Creatrix Of The Moment: Allison, Paper Party In The House!

In this installment of Creatrix of the Moment, allow me to introduce you to Allison: outdoor addict, thrifting aficionado, paper craft queen, dog-mom, party consultant, loving wife, and entrepreneur extraordinaire!

Allison resides in Tennessee, along with her hubby and adorable fur-baby, Bailey. When she isn't doing outreach work at the Center for Civic Engagement or spending time with her family enjoying the great outdoors, she runs a wonderfully whimsical home and party decor shop on etsy called Hoopdaloop. Allison was so very kind to participate in the Creatrix series and I invite you to read along to learn more about this savvy, fun-loving, inspiring young woman!


Everyone loves a good party! If you could be asked to consult and provide the decor for any specific theme party right now, what would the theme be and why?

I would definitely go for a wedding and reception outdoors and then under a tent for the reception with a shabby chic, rustic vibe! I mostly feature custom paper garlands in my shop, but I would start with those and dream big (but affordable)! For my own wedding, I had a similar feel and spent many hours searching thrift stores for the perfect details and now that I'm older, I have even more ideas!

Do you usually decorate your home for various holidays? What are some of your favorite personal seasonal decorations?

Yes! Last Christmas was the first Christmas I shared with my husband and I spent a lot of time thrifting to find vintage wooden ornaments for the tree. I absolutely loved how it turned out! (Getting the idea that I dig thrift stores?!)


What is the difference between bunting and traditional paper garlands?

Well when people think of bunting, they probably think of fabric, but paper garlands are obviously made of paper. I love bunting, but I also love the versatility of paper garlands. For instance, I was consulting with a bride this past week on her wedding decor (that I am doing!) and was giving her a lot of ideas on how to decorate with her paper garlands. I loved the idea of taking large sticks or branches (think thin branches towards the ends of a tree limb) and putting them in a vase of jar and then draping paper garland over the limbs. You can't really do that with traditional bunting. This is also a great tactic for decorating Christmas trees!

Where do you find inspirations for the colors and patterns you use in your designs?

I have always been naturally drawn to colors. I think my brain unconsciously absorbs color palettes wherever I am whether it be shopping for clothes or taking a hike. I definitely love wild and crazy color combinations and natural hues. I spend a lot of time outdoors so it is definitely inspiring!

What do you love most about your work at the Outreach Center? What do you love most about creating items in your party decor shop?

I love working with kids and teaching them that they have a voice in their schools, communities, and world at large. For my shop, I love working with customers! I do lots of custom orders and my customers always have such great ideas and excited to make their event whether it be a family get together or a wedding special and unique.

Please share your philosophy or thoughts on your particular "creative process". What one thing about creativity/being creative in general holds true for you?

People often limit creativity to "art" or "crafts" and may not think themselves particularly artistically inclined. But creativity is used and can and should be used in so many ways! A great meal, a fun date, an imaginary game with your kids, the way you arrange your furniture or even just your pillows, making something instead of buying it, going on a walk and noticing the shapes of the trees... so many ways. I think creativity is something we should all intentionally foster in our lives and others. For me, I have an Etsy shop and a blog which are obvious outward expressions of my creativity, but I also love to look at the shapes of leaves, cook a good meal, or create crazy imaginary worlds with kids.


If you were to describe your personality in terms of a color, what color would you be and why?



Can I cheat and describe myself as one of my multicolor garlands? This means I choose a mixture of colors bright neons and neutrals and primaries and on and on. I don't think I am consistently just one color. Some days I'm chill and relaxed like a blue, other days I'm a hot pink, ready to get some stuff done! and so on and so on. I will say though that my favorite color is blue! Pretty much any shade!


Tell us what you enjoy doing when you're not working.

Being outside! I grew up on a farm out in the country and spent most days outside playing when I wasn't in school. Even when it rained, I would head outside to do a rain dance :) Out in the country, out in nature... that's where my heart is. I like being outside best when my husband and pup are outside. I also love spending time with my family and friends, reading, and learning new things.



What two or three traits or abilities do you feel are crucial for any business owner or entrepreneur?

Dedication- because it's a lot of work and not always easy. Ingenuity- a lot of times you have to do the best with what you have and know to succeed. Love- you really have to have a passion and love for what you are doing. If you don't, you will probably burn out and even if you don't it won't be worth it.

Not only is Allison a most gracious interviewee, she also is a generous soul. She has kindly offered a coupon for 15% off the total purchase for any items in her store for the readers of this blog. Simply enter the coupon code mizcreatixrox to apply for your discount at her store, Hoopdaloop.

Thank you to Allison, for taking the time to share and for being an inspiring example of what a being a Creatrix is all about!

Be sure to also check out Allison's blog, A Girl and Her Scout as well as her Facebook and Pinterest pages.

Creatrix Of The Moment: Petunkalunka - Joyful Jewellery Designer

I recently had the exquisite pleasure of interviewing the merry, multifaceted, magnificent Petunkalunka! A bit of a Renaissance Woman, Petunkalunka is a clever jewellery designer who currently is residing in Japan working as an English teacher. Her wit and charm are practically intoxicating! Check out what she has to say about work, creativity, music, jewellery design, and more--

I love that you often seem to have a "story" behind the creations of your jewelry pieces. For example, with the Picasso Autumn Cube items, you had blogged about memories linked with music played in your childhood home inspiring your design. Do you find that certain themes (musical, cultural, artistic, etc) or memories impact your creations? How would you describe the way your creative process is inspired?

"My family watched a lot of old musicals and movies when I was growing up—The King and I, The Glenn Miller Story, White Christmas, Singin' In the Rain—and I think those bright Technicolor and Vistavision tones stuck with me, not to mention the high fashion of the time. The women always seemed so effortlessly elegant. That's exactly what I want from my jewelry. Effortless elegance. In my imagination I am a brown Rosemary Clooney, singing "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" while surrounded by svelte men in turtlenecks.



My inspiration comes from many places. I create something because I want it to match one of my outfits, or because a friend says "I want to buy something like blah blah blah," and I think, I could make that. Having even a pretend customer in mind gives me a little more focus. A more recent piece is the direct result of looking through a spread in Vogue and seeing bright color-blocking on page after glossy page. Four years ago while watching Apocalypto (twice) I made a bracelet, necklace, and earrings set that was clearly influenced by the intricate Mayan jewelry and all the rich turquoise. It took a long time to finish, though. I kept pausing, gripping the pliers in one hand and the unfinished necklace in the other, my heart pounding, yelling at the screen "Run, Jaguar Paw! Run!" That second half is intense."

How do you decide what to "name" your pieces?

"It's usually the first thing that comes to mind, which means it's based on whatever I was thinking about when I started making the item. If not the first, the one I think would appeal most to the consumer. Despite the fun of hollering "Yeti balls! I'm a'wearin' yeti balls!" to myself in the comfort of my apartment, I think "Yeti Eyes Yarn and Gemstone Necklace" comes closer to the playful sophistication for which I aim."

If you could only have one album/CD playing in the background while you were designing your next jewelry piece, what would it be and why?

"Yipes. One? If I'm designing something I would wear all day every day then it'd have to be Donald Ryan's The Sweetest Sounds. Smooth, relatable jazz standards with an occasional calypso feel; my kind of stuff. It's music I can sing with, but it isn't a distraction because I know it so well. Yes, the pianist also my father, so it brings back good memories of listening to him play while I ran around at home. If you think I'm biased unfairly, I challenge you to check him out at ryanandryanmusic.com (the other Ryan is my younger brother). He has played at Carnegie Hall and he's in the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, you doubting Thomases.

If I'm going to make something based a piece of of current trends, then I'll listen to Janelle Monae's Archandroid with "Tightrope" dance breaks. That lady is just friggin' cool, and both of her albums are so carefully thought out it's as though I'm listening to an opera in R&B clothes."

Tell us how you became involved with the Japanese Exchange and Teaching program.

"It was my third year in college when I realized that I didn't want to be a teacher, after all. I was double majoring in elementary education and French, the former for practicality and my love for children, the latter because my college didn't have a music major and I loved the professor. While I found many of my education classes challenging and inspiring, I realized that the life of a teacher was not for me. Yet there I was in the middle of my college career with half of two unrelated degrees and little time for do-overs. In the midst of my hohmuguh-I've-wasted-half-my-higher-education crisis I applied for a study abroad scholarship in Angers, Vallée de la Loire, France and got it.

I spent the first half of my senior year in Angers, going through culture shock without realizing it and learning to think in another language. Despite many of my frustrations as a foreigner, I loved it. It was such a different feel from living in one of the youngest states in America. I learned to be a wine, bread, and cheese snob. I learned to like fish. Gradually I stopped getting a headache from listening to French all day in class. I got my landlady's adorable granddaughter to like me. Right as I was really warming up to the place it was time for me to leave.


Not only did I learn that fluency in another language is impossible without spending time among native speakers, but I also gained a strong wanderlust. I spent the rest of my senior year stressing about how to work with children without being a teacher, and how to travel the world without going broke or only being a tourist. On my older sister's suggestion I made an appointment with the career counselor, who asked me some questions and gave me a couple of aptitude tests. She suggested the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program as a way to both satisfy my ken for travel and teach without staying in the Midwest. A year later I was leaving for Japan. Long story, but as Bugs Bunny would say, "You aaaaasked for it!" Then he would throw a pie in your face."

What do you like most about living in Japan right now? Least?

"I clearly have a hard time choosing anything. More than the food, the proximity to other countries, the history, the socialized health care, the trains, the scenery, the friends I've made and people I've met, my current favorite thing is how accomplished living abroad makes me feel. I've learned traditional Japanese calligraphy, play taiko, earned a black belt in aikido, and can have half a conversation in Japanese. Moreover, I've learned self-sufficiency and the value of taking my self lightly. Operating in a different culture and language is humbling on a daily basis. The language barrier is always frustrating (I'm a college graduate but a functioning illiterate!). Even after four years I constantly make mistakes. It's my own fault, though. I don't study much on my own. On the upside, the Japanese people who've known me since I arrived have commented on how much I've improved. Plus, I no longer feel like I'm misrepresenting all of America if I have to ask the waiter to read a menu to me.

I hate winter. That is why I will not stay another year in this job, is because of winter. Winter is the worst, all day, all the time. There is no insulation in the buildings and no central heating in schools. They have smelly kerosene heaters that they don't drag out until about December 1st, so I teach with stiff fingers and three layers of tights. I do not exaggerate. Winter. Sucks. Yeti balls."

Would you define yourself as a goal-setter? What do you believe about setting goals in general?

"Oh boy, am I a goal-setter, and how! I'm just not a goal finisher. I'm very easily distracted and often set goals that aren't feasible in the time I've set. My father once advised me to set a timer for 20 minutes, and to stick to one task until the timer goes off. Then I can decided whether or not to move on to something else. That works. Otherwise my general philosophy is to set small goals that lead to one larger, but to let go of some goals when circumstances change. Example A: I'm preparing to move halfway across the world again in ten months. I had thought that I'd stay in my hometown for a few months while looking for a job in France, but after my parents ran into some health problems I decided to put living in France on the back burner. I know I'll get there someday, but I'll wait until I've spent some quality time in the Midwest.


Example B: I was determined to make five billion necklaces from a complicated original design and be famous for my incredible taste and style. I would be jeweler to the stars!!! Before I had finished even one of the original design I saw that my multi-strand necklaces were gaining more attention than anything else in my shop. I like making them and they're less labor intensive than the original design concept. So that's my new focus. I'll do those original designs when I have time, or in short sections like on the Elegant Breast Cancer Awareness necklace."

What do you wish more people knew or understood about what's involved in creating handmade goods?



"The time it takes! I've blogged about why I set my prices "so high." For every hour I spend making a necklace you can bet I've spent another hour trying something that didn't work. I've been messing with a skein of yarn for the last two weeks, trying to figure out how to string some heavy agate on it without bending the necklace out of shape. Then there's the time it takes to get a good photo or ten, editing the image file, tallying up the cost of materials and labor, etcetera. Just posting an item on Etsy takes me at least 15 minutes; usually closer to 30. How do I get visitors to want my stuff without sounding like an ignorant tween or a douchebag? It takes thought and revision."

What is one jewelry creation you are currently the most proud of?

"Always the last piece I sold. I feel like Sally Field. "You like me! You really like me!"

And it's no surprise why so many people like Petunkalunka...who wouldn't? She has style, she embraces life and laughter, and she encompasses what it means to be a Joyful Creatrix.

Please stop by Pentunkalunka's shop on Etsy and keep up with her latest adventures in Japan on her blog, Handmade Something Or The Other. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

The People of Walmart

Allow me to be upfront before you read any further.

This is not a post about the infamous website in which jabs and mocking fun are poked at the shoppers and consumers of Walmart. If you clicked on this piece in hopes of viewing ridiculous images or haughty commentary highlighting the very special breed of folks who are often found wandering the aisles in the middle of the night at their local Walmart, you will be sadly let down.

Having gotten that out of the way, I wanted to point out some interesting news I read yesterday. It appears, that come next spring, Walmart will begin selling crafts and items created by third world country female artisans.

Right. I said Walmart.

So, what's the big deal, you ask? Well, beyond the logic that the Walmart business model seems to be in direct opposition to organizations premised on Fair Trade tenets, what does this potentially mean for the American artisan/handicraft designer/artistic entrepreneur? What about the thousands of jobless Americans who struggle daily in this nightmare of an economy? Why hasn't Walmart tapped into the the local circuit of artistic talent that prevails in the United States...people who would likely benefit from having some of their creations sold?

Oh right; that would probably be less cost-effective than say, reaching into the highlands of Guatemala to snap up goods labored by a poverty-stricken villager who has no grasp of the connection between capitalism and globalization that drives Corporate America today.

Let's not even get me started about the history of Walmart and its poor reputation regarding the treatment of its employees. Or the fact that pretty much all of the goods sold there are already made in third world countries by folks who are socially and economically deprived.

And for the record, I don't condemn those who shop at Walmart or who might even be employed in their stores. Hell, the way things are in this country, it just seems more practical to try and save money where one can. And if you work at Walmart? Bless you for having a job.

What frightens me about the Walmartization of craftsmanship is twofold:

1. Will the artisans of these far-away lands be taken advantage of by the corporate machine that is Walmart? Will they truly be treated fairly and paid appropriately for what they produce? Will their items become mass-produced just like every other product sold in places like Walmart (and other large, chain markets)?
   
2. What does this imply for those in "first world" countries who already try to make their living by creating one-of-a-kind art, jewelery, clothing, etc.? I'm talking about the people who work hard to promote their products as original pieces that would *never* be found a corporate chain store. How does something like what Walmart is arranging impact them?

Think about it. If the newest, coolest, trendy item can be purchased for a couple of bucks at Walmart, what happens to artisans who are independently trying to sell their wares at higher costs? I brought this thought to the business forum on Etsy and there was a LOT of discussion that ensued. Some of it was positive and hopeful, but much of it was rather negative, and rightfully so for the most part.

Oh, and speaking of Etsy? You know, that vast online venue that seeks "to empower people to make a living making things"? (said Etsy founder and father, Rob Kalin, who by the way, ceded his CEO position at Etsy in 2008). So it turns out that as we live and breathe, one of Etsy's current board members, Mr. Jim Breyer, also happens to sit on the Board of Directors for Walmart.

DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUUN!!!

Coincidence? Irrelevant? Neat bit of trivia?

You tell me.

That last tidbit may or may not be news to some, as Breyer has been involved with Etsy since at least 2008, but I thought it was worth throwing into the pot and stirring it around a few times. You know, because I like to rabble-rouse and shit. ;)

What are your thoughts on all of this? If you are currently a "seller" on Etsy, how does this make you feel? Are you surprised to know that there is an Etsy-Walmart connection? Do you think that Walmart's intentions with third world artisans are noble, or is this strategy little more than a PR move, with the potential to shift the discourse on what it means to be an artisan or entrepreneur?

Sound off below, if you dare!

{image above originally found on Technorati article titled "Walmart is Watching You"}

A Creatrix Is...

When I came up with the moniker "Miz Creatrix" I liked it because I thought it sounded unique, and a little sexy too. But beyond the connotation of a woman who dazzles the masses with her prolific ability to create miracles and myriads of fantastic things, there are several other traits I believe embody what a "Creatrix" is.

1. A Creatrix knows there is no one and only right way to do anything. What works one day, may not work the next. Projects which other Creatrices accomplish with ease may became the bane of another's existence. And most importantly, a Creatrix does not judge another being because of differing philosophies.
   
2. A Creatrix is at ease with herself, and because of this, she is at ease and peace with all those around her.
3. At times, a Creatrix is a bit of a cultural rebel. She is unafraid to go against the grain and defy conventional wisdom. She does not follow trends just because they are trends. If it doesn't work for her, she simply does not do it. She dares to be groovy in her own right.
   
4. A Creatrix is a person of strength and wisdom. She does not hesitate to help others and does not expect something in return. She has enough love inside of her that it can't help but to spill onto others.
5. A Creatrix looks for the connections in all things, people, events. She understands that in spite of surface differences, everything and everyone is interrelated.
   
6. A Creatrix is intelligent, courageous, and curious. Whatever her medium, niche or calling, she puts her heart and soul into all she does. She asks questions and realizes that sometimes, the questions are more important than the answers.
   

What do you think? Is there anything you would add to the list? And more importantly, do you live the life of a Creatrix? If not, what would it take for you to do so?

Have Yourself An Indie Little Christmas

I know, I know...it's only September and some may scoff at even the mere suggestion of starting to think about the holiday season. And believe me, besides being a "Creatrix", I am also a "Procrastinatrix Extraordinaire". You know how around the third week of December, there's a last minute stampede frantically busting through every shopping mall and retail outlet store? Ahem. Yes...that's where you'll usually find me...swearing and cursing under my breath and mother effing every other last minute fool who, like me, just *had* to wait until the very end to do their gift shopping.

So yeah, I'm not here to suggest you start your Christmas/holiday shopping now (but if you are a savvy consumer, you'd probably not mind getting the ball rolling, however slowly).

Speaking of consumption, I have to say that I am not a fan at all of the consumerization of Christmas. It totally ruins the spirit of the season when greed and going into debt become more relevant to the holiday then say, peace and goodwill. I've gotten over the notion that I have to spend beyond my means to have a good holiday season...and in recent years, my family and friends have come to appreciate that gifts from me will be meaningful and personal, rather than blingy- over-the-top and ridiculously expensive. Which is a good thing, because the past few years have been lean ones monetarily.

So today, on this early September afternoon, I suggest that during the holiday season, you experiment with merry-making the Indie Way. Instead of giving presents that are manufactured, mass-produced and fuel for corporate profit, why not seek out gifts that express authenticity and help support truly talented artists and individuals who take pride in the process of creating?

"When I shop indie, I'm buying a hadmade, hand-designed gift for someone I love. I may not be able to design it myself, but I can give it to support that organic creative process. When I think about an indie gift, I have to really know my friends and family members so I can get them something that is not only specially crafted for them, but that they will love. There's no point in buying handmade just to do it--I still want to give someone a gift that will bring them joy. When I buy indie, that means that I'm not buying some gadget or a DVD that, while appreciated, is not particularly personal. I'm stepping out of consumerism and into relationship, because of the amount of thought and planning that goes into purchasing an indie gift."

{via Wisebread}

Do you shop indie when looking for gifts? What do you think about Fair Trade Stores and online marketplaces such as Etsy.com?