As much as I hate that my day job diverts 8 hours of my day away from crafts, I will admit there are the occasional amazing perks (and I’m not just talking about the $s that arrive in my bank account on the 1st and the 15th). One of these perks came in the form of hiring a graphic designer for a project about six years ago. As we discussed the boring details of the promotional brochure that I hired Tracy Wagner for, little did I know that I was talking to one of the most creative and artistic people I’ve ever known! Since then I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work on many projects with Tracy and it is always exciting to see her latest ideas.

Hi Tracy! Tell us about your creative background.
I went to the Savannah College of Art & Design – BFA in photography (switched my major a few times – painting, illustration and finally photography).

Grew up down the road from my grandfather’s farm in Osgood, Indiana. Besides being farmers, I come from a long line of crafters – both grandmothers made quilts. Grandma Wagner loved ceramics, knitting and had a little upholstery shop. My grandpa Wagner was a wood worker – had a yard full of penguins at Christmas time. My mother is a weaver and my father dabbles in wood working too.

I have loved art my whole life – remember going berry picking with my grandpa Jackson (didn’t care too much for berry picking) so I would sneak off in the cornfield and use my few berries I did pick and draw in the dirt.

Grew up in a small farm town in southeast Indiana. Always loved art but the small farm town life wasn’t for me. Moved to Atlanta 1st and studied graphic design at the Portfolio Center – only lasted 1 semester. Moved to White Bear Lake, MN for a year where I was the #1 fruitcake seller that holiday season. I worked at a day old bread store.

Realized I had bigger dreams than the day old bread store so I moved to Savannah and finished up college at SCAD. After college I moved to Hollywood where I had an internship that didn’t work out so I moved back to Cincinnati where my graphic design career started at Kanet Productions. After a couple of years I moved to Baltimore, MD and worked as a Senior Designer at Tullier Marketing in Annapolis. After a couple of years I headed south to Atlanta where I have been for 12 years. Started Tweet Design over five years ago and love every minute of it.

You do it all — you’re an artist, crafter and designer. What do you like about each? How is working on each different or similar?
I love all three – I think they all tie in and mesh together.
If I am working on a painting I can see little elements flow into my graphic design then I will simplify it and make letterpress cards or tshirts.

Being an artist, I love the freedom – working with my hands, getting dirty and seeing my ideas and thoughts come alive – same thing with crafting. I love working with found objects, junk and anything I can get my hands on. I am self-taught in a lot of things – I don’t think I will ever stop learning something new – makes it exciting. Graphic design is a good outlet for my creative side. I can still be creative but with guidelines (clients), taking someone else’s ideas or project and making it come alive.

What inspires you?
Anything old that has a history to it – love roaming through flea markets and junk
stores. Lately it has been little things that Henry, my 2 year old son, has been pointing out – he discovered his shadow the other day. Really interested in textile designs especially patterns.

I’ve noticed you are really active on Pinterest. What do you like about Pinterest?
So many ideas!! I used to save everything I found from the web in a little folder on my desktop and Pinterest is great! Everything is organized and easy to get to. Plus you can see what DIY project people in South Africa are into. Never ending – just need to get started on doing some of those DIY projects and other finds I have saved.

I know you’ve been working on an upcoming exhibit at Young Blood Gallery. Tell us about the Day of the Dead art show you are curating.

I started the Day of the Dead Show four years ago – wanted to host a group show where everybody starts out with the same material. Picked Day of the Dead because it was a great Holiday and four years ago I didn’t really hear that much about it. The idea of making little coffins was a plus too – my husband sometimes isn’t too trilled about the idea of making 100+ coffins a year but he is getting really good at coffin building.

It’s so exciting to get the little wood coffin back – no two coffins are alike – so many ideas. Just amazing. This year the opening is November 5th at Young Blood Gallery, an awesome gallery and shop here in Atlanta.

What else do you have going on these days? Anything else you’d like to tell us about?
I am in the process of getting a plan together of translating my paintings into clothing, especially children’s clothing. I painted a dress for the opening party for the Dali exhibit last year at the High Museum in Atlanta and that started the whole idea.

I started a little blog, and that has been helpful for getting my ideas and ‘work in progress’ out there. Would love to have another group art show and always thinking of my next art project – never ending.

That all sounds so exciting Tracy! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next. Thanks for talking with us!

Hi Christine! Tell us all about your artistic background. How did you get started with art and craft?
I grew up in an arts community where it was the norm to do things like paint, throw pottery, and take ballet and music lessons as early as 1st and 2nd grade. In addition, my mom and both grandmothers were knitters, seamstresses, and just overall crafty. Being surrounded by all of this at such an early age, I knew I’d go to art school, I just didn’t know for what medium. Eventually the world of photography and film spoke to me most, and I graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the department of Film, Video, & New Media.

All the while I was in school I had been sewing and making my own wardrobe. On a whim I set up a booth at the second Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago and it all just took off from there! That led to magazine writing, selling my clothing all over the country, to my book, to teaching, and coming up soon, my own line of sewing patterns. It was just all a domino effect!

Wow, it’s amazing how one thing leads to another. What are you making these days?
These days I still focus primarily on women’s clothing, though that is no longer just hand making ready to wear collections, as I’m teaching and writing a lot these days too. When the economy took a dip, I found that a lot of my customers were interested in learning to make things for themselves instead of buying finished garments. This was timed perfectly with the release of my book and a couple of sewing centers opening in Los Angeles, and next thing I knew, my schedule was full of teaching and writing and a whole lot less of sewing finished items.

I teach at Sew LA in Silver Lake and at The Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica, which has been so rewarding. My students rock! Check out my current teaching schedule on my site, and my upcoming articles can be seen in SewStylish and Sew News magazines.

Sounds like you are super busy! Would you say you work full-time as an artist?
Honestly, working for yourself is more than a full-time job! But talking in real time, I teach approximately 2-3 classes a week; write articles, blog, and develop new projects in the evenings; and work a day job 4 days a week at the Museum of Contemporary Art. My non-craft resume is full of gallery and museum positions. It’s a rewarding and understanding place to be, since nearly everyone has a side project.

Speaking of side projects and writing and all, tell us about your book.
My book is called Chic & Simple Sewing and was published by Potter Craft in 2009. It is a beginning level sewing book for ladies that want to make clothing for the first time. The intro is all about the basics: setting up your work space, getting to know your tools, learning about fabric, and tutorials on techniques. The remaining part of the book is 20+ designs divided by season full of tops, skirts, dresses, and outerwear for you to make! The front of the book has an envelope packet with all the full-sized patterns included. So it’s a one-stop-shop!

That sounds like so much fun! I love a packet full of patterns! So since we met at a craft event and 95% of the times we’ve seen each other were at craft events, I have to ask, what craft events have you participated in?
Oh lord, what events haven’t I participated in! In the early days, I participated in anything that was remotely close to a good fit for me to sell my handmade clothing. I needed to get the word out and as the DIY movement started, events were literally popping up on every corner of town! Some of the early shows led to great friendships and were full of lessons to be learned. I found quickly that I didn’t quite belong at sample sales, since my stuff was all hand made, and I didn’t quite fit into some craft fairs where customers didn’t look at clothing the same way as they looked at plushies and jewelry. I got the occasional comment like “why are you here?” And I’d say, with a smile, “Well, I hand made these clothes!” And that was usually followed up with “Oh, it all looked too professional to be hand made!” Sure, this was a compliment, but again, it showed me that since my design style wasn’t “crafty” it was perceived differently. These days I mostly stick to the Renegade Craft Fair and am tempted by very little else!

It’s really nice to reach that point where you know which events are a good fit and which ones are not. What inspires you?
Many things can trigger inspiration, which is why I always have a sketchbook and pen in my bag, as well as my iPhone for snapping images. I am most inspired by the way people really live in garments, how garments hang, and how it feels to be draped in a certain fabric and shape. Your mood can change dramatically if you feel good and a large part of that is based on what you’re wearing. I’m also influenced by my surroundings a lot, like the pattern on the leaf of a plant, the repeating shapes of a garden fence, or the shape of the shadow from the buildings nearby. Inspiration is everywhere!

To wrap things up, what else do you have going on these days?
The biggest thing in my life right now is my Kickstarter campaign! Since my book came out, everyone has asked me when I’m going to release another book, or produce a line of individual sewing patterns. My own line of patterns is where I’d like to go next, but the printing is crazy expensive, since the minimums for the tissue paper part of the package is 1,000 pieces per design. So if I have a dress pattern to launch, just the tissue part of that design can cost me over $1,000. Then I need to print the outside package, the instruction sheets, and have the illustrations and photos done. The costs add way up! I have tons of patterns from my days of sewing collections and lots more ready to go, I just need help with the funding!

The first two patterns to be launched at the Chelsea Dress and the Derby Dress. Both are body friendly, good for a variety of ages, and great for advanced beginner seamstresses and beyond.

That is super exciting Christine! I wish you the best and encourage everyone to check out your project.

You can learn more about the designer, Leslie Jensen-Inman, in this interview here.

“One of the wonderful features of programs like PhotoShop, Illustrator, and InDesign is that you can design in layers, but you can’t do that in traditional sketchbooks.” explains Leslie about her inspiration for her books. “Sure, you could (and I often did) fashion some tracing paper and maybe create some Macgyveresque graph paper contraption so you could have a grid to draw from, but the solution was always awkward and I found that I lost my creative flow just trying to set up a sketchbook to meet my needs. After all of these years, I still wasn’t able to find a solution that met my needs, so I decided it was time to create the perfect sketchbook to meet my own needs and the needs of other creatives.”

Over email I asked Leslie about using local paper producers to create her books, how her books are made, and the many ways layer books can be used for designs.

— First, some basic questions: I was wondering where you’re from and where your books are made? Also, how long have you been making them?

I live in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area on top of a beautiful mountain. Layer Books are made in Chattanooga. Although, we’ve been working on ideas for Make Awesomeness for a few months, we started creating the Layer Books a little over one-month ago.

– Your main mission is to support the efforts of creatives. Why does this speak to you?

I am a creative. My husband is a creative. Most of our friends are creatives. I am a professor and my students are creatives. I’m fortunate to have a life filled with people who are creative. It’s important for me to support the people I care about—the people who bring meaning into my life and who give greater meaning to our world in general.

Stephanie and I want to create products that support a positive message. When a creative reaches for their sketchbook, they are usually embarking on a new challenge. They are trying to capture a new idea. This can be a daunting part of the creative process. As we all have experienced, a blank page can be a terrifying thing. It can actually stop creativity. Consider this: you reach for a Layer Book and it speaks to you and says “MAKE AWESOMENESS. You can do it. You can make awesomeness.” You open the Layer Book, see a pop of color, and you are energized. You touch the translucent paper, and you know you can make awesomeness anyway you want to—in layers, without layers, with graph paper to guide you, or with a blank slate. You can use your favorite sketching tools without worrying about ink seeping through onto the next page. You make awesomeness, and you make it on your own terms and in your own creative way.

This is what Layer Books allow creatives to do: sketch like they design—in layers.

— Where did the idea for your books come from? It seems like they would be great for animators or any graphic designer who works in PhotoShop a lot. Do you have a background in that field?

The idea for Layer Books developed out of a love for paper and a desire to have a sketchbook that was a better fit for my creative process.

I had been thinking a lot about technology and about my creative process. I have been doing graphic design since I was fourteen. At that time, I had to sketch before I jumped onto a computer because computers were slow and it was more like crawling than jumping. So sketching was an important part of my process, which looked something like this:

Sketch on paper.

Choose the best direction.

Use a computer to execute the final.

Repeat.

– What do most people use your books for? How do people who don’t work on computers for design use them?

One of the most interesting aspects about Layer Books is that people are using them for a vast variety of sketching. One person is using the Layer Books to help her with a new stained glass business. We have parents buying them for their children because they love the positive message. We have a young boy around the age of 9 who plans on using them to create different themes for the cars he draws. He mentioned some car designs with butterflies and others with flames. We have had builders and people in the construction field use the Layer Books to help design different types of windowsills for a standard window. Layer Books are so new that it will be exciting to find out the various ways that people are using them. We’ve had conversations with web designers who plan on using the ability to layer their sketches to create various options for navigation and content like they would in PhotoShop. We’ve had people suggest that Layer Books are great for sketching and developing typefaces. Layer Books are also a great solution for creating patterns crafts like cross-stitch. It is easy to create a multi-colored pattern when you’re able to sketch in layers.

— Is there a sheet of graph paper behind each translucent sheet? And is the blank sheet secured to the interior of the back cover of the book?

The graph paper and the blank sheet of paper are secured in the back of the book. The blank sheet fold over comes over from the top of the book and the graph paper fold over comes over from the bottom of the book. We created it this way so that it allows people the ability to view their work in as many layers as they want (up to about five layers works best), and they can see their work with or without the graph paper.

— What’s your process like? Do you cut all of the paper and bind the books yourself? How long does it typically take to create one?

I work with another designer and maker of awesomeness, Stephanie Tate. We combine our efforts with a local, family-owned print shop called WonderPress. The owner (aka paper whisperer), Cy DeVilbiss, helps ensure that each Layer Book is filled with awesomeness.

Each and every book is handmade and takes about seven minutes to create.

We are still figuring out the best and most efficient process in producing the books. The current process is to digitally print “MAKE AWESOMENESS” on the slate-colored paper. This serves as the outside cover of the Layer Book. We’ve matched the color of the type to the inside color of the book. The inside cover of the book is a different piece of paper; this is how we can get such a bold pop of color. We don’t print anything on the inside cover. The next step is to adhere the slate-colored paper and the pop-of-color paper together. This step is done by hand, as well. By adhering two pieces of paper together we get the equivalent of a super-thick 200# paper. Then the super-thick paper is cut to size and punched for wire binding.

Another reason we use two different colors is to create a beautiful edge to the book. When you look at the edge of the sketchbook, you can see the two different colors. In other words, white paper does not show on the edges.

The translucent paper is cut and punched for the wire binding. Each Layer Book has 50 sheets of translucent paper. The graph paper is printed, cut, punched, and scored so it can fold over neatly. The solid blank paper is cut, punched, and scored. Then all of the pieces (the front cover, translucent pages, solid blank fold over, graph paper fold over, and back cover) are assembled and bound. We use silver wire to bind the books. Then each book is individually shrink-wrapped to make sure no moisture gets to the Layer Book during shipping.

Layer Books are a very production-heavy product. Each Layer Book is reviewed before it is shipped. We want people to feel the awesomeness as they open their package.

— Where do you get your special translucent paper from? Why is this type of paper better than standard tracing paper?

We work with WonderPress and a local xpedx paper representative, Gloria Strand, to obtain the paper. The translucent paper is more durable than tracing paper, and it doesn’t unintentionally rip like tracing paper does. However, if you wish to tear a page out of the Layer Book, you can do so easily. The translucent paper is thicker than tracing paper but is actually more transparent. Since the translucent paper is thicker than tracing paper, you can use pencil and color pencils as well as markers, sharpies, and pens without the ink bleeding trough the paper. It’s pretty amazing. We suggest that you wait a couple of seconds before touching heavy inks, though. If you want to erase pencil from the translucent paper, you can do so and it looks like a fresh piece of paper—no marks.

Interested in winning a Make Awesomeness Layer Book? Please respond to this post either by leaving a comment on this post or on the Hello Craft Facebook page explaining how you’ll use your new Make Awesomeness Layer Book if you win.

Enter both times for more chances to win! This contest will close and a winner will be chosen next Tuesday, 8/02.

You can learn more about Make Awesomeness Books here.

This giveaway is now closed.

In this Talk Shop, Beth Salvini, co-owner of Greenwich Letterpress in NYC, shares her thoughts on owning a letterpress studio and shop with her sister, selling her parents’ merch, and turning business mistakes into gold.

Beth, and her sister/business partner Amy, come from a family of printers. Although their art backgrounds are slightly different, they turned their shared love and knowledge of letterpress art into a full time business in NYC.  In their Greenwich Letterpress shop you’ll find the sisters’ own designs on a bevy of print goods, all made on their family’s 75-year-old(!) Heidelberg letterpresses. They also help to promote this craft by selling printed paper goods from other talented small presses, and way-cute items from independent artists and designers.

Letterpress is truly a unique form of crafting. For those who choose to indulge in this highly rewarding, but not very well understood craft, it requires patience, attention to detail, and a natural gift for understanding design. Greenwich Letterpress sells and showcases this impressive art-form, and gets respect for mixing traditional techniques with progressive design.

Greenwich Letterpress is a super cool store filled to the brim with intricate prints, unique cards, and lots of humorous finds from the indie craft community. Whether you’re a graphic designer, or just someone who knows the value of making someone laugh out loud from a greeting card, this shop was made for you.

Tell us what Greenwich Letterpress is all about:
Greenwich Letterpress is a letterpress and stationery shop that my sister Amy and I opened in 2006. The concept was to have a retail space that showcased handmade goods both paper and other and to offer custom letterpress printing. Anything from wedding invitations to business cards and beyond.

Do you have any sort of background in crafting or the arts?
Yes. My focus in school was always fine art and I got my degree in painting. Amy started as an English major, but after school she focused on graphic design. We were able to bring the two worlds together when we opened this shop. Both of our parents are also creative, our Mom makes a lot of things we sell in the shop.

How does your business support independent artists and crafters and/or the handmade community?
We were lucky to open the shop while the indie craft movement was kicking into full swing. That meant there were craft fairs, websites, and blogs to scout for great stuff to sell in the shop. Sometimes we get lucky and amazing talent knocks on our door. Those are always great days!

Who are your favorite local designers?
Enormous Champion, My Imaginary Boyfriend, Foxy and Winston

How can local designers and crafters get involved with Greenwich Letterpress?
We encourage people to write us or send samples to show us what they got! I’m always eager to see new and awesome stuff. I have also been toying with the idea of having workshops in our space. If anyone has any ideas, I’m open to it. Getting people in the door to just look around at what we sell, items that they wont see other places in the city is very important. I think its inspiring, it definitely gives me ideas everyday.

What’s the most unusual item(s) for sale in your shop?
Felt “Meat Pillows” by Natalie Wright. We’ve had them from the start, she rules!

Any advice for those interested in opening up their own boutique?
Research. We would have done some things differently had we spent a little more time sorting out the concept in the beginning, but luckily we made mistakes along the way we were quick to remedy. Making mistakes is a big part of business, if you can deal with them and move on you’re gold!

Where do you shop, besides your Greenwich Letterpress, of course.
Kiosk in Soho is amazing. One of the most unique shops I’ve ever been to.

There’s a street fight between a seamstress and a screen printer… who would win?
Well, the seamstress could get cut in the fight and then stitch themselves back up, so they might have the upper hand.

Any exciting upcoming events or sales going on at Greenwich Letterpress?
Valentines Day and lots of new goodies for the spring!

Greenwich Letterpress is located at 39 Christopher Street, New York, NY 10014.

Check out Greenwich Letterpress online at greenwichletterpress.com.
Buy one of their yummy designs right now in their Etsy Shop!

If you own a boutique, gallery or other place of business that supports the indie craft community, and want it featured in Talk Shop, email hellocraftinfo@gmail.com with Talk Shop in the subject line.

Art Whino is holding it’s first ever design competition, and they are looking for entries. The competition will be open to anyone and everyone who wants to participate. The twenty winning designs will be showcased in a fashion show and exhibition at Crystal Couture on February 24th, 2009.

Crystal Couture is a two week event that will feature sample sales, runway and trunk shows from designers, local boutiques, and area salons in Crystal City, VA. Each night will feature a theme with unique drinks, food tastes, and exciting fashions and music.

To enter the competition, email tshirtcomp@artwhino.com for specific submission requirements. Each entry is $5 and are due by 5 p.m. on February 12, 2009.

All entries will be displayed in a slide show in the opening gala event of Crystal Couture on February 13. The twenty winning entries will be printed in poster form and in t-shirt form at a runway show and exhibit on February 24.

One entry will win “Best in Show” and receive $300. The winner will be announced at the exhibit on the 24th. The twenty designs will also be for sale at the exhibit.

Even with aisles bursting with bolts and endless online offerings, it can still be difficult to find just the right fabric.  Where’s that perfect pattern that you’ve been searching for?  How can you find the print that will set your sewing apart from the rest?  The folks at Spoonflower are aiming to answer those questions for you and cut out the middleman when it comes to textile design. Their website offers any aspiring designer or dabbler a platform to upload and arrange elements to compose a one-of-a-kind fiber creation.

WoodlandSillhouettes8 from Beyond Wonderland

Spoonflower sprung up in May of 2008 as a beta site, only open to selected designers.  Since then they’ve grown from a kitchen table operation, to one that prints and processes 40 to 60 yards of fabric a day.  Now their doors are open to anyone who cares to come by and set up a free account.  One yard of your own custom cotton will run you $18, for an 8″ square swatch you’ll fork over $5 (currently they are printing on quilting quality cotton from Moda).  For now, you are only able to purchase your own designs but they are working on a way to allow you to sell your stuff through them.  In the meantime, they run a fabric-of-the-week contest, the winner gets free yardage and a feature in the Spoonflower Etsy store, where the selection is also on sale for a week.

They sky is the limit once you’ve designed your own dream fabric.  Pillows, purses, clothing…whatever your little heart desires.  Take a look at what some of the Spoonflower faithful have put together on their Flickr site.  The creativity isn’t just limited to the cloth!

Sandwich by juliannemarie

To learn more, visit the Spoonflower website or blog.  You can also tune in to their Twitter feed.  And to keep up with the craft scene chatter, check out the Spoonflower Buzz.  If you have a minute you can also view this short video to find out more about the design and print process.  Phew!

Are you already a member of the Spoonflower crew?  Care to share your creations?  Just leave a link in the comments below!