By Contributing Columnist Jay of Haffina Creations

Not many people know, but I am the mother of twin boys, and as such I understand how challenging it can be to be creative with twin bundles of joys dancing like a whirlwind through your house. Now let me introduce you to another mother of twin boys, who creates beautiful items whilst being a fabulous mom to her darling boys. Teri Landow is the driving force behind The Beaded Branch and my featured ArtFire artisan.

What will people find when they drop into your studio/store? What types of items do you sell?
An eclectic mix of bead jewelry, sterling silver chainmaille, Bug Bag pouches, and of course, my very own line of Present Past Treasures.

How did you come up with your studio/ shop’s name?
The name for my shop came about by combining several ideas:
1) I really love trees, and wanted to incorporate the idea of trees into my business name somehow.
2) I loved the idea of “branches” being related to arms, necks, ears, etc of a person and them being decorated with my jewelry.
3) When I started out, my designs were very simplistic bead earrings, necklaces and bracelets. I never really thought I’d expand out past the beaded branch of jewelry making. Of course, I was wrong, but I still try to incorporate beads in everything I sell.

How long have you been selling online?
I started my own online shop over 10 years ago. I ran into the trouble that so many do, though. After I got married, and started a family, the huge time commitment of having to maintain a website just got to be too much. So, I started exploring my options, and came across Etsy, then ArtFire. In November of 2008, I opened my Etsy shop, and then in May of 2009 I opened my ArtFire Studio. I still have my own website, and might actually get around to updating it now that my children are actually starting school.

What lead you to join ArtFire?
Many, many factors lead me to joining ArtFire. The sense of community was the main thing, but other than that, all of the wonderful features that AF offers. The guilds, the ability to have ten pictures of each product, the coupon and gift certificate codes, being able to edit everything in my store with a few simple keystrokes, the list goes on and on. The real clincher for me was when I made my first sale in my ArtFire Studio. I was so excited, I tweeted it on my Twitter page. When the owner of ArtFire sent me a direct message, congratulating me on my sale, that meant the world to me. I’ve never deleted that tweet, and still read it when I need a little boost. The fact that he took that time to do that was a real sign to me that ArtFire cares about the artisans that choose to sell there.

What is your favourite feature on the site?
I have to pick ONE? (lol) It’s a toss up between the coupon codes and the bulk editing feature. I love how easy it is to set up coupon codes for my customers. The fact that I can pick what code for the coupon will be is awesome, because it makes it much easier for me to keep track of when it was used.
The bulk editing feature is awesome. Being able to go in and reprice everything in my studio, or add tags to everything with just a few keystrokes, is wonderful and so time saving. It’s just so easy and convenient.

What tips/advice would you give to others considering joining the site?
Read up on how to take really good photographs of your products. Make sure your photos are nice, clear, and in focus. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Learn how to market using blogs and social networks. Figure out all of your shipping prices before you start listing. Set aside money for advertising. Join guilds and participate. Make a lot of friends in the crafting world. We are the best support to each other when sales are slow, and we need a little mental boost.

How do you want people who visit your studio/shop to feel, what mood are you attempting to create?
I try to create the feel of a cozy and relaxed slightly upscale boutique where you never quite know what’s going to spring up next.

What types of things do you do to try and create that feel/mood?
I don’t necessarily revolve my stock, but whenever I add pieces, I always try to make sure that I add an assortment of pieces in a new line at the same time, as a boutique would do when they received a new shipment, instead of one piece here and one piece there.

What is your favourite tool or material to use at the moment?
Right now, at this moment, I don’t really have a favorite. Actually, at any moment it would be hard for me to narrow down my favorite of anything to one thing. I love pearls, and would incorporate them into every piece I make if I possibly could. I’m also currently exploring materials and techniques that are new to me. Polymer clay and epoxy resins are the big ones right now, and since I’m still in the learning phase of those two mediums, I get to play with them, and learn how to make pieces that are good enough to sell.

Are there any skills or techniques that you would like to learn, or materials that you would like to work with, aside from what you already do?
Oh, several. I would love to learn to work with glass, and also I want to expand my knowledge of polymer clay, epoxy resins, metal clays, painting, and sewing. I love to learn new skills and techniques that can cross over from one medium to another, seeing how and what I can combine to create some new, unique pieces.

Are you still selling the same kind of items as when you started selling, or has it changed with time?
Yes and no. Yes, I still sell my basic bead jewelry. I’ll never fully get away from that, and wouldn’t want to. But, because I get distracted easily, and my desire to explore new techniques often overwhelms me, I switch off what I’m working on at any given moment, and my lines are continually expanding and growing. That’s the one problem with having so many friends who are so very talented in different art forms. I see their work, and think “Ooohh, I’d like to try that!”, and I do.

Which part of being an online seller do you find the most challenging, and what do you do to deal with that?
The whole process of listing products in my Studio- pricing, photographing, descriptions, tagging, all of it. It can really drag me down. The way I deal with it is to just bite the bullet and do it. Generally, I wait until I have a stockpile of products made, and I do a several day long photo shoot of everything. Then I spend another day editing the photos, and then another day or two listing. It’s a very draining week or so for me, and I always refer to them as my “necessary evil” days.

How do you balance your online and offline life?
I try to keep it balanced, but there are some days when the lure of the online world is just too great, and I’ll spend all day chatting, and drooling over my friends new works. There are other days, however, when I have no desire to go online at all, so I just check my email once or twice those days, and leave it at that. Having kids helps keep the balance, because their needs come first. So, I do have to spend time offline feeding them, playing with them, reading to them, and doing arts and crafts with them.

What kind of supplies do you always seem to buy, even if you do not really need them?
It used to be beads. Now, I have to admit, it’s pretty much whatever comes into view that I think I might be able to use. If I find a new craft that I find intriguing, I’ll buy just enough of the basic supplies to try it out. But even that I’ve slowed down on. I need to use up what I have before I buy anything more.

To see more gorgeous creations from The Beaded Branch check out her ArtFire Studio.

Slideshow image by James Oliver

By contributing columnist Donna Knox of GlassandWireGems

ArtFire has a new artifact that is only available to its PRO members. It is the “Certified Handmade Artifact” and it has caused quite a stir in the ArtFire community. Those who applied were waiting for this:

Congratulations! We have reviewed your application for the Certified Handmade Artifact and we find your ArtFire studio “GlassandWireGems” to be in compliance and eligible for the Certified Handmade Artifact.

Your studio has been awarded the Certified Handmade Artifact…<

ArtFire's Certified Handmade Artifact

The Certified Handmade Artifact designates a voluntary commitment to exclusively offering Handmade and Fine Art items on ArtFire. If you no longer wish to uphold this commitment, please contact….so that the artifact can be removed from your studio.

The initial announcement about the artifact included the following: 100% of the items in the Applicants studio must be listed in Handmade or Fine Art. Studios with commercially produced supplies and destash are not eligible. There are two exceptions that can be made. You may list Handmade supplies in the “Supplies >> Handmade Supplies” categories. You are also allowed to have gift certificates to YOUR studio listed in “Media >> Gift Certificates”.

Those who applied had to meet a number of pre-requisites, i.e. be a PRO member for at least 60 days, a member in good standing with ArtFire, have 100% of their items listed under the Handmade or Fine Art headings, have complete studios including an avatar, banner, complete studio policies and a Bio with a photo and their product photos had to be in-focus and of a reasonably sufficient size. In the application you had to describe your main handmade craft, explain the process you use to create your craft and provide pictures of your work space and a work in process.

Kevin, ArtFire’s Director of Social Media, answered one question about the artifact this way: The Certified Handmade Artifact is intended to designate members who are committed to offering only handmade items. You may not sell any items listed in top categories other than Handmade or Fine Art if you want to display this artifact in a studio. Members are welcome to sell their commercially produced supplies, vintage, design, or media in a separate ArtFire studio. Likewise, the Certified Handmade Artifact is not required to list or sell items and is completely voluntary.

Needless to say, there were numerous questions as the process started. Some artisans were concerned about whether or not their shop qualified and several even elected to take supplies and other items out of their shop and open a second one. James Oliver is one of those who decided to do this. He told me that: For me to qualify for the Certified Handmade Artifact I needed to remove some Pearl strands I had listed. So I opened the new studio, River Road West, to list my pearl and bead collection. The Handmade Artifact is very important to me. I take my craft in the most serious way. Truly handmade.

There were also concerns about the photos that were needed. MoonlightEternal said: For the work in progress picture, does it have to be a picture of your main category (like my main category is jewelry) or can it be any work in progress? Kevin of ArtFire answered the question this way: It can be any work in progress, though preferably one you intend to list eventually. It is helpful if it is in your main category as many sellers have a certain “style” in their work, and seeing a half made piece that already matches the style of other work helps to build the case that they are the creative mastermind behind the work in their studio.

There were questions about the approval process. Some thought that artifact was easy to get and wondered about the fairness involved in reviewing the applications. Stained Glass by Katie made this comment in a forum about the artifact: I can also vouch for the fact that the certification was not a rubber stamp deal. Kevin contacted me for additional information, and included some other helpful comments, too.

After all of the work involved and uniqueness of the process, there was the thrill of knowing that those who have the artifact are special. Michelle of Creative Critters shared the following: I love seeing all these shops going for this artifact. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be a part of ArtFire. I’m proud of my fellow artists on here, and I’m super proud to display this artifact in my studio. I never had a doubt that AF would look at each and every studio, and give advice to those that needed it in order to qualify for the artifact. They’ve been very involved with the artists on this site since the beginning.

ArtFire has created widgets for those who have the artifact to use in their websites, blogs, on Facebook, Twitter, etc. There are six different sizes. Here’s one of the widgets from my studio:

You might also want to check out James’ studio. He has taken things a step further and even mentions the Certified Handmade artifact in his shop’s banner. Others who have received the artifact have blogged, tweeted and shared their excitement about in it many ways. The Certified Handmade Artifact is the latest benefit of becoming a PRO member of the ArtFire community. It emphasizes ArtFire’s commitment to its handcraft artisans.

By Contributing Columnist Jay aka HaffinaCreations

One of my favourite things to do is lose myself in a well written fantasy world, filled with magic and mystery and all manner of creatures, so naturally I am drawn to artisans who create items drawn from fantasy. One such artisan is Meri Greenleaf from Elfing Creations. She kindly agreed to answer my questions

What will people find when they drop into your studio/store? What types of items do you sell?
Fantasy art and accessories, but everything is very eclectic: crocheted art dolls, runestones, costume ears (like elf, hobbit, faun, etc), horns, hemp jewelry, chainmaille, cartilage earrings, dreadfalls, crocheted bracers and cuffs… all sorts of randomness.

How did you come up with your studio/ shop’s name?
Elfling Creations comes from my fantasy alter-ego who is half-Wood Elf/half-Halfling (an Elf/Halfling or Elfling for short); this is also where my alias Meri Greenleaf comes from- that’s the name of said alter-ego. Since almost everything I make is inspired by fantasy, it works well for my shop.

How long have you been selling online?
I started selling some art (mostly crochet) here and there on Etsy in early 2007, but I didn’t really start concentration on my business as more than a hobby until 2009.

What lead you to join Etsy?
One of my friends had mentioned Etsy- I can’t remember if she had already opened a shop there or had just been buying things, though. Anyway, it sounded like a great idea, so I started listing my jewelry and crocheted things there.

What is your favourite feature on the site?
The street teams- I love being able to interact with other artists who share my interests.

What tips/advice would you give to others considering joining the site?
Definitely work on your photography to get good, clear, bright photos. I’m still learning how to take good pictures (my early ones were so terrible I’m amazed I sold anything), but when selling online it’s vitally important to be able to show off your work.

How do you want people who visit your studio/shop to feel, what mood are you attempting to create?
Like they just stepped into an elven forest, into a world of fantasy, magic, and color. That’s what I’m going for, anyway!

What types of things do you do to try and create that feel/mood?
Almost everything I make is fantasy-related, and I have a tendency to work in greens and browns with lots of leaves and flowers. I’m a wood elf through and through so I have to remember that people do like colors besides the greens, blues, and browns that I gravitate towards.

What is your favourite tool or material to use at the moment?
As much as I love all the art I do, I think crochet is my absolute favorite. I love how you can do pretty much anything with a ball of yarn and a hook; I can turn it into clothing, ears, dolls, accessories… pretty much anything.

Are there any skills or techniques that you would like to learn, or materials that you would like to work with, aside from what you already do?
I’d love to learn how to spin on a spinning wheel someday. I can spin on a spindle, but I’d really love to be able to use a wheel, too. I’d also love to learn how to crochet wire (I crochet and I do some work with wire, but I haven’t combined them) and I’d love to learn more chainmaille weaves. And drawing- I’d love to get better at that.

Are you still selling the same kind of items as when you started selling, or has it changed with time?
Definitely changed- I made a lot of simple crocheted things like wristbands to start, but as I’ve gotten more practice I’ve been making more intricate crochet like dolls, and the regular earrings I used to make have switched over to mainly cartilage ones. I can do a lot more types of art now than I could to start, so I’m making a wider variety now, too. (I have a very short attention span, lol!)

Which part of being an online seller do you find the most challenging, and what do you do to deal with that?
I have a really narrow target demographic, so my main challenge has been getting the people who are looking for fantasy accessories and art to find my shop. I cater to the Renfaire population, I think, and I’m not entirely sure if they’d know to check Etsy for things like that. Thank goodness for sites like Google, which I think is how people are finding me- and I’m assuming search engines help people find out about Etsy too, so it’s win-win!

How do you balance your online and offline life?
By not having much of an offline life, lol. I have health problems so making and selling my art is my job right now; otherwise seeing friends is pretty much the only other offline thing I’m up to doing right now, and they don’t mind when I bring my craft supplies along. Being creative with my art and writing (I do some fantasy short stories and run a “Dungeons and Dragons” game) helps keep me sane and gives me something fun and distracting to do while I work on getting better.

What kind of supplies do you always seem to buy, even if you do not really need them?
Yarn. Ye gads, it’s like my yarn stash is spawning- and the fact that friends and family will sometimes gift me with found or randomly acquired yarn is *awesome*! I can never say no to yarn because I can always find a use for it, and usually pick up a skein whenever I’m at the craft store. I always end up with more yarn than I could possibly use- yet I never seem to have the color I need on hand, so that means I need to get more. There must be fiber-imps stealing from my stash while I’m not looking.

Delve into the world of Elfing Creations on Etsy. You can also find her on ArtFire and her own website.
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By contributing columnist Konnie aka Konnie Kappow
Although they have taken me a bit longer to get through than I had anticipated I’m really enjoying my interviews with male sellers on UK Craft marketplace Folksy!

Following my interview with Tree Gems, it was a pleasure indeed to interview Dan Stanley of Fluffy Thoughts.
Dan is a graphic designer/ illustrator and has been selling illustrated products for the last year. His company is called ‘Fluffy Thoughts’ and so far he has made greeting cards, badges, t-shirts and pendants as well as some prints.

I had definitely noticed Dan’s designs on Folksy before because they’re really cute and quirky and I liked his sense of humour!

Name: Dan Stanley
Age: 25
From: London
Favourite colour: Green
Favourite animal: Manatee
Favourite band: AFI
Favourite movie: Princess Mononoke
Favourite book: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

How did you learn your craft?
I studied Graphic Design, but I have just been doodling random things since I was a kid.

Your eureka moment – tell us about your favourite thing you have ever made?
My favourite thing is probably my ‘crazy head t-shirt’ it’s full of bright coloured creatures pouring out of someone’s head.

Is crafting what you do full time or do you have a Clark Kent style alter-ego?
One day I hopefully will own a shop and be selling all my illustrated products, but for now I work in an office as a designer as well as freelancing too.

Where do you do your crafting?
Just at home, in the evenings and on weekends with a big mug of tea and a variety of biscuits.

What/ Who are your inspirations?
I have a big fascination with Japanese art and culture, I also love all the art toys that are popular at the moment and their illustrators, especially Tado, Bubi Au Yeung, Tara Mcpherson and Amanda Visell.

Tell us why you think there are far more female than male crafters?
Perhaps it goes back to when we were children, while the girls were making things inside, the boys were breaking things outside…

Tell us something suprising about yourself (non craft related)?
I have very bendy thumbs.

What’s the manliest thing you make?
My Muffinator character, grr.

What’s the least manly thing you make?
Everything else..

What would you say to encourage more men to craft?
It’s fun and let’s you unleash your creativity.

To find out more about Dan and Fluffy thoughts click on these links:
Folksy Shop
Website
Twitter
Facebook

By Columnist Amy aka: MissBaclartDesigns

Since the 1970’s, it is estimated that the number of people getting married has fallen from around 500,000 to just over 300,000. Despite this, the wedding industry is booming, with profits from this industry reaching an all time high. In the UK alone, we spend around £5.5 billion pounds on weddings each year, with the average wedding costing between £16,000 and £25,000! (Source: http://www.bized.co.uk/current/mind/2005_6/051205.htm)

There are many business sectors that fall under ‘Wedding Services’; wedding planning, DJ’s, dress designers, photographers, wedding stationery designers, venue hire. This is to name but a few, and with weddings becoming more and more elaborate, this list is ever expanding. Photography is a significant part of any wedding; as we have already seen, people spend thousands of pounds on their one special day and photography allows time to stand still, creating a visual bookmark in the sands of time. So what is the secret? What makes a successful wedding business? George Fairbairn, professional wedding and portrait photographer tells us more:

What is your background and when did you launch your business?

I have had a passion for photography since my early teens for which I was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Seattle, however I decided to put it aside and instead serve my country in the United States Air Force. Throughout my time in the Air Force my love for photography grew thanks to the opportunities I had traveling the world. In 2009 I returned here with my English wife and have been fortunate to be able to turn my true passion into my career.

What made you decide to start up a wedding based business?

I was primarily working as a commercial photographer until one day a client of mine asked me to photograph his wedding, at first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go ahead with it as I was happy with my business as it was. But after that first wedding I fell in love with it! The best part about photographing weddings is that you are part of a couple’s happiest day of their lives, capturing memories and giving them a gift that they will treasure forever.

Are weddings the focus of your business or do you provide your wedding service as a sideline to your main business?

These days, weddings are the main focus of my business, however I also do couple, family, engagement and pet portraits. Although when it comes to my portraits, I still like to approach them in the same way as a wedding, getting to know the client beforehand, which eliminates any awkwardness that you get when working with someone for the first time.

If you offer alternative products to your wedding services, what do you find has the most success?

For me I find that engagement portraits are one of the most successful, it’s a very special time in a person’s life and you can really see that come through in the pictures. It’s also a great opportunity for a couple to get used to having professional pictures taken so they can work out their poses before their wedding, and as a bonus they have great images to use on their invitations, guest book or at the wedding!

Weddings tend to be a seasonal affair; what month of the year proves to be the most successful for your wedding business?

I’ve found for my business autumn has proven to be the busiest time for me, September in particular. I tend to offer discounts for the “off season” which has worked well during the winter months.

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given?

Do what you love, and never work another day in your life. It’s definitely proven to be true for me! Photographing a wedding can often involve working a 12+ hour day at the wedding and then a solid week of editing photos after, but it never for a second feels like “work” because I absolutely love doing it.

Professionally, what is your goal?

I used to think that my goals should involve becoming a CEO for an international corporation, but now I’m self-employed I’ve reassessed my goals. My main goal is to continue to improve and grow my business so that one day I can help give young aspiring photographers the opportunity to take the path to following their passion like I did.

Finally, do you have any words of wisdom to pass on to budding new business owners?

I would have to pass on the advice I was given about turning what you love into a career it really helped give me the little push I needed into self-employment. My advice for any budding new business owner that is entering into a wedding related business is don’t expect to be an overnight success. The wedding world is very competitive and there are many established brands that you will have to prove yourself against. Also don’t be afraid of social networking, when done right it can be a powerful tool to keep your clients informed as well as attracting new business.

Weddings are a big business and as we can see from George Fairbairn, working in the wedding industry does not have to be your starting point. If you have a business or are thinking of starting one, now is the time to cash in on the ever-increasing wedding opportunities that are out there. We all know that economically it is a challenging time, but as we can see from the statistics, people are still spending when it comes to their big day. Think about where your talents lie and utilise them to move your business forward into this exciting industry. Do something you love with your passion; share peoples passion for love.

George Fairburn takes beautiful photographs and can be found at www.selloutphotos.com.

edited by Barbra aka: All About The Buttons

By columnist Linda aka LindaGJ

Photo courtesy of LuckySustainables

“Change the way you look at things and everything you look at will change”.

This is one wonderful quote you will find on Debra Reese’s Website Video of her fabulous new Purple Elephant Gallery. When I went to visit this place to see Deb Hill’s new studio, I had no idea I would be entering a world of dreams.

Back in the fall, Deb Hill of http://debhillart.Etsy.com, in my last article, was talking to her friend Debra Reese who had recently acquired a property that she intended to use as a gift shop/gallery. One would expect a little worn down shed of a house on a piece of land with a woodworking shop, but this was not the case at all! There were beautiful trees everywhere, you could hear the birds chirping away, and an adorable covered back porch with a darling little breezeway. So peaceful, so tranquil, and lovely, it was begging for attention. Just waiting for an artist to show off it’s beauty and share it to the world!

Debbie Reese continued to discuss her plans for this treasure, just waiting to shine.
She wanted to make the house into a shop and gallery along with refurbing the woodworking shop as an art studio for workshops and classes. There also was a tiny little shed in between the woodshop and the house. It obviously had been used as a tool shed. That is where Deb Hill decided to have her art studio, “The Laughing Crow” !

When the decision was made to turn the shed into “The Laughing Crow” studio, Deb Hill decided to have the ceiling raised to give it a feeling of more space. Unfortunately it housed the water storage tank, so after deconstruction the little shed was flooded and took quite a while to dry so the painting could begin. Jobs, such as these, always seem to have more to it than some easy task! It was so worth the effort though!!! This was such a difficult task, so Deb decided, “Why not flaunt it?” An all around construction guy put in some stained glass which added a third source of light and made a HUGE difference! Deb Hill cut a stencil with crows and a leaf motif to use on all four closet doors to make a folding screen that covers the holding tank for the well. She also added stencils to the ceiling, so that it brings the eye up when you step through the magnificent garden doors!

In the mean time Debra Reese, the owner, was moving at the speed of light getting “The Purple Elephant Gallery” as she decided to call her shop/gallery, in order! The house is even purple! She named the Studio for the art classes and workshops, “The Iron Butterfly”. She had her share of set backs as well, but finally “The Purple Elephant” had it’s grand opening on May 1, 2010. Deb Hill was one of the featured artists in the main gallery. It was a wonderful day, the weather was perfect and a huge turn out as well!

Go to www.thepurpleelephantgallery.com to see a magical place, with inspiring quotes and more enchanting pictures of this place, just to make you feel good!!! If you are ever in the Cypress, Texas area, please visit! The pleasure drive just to get there, alone, has a surrounding area which includes gorgeous horse ranches, along with fabulous and lush trees and beautiful large homes to add to this country part of our Texas scenery!

And remember to always……
“Think Outside of the Box”

Check out Indiesmiles: “Happy Made Tweets”

Editor Barbra aka All About The Buttons

By contributing columnist Konnie aka Konnie Kappow

Part three of my Crafty Men series is an interview with the man behind Folksy shop Tree Gems. A true craftsman and thoroughly nice chap; I loved reading his answers to my questions and I hope you will too!

Name: Stewart Would (Tree Gems on Folksy)
Age: Mature
From: near Hornsea in Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire
Favourite movie: Probably West Side Story
Favourite book: I have a massive collection of books but most are non-fiction.

…..Honestly, nothing springs immediately to mind for [favourite colour, animal or band]. The fact that I had to rack my brains for five minutes suggests that any answer here would have been artificial. Am I unusual? My music collection centres around the blues, but ranges through almost all genres but I don’t know much about Acid House or Grunge!!

How did you learn your craft?

I’m sure I took an interest as a child, when my dad was working with wood around the house doing what was later called DIY. I enjoyed woodwork at senior school and did well at GCE level (No ‘S’ in those days), winning the year prize for the subject. It was when I retired from a mainly desk-bound job that I set up my wood workshop. Books, magazines and websites have been my main source of learning; those, plus actually having a go and trying new techniques.

Your eureka moment – tell us about your favourite thing you have ever made?

A few years ago I made a very large kitchen dresser, for my step-daughter, in English Oak; in fact the biggest piece I have ever done. Over the weeks I worked on it, all I ever saw were little details, problems and challenges. It was only when I finally assembled the piece of furniture on site, that I had the room and time to step back to look, and see it in its entirety. I was honestly amazed that I had made such a thing. ‘Eureka moment’ is a good description.

Your “D’oh!” moment – tell us about you biggest crafting disaster.

Woodturning a bowl on my lathe one day, I was being experimental and aiming to retain a square surround whilst hollowing out a circular centre. At a few hundred revolutions per minute, the corners of the square tend to ‘disappear’. After quite some time of intense concentration, Radio Four piped up with a reference to Blues singer Blind Willie McTell (see answer about musical taste) which, for a split second distracted me. Without going into too much detail, I had to have a dozen stitches in two fingers. Ouch!

Is crafting what you do full time or do you have a Clark Kent style alter-ego?

I’m extremely lucky in that there is no pressure on me to do my craft work. It’s an extension of the hobby that I love. I go to my workshop when I feel like it. I’m fully supported by my wife in what I do, and I support her in her passion for knitting. She has no issue over my growing stash of wood, and I have none over her wool stash. My other interests include family history research, trying to play the guitar, motor cycling and reading motor cycle travel books; my lovely grandchildren and doing voluntary work at the local museum.

Where do you do your crafting?

My workshop is in the garage, with a buzzer from the kitchen to call me in for regular refreshments!

Tell us a bit about your crafting philosophy (e.g. environmental, heritage, family, therapy!)

I do enjoy using wood that a traditional cabinetmaker wouldn’t even look at; wood with what is often seen as faults – knots, twisted grain, fungal staining and so on. I do prefer home grown timbers; yew and figured elm or oak especially. If it’s ‘found’ or recycled, so much the better.

As for style, the range of things I have made is so wide, from tiny wooden earrings to a bedroom suite, that it’s difficult to categorise, but I have a tendency towards what might be called rustic, retaining the bark edging on some of my work, especially boxes.

Tell us why you think there are far more female than male crafters?

Mmmm. Difficult. Folksy certainly suggests that’s the case. Could it be that there are more young mothers trying to supplement their income from home?
The woodworking community www.lumberjocks.com of which I am a member, has 20,000 members, most of whom are male. However, that’s not a craft selling site.

Tell us something surprising about yourself (non craft related)?

We’ve lived without a television for fifteen years, and have no yearning for one whatsoever.

What’s the manliest thing you make?

Some of my wooden finger rings are considered to be quite manly, as is this more unusual spark plug computer memory stick.

And here’s a manly jewellery / keepsake box I made for me.

What’s the least manly thing you make?

Since ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’, it’s got to be my pendant memory stick set with a diamond, now on Folksy.

What would you say to encourage more men to craft?

Turn off your television and make something. Have a go. You might be surprised at what you can achieve!

You can check out more of Stewart’s work at his folksy shop.

Next in the Crafty Men Series is an interview with Jamie Brind aka prototyper of Glowbiles!

Don’t forget to check out the previous interviews with Nosuch Disco and Steam Punk Glass too!

By contributing columnist Konnie aka Konnie Kappow

Name: Glenn Godden
Favourite colour: Blue
Favourite animal: Cats and Hedgehogs
Favourite band: That’s a tough one as music is so important to me. In a ‘glassy’ context I’d have to say Emilie Autumn due to an odd twist of fate that had me searching for glass buttons after hearing her albums, which led to me discovering flamework. In the workshop though I also listen to a lot of Collide albums; they seem to have just the right ‘flow’ to match hot glass, I know I play them a lot as the CD cases are wrecked! Toyah is also great to get in the frame of mind for space marbles!
Favourite movie: Again far too many to pick one, but I’d probably have to say Plunket and McLain because more people should go and watch it and turn it into the cult film is should have become!

How did you learn your craft?
I’ve always crafted and made things, usually functional items. I’ve wanted to work glass ever since I was a kid seeing the local ‘glass animal man’s’ work, but whenever I looked I could only find fusing lessons and that didn’t appeal. I went on to do a lot of woodwork projects, and got quite deeply into guilding and using very old techniques of lacquering and decorative finishes with traditional materials, but none of them really felt like they ‘fitted’ me.

The whole way I got into glass was odd, like any major changes that have happed in my life they have been due to tiny and bizarre chains of events. I’d slipped into the usual bloke routine of going to work, coming home and crashing out and got really worn down by the day to day. This is going to sound mad, but it was the chance discovery of Emilie Autumns albums that gave me a much needed kick up the proverbial! I don’t know why, but hearing them hit something in me – it really felt like I’d just been woken up by someone sticking mental electric shocks through my head! I suddenly realised how I’d stopped living and creating and was just existing. From then on I went back to making things and began crafting like mad, trying things I’d never dared to do; while trying to make a frock coat (I’ve made two now and realise tailoring isn’t my thing!) I wanted some glass buttons. I couldn’t find exactly what I want but while searching stumbled over lampworking and knew it was something I wanted to try.
I couldn’t afford to get the basic kit and lessons, so I went for the kit and some good books as I know I learn best by trying things out. I really haven’t looked back since; it just feels so ‘right’ as a medium.
I am still learning though, there is always a new glass technique to learn. I chat to other lampworkers online all over the world, swapping ideas and inspiration. I don’t think it’s a medium you can ever stop learning about and it’s very humbling. I feel like I am on a very exciting journey of discovery unlike anything I’ve ever done before.

There is a very ‘Zen’ thing about glass; I always feel that each thing I make (especially marbles) is teaching me something to make the next one better. When it goes wrong you have to learn to accept it and move onto the next one.

Your eureka moment – tell us about your favourite thing you have ever made?
There are lots of little ones along the way. One of my favourites was the first marble I put an opal inside; it worked so well and even had four tiny bubbles circling it like little moons which weren’t planned. Before that an object that was a ‘Eureka’ was a little red vortex. I didn’t know what to do with it, naturally it ‘wanted’ to be a marble but I didn’t think anyone would be interested in marbles so tried to force it to be a bead. A few days later I started making my first marbles which opened up a whole different way of thinking and working with glass.

Your “D’oh!” moment – tell us about you biggest crafting disaster
I used to do a lot of gold-leaf work. I was making a golf leaf chess board and there was a slight imperfection in one of the squares. Did you ever see the episode of ‘Father Ted’ when they had a car that had a slight dent? I though I should leave it alone, but tried to fix it, which made the small error worse, then the whole square needed redoing, which then didn’t match the rest of the squares. It’s still hidden in the back of my shed!

Is crafting what you do full time, or do you have a Clark Kent style alter-ego?
At the moment I have to do a rather dull but stressful job, but it’s really glass that dominates my mind. I like to think of myself as a glass artist who’s doing a part-time job to pay the rent, it just happens that at the moment it’s full time but it’s something I actively want to change.

Where do you do your crafting?
I have two workshops, one is a rather dusty shed for the messy jobs, and a tiny spare room converted to a glass studio.

Tell us a bit about your crafting philosophy (e.g. environmental, heritage, family, therapy!)
I really personally like the Victorian/Edwardian design ethic. There weren’t the minimalist lines and they were proud to add flourishes to otherwise boring functional items. You can see the pride in their workmanship and what they made.

Tell us why you think there are far more female than male crafters?
I really don’t know! The more I think about it the less excuse I can think of why there is this difference between the sexes!

What’s the manliest thing you make?
Well glass handled razors and shaving brushes! Although I’ve never yet sold one directly to a bloke, they are usually bought as a gift which is really nice.

What’s the least manly thing you make?
Lots of flower things! Flower pendants, flower bottle stoppers, all in glass! They are quite challenging but are one of my favourite things to make at the moment because of that!

What would you say to encourage more men to craft?
I’d ask what they did this week, can they show something that they produced. I remember a woodworking TV series years ago where the presenter had a motto ‘I too something shall make, and enjoy in the making off’ or something like that. Making is a kind of meditation, and at the end of it – however wonky or crooked what you make might be – you can say ‘I did this; I created this and brought something new to the world.’

And if that doesn’t work I’d point out that I spend my time in front of a flame thrower with molten Pyrex glass inches from my fingertips – how cool is that!

You can check out Glenn’s work on Folksy, Etsy or his own website (I know what I’m getting my Dad for Father’s Day!)

Don’t forget to check out the first interview with Dave Burgess aka The Nosuch Disco!Next in the Crafty Men series is an interview with Stewart Would aka Tree Gems!

By Contributing Columnist AmyMark aka AmyOrangeJuice