You can see me just over Martin Sheen's left shoulder as he exits the South Station T station.

Why Handmade: Special Edition; An Interview with Anne Thalheimer of My Monster Hat

by Lynn Mohney of Prunella’s Workshop

Photo courtesy of Anne Thalheimer

Allow me to introduce Anne Thalheimer and her wonderfully zany Monster Hats. I have known Anne for 32 years, when we met in Charlene Twente’s second grade class. She was already a talented artist at the tender age of seven, and by the age of 9, Anne was creating her own comic book strips. Today,
this brilliant woman crafts fleece hats made to look like a variety of monsters, creates comic books, including a graphic novel, and referees roller derby, when she is not teaching in a variety of institutions from preschool to Yale University. It was an honor and a pleasure to cyber-interview Anne, and I hope everyone enjoys her work.

Tell us a little bit about your business.

My Monster Hat is a custom size and design hat company where I make crazy fun hats out of fleece, felt fangs, and lots of eyeballs.

How did you get started making monster hats?

I actually needed a fall hat, didn't like anything in the stores, and I'd just taught myself to sew. I made one -- I still have it, actually -- and started wearing it around town. A friend of mine saw it and said, Hey, can you make me one of those for Halloween? I did, and he wore it around, and people kept asking him where he'd gotten it. Then he started calling me every time someone did this, and so ... sure enough, the business was born.

How Sherlock Survived; A Speculative Guide - by Anne Thalheimer

I know you have been drawing comics a long time. Can you describe how they have evolved over the years?

My line work has become a great deal smoother and more confident -- the more I draw, the less choppy it looks. I actually released my first graphic novel over the summer, and I'm kind of amazed, looking through it, how smooth it all looks.

What You Don't Get - A graphic novel by Anne Thalheimer

What is your favorite part of running your business?

I love custom hat designs, when someone gets in touch with some really interesting idea, and how excited they are when I can actually take their ideas and concepts and turn those into a tangible (and warm!) thing!

Do you think people put more value in items that were made by hand?

I hope so! For me, it's important: knowing that I own something someone else created? That's kind of amazing, you know?

What is your favorite handmade item you own? Does it have a special story?

Something that I made, or something someone made for me? Actually, I guess both: my mom's a quilter, and she asked me to make her a bunch of flat monster heads, and didn't tell me why. So I made them and sent them off, and a couple of weeks later this quilt shows up at my house, that she's used one of my favorite fabric patterns to make (skeleton keys, and a zebra print -- I'm a roller derby ref on the side ---) and she's stitched the monster heads to them.

Zebra Pattern Fleece Monster Hat - photo courtesy of Anne Thalheimer

How do you feel about the quality of handmade items verses items that were mass produced?

It of course depends on the item, but I tend to think of "flaws" as quirks in handmade things and as faults in massmade things -- I like it when I can tell that something is one of a kind or handmade. I'm a little less excited about things that look identical.

Would you describe your family to be creative/handmade/artistic?

Sort of. My mom painted a lot when I was a kid and, ironically, made a lot of clothes for us. (The irony is that I didn't really learn to sew until I was an adult.)

How did you find your way into your art?

Needed a hat. I know! Less exciting...

Undead Green Fleece Zombie Hat - photo courtesy of Anne Thalheimer

Do you feel it is our responsibility as artists to pass along our skills and knowledge to future generations? If so, how?

I do. I actually do. When I was growing up in the '80s, handmade wasn't a good thing. I love that it's sort of been reclaimed in a lot of ways. I work as a teacher; I've been lucky to develop a class with Beehive Sewing Studio + Workspace out here in Western MA, and so I've gotten to teach people some techniques and to have fun with sewing -- I do a lot of one-of-a-kind work, so it's an interesting fusion of craft and art. But I love teaching kids to sew!

But yes. Teaching. Bringing our friends and family and especially our kids to craft fairs and to let them see the junk in the house from making stuff, and to make stuff themselves!

Making hats at Beehive Sewing Studio- Photo Courtesy of Anne Thalheimer

How do you pass along the love of what you do to other people?

Teaching. Wearing funky hats. I also donate hats from time to time to fundraisers and to shelters during the winter (because kids need funky hats too, and even more so when it's snowing). I do a lot of craft fairs and I let people try on the hats and take pictures with them on; it's hard not to crack a
grin when there's a monster eating your head.

Do you feel it is more important to pass along your specific skill set? Or a respect for craft/art in general? How can either be achieved?

Respect for art in general. Through teaching, of course, and through valuing the system that honors people who create these works of art. Bringing craft and art into daily lives.

A.

The cold New England winter is upon us all. I encourage you all to check out Anne’s hats, and choose one best suiting your personality. You won’t regret it!

Photo Courtesy of Anne Thalheimer

Why Handmade: Special Family Edition, An Interview with Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue

by Lynn Mohney of Prunella’s Workshop

Our families and our upbringing can have great impact on who we are as artists as well as the future artists we may create and inspire. Every once in a while I plan to interview an artist regarding art in their family, both current and growing up, to shed light on the different places artists come from.

Recently I had the pleasure of cyber interviewing Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue, and one of our very own Boston Handmade members. She creates exquisite dyed silks in colors that are truly enchanting. Upon meeting Susanne a few weeks ago, I can tell you she is as elegant in person as her beautifully dyed fabrics. However, she also has a wonderful sense of humor that is thoroughly enjoyable! I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I have.

Would you describe your family to be creative/handmade/artistic?

Definitely! My mother was always baking (I include baking here because her pastries and cakes were true pieces of art), sewing, painting, doing one handicraft or the other. My father also painted. I had a great-aunt who sewed the most adorable stuffed animals. My favorite was a blue floppy dog-kind of thing. It was called ‘Schlappi’ (‘Floppy’ in English). I lost him on a ski lift. Remember the trauma to this day!

Gingerbread Mansion by Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue

Was there a particular family member who inspired you to pursue your craft based upon their craft?

Seeing their parents being creative naturally rubs off on the children. My brother and I were encouraged to use our imagination. I remember winning a Lego kitchen in a contest where you had to draw your dream house. This was back in the early 70s, and Legos were still quite simple. My mother shared her Fimo dough with me (she was working on some decorations), and I made elaborate, tiny cakes, breads, vegetables, fruit, plates, cups, and other things out of it and decorated them with seed beads.

My mother was an accomplished seamstress. She never taught me how to sew, but the idea that you can make whatever garment you imagine was always in my head. In my late teens, I was into sewing for a while, but I didn’t pursue it further.

Was there someone outside your family who introduced you to crafting? If so, how?

My sons’ friends’ mother is a jewelry maker. While the boys were on a play date once, she showed me her work space and how to string beads, attach clasps, use crimp beads, etc. I found that fascinating and read a few articles on that topic.

One of my best friends and her husband are very interested in gemstones and their properties, and I learned quite a bit from them. I combined these two interests and started designing gemstone jewelry, at first with gemstone properties in mind.

I am from Vienna, Austria, and painting on silk was very popular there in the 80s. I don’t remember how it first started and who introduced me to it, but I found myself somehow with a frame (which I still use today) and a few pieces of silk and lots of dyes. My technique changed over the years and I learned others, from the traditional, precise outlining to snow dyeing, compost dyeing, Shibori, and natural dyes. That’s what I love about it so much: the great versatility.

Self Portrait Scarf by Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue

I stumbled upon Kimberly Baxter Packwood’s website. She is a textile artist specializing in natural dyes. The results she achieved with plant matter and her unique methods were fascinating to me, and I started researching more and experimenting with it. This is the craft that held my concentration the longest. Not that I get bored, but I like things that give serendipitous results and turn out differently, even if going through the exact same process. This is also where Shibori comes in. It is predictable up to a point, but there are still surprises every time I unwrap a piece.

I have the ‘problem’ that I can pick up any craft very easily. I am intrigued by color and shape and the beauty found in nature. I will try anything and be fairly proficient at it in a short time. Pottery, stained glass, knitting, crocheting, stitching, collage, mosaic, oil and water color, baked creations (from gingerbread houses and other 3-dimensional creations to theme and fantasy cakes), furniture restoration and repurposing (I mostly rescue pieces from other people’s trash) – I have tried them all. Drives my husband crazy, because he never knows what he will come home to next, and what piece of ‘trash’ will clutter the garage.

How do you feel your family influence has affected your work? Has it been a jumping stone into something new? Or do you delight in a family tradition?

Like I mentioned, my mother was an accomplished seamstress. And I tried sewing. However, straight lines and exact measuring are not my forte, so I did not pursue that further.

Gingerbread People by Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchanted Hue

She was also a wonderful baker. Her pastries were always perfect and delicate and little pieces of art, too pretty to eat sometimes. This is something I seem to have inherited. E.g. I don’t like chocolate chip or other drop cookies, because they look sloppy. I love making cut-out sugar dough or gingerbread cookies in different shapes, depending on occasion and season. I custom mix the colors for the frosting and use different techniques of applying it. Christmas is one of my favorite seasons, because I get to make elaborate gingerbread mansions and other three dimensional creations.

Both my parents always painted the most beautiful, delicate, intricate Easter eggs. This is a tradition I continue with my boys. It’s a ceremony when we paint our eggs!

And both my parents knew how to transform an ordinary piece into something new and beautiful with a few brush strokes or gluing a piece of paper onto it or sanding it down. Imagination and seeing beyond the primary use of a piece are two of the things that have been handed down to me.

Susanne Guirakhoo's parents, and of course Susanne in the middle!

Do you feel it is our responsibility as artists to pass along our skills and knowledge to future generations? If so, how?

It is important to pass that along. Some artists are hesitant to share their techniques and materials and sources, but I think that is shooting ourselves in the foot. Everybody has a different talent, a different view, and even if we use the same materials and methods, no two pieces are alike. It is important to share and learn from each other.

One of the most valuable lessons we can give our children is open up their minds and give them tools and let them be creative in their own way.

Not everybody is good at writing blog posts or books or tutorials, at shooting instructional videos or leading workshops. All of those are great tools to share knowledge. But sometimes even watching somebody do their craft or talking about it can spark interest and might lead them to pursue that particular craft further.

How do you pass along the love of what you do to other people?

Mostly by talking about it and sharing my passion. Many times I had to explaining to my neighbors why I’m crawling through their yard collecting particular pieces of bark, why I’m sitting on their curb shoveling the last of the snow into a bucket, why there are disgusting smells coming from my kitchen, why I am burying suspicious bundles in my compost pile, or why my fingers are a particular color de jour. They are used to it by now (I think), but it always sparks a conversation.

Susanne Guirakhoo caught foraging!

I give jewelry or scarves or pillow covers as presents to my friends, and I know that they treasure them and that somewhere in Lyon or Gothenburg or Vienna a friend of theirs is asking about them and learn how they have been created.

Do you feel it is more important to pass along your specific skill set? Or a respect for craft/art in general? How can either be achieved?

I think it is more important to pass along a general respect for crafts and art. Everybody will find their own way eventually, but the more you are exposed to different areas, the more likely you are to find your particular passion. And it is always good to try new things.

I feel that I am still not at the point where I am an expert. I probably never will be. There are too many variables. But it gives me pleasure when I see a friend experiment with a simple compost dyeing project, or when my son picks up some fabric and dye and yarn and makes his own fiber art.

Get to know new Boston Handmade Member: Lynn Mohney, co-owner of Prunella's Workshop

BH: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Lynn: My name is Lynn Mohney, of Prunella’s Workshop. We are a one and a half person business comprised of my husband, Duane, and I. I am a fulltime metal smith. Duane calls himself my minion, but he is the technical engineer/problem solver part of the business, when he is not at his full-time other job. Prunella’s Workshop is located in Leominster, MA, where I live with one husband, a near seven year-old boy, an 18 month old girl, and two cats. We create metal jewelry and clothing accessories based upon research of similar pieces from the medieval period.

I began to think of art as my vocation when I was in sixth grade.  As a result, I went to Assabet Regional Vocational High School, where I focused my studies on graphic design.  I then went to Notre Dame College (now defunct) where I obtained a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and graphic design.  While there, I was trained in costume designing in addition to my studies, and eventually had the opportunity to design the costumes for an entire production.  I set out in the world thinking I would write and illustrate children’s books (a dream that is still alive and well but unfulfilled.)  Instead, I began a master’s degree is school psychological counseling, which was not completed because, as said in the jewelry world, I was distracted by something shiny.

BH:  Where did you get the name Prunella’s Workshop? 

Lynn:  This is a frequent question I am asked by my customers. Mostly it comes from my love of fairy tales, which is highly reflective in my work; however, I also named my business after my son. We have a family tradition of giving babies nicknames from fairy tales prior to being born.  Prunella was one of the Wicked Stepsisters in Cinderella, and seemed fitting.  The nickname was dropped upon birth, but lives on in my creations.

BH: When did you begin metal smithing?

Lynn: I took my first class at Metalwerx, in Waltham, MA in 2005, and I was immediately hooked.  Within two years, I decided I wanted this to be my vocation, and started Prunella’s Workshop.  However, it was not until August 2012 that I was able to resign from my 15 year-long office job to pursue my craft full time.

BH: What was the first thing you can remember making by hand?

Lynn: That would have to be dyed macaroni necklaces in the library when I was around three.  I come from a crafty family, so it is really hard to remember when I began doing art.  My grandmother was an artist, but her mother would not let her go to art school because it was not considered lady-like. My mother made all of my clothes until I hit that age where other kids made fun of you because your clothes did not have labels.  Which was a shame, because my clothes were nicer than theirs.  When I was six, I drew a portrait of my Mom for Mother’s Day, and it got in the newspaper.  It apparently looked so much like her, friends called to tell her. I remember later sewing costumes for all of my Barbie dolls so they could put on a production of Peter Pan. However, I actually remember making the macaroni necklace best!

BH:  Please describe your artistic process.

Lynn:  I often start by just drawing out ideas or having a picture in my head of something that has been inspiring me.  And then I make something else!  Seriously, I have as many drawings of jewelry I should make some day as I do actual completed work.  Every once in a while I actually make something I have drawn.  Yet just drawing out ideas clears the clutter in my head so I can get started.  Sometimes I start out just going through resource books and museum websites for inspiration.

I usually start with a sheet or wire of sterling silver or copper.  Sometimes the sheet is pierced into an intricate design, or receives a hammered texture.  The wire is usually twisted and soldered.  I do some stone setting, but my focus is on the way the metal moves and flows at my command.  When one first starts metal working it seems inconceivable that one could have any control over something so cold and hard; however, metal is incredibly malleable if you understand how to work it.  I love forming metal with hammers, and I will admit, there is a little pyro in me just waiting to get out and use my propane torch.

BH: Where do your ideas come from?

Lynn:  I am inspired by the medieval time period, with focus on the Italian Renaissance and the Elizabethan period.  My husband adds in his love for the ancient Vikings and the Celts.  All four show up in my work quite frequently.  I like to take it a step further than just jewelry or accessories that are slightly reminiscent of times of yore.  For example, I research the actual clasps that were used, and in some instances try to recreate them, if feasible. I will do actual reproduction work, but I prefer to try to come up with designs I feel could have been created at that time using techniques they would have used.  I am quite awed by the fact that modern jewelry is often quite similar to what was worn as long ago as B.C.  

Not all of my work is focused on a period in history.  As I mentioned before, I have a deep passion for fairytales.  I am fascinated by the concept of stories told in the oral tradition that have been told so many times in so many ways that they are deeply ingrained into who we are as a species.  For example, just about every culture has a Cinderella story.  I fear this tradition is dying, and fewer people know the stories.  When I am not sharing a piece of history with my followers, I want to share a story.

BH:  Are there other mediums besides metal that interest you?

Lynn: I love to create portraits of people, especially in watercolor, though I have started some exploration in doing them in silverpoint.  I enjoy painting.  I love to hand sew and embroider.  I have always wanted to try a pottery wheel, but have not had the chance.  I have also wanted to try marble sculpture, but I have not gotten there yet.  I also really love costume designing.  I am working on a full length novel, as well.

BH:  How do you promote your work?

Lynn:  I currently have my own website at http://www.prunellasworkshop.net.  I sell my work on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/PrunellasWorkshop.  I also have a Facebook page where I promote my work as well:  https://www.facebook.com/PrunellasWorkshop.  We can also be seen at a variety of craft fairs, and we keep our calendar updated frequently.

BH:  What are your favorite movies? Books? Music?

Lynn: The three very best movies in the world, not in any order, have to be Princess Bride, Bambi, and the original Psycho. Choosing my favorite books is rather hard, as I love to read more than anything, but if I must choose, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Rebecca by Daphne DuMuarier, Harry Potter, and Grimm’s Fairy tales are all goo d contenders. Ask me tomorrow and I will change my mind.  My music selections are very eclectic, but I mostly listen to soundtracks to musicals while I am working.  Weird Al Yankovic is my hero, as I am a nerd at heart. I love Simon and Garfunkel, Joni Mitchel, Billy Joel, and the Bare Naked Ladies.  I love music, and I am amazed by the talent out there, especially as I am completely tone deaf.

BH:  Read any good books lately?

Lynn:  I am currently reading the second book in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series.  I mostly ready fiction, though I have been known to curl up with a good jewelry book.  My son has been reading Howliday Inn by James Howe to me.  It was the first mystery I ever read, and now it’s his.  Watching his face light up as he figured out “who dunnit” was pretty darn cool.

BH:  Where do you see yourself in 5 years with your art?

Lynn:  I hope that in the next five years I will have continued to grow and develop, constantly taking the quality of my work to the next level.  I never want to feel like I have reached the point where my work is “good enough,” as I believe we can always strive to be better than we are today. I hope to have developed a client base who respects the quality of my work and to have an established strong business.

New Member: Anna Koon, Artist

Anna Koon/a2n2 of www.a2n2.net My name is Anna Koon and I am one of the new members of Boston Handmade. It is an honor to be joining you, and I am looking forward to getting to know the other members. In order to begin introductions, I’ve answered a few questions about myself. You can view my work at www.a2n2.net, and www.etsy.com/shop/a2n2koon Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. A: I was born in Boston while my father was finishing his business degree. My first home was the uber-small married housing at Harvard (which the college still uses today). Our little family (Dad, Mom, Me) moved to Dixie after graduation, so I grew up all over the South. I returned to New England for college to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, and during those years I fell in love with the North. After RISD I moved to JP, but only remained for a couple of years before heading South again to be closer to my family. However, I visited friends in Boston often. Through my best friend from RISD, I met my husband. After a year of long-distance courting (He-Somerville. Me-Atlanta.) we got married and moved to JP. We’ve been here for over a decade. I never tire of living here. I love Boston, and I love New England! Q: How long have you been doing your artwork/craft? A: I started creating when I was a baby. In fact my mother took some of my drawings into an elementary school for feedback. The teacher she spoke to said, given the attention to detail (in this case: ears, pupils, and belly buttons) the child who made the art was around 6 years of age. I was two at the time. No one else in my family (Dad, Mom, and three younger siblings) is creative so it was a bit of a challenge to get the support and understanding I needed as a young, angsty artist, but these days family members come to art events when they can. In fact, my Dad and Mom are coming to JP Open Studios this year. Q: Describe your work. What inspires you? A: For the most part my work is mixed media paintings of moments in contemporary, urban life. I am inspired by my life as a female in the city of Boston. I walk everywhere, and when I say everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE (JP to downtown, to Cambrige, Watertown, Arlington, Waban...), so I find a lot of inspiration during my walks. My schedule is set up to allow me to get to appointments and meetings on foot, so I take in new images and ideas for hours at a time. Q: Apart from creating things, what do you do? A: Are you ready for this? In addition to managing my full-time art career, I am a small business consultant and a creative coach-offering practical assistance and pricipled guidance in both capacities. I develop and teach professional workshops for creative entrepreneurs through the Jamaica Plain Arts Council and the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston. I also volunteer-my husband and I are spokespeople for the national, non-profit RESOLVE, and we run a ministry through Park Street Church-You Are Not Alone-to support individuals and couples battling infertility. I manage our home, including all the finances. And I’m a writer. My husband says I’m the busiest person he knows!

Part 2: Interview with Hibou Designs

by Anne-Claire of Hibou Designs

Q: What do you love most about what you make?

A: The freedom to make what I want.

Q: What is your biggest obstacle with it?

A: The freedom to make what I want ;)

Q: Are there other mediums you’re not working in that interest you?

A: Yes, I would like to explore with fabric you can paint on but I don't know if I'll ever get around to it and some people are already doing it very well! I think the best example for this can be found at the amazing shop called CartBeforetheHorse. I own one of Dylan and Jo's work and I'm looking forward to collect some more.

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of in your work?

A: To have my work published in the pages of Stuffed Magazine alongside amazingly talented people! My creations are currently in the Summer issue 2011 and they’ll be again (jumping up and down in excitement!) in the Winter 2012 issue.

Q: What’s your most interesting fair/show experience?

A: I am very happy to be part of the excellent plush art show called Plush You! for the second time around at Kristen Rask's gallery/shop Schmancy in Seattle. I'm also excited to have been selected for Boston Bazaar Bizarre again this year. This is a really good craft show and there is nothing I like more than meeting my clients in person.

Q: Why should people buy handmade?

A: Because handmade objects have a soul.

Q: Name a few of your favorite books, movies, songs/musical groups, and food.

A: All Radiohead, Dave Brubeck’s Koto Song, any book by Stefan Zweig, can’t choose a favorite painting because I like too many, There will be Blood or any movie with Daniel Day Lewis, chocolate and anything from a pig (I'm French and I cannot live without pate, ham, saucisson, bacon... now I'm hungry ;).

Q: Read any good books lately?

A :Philip Kerr – the Berlin trilogy (and now reading the following ones)

Q: If you were an animal, which one would you be?

A: A cat... my maiden name being Minet this really fits me!

Q: What’s your favorite way to spend a Sunday morning?

A: Reading the paper or a magazine with a latte and an awesome breakfast (with bacon!).

I think that's about it for now. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions (or tweet me hello!) and check out my shop which is now called HibouDesigns (Etsy recently allowed us to change our shop name if we wished and I changed mine from Hiboucards to HibouDesigns). You can also see my whole portfolio on my Flickr account.

Happy crafting!

Cheers, Anne-Claire aka Hibou

Part 1: Interview with New Member Hibou Designs

by Anne-Claire of Hibou Designs

Hello!

My name is Anne-Claire and I'm a new member of Boston Handmade :)

If you want to learn a bit more about me and my work feel free to read the answers to the questions asked below. Thanks for welcoming me into your group.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself:

A: My name is Anne-Claire Regan but I often go by Hibou (“eeboo”) which means “owl” in French. My shop’s name on Etsy is HibouDesigns and I live and work in Jamaica Plain, MA. My husband and I moved from NY about 7 years ago but I am originally from France.

We have a little boy… scratch that… we have a big boy named Jack who just turned 5 and we have a happy bilingual/bicultural family (from Tours France to Princeton New Jersey… never a dull moment!).

Q: What is your background?

A: I went to the Ecole du Louvre in Paris where I majored in Art History and Egyptian Archeology. I then moved to New York where I did a Master degree on the "business" side of Art at the FIT. I worked in contemporary art galleries for a while and then in an amazing Decorative Arts Gallery before I moved to Boston. That is not going to sound very original but I had always loved Art, design and anything creative in general. I was always making things from clothes for my dolls when I was little to greeting cards for my friends and family later… (told you it wasn't original ;) There finally came a time when I decided to give it a shot and actually create full time… Plush making is my life now.

All boring things aside though I really think my background helped fuel my creativity. Also I'm French (nobody's perfect ;) which adds a touch of kookiness to the mix… according to my husband.

My family is actually a great source of inspiration too. My husband is a musician and always helps me find the best names for my plush characters. As for my son Jack who is 5, he just always has great unexpected comments on what I do and his world inspires me on a daily basis.

Q: Apart from creating things, what do you do?

A: If I don’t make things I get cranky so I’m always making something (whether it's for real or just in my head)! I’m also a real book worm and couldn’t live without music.

Q: What first made you want to become an artist?

A: The amazing art exhibitions my mom took me to in Paris when I was little. I particularly remember the Douanier Rousseau one, it was so incredible.

Q: What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?

A: A cone puppet covered with felt and that you could move with a wooden stick and a little clay mold that represented the stables of Augias (episode from the greek mythology of Heracles’ 12 labors). I loved those art classes and I believe that’s where it all started for me.

Q: What's your favorite color?

A: I love all bright colors but as far as colors to wear I like black and fuchsia.

Q :What are your favorite materials?

A: I mostly work with felt. I also use vintage buttons and fabrics from France. I love felt because it is very versatile, the possibilities are endless. The fact that it comes in so many colors never cease to amaze me. This is what makes me most happy in my creating process, to just sit there on the floor surrounded with all my felt and try to find a good color combo for a new plush!

The second thing that makes me happy is to forage into my vintage button stash. They were all given to me by my mom and my grandmas back in France and I love them dearly because they all have a story…. I can spend a lot of time just looking at them and think about what type of a second life they will have.

Finally my dearest treasure and most favorite thing to use when I have the opportunity is the big box of vintage lace, ribbon and fabric my grandma Paulette gave me last year. Some of it is really old and came from great aunts… I feel really lucky to be able to use it today in my designs.

Tomorrow we'll post Part 2 of Anne-Claire's interview!