How did you get started in your current craft?

[Karen Gass]

I always find it interesting to learn how people got started doing what they do. We'd love to hear your stories! If you tell yours, we'll tell ours!

[ramblingdesigns]

Hey everybody!

I'm Bridgett and I am a fibre artist and the goddess of whimsy at Rambling Designs.
I am a wee bit addicted to everything to do with fibre: spinning, knitting, weaving, crochet etc.
I learned when I was about 6 years old from my paternal grandmother. She was a fantastic knitter! She knitted all the folk socks for all the men in our family, plus all the traditional Bavarian jackets that went with the traditional garb. LOTS of braided patterns there! We also had to learn cross stitch in third grade in school and sewing was added in seventh grade. Pottery and woodworking also were subjects in school that stuck with me to adulthood!
I was knitting on and off throughout the years, but got really badly into it when I came to the States in 98. I was home most of the time and needed something to occupy myself. Michaels was across the street from where I lived at the time and the rest is history as they say!
Today I could not imagine a day going by without having something to do with knitting.
I also paint. I painted big backgrounds for a Theatre! SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

I am looking forward to meeting new artists here and seeing some of my old friends as well! Thank you Karen and Louise for opening such a great opportunity for all of us to play, inspire each other and forge new bonds in the art community!

Wishing you lots of success with this new site!
Hugs,

Bridgett

[eyecandy]

My name is Candy and I am the owner/designer/chief bottle washer at EyeCandyChainmaille.

I make jewelry... I started doing maille as a way to make myself anklets with bells. See, I used to play a game that featured characters with ankle bells and wanted a set. The first pattern I learned to do was Byzantine weave.

Segway to a few months later when I was making a necklace chain for my then boyfriend and son. Well, I decided to try to create a Cross using the byzantine weave and voila... EyeCandy Chainmaille ended up being birth. See, I had found out that I had a real talent and then eye for not only construction but also design. Now, 4 years later, I still struggle to run my business through an economy that has been horrendous for those of us who make luxury items BUT I am still here, and in my humble opinion, I think that says alot for my ability to create well made, quality pieces that folks like.

I look forward to meeting folks here and checking the place out!!

All Blessings!
Candy

[slavetomyneedles]

Hi, I am Louise and literally the Slave To My Needles!!!
I learned to sew on my grandmother's treadle machine when I was about 7 y.o. She used to let me sew without thread on paper that she would draw circles, straight lines, figure 8s, etc. and then would check to see if all my needle holes were on the lines she had drawn. I remember not being able to wait to get out of school and go to her house so I could 'sew.' As time passed, I graduated to thread and fabric and learned all the ins and outs of the machine, but not until I'd learned the proper care of it!!!!
Many, many years later, I am now teaching one of my granddaughters to sew and another one is about a year away from her first lesson....
My granddaughter always says when she is good enough at sewing I will have to change the name of my business to Slaves To OUR Needles....I hope she is right....
I look very forward to meeting many more skilled artists and providing many custom items for new buyers.
If You Can Imagnine It; I Can Make It!!!
~Louise

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[Karen Gass]

It seems like I"ve always been sewing - I learned at 4-H club when I was about 8 yrs old (i'm 53 now) and I can't think of a time in my life when I didn't have a sewing project going. Or knitting, or crochet - my grandma taught me those. It's just a part of my life and while there was a short time I was without a sewing machine, so I sewed by hand. There is nothing that could keep me from sewing unless something was wrong with my hands, but then maybe I'd learn to sew with my feet or my mouth or something lol

I sew garments, quilts, home dec, just about anything!

Here is a picture of a top I did sew by hand, just a few years ago, because I thought it would be fun. IT was

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[thekopperkat]

I always thought I was creative - to get into the 2 year tech school I applied to I designed a skirt and cape set to impress the interviewers - it was a fashion school.

Then the real world came about and I ended away from the creative and into the business side then it DP/IS/IT.

30 years later and I picked up researching the power of crystals and stones (for luck and protection when traveling, and warding off negativity) and thought wow I could wire wrap stones and carry them with me on a purse, as part of neckace or on a belt (I wore alot of basic black suits in those days).

I left my job to care for my Mother and needed to do something hence The Kopper Kat was born - made alot of stock and opened my Etsy Shop.

Still struggling to come up with the right venues to promote and market the shop. So here I am! You can check out my shop at www.etsy.com/shop/thekopperkat

I also have forums on Eons, Linkedin and Etsy called the Mystical Magical Marketplace looking for members who buy and sell items with a metaphyscial bent.

[Karen Gass]

I think it's great to read all these stories, and get to know you Artists better Thanks for sharing them!

[ramblingdesigns]

I was thinking the same thing Karen! SO nice to read the stories! Hello and welcome everybody! Looking forward to getting to know you more!

Bridgett