Company: GroovyGlassGirl
Name: Poppy
Website links: www.groovyglassgirl.etsy.com, www.groovyglassgirl.blogspot.com
What do you make?
I make jewellery (I know...everybody does) but mine is unique in that I use a combination of fused glass, stained glass & metal work techniques to achieve the end product.
What or who inspires you?
I love this question because inspiration is found in the most unusual places sometimes. Of course I’m inspired by the organic lines in nature, the silhouettes of Asian architecture or quite often products found in home decor magazines.....but sometimes it’s strange things like the colour of a beverage, a picture in a children’s book while I’m reading to my daughter or the shape of a vintage car.
How did you get started?
I started making jewellery years ago while working in a bead shop and somehow developed a fascination for glass. I then learned stained glass, lampworking, silversmithing & finally glass fusing over the course of several years.
What are your favourite materials to work with?
I guess the most obvious is glass. I also love copper, silver, paper and beads.....I just can’t seem to stop buying beads, it’s an addiction that manycrafty people have I think. I’m also really liking the fusible decal paper that I can use with my laser printer....technology is an amazing tool for crafters/artists.
What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
Definitely the most difficult part of crafting for me is marketing my craft. I am just so lame at sales. The hardest part of actually assembling the products is waiting for the kiln to cool down so I can open it and see the surprise inside! Hot glass is tricky to work with and sometimes the colors don’tcome out the way I thought they were going to come out....this is not always a bad thing! This is probably one of my favourite things about crafting....finding a new color combination by accident is awesome. It’s almost as good as executing a new design perfectly. Crafting for me is also very cathartic, I NEED to do it or my mind feels like it will explode.
List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
Bakerella: I love to bake, and although my purple Kitchen Aid mixer is lovely to look at...it’s even better for making cupcakes!
Design Sponge: “sneak peek” is awesome....I love seeing inside other people’s homes
Etsy: of course I love shopping for handmade stuff...so how great is it to be able to buy supplies at the same time, yay!
The Nourishing Gourmet: again....more cooking only this one is healthy & delicious recipes
Flickr: photos of everything and anything....I could spend hours on Flickr
Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Make what you love to make. It’s so much easier to sell yourself when you are truly proud of your accomplishments. Not making what you think people want to buy....but focusing on creating piece’s that you are in love with is the only way to succeed and be happy about it.
Art vs. Craft - Are these terms different? Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
Good question....will you let me know when you find the answer to this one? I feel like I am somewhere in between. Every time I learn a new technique I feel like I’m a step closer to being an “artist” and one day with the wisdom of old age I hope to find the answer to this question..... I still get the feeling that when the words “craft fair” come out of my mouth the people around me that aren’t familiar with modern day fairs are thinking “toilet paper cosies & crocheted baby booties”. I think we need a new term for the modern day crafter....maybe that’s what an artisan is....who knows. What I do know is that the crafters I am surrounded by when I am at local events like “Got Craft” are definitely exceedingly artistic in their craft’s of choice and there is a camaraderie between us thatbrings good vibes....and that is all that matters right now.
(photo images courtesy of Poppy / GroovyGlassGirl)
If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.
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