Tell us a bit about yourself, what do you do?
I
am an actor and expressive artist with a keen interest in crafts, particularly
textile crafts. Most of all, I love to knit because it’s a very portable
craft. I also enjoy needlecrafts,
crochet, costume design and construction as well as gardening and helping
people express themselves.
How did you
get involved with your craft? and with Etsy?
1983 On the allotment
with Dad
I
have been crafting since I was very little. My parents and grandparents were
all very creative people. They upcycled our
furniture, Mum made my clothes, our toys and games, and
our food was predominantly home grown, processed and cooked.
Creatively,
there was baking, cutting, sticking, drawing and painting, junk-box modelling and
playing with the home-made playdough. Even
our storybooks reinforced this very creative, natural world for us. Among my
particular favourites, was Beatrix Potter’s Ginger and Pickles.
After
leaving a very bad marriage, in early 2008, I needed something low impact to do
but I also realised that if I continued crafting as a therapy and relaxation, I
would very quickly run out of space for all my crafting materials so I built a
website and a catalogue of my crafts and set my first store up under the
tongue-in-cheek name, “The Basket Case”.
My “Hedgerow” style
hand-woven basket
A local crafting supply store held paper
copies of my catalogue and also commissioned one of my brooms to hang above the
shop lintel. I heard about ETSY soon
after and joined just as a customer initially and then in 2010, after I closed
my online shop, Mrs Mouse was born.
Describe a
typical day?
One
of the things I like best about my life is that there really isn’t a ‘typical
day’ as such, which is great for me as I’m not built to do the same thing every
day. I craft when time allows.
Future goals
and ambitions?
My crafty goals and ambitions tend to be slow, but intensely burning. So far, in my Etsy shop, while I’ll never make money at this (not something that concerns me hugely), I am really proud to now have at least one of my own designed and crafted items on every continent. I also have met some wonderful friends among my customers and colleagues in craft.
My crafty goals and ambitions tend to be slow, but intensely burning. So far, in my Etsy shop, while I’ll never make money at this (not something that concerns me hugely), I am really proud to now have at least one of my own designed and crafted items on every continent. I also have met some wonderful friends among my customers and colleagues in craft.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/120016224/cosmos-scarf-made-to-order-includes?
My
ambitions include; to rebuild my website; reintroduce some favourite items and
possibly my e-catalogue; and develop some ideas that I have been thinking
about. I also am working on raising €500 through my crafting for the charity
Dogs for the Disabled Ireland this year.
Designers,
blogs, crafters, arty people you follow?
*There are so many great crafters in the Etsy team well worth following;
* Shirley Hughes and Jill Barklem whose stories and pictures addicted me to books forever!;
*The Kaffe Fassett Collective (Just love their use of colours!);
* Treenah of Magic Stitches (at weebly, twitter and on facebook)
* The wonderful members of the “Addicted to Knitting and Crochet” community ;
*
Bob Mackie*There are so many great crafters in the Etsy team well worth following;
* Shirley Hughes and Jill Barklem whose stories and pictures addicted me to books forever!;
*The Kaffe Fassett Collective (Just love their use of colours!);
* Treenah of Magic Stitches (at weebly, twitter and on facebook)
* The wonderful members of the “Addicted to Knitting and Crochet” community ;
* Susan Hilferty
* Valerie Halverson (who did the costuming for Stargate: Atlantis)
* Joan Bergin (notably got an ITFA for her work on The Tudors)
* Nancy Devlin (http://www.etsy.com/shop/eNDee65) whose crafty expertise is simply entrancing.
Blogs include:
http://craftychickscuppacoffee.blogspot.ie/
https://www.facebook.com/GnomeAcres?fref=ts
http://www.attic24.typepad.com/
My jumper design based on the dvd sleeve
of the movie “Serenity”
Advice for new Crafters
I
think that time spent in experimenting and developing new ideas is never lost.
So long as your overall progress is forward and you’re feeling good about it,
it’s all good – and keep going and growing.
Website: http://mrsmouse.weebly.com/
NB:
– Website is currently down for redesign
A big thank you to Mouse for being my first interview of the year. Be sure and go and visit her shop and say hello.
Thats
it for now. More next month. If you would like to be featured please get
in touch through my shop www.huggleknits.etsy.com
Cheers,
Mo
Next
interview is due on the 2nd Friday of March, catch you then........
Hurrah for Mrs Mouse - love ya honey :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely interview, nice to get to know you a little! (Shirley Hughes and Jill Barklem are favorites of mine also!)
ReplyDeleteThanks you guys!
ReplyDelete