Artist Interview: Katie with Kat’s Treasures

Our featured Artist this month is Katie. She’s got great color combinations and inspired designs that you won’t find anywhere else. There’s this one multi-strand piece that’s made of BEAUTIFUL green and bronze tones – definitely my favorite. Come check her out before her feature is up!

Business Name:  Kat’s Treasures

Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kats-Treasures/231971050216125

Art Medium: Jewelry- I specialize in working with natural stones but also work with other mediums as well!

ALBH: How did you get into making jewelry?

Katie: When I was younger I spent a lot of my free time doing arts and crafts.  As I got older I took a particular interest in all the different types of beautiful beads in the craft stores.  I would stand in awe at the rows and rows of sparkling bead strands.  I took a jewelry class in my pre-teens that sealed my fate as a jewelry designer.  From then on I loved making jewelry.  Within the last year I have taken a particular liking to learning about natural stones and their healing powers.

ALBH: What materials do you use?

Katie: I specialize in natural stones and the healing properties they exude.  However, I also work with all different types of beads as well such as glass and ceramic in some of my pieces.  I also love sterling silver and Swarovski crystals too!

ALBH: As a buyer, how would I care for one of your pieces?

Katie: My pieces are for everyday wear.  However I recommend that you do not shower, bathe or swim wearing any of my pieces.  Almost all of my jewelry is natural stone and chemicals may harm or inhibit the make-up and the property of them.  If for some reason your piece breaks or gets damaged please e-mail me at kats_treasures@hotmail.com and I would be more than willing to discuss fixing the piece.

ALBH: What’s your long-term goal as an artist?

Katie: I hope to someday have my own store selling my jewelry and possibly teach classes.  I hope to inspire other young people like I was when I was younger.

ALBH: What does the word “Hippie” mean to you?

Katie: I feel that the word “Hippie” means someone that is looking to be free minded, free spirited.  I believe they are someone who looks to enjoy life cosmically as a whole and enjoy being themselves.

ALBH: What’s your inspiration?

Katie: My inspiration is the colors within the natural stones themselves and how they occur in nature.  I also love to read and learn about the healing properties of each stone and how each one is mined.  It’s an extensive learning process but I really enjoy it.  As for the pieces that are not made of natural stone, I get my inspiration by having fun mixing and matching different colors and textures.

ALBH: Why do you think your art is a good fit for A Little Bit Hippy?

Katie: Almost all of my jewelry is made out of natural stone and stranded together per the healing properties.

St Patrick’s Tie Dye Party

Learn to dye a shamrock shape in shades of greens and yellows all in time for St Patrick’s Day!

Class cost is $15 and covers all materials including your t-shirt – just make sure to let us know what size you need.

Artist Interview: Daniel Silverman

Our new Artist being featured in the shop currently is a gentleman by the name of Daniel Silverman. It was actually my accountant that introduced me to him. Just further proof that gals that are hardcore into numbers are far more awesome than you think.

I tried so very hard to edit down his interview to a manageable length but I just can’t do it. It wouldn’t be right. His sarcasm and personality really shine through here and for me to NOT share that with you would be wrong. Just plain wrong.

Daniel is among the Cherry Blossom age group for our features and his medium preference includes Pencil, Ink, and both 2 & 3D Digital work. His pieces really speak for themselves when it comes down to talent and his personality is just as bright as his talent. Currently you can find his work displayed at CUPS in Grandin, too.  Take a read through his interview and then come check out his work in person – my photography skills definitely do not do them justice.

 

Business Name:             Enupnion

Facebook Page:             https://www.facebook.com/pages/Enupnion/132432476846367

Website:                        http://www.enupnion.com

ALBH: How did you get started in your art?

DS: I’ve drawn all my life. My earliest memories aren’t of me with mommy or daddy, but of drawing. I drew what I could see and also the strange things that appeared in my head. My parents should have wondered about my sanity after seeing the things I was putting down on paper.

ALBH: Was your medium hard to learn?
DS: That depends on which medium we’re talking about here. When it comes to pencil drawing, I took to it quite naturally. However, I am still learning my craft. I think that art is a lifelong pursuit. Digital art, on the other hand, is certainly a newer form for me (even though I have been doing it for over a decade). When I was growing up we didn’t have personal computers. And when they were just starting to creep their way into people’s homes, we only had two colors to work with (black and white or black and amber). I remember getting excited when my dad bought me an Apple II+ that had a full 16 colors on it! I was in love! Now we have more colors than the eye can see, can draw by hand using a tablet and, of course, do wonderful and creative things with 3D computer graphics. I love combining traditional and digital media, too.

ALBH: What materials do you use? Do you use different materials when working with different mediums?
DS: I’m a bit different when it comes to my pencil drawings. Many pencil artists seem to like to have a variety of pencils and various high quality papers. Me? I like a standard #2 pencil for the most part. And, in many case, copy paper works wonderfully well. For inks, though, I like a nice Rapidograph pen. Having various sized tips is essential to proper inking.

Now, my computer is my baby when it comes to digital work. I’m addicted to the thing! Come between me and my machine and we’ve got issues! I use a variety of tools for creating digital work. These include Photoshop for 2D and a program called modo for 3D work. There are a variety of other tools that I use as well. Oh! Yeah, I use a PC, not a MAC. Not against MACs at all, but when I first started doing digital artwork a lot of the software I needed was not available on the MAC. So I ended up, by default, using a PC. I know, I know. It’s not very “Hippy” of me to be using a PC instead of a MAC.

ALBH: I can’t even draw stick figures so asking for my own sake is pointless – but how long have you been at this?
DS: All my life. But professionally? About a decade.

ALBH: As a buyer, how would I care for one of your pieces?
DS: Framed pieces just need to be kept clean. Direct sunlight can fade the prints. Unframed pieces need to be protected, too. So getting them a nice frame home would make the unframed pieces very happy. And sacrifice a hamster from time to time. This keeps the demons in them from coming out and disturbing the neighbors.

ALBH: Do you make a variety of items or do you stick with your mediums when the creation bug bites?
DS: Yes. I like to work in many styles from comic book (especially superhero comic styles) to ultra-realistic. I work in traditional pencil and inks and also digitally (and there, both 2D and 3D). But I also like to get my hands dirty every once in a while and do something different in order to learn and, more importantly, have fun. For example, I am getting ready to make a custom bobble head from Sculpey, a type of specialty modeling clay. I rarely get to work on actual, physical 3D stuff, so this is going to be loads of fun for me.

 

ALBH: What’s your long-term goal as an artist?
DS: To become famous, rich and rule the world! No. Not really. My goal, actually, is to continue to improve myself. Artists tend to see all their mistakes in all of their work and never seem to be satisfied with what they have created. Leonardo Da Vinci  said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” This is so true. There comes a time when the artist just needs to stop trying to “fix” a piece and leave it alone. I also want to experiment with some different mediums to expand my artistic horizons. And I want to challenge myself by doing things like creating a graphic novel, creating the artwork for an pencil and paper RPG (Role Playing Game) and other endeavors that I have not embarked on before. I’ll be frank. Thinking of creating something like a graphic novel is very scary to me. And that is exactly why I want to do it. I like to face my fears.

ALBH: What does the word “Hippie” mean to you?
DS: Hmmm. What does it mean to you? It seems that each of us has their own definition. I suppose what is important is that we embrace what we believe and act on that. Wait? Does that sound like a cop out? It’s not. That’s my definition of a “Hippy.” Which is someone who has a belief and acts upon it. So many people seem to not know what they really believe and just stumble through life.

ALBH: What advice do you have to offer other artists?
DS: Run for the hills!

Art is about passion. But it is also about fear. Artists never seem to get down on paper or canvas what they see in their heads and they often view this as failure. This produces fear in the mind of the artist: fear that their work is not good, fear that people will see the flaws and reject their work (which the artist believes is a rejection of themselves, etc). One advice I have for artists is to go and buy the book, Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland. This is a must-have book for artists and it will help them to change their perspective on their art and themselves.

Artists should also practice, practice, practice. And artists should try new things as often as they can. Artists should also look at other artists’ work and talk to other artists. We can all learn from each other.

ALBH: What’s your favorite part of your craft?
DS: Bringing an idea to life. And, sometimes, being surprised as that idea takes on a life of its own as it’s in the process of being created.

ALBH: What’s your least favorite part of your craft?
DS: Failing. I hate when I have a really cool idea and, for whatever reason, I cannot get it out of my head and onto whatever medium I am working in. Ugh!

ALBH: Have you ever or would you be willing to teach others?
DS: Sure. By teaching, I learn. So I get to help others and, in the process, help myself. That sounded pretty “Hippy,” didn’t it?

ALBH: What is your typical day like?
DS: Get up (and wish I didn’t have to), drink coffee (because its good and because my brain cells refuse to fire without some good coffee), sit down and plan out the day. What I do depends a lot on my clients’ needs. However, I try to divide my day into four parts: 1) personal work and goals, 2) client work, 3) training, and 4) play. Personal work is about working on things that I want to accomplish for myself (like the graphic novel I want to create one day). Client work is just that: working on things that my clients are paying me for. Training is vitally important. I use this part of my day to refresh my current skills as well as learn new ones. And training can be really fun. It’s not just sketching and things like that. For example, I might fire up a video game and play it for the purpose of learning how it was made. Play is also vitally important, too. I use play as a reward for getting the other three things finished.

ALBH: What do you do for fun, outside of your art?
DS: Fun? Art is fun! But you know that. I play video games, read a lot of books, write (I’ve written a sci-fi/fantasy novel that is due to be published early this year), kick the local outdoor cats … wait … I don’t do that (I like cats), play WII with my girlfriend, watch TV and movies. I find a lot of ideas and inspiration in TV and movies. I used to play role playing games like Dungeon and Dragons a long time ago. I’ve been thinking of getting back into that, too. In fact, I’m in the process of creating my own game.

ALBH: What is your draw to your specific craft?
DS: My pencil. Get it. “Draw.” Okay. That was bad. I just love ideas and I love to create. And drawing allows me to get those ideas out of my head and into a place where others can see them, too. Nothing like being able to share my twisted, demented ideas visually with others, you know.

Shop Local Holiday Contest

Every month we do something fabulous to our front window and while I’d love to take all the credit for it, I can’t. Actually, I can’t take much of the credit at all. My girls are WONDERFUL at coming up with ideas for spotlights and we have Billie who can paint like it’s nobody’s business.

With the window being such a group effort every month and with a bigger and bigger push towards supporting small local businesses every year, I wanted to do something stellar for our Holiday window. And what gets folks more involved in a window than a contest?

In addition to our tree and the gifts underneath, pay attention to the snowflakes that are hanging. Each one has a different logo for a local business in Roanoke. Some of the logos have the name of the business incorporated into the logo and some do not. Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to identify each and every logo that is displayed in our window along with the business owner. Write them all down in order (the snowflakes are numbered) and hand it in to one of us. If you have all of the answers correct, we’ll put you in the drawing for a $15 Gift Card to our shop.

Want more than $15 on your Gift Card? How about $100? This one is going to be a lot more involved though! In addition to naming each of the businesses and business owners featured within our snowflakes, you also need to provide a dated receipt from at least 10 of them showing you visited between December 1 and December 20th. They can be any 10 you choose. For this submission, please include everything in an envelope with your name and phone number on the outside and make sure you hand it to one of us. If all of your answers are correct and all of the receipts are included, you’ll be entered into the random drawing for a $100 gift card!

All entries need to be submitted by Wednesday, December 21st. The drawing for the winners will be held on Friday, December 23rd.

Artist Interview: Kristen of Peaceful Treasures

It’s time to introduce you to an artist that I think is a pretty big deal. Not only does she have a great eye for color, a great knack for quality workmanship in her assembly, but she’s also got a very bright spirit and even bigger heart. Kristen has actually had her stuff for sale over at Urban Gypsy for a little while and I remember talking with Ashley about her. So when Kristen approached me about her work, not only was I already familiar, but I was already a fan. Being an even bigger fan of Urban Gypsy, however, I didn’t want to have the same work in my shop. Unnecessary competition isn’t what cool people do. Kristen not only understood but took it upon herself to talk with Ashley about it and created a very large collection just for us!

I can talk for pages about Kristen and her work and her awesome drive, but I want you to get a chance to meet her. So read her interview below and then swing by the shop and check out her work. She’s one of our best selling artists so far and we haven’t even given her the official “plug” yet . . . so you know she’s gotta be good!

Name:  Kristen Reimer

Age Group:  Cherry Blossom

Business Name:  Peaceful Treasures (Jewelry)

Facebook Page Facebook.com/Peaceful-Treasures

WebsitePeacefulTreasures.Etsy.com

ALBH: What got you started making jewelry?

KR: After falling in love with another artist’s jewelry at a farmer’s market, I decided I could make my own.

ALBH: Would you consider the art of jewelry making hard to learn?

KR: Not yet.  It has come naturally so far.

ALBH: ‘Jewelry’ is a pretty broad hobby and can be made from just about anything. What materials do you enjoy using most?

KR: I love silver, particularly sterling.  I would use all sterling if it was affordable for my hobby.  I use recycled paper beads made by women in Uganda who are struggling to get out of poverty.  The non-profit fair trade organization I buy from is called Beadforlife.  I also like glass and semiprecious stones.  I enjoy making my own fabric beads in various different shapes.  Lastly, I like to edit digital images to fit certain pieces of jewelry, like bracelets and earrings.

ALBH: You’ve got quite a collection – how long have you been at this?

KR: I have been creating jewelry for about a year.  I have had my ETSY shop since February 2011.

ALBH: Does your jewelry require any special care?

KR: I wear my jewelry and keep it with my other pieces.   I have tested the recycled paper beads by submersing them in water for a period of time.  They did not distort, but I don’t recommend wearing any of my jewelry while bathing or swimming.

ALBH: What’s your long-term goal as an artist?

KR: My long term goal is to be happy and to bring happiness to others.  I want the women in Uganda who are often HIV positive and war refugees to be educated to make better lives for themselves and their families.   I want to be able to donate my pieces to various organizations to help others.  I want people to be inspired by my jewelry and my company.

ALBH: I always have to ask – what does the word “Hippie” mean to you?

KR: Love, peace, unity, tolerance, and good music!  While I don’t condone all of the activities of the actual hippie movement from the 60’s and 70’s, I tend to be a mainstream contemporary hippie/bohemian at heart.

ALBH: As a bench jeweler myself, I’m always interested in similar artists’ approach. How long would you say a typical piece take you to make?

KR: It depends on the piece and my creative energy.  Earrings typically take the shortest amount of time unless they involve my fabric beads or if I have to find paper beads that somewhat match.  Each bead is unique, so that can be difficult.

ALBH: What is your typical day like?

KR: I am a full time Mom.  My son and I like to wake up late, between 8 and 10am.  We have breakfast:  coffee for me and whatever he will eat for him.  When we stay at home, we play, clean, read, do crafts, snuggle and play with our dog and two cats.  When my son entertains himself and/or naps, I make jewelry.  In the evenings after my husband gets home, we hang out as a family.  I make jewelry whenever I can and whenever I have an idea.  I am constantly thinking of new designs and ideas.   I am very fortunate and know it!

ALBH: It sounds like your days are already pretty full, but I always like to ask – what do you do for fun, outside of your art?

KR: I love to garden, cook, entertain and read.  I enjoy a good glass of wine.  I love hanging out with good friends and my family, extended included.

 

I can easily to speak to Kristen’s sense of charity and giving. For the silent auction that was just held for SARA, Inc, Kristen didn’t donate 1 piece of her jewelry. She donated 5 individual pieces. It’s refreshing to meet someone that is passionate about others and her community and willing to help . . . a true “Hippie!”

Minnetonka, Baby!

It has been said once or twice that I have a shoe problem. This may in fact be true, I do have an entire section of my overflowing closet dedicated to all things “sole” ful.  While the sheer truth is I would rather go barefoot- it isn’t quite socially acceptable in most cases. Therefore, when I must wear shoes- I wear really awesome shoes. I am not a sneaker girl, I hike in flip flops and spend the majority of my spare time in steel-toed boots – running EMS. My soft spot is for boots, ankle length, knee hi, cowboy cut, furry, suede, leather… I love them all. So when Heidi said we had some customer interest in carrying Minnetonka Moccasins I decided to do some investigating. What I found was simply amazing.

Minnetonka is a company that has been around for quite a while, since 1946 in fact. They have perfected the moccasin and in my humble opinion are spot on with their boots as well. From soft deerskin to supple moosehide to fantastic suede, their materials are top of the line and the products well crafted. I fell in love with the suede front lace hardsole knee hi boot- this shoe screams adventure! Many of the styles offered are unisex, and Minnetonka carries a wide variety of women’s, men’s and children’s shoes. There are also a couple of killer handbags- yes I am just as addicted to handbags as well. (They have a Hobo Fringe Bag that is screaming my name.)

Have no fear, we are not turning into a shoe store. One of the reasons we choose Minnetonka is because we can carry a small amount of their merchandise in the store and are able to order anything a customer wants from their catalogue. It’s a no-brainer! Come on in and check out your next favorite pair of shoes since it’s official . . . THEY ARE HERE

Artist Interview: Steven McClure

One of our artists that has been hanging around the shop for quite some time now is new hemp-knotter by the name of Steven McClure. There isn’t much time left on his feature, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care any less! He brought us a stash of hemp knot keychains with wooden beaded accents that are just awesome. And at a price point of less than $5, you really can’t do better when it comes time to find those keys.

Name: Steven McClure
Age Group: Cherry Blossom
Business Name: Shepherd Art
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/ShepherdArt

ALBH: How did you get into tying hemp?
SM: I got bored one day and decided to see how hard it was to tie hemp.

ALBH: And what do you think? Is it difficult?
SM: Not really, but I’ve been tying knots since I was a kid.

ALBH: How long have you been at this?
SM: Probably a few months at most.

ALBH: What does the word “Hippie” mean to you?
SM: Someone who enjoys nature and seeks peace and companionship with others. Someone who understands the connection we share with everyone else in the world and tries to make the world a better place for everyone to enjoy.

ALBH:  What is your typical day like?
SM: I work full time and take a few classes online at Virginia Western Community College.

Artist Interview: Pam Regnier

With over 30 years of jewelry making experience, Pam Regnier’s work brings a touch of sparkle to our store.  Her patterns are stunning- light simply sparkles and dances in each of her unique pieces of art. As a child of the Sixties, Pam was introduced to jewelry making through seed beads. Although she works with several different mediums much of her inspiration comes from Native American seed bead jewelry. We invite you to come on in and check her work out- before it’s all gone!

Name: Pam Regnier

Age Group: Cherry Blossom

Art Medium: Bead Weaving

ALBH: How did you find your way into bead weaving?

Pam: Having grown up in the sixties, seed bead jewelry was popular. I started stringing my own necklaces. In the eighties, I found pattern books for Native American designs, and I was hooked. I quit making jewelry for awhile; starting again a couple of years ago. I wondered if at my age I would be able to work with seed beads again without having them fly all over the house. Low and behold I am better at it then I was years ago. Bead weaving is my favorite medium for making jewelry because there are so many variations and styles.

ALBH: Was your style hard to learn? The patterns look pretty hard to follow.

Pam: I have never taken lessons in jewelry creating. I taught myself how to do the stitches involved in bead weaving. It may take me a few tries to get the design to work. It just depends on what kind of design you working with as to the difficulty.

ALBH: What are the standard materials you need to have in order to make one of your pieces?

Pam: I use beading needles, Wildfire bead weaving thread, size 10 Beader’s Paradise seed beads, assorted beads, crystals, pendants, and clasps.

ALBH: How long have you been at this? I couldn’t imagine sitting down and making one of these pieces right now . . .

Pam: Off and on for 30 years 5.

ALBH: Is there anything special we should know about caring for one of your items?

Pam: My pieces are fairly sturdy, but you are dealing with thread which can wear and stretch. Try not to get them wet, and store them in a jewelry box.

ALBH: What does the word “Hippie” mean to you?

Pam: Peace, love and free thinking.

ALBH: What’s your favorite and least favorite part of your craft?

Pam: My favorite is seeing how the beads turn into an interesting pattern and my least favorite would be spilling the beads!

ALBH: How long does a typical piece take you to make?

Pam: Depends on the piece and the length; 3 hours to a couple of days.

ALBH: What do you do for fun, outside of your beading?

Pam: Beading is my fun!

Amy + Oregon = Rainbows

So I went on an adventure vacation and journeyed to the great state of Oregon. Oregon is where my heart is – it is a beautiful, diverse state. I had my feet in the chilly Pacific ocean and later the same day in the snow on Mt. Hood. Long story short, I fell in love with Oregon and the kind people there. So as my vacation drew to a close, I looked for fun things to bring back to the shop. I was lucky enough to make it to Eugene Oregon’s Saturday Market- it’s a big deal. Saturday Market is an amazing outside market that showcases all sorts of amazing artists and free spirits.  I met some wonderful people and also discovered some super fun goodies to bring home. The first of which is quite amazing, introducing FRESH HAND-PICKED RAINBOWS! These fun and colorful rainbows are picked in Oregon by a very nice gentleman named Neil who uses the assistance of some super awesome stay at home moms to weave the magical threads together. I have a large one hanging in my window and I have named her Arabesque, she greets me with a flutter every morning! All the care required is some sunshine and an occasional trim. We have these rainbows in all sizes! We have one waiting just for you – what an awesome gift idea!

Artist Interview – Cassandra Carter

Cassandra Carter is one seriously inspired woman. She is not only the CEO and Domestic Engineer for her chaotic household, but also one of our featured artists this month. Cassandra creates fantastical flower power hair pins – the perfect the gift for the hippie chick that has everything! Her color schemes are creative and bright and her work is impeccable! Glass and crystal beadwork never looked so great!

Name: Cassandra Carter

Age : Cherry Blossom

Business Name: 3Cs Designs

Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/cassandra.jaramillocarter

Art Medium: beaded flowers, glass beaded jewelry

ALBH: How did you get into your specific art?

CC: I’m always on the lookout for great ideas for Mother’s Day gifts. Since the women I give gifts to for Mother’s day have everything, I’m always searching for ideas to tweak and make my own to give them something unique and one of a kind. I’ve never considered myself crafty or creative so I’m absolutely thrilled each and every time I finish making something!

ALBH: Was your medium hard to learn?

CC: I am not a person that likes to follow written directions and believes I can figure things out just by looking at pictures. This works both for me and against me! Once I developed my own rhythm for making beaded flowers, it was easy to do.

ALBH: What does the word “Hippie” mean to you?

CC: Hippie to me means “free spirit.” Free to be yourself and free to enjoy all that life has to offer.

ALBH: What advice do you have to offer other artists?

CC: My advice would be to try not to be such a tough self critic. I am my own worst critic and that can take away from the beauty of what I’m creating.

ALBH: What’s your least favorite part of your craft?

CC: My least favorite part of making beaded flowers and jewelry is that it’s completely addictive! I have 2 sons and 3 nephews so I don’t have any little girls to spoil and dress up with jewelry. I now have a huge jewelry collection and can’t stop myself from making more!

ALBH: What is your typical day like?

CC: As the CEO and Domestic Engineer of the Carter household, a typical day is filled with chaos! Making sure everyone has full bellies, clean clothes, homework done, and plenty of sleep takes up most of my time. When I’m all done with that, I can put my feet up and make some flowers!

ALBH: What do you do for fun, outside of your art?

CC: I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and shopping. Baking is also a passion of mine and I am always up for trying new cupcake recipes!