JuBella.com - Get Your Creative Dose

When you need a daily pick me up that is filled with cheerful colors, insightful stories of everyday living, beautiful photography, cozy quilts & crochet, glimpses of cute Cardigan Corgis at play, crafty ideas and patterns, and some sweet and indulging recipes to top it all off, then you head on over and grab up a bundle of Rosy Little Things with Alicia Paulson! I am always amazed at Alicia’s incredible amount of creativity and how she seems to literally make her daily creations and experiences come to life through her blog. If you are no newbie to blog land, then you probably are a permanent fixture in her part of the web so I am sure that you can all concur when I say that she is such an inspiration. She took some time to share a bit of her cozy love with us here on JuBella and she shares some great tips on marketing your work as well as a brief peek into her transition from having a 9-5 to capturing her dreams of creating her online boutique where she sales some of the cutest handmade gifts and home decor. And be sure to pre-order her new book “Stitched In Time” that is set to release in November 2008.

Thanks so much Alicia for a wonderful interview….and here she is folks:

JuBella: Why is creativity important to you?

Alicia: Creativity is important to me because it’s something I take for granted, like electricity, breathing, reading: I don’t think about it as something special, I think about it as something that is automatic. Of course, it’s no more automatic than electricity, breathing, or reading, which in their own ways are pretty miraculous – but I am lucky enough to get to live as if all of those things were unremarkable, and that is an enormous gift!

JuBella: What are your top 5 craft books that you have purchased?

Alicia: I buy a lot of Japanese craft books, but not a lot of craft books written in English, I must admit. I mostly buy lifestyle and decorating books. My favorites are Flea Market Style, Style on a Budget, Vintage Style, From a House to a Home, and Country Style.

JuBella: Why is it important for you to keep doing what you do, and what do you love most about your job?

Alicia: I’d love to keep doing what I do because I’m afraid I’d be useless at having a “regular” job anymore. I’ve come to really rely on the flexibility and independence that being self-employed has given me, though there are a lot of stressful, challenging things about being your own boss as well. What I love most about my job is getting to design whatever I want – more than anything else, I find it incredibly rewarding to have a “job” where I am able to flesh out any idea I have and call it “work.” That is definitely the best, easiest, most fun part, and the part that makes all the rest of it worth it. I’m always most interested and most inspired by the crafts and products and techniques themselves. All the other stuff, the paperwork, the packing and shipping, the computer stuff – those are the necessary chores that allow me to make the crafts, but I don’t love them. But I’m incredibly grateful that I have an audience that collects my work. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do any of it.

JuBella: If you had to give 3 marketing/selling tips to an aspiring designer/crafter, what would be your top 3 points of advice be…also can you offer any advice on photographing your work?

Alicia: Well, I mostly think that the items themselves – whatever it is that you’re making – are absolutely the most important thing. Your work has to be wonderful, and you have to have confidence in what you’re offering. Your techniques have to be as good as they can be, and the materials you use have to be of great quality. I want everyone who buys my products to receive more than they expect. My worst fear is to have people disappointed by something that they’ve purchased. I work really hard to make sure that when people open that package, they feel like they are receiving a very special present.

As far as photography goes, I would get a camera that captures light in a way that is pleasing to you. Never use a flash, and always use a tripod, and a two-second delay so your focus is as crisp as possible. Think of what kind of environment you imagine your product living most happily in, and try to set that up, to convey it to someone else.

JuBella: We’re you nervous about leaving your job as an Editor in 2000…what was that transition like for you, and what was the biggest challenge of starting your own business?

Alicia: Well, there were lots of life changes going on at that time, so starting the business was precipitated by major upheaval, which made the decision conveniently easy to make: I was desperate to start my life over. That said, I never feel comfortable encouraging people to quit their jobs and start their own businesses – I hope they don’t see my example as a good one for anyone but me. I have absolutely no idea if anyone should quit her job and start an indie business. I’ve certainly found it very challenging, and I think there is a whole lot to be said for having a regular job that you love, and keeping crafting as a hobby. But in my life, with the challenges and skills that I have, it works for me, most days. But my husband brings home most of the bacon, and the health insurance, and the retirement plan, and all that good stuff, so his employment is an absolute factor in my being able to do this.

The biggest challenge has been having to not only invent all the products, but invent all the plans. I had no business experience before I started, so I’ve just made it up as I’ve gone along, and made a lot of mistakes. But I’ve learned a lot and had constant support along the way. Things that I thought were mistakes get re-framed by my husband as just part-and-parcel of the cumulative experience of becoming a working designer, so I try to listen to him when I feel like I’ve really messed something up. He always says, “You get paid in lifestyle, not necessarily dollars,” and I think that’s totally true.

JuBella: Could you share with us your favorites of the following items:

Flower: Peony
Tea/coffee: Chai
Dessert: Vanilla custard
Travel Destination: Wales
Novel/Book: The Element of Lavishness, a book of letters between a writer and her New Yorker editor over a forty-year span.

JuBella: How did you go about planning your studio design…did you just dive right in, or did you sketch it all out first?

Alicia: Total dive right in. There are very few ways that room can be configured because of the windows, the plugs, etc. As it is I still have more stuff than fits in that room, so some of it lives in two big cabinets in my husband’s office. It needs constant upkeep that room. At the end of the day it totally looks like a tornado hit it and I have to do a total clean-up every morning. I have too much stuff. I’m troubled by it all the time.

JuBella: Craft/Design magazines you could not live without?

Alicia: Marie Claire Idees, Martha Stewart Living

JuBella: What is an average day/week for you like as far as crafting, planning, maintaining your website, living, etc.?

Alicia: An average day always starts with coffee, and writing my blog post. That’s my quiet, Alicia-time. I find writing the blog easy and relaxing, so I always make time for it. Then I go into my studio around 9 a.m. and figure out whether it’s going to be an order-shipping day or a making-day or a shopping/errand-running day. Usually it’s a combo making-orders-to-ship day. I’m never ahead of schedule with anything. In between all that stuff I am usually working on a bunch of behind-the-scenes stuff, commissioned crochet patterns or projects for books or magazines, answering emails (takes me forever), photographing new products and Photoshopping stuff to load onto the web shop, developing new products, thrifting for new fabrics or stuff for my antique booth. I usually quit at 5 or 6, then make dinner, and watch TV at night while working on a project for myself. I used to work on products at night, but now I only do things for myself after dinner. Otherwise you just feel like you have no life at all. I used to work through weekends, but now I do stuff like regular people – work in the garden, go out with friends, go shopping, see movies. I’m trying hard to separate work and life a bit more.

JuBella: Who are some of your favorite textile designers & fellow Crafters?

Alicia: I love Liberty fabrics, and Cath Kidston’s style, and the super talented folks at Martha Stewart. The community of craft bloggers are incredibly inspiring. I hardly buy magazines anymore, I must say!

JuBella: What could someone catch you listening to and/or watching when working in your studio?

Alicia: Modest Mouse, Lucinda Williams, Old 97s, and Wilco.

The super crafty, cool, and colorful Jennifer Perkins took out a bit of time quite some time ago to chat a bit with us about all things crafty, and inspiring, and she also shares some handy dandy business tips as well! Just in case you are not familiar with Jennifers work: she is the host of the DIY’s Network Craft Lab, the founder of The Naughty Secretarys Club, and Co-founder of the fabulous Austin Craft Mafia. Jennifer screams all things creative and as you can see from her studio below, she engulfs herself with creative inspiration to create her own designs. She also has a new book out on the bookshelves called “The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girl’s Guide to Handmade Jewelry” which is “packed with more than 50 kitschy-secretary-themed jewelry projects, plus lots of quirky sidebars covering hot topics such as office romance and the best secretary theme songs to listen to on your lunch break. You’ll learn how to use your office supplies in a whole new way - did you know standard office fare, like binder folders and shredded junk mail, makes craftalicious jewelry? Plus, author Jennifer Perkins will teach you how to turn almost anything into a charm, including plastic gnome cake toppers, doll furniture and cast-off hotel keys.” Now how cool is that! So I hope you enjoy this kitschy crafty goodness! Here’s Jennifer (psst, don’t forget to check out her blog):

JuBella: Why is creativity important to you?

Jennifer: Creativity is very important to me because it is an expression of who I am.  Individuality is something that has always been so important to me.  Even as a child unlike most of the other little girls who really wanted to fit in and have the latest styles, I was always insistent that I not look like everyone else.  Sometimes that would be augmented by early attempts at jewelry making or decorating a T-shirt with some splatter paint.  Creativity is something I can’t live with out.  When I am in Los Angeles 5 weeks out of the year filming Craft Lab, the nights and weekends are hard for me because I want to be creating, and doing, and making.  Even though I spend all day making crafts with guests on set, at night I am feeling so inspired and excited about whatever new crafty skill I learned that day & I want to try it out.  If I did soldering that day on the show I want to come home to my studio and get out my soldering iron and play.  Sadly I can’t take that stuff with me to LA.  So it’s not that creativity is important to me, creativity is crucial to me.  I can’t survive without it, I wouldn’t know how.  I was always encouraged to make and create by my super crafty mother so it is all I really know.

 
Jubella: How would you describe your most creative spot/atmosphere?

Jennifer: I get inspiration from so many different things it is hard to pick just one.  I really love going to flea markets and antique malls and digging through all the dusty goodies looking for an overlooked treasure that to me beckons to be made into a bauble.  It may have started life as a baby rattle in the 1940’s shaped like a monkey, but I see it as a necklace.  I love living in Austin.  It is a very eclectic college town with a very arty music and creativity driven scene.  The girls dress up and I get inspired seeing all the different looks.  My best friends are my fellow Austin Craft Mafia members so it is hard not to look at their outfits, homes and general beaming creativity and not be inspired.

JuBella: Favorite Craft magazine?

Jennifer: I really loved Adorn [no longer in print] and thought it was a great looking magazine with a lot of really hip and fun ideas.  Craft Magazine has some really cute ideas inside & Ready Made is the old stand by for crafty types!

JuBella: How would you describe the character/decor of your studio/design space?

Jennifer: Well my studio use to be the master bedroom in our home & we slept in one of the smaller guest bedrooms.  Now my studio is located in our newly converted 500 square foot garage! I have shelving everywhere holding beads, baubles and various other crafty goodies. I have large pieces of peg board hanging on several walls dripping with jewelry.  There is also an old 1950’s kitchen piece in the office that has doors that I keep stuffed full of various bits ranging from printer paper to fishing lures (for jewelry of course not fishing).

 
JuBella: What have been some of the biggest challenges with being an artist, starting your own business, and promoting your work all at the same time…what advice would you give to others in the same boat?

Jennifer: Just getting started can be tricky.  Taking that initial leap is always intimidating.  Once you get started, the more successful your business becomes the more stressful it is too.  When you just get started it is fun to send out a few orders a month and there is not a lot of drama.  Naughty Secretary Club has been my full time business for 5 plus years now so there are all kinds of new concerns.  Payroll taxes, incorporation filings, website redesigns, hiring employees, lawyer bills and more.  You just need to make sure to not try and micro manage too much or you are never going to have time for you or time to create.  The other important thing for people getting started in their own crafty business to remember is that there is no sense in reinventing the wheel.  When I got started with Naughty Secretary Club I teamed up with Tina Sparkles from Sparkle Craft and Jenny Hart from Sublime Stitching.  We were all starting our companies at the same time so it was easy for us to bounce ideas off of each other and if one had a new shopping cart that worked great we all used it, if another one was getting a great response from an ad in Bust magazine we all took one out.  There are lots of great resource sites online that you can look at like the Austin Craft Mafia and Craftster.  Not to mention there are a million great books out there, grab starting a small business for dummies to learn the fundamentals.  The creative design end of starting a crafty business is the easy part, so get help for the harder parts.

 
JuBella: What is your favorite craft product thus far and what have you enjoyed making with it the most?

Jennifer: I got my start making jewelry with casting resin.  I would use square molds and clear resin and embed images inside.  The versatility of the stuff is really cool.  Not only can you embed images but you can embed stuff, like small trinkets or glitter.  You can also use pigments to die resin and almost anything can be used as a mold.  I don’t use resin anymore in my jewelry mainly because it is super messy and stinky.  I was offering like 20 different styles of jewelry and was being forced to make the same thing over and over again and I found it really limiting.  Resin is fun, but time consuming so there was never a free minute to work on my one of a kind revamped vintage designs which is my true passion.
 
JuBella: What crafting tools could you not live without?

Jennifer: There are several.  I love my Dremmel tool.  I have 3.  I can use this little baby to drill holes in things that were not originally a charm, but after they get a hole in them they are.  It has a sanding bit for getting rid of rough edges.  There is a bit for about anything you can think of: engraving, cutting and more!  I use enough E600 glue to put together an entire house, it is the best glue ever for jewelry design. My ergonomic jewelry pliers.  They are puffy and don’t hurt my hands.

Ok, I hope you enjoyed this interview. You can read more about Jennifers crafty studio here on Modish. I have another one coming up this week..she’s another crafty lady, that makes the coziest things and inspires us all daily..can you guess who she is? I know, I practically gave it away!

Designer Jennifer Ramos of Made by Girl brings such a fresh, fun, creative, and artistic value to the art of stationary. Her use of color, wit, typography, and illustration is fantastic and makes for a lovely way to jot down those special notes for that special someone and also some “expressive” words for those not so special anymore like this card! To top it all off, her company also donates a percentage of their sales to StopGlobalwarming.org, which she encourages other businesses to make donations as well to help the cause.

Jennifer is also popularly known by creative enthusiasts through her blog “Made By Girl”, where she dishes out not only her current projects but also some fabulous design inspiration. I love her style and I’m totally stoked to have her grace the pages of JuBella. Jennifer took some time to share some of her entrepreneurial spirit as well as all things creatively inspiring in her world. Enjoy and thanks Jen for such a lovely interview!

JuBella: What do you love most about being an entrepreneur and what are the top 3 most important things you would tell another designer/crafter about starting their own company? 

Jennifer: I love the sense of creative freedom I have.  The fact that I could just design whatever inspires me and release it into the world for others to see. The ability to choose what I want as my logo, what I want to wear to work, and what I want to say.  Important things to tell an entrepreneur before starting their own business? Don’t spread yourself too thin by taking on too many things at once.  Stop dreaming about what you want and act on it, its the only way to realize your dream.  Don’t be discouraged because you think other people’s work is better than yours. There is a market for almost everything in life, so if you love your product so will others.

JuBella: You recently attended the National Stationary Show, what was it like preparing your collections to showcase to potential buyers…learn anything new?

Jennifer: It was a lot of work and I’m so grateful for the help I had at the show. It was such an exciting feeling to be exhibiting for the first time in my own booth. I remember when I was younger and used to do some modeling for clients at their booths. I knew one day that would be me talking to clients, showing them my work and selling my products.  I learned and accepted that I am not going to be able to sell to everyone and that some people are just not going to like my work.

JuBella: Please share with us your favorites of the following:
Dessert: Tiramisu
Magazines: Domino
Books:  “The Hottest State” by Ethan Hawke
Color Combinations:  Pink and Orange
Rooms: See image below

JuBella: If you could meet 5 other bloggers that you have never met before, who would they be?
   
Jennifer: Super duper lady from Liberty Post Editor, Holly from Decor8, Belinda from Renovate & Decorate, Kathryn from Kathy’s Little World.

JuBella: Tell us more about your design process and work schedule…how do you keep it all together and organized? 

Jennifer: I get up at whatever time I want…just kidding! Well, I get up early and start my day answering emails and doing some online marketing. Do some cleaning at home in between emails etc.  I don’t create designs everyday, so its not really a part of my day. But when I do create, I sit and concentrate after surfing the web or having come from a book store and feeling inspired by other designers or situations in life. So many things have inspired my work and if you really knew, you would know what each design means to me. 

Keeping it together isn’t easy, but I’m pretty good at handling more than one thing at a time. Thankfully these days I have help from my production manager, as well as my sister and a rep. I also get help from friends who give me suggestions about my product and advice on what to do next when I feel lost.

JuBella: So, what are some of your future goals with your stationary line and any other endeavors? 

Jennifer: I hope to pick up as many stores as possible so that my product can be out there and available to those who haven’t come across it via my online shop.  The line is just cards and prints right now and I’d love to perhaps create another line of prints perhaps using a silkscreen method. MadeByGirl will also be looking to do more fairs/shows locally.

JuBella: Something new you would like to learn?

Jennifer: Even though I probably wouldn’t have the patience for it, I’d like to learn how to make a card on a letterpress machine!

JuBella: What do you like to do when you are not making stationary?

Jennifer: I love to read, watch CNN, take my dogs for rides in my car, and travel.

Do you still play with dolls and stuffed animals? Well, should someone ever give me one of these darling creations from artist and doll maker Jhoanna Aranez of One Red Robin, I would surely be on cloud nine! Jhoannas pieces are overflowing with color, pattern, patchwork, and most of all her pieces carry their own unique character that just comes to life. I was stoked to have Jhoanna chat with us a bit about her creative inspiration and the story behind One Red Robin. So sit back and soak up the creative inspiration of One “creative” Red Robin…Jhoanna Aranez:

JuBella: Why is creativity important to you?

Jhoanna: Needing to exercise creativity has always been a part of me. My earliest childhood memories are of taking scrap pieces of paper, any pencils I could find, and spending hours drawing things. I also remember spending my days sticking discarded household objects together with glue & sticky tape to make a ‘gizmo’ of some sort, and using whatever I had to make something I needed. I always felt (and still do feel) a great sense of satisfaction and joy upon seeing my completed projects.  Being creative with my hands not only kept me out of trouble, but helped my self-esteem, and exercised my mind to think in new ways and to take different approaches to daily life. I do believe that everyone has a creative side but it needs to be exercised often as it certainly contributes to making life fun, balanced and beautiful.

JuBella: What do you love most about designing and crafting plush toys?

Jhoanna: The possibilities with plush toys are just endless! I love the fact that I can create each one to have a unique character, quirks, and look-and-feel. There is the freedom to create conventional versus unconventional soft toys and dolls. There is much scope to play with fabrics - combining clashing or complimentary colours, prints & textures. For example, my quilted patchwork soft toys include a variety of different types of fabric, colours and fabric prints, with some quilting for added texture.  I don’t spend hours figuring out what colours or prints should go together - when I start a patchwork, I just sit down with my stash, pick out what I think will work and just go with it. My favourite part is after I’ve sewn the toy together and turning it out to see what the finished product looks like (before it gets stuffed).  I love the surprise element. The great thing about soft toys is that both adults and kids enjoy them.

JuBella: How did you come up with the name of your company?

Jhoanna: Robins are my favourite type of bird.  I remember reading somewhere that one of the behaviours that characterize a robin is that they run then stop, then run then stop, and admittedly, that pretty much sums up how I approach life at the moment! ‘Red’ is a little reference to my birthmark, which, over many years, I’ve come to accept is really a part of who I am, a unique stamp that God has included in His creation of me.

JuBella: Where do you like to find your fabrics and embellishments for your toys, and what other artists inspire you to stay creative?

Jhoanna: My fabrics & embellishments are sourced from the local fabric store, my 2 favourite online fabric shops (Cia’s Palette & Reprodepot ), and the local thrift store. I have also been blessed with some wonderful fabric and notions from generous blog buddies! In terms of soft toys, my greatest inspirations are fellow bloggers:

1) Dawn of Look What I Can Do , she has an amazing eye for transforming fabric into the perfect little Love Creatures.

2) Abby of While She Naps: I love the way she experiments with different animal/doll forms and fabric/yarn/buttons

3) Ricardo of Wishes & Heros: I adore the way he uses colour and embellishment in his little pocket dolls, cat-lover dolls, and his illustrations

4) Hillary of Wee Wonderfuls: she is simply prolific; incredible vision and imagination

I would have to add that my 2 girls remain my greatest inspiration.  If it weren’t for them, I would never had had the urge to make soft toys to begin with, and their great response to what I create certainly motivates me to keep creating.

JuBella: Favorite Craft magazines or shows?

Jhoanna: I find inspiration and ideas in a number of magazines and craft books. Anything from quilt & patchwork magazines to home decor magazines.  My favourite Aussie magazine is InsideOut. Like much of the craft community, I adore Japanese Craft books and magazines.  Although they are written in Japanese, I pick-up a lot of ideas on colour, fabric combinations, themes and form.  Plus I adore the way they photograph the items.

JuBella: How would you describe your most creative spot/atmosphere & the character of your studio/design space?

Jhoanna: I am most creative after I’ve had a good cup of coffee, my 2 girls are tucked into their beds and sleeping peacefully, the dishes have been done, and I have my favourite CDs in the player!

My ’studio’ occupies a small corner in my home.  At the moment, it really is just organized chaos! I use a small computer desk to house my sewing machine and notions. On a narrow wall hang a few bits and pieces of inspiration and favourite things. Against another wall, I’ve got a few of my earlier pieces of work on display to remind me of where I have come from and to inspire me to keep trying new things or to try something different with existing patterns. I’ve got a small stack of craft books on a side table.  My most-used fabrics are stacked on the floor, which is where I do all my fabric-cutting.  I find it very relaxing to sit on the floor and cut fabric, trying different combinations for some of my patchwork.  I also have a beanbag nearby where I do my hand-sewing.  It’s a small studio - cozy and intimate – but I always look forward to spending some ‘me’ time there, whenever I have a chance.

JuBella: Do you have any favorite books on soft toys?

Jhoanna: I adore all my Japanese craft books – I have learned so much from trying to decode their diagrams! I also recently picked up “The Complete Doll Maker” by Alice Weiner.  It’s proven to be an invaluable resource on doll-making techniques, from the basic to the advanced.  I haven’t had the chance to take classes in doll/soft toy-making (or any sewing classes for that matter) so I highly value craft books.
 
JuBella: What crafting tools could you not live without?

Jhoanna: I love my sewing machine! It’s a Janome and it’s been extremely reliable and easy to use.  I definitely couldn’t live without it.  A good pair of fabric scissors also make a huge difference!  I don’t think I could survive without my handy sketchbook and an always-sharp pencil, so that I can jot down ideas and sketch patterns whenever and wherever inspiration hits. And finally, I’d have to say my laptop - not a crafting tool per se but it keeps me linked to the crafting community.
 
JuBella: Most unique gift that you have given to someone?

Jhoanna: This was a tough question to find an answer for – I’ve given many handmade gifts and most are unique in the sense that they are one-of-a-kind, but I’m going to go with my gut reaction and say that my 2 girls are the most unique gift I’ve had the privilege of ‘giving’ to my family.

So, as I mentioned before, I have lots and lots of interviews that I have been collecting as we were getting Jubella ready for launch. One of them is an interview I did with Victoria, aka sfgirlbythebay quite a while ago. She took some time to chat a bit about her design inspiration and all things lovely about living in San Francisco! Obviously, for anyone hooked to the design blogosphere, Victoria is quite the inspiration and I am so honored that she took out a few moments of her time to give her creative dose & to grace the pages of Jubella! So, here you go, be inspired by her San Francisco Suite that is filled with so much charm, character, style, and creative decor!

Jubella: How long have you been keeping your design journals?

Victoria: I have been keeping ‘Idea Journals’ with daily journal, sketches and thoughts for over 12 years. The design/inspiration journals I started about two years ago. I used to keep all my tears from magazines etc. in folders, and then it came to me that I could paste them into these journals and have an on-going record of my taste (which is constantly evolving) and what’s inspired me over the years.

Jubella: What elements do you like to include within them and do you have a favorite one out of the bunch?

Victoria: I keep tears from magazines and catalogs I get that I think I may like to work into the design of my home, or maybe even a friend’s home. I also keep ideas that I think I might be able to use down the road should I move into my own home. I also keep photos, drawings, quotes, sketches - anything that sparks my interest. Even fortunes from Chinese fortune cookies. I don’t really have a favorite - certain pages really stand out for me when I go back and look at them.

Jubella: How often do you incorporate elements from your design journals into your own home?

Victoria: Quite often. I am constantly changing and re-arranging my rooms, changing out color schemes and mood, so there’s lot of inspiration from these journals reflected in my rooms.

Jubella: How would you describe the style of your home & what is your favorite spot/room?

Victoria: I saw the book ‘Bohemian Modern’ by Barbara Bestor featuring the fabulous modernist homes in and around Silverlake, CA. When I saw the gorgeous photographs and her definition of ‘BoMo’ I knew that was what my style was. I’d never really had a name for it before that - I always just called it flea market eclectic. It’s really about creating a space that’s self-expressive, comfortable for entertaining, and enjoying the simple pleasures of your surroundings. Home has always been important to me and is my safe haven from the hectic world.

My favorite room is the living room. I scored some great mid-century modern white vinyl chairs and a great flokati white fluffy rug on craigslist and I can sit and look at them with lots of pleasure. It was one of my better finds. The bay window and doors to the little terrace bring in lots of light as well, so it’s a room with lots of good energy.

Jubella: What are some of your favorite pieces and why?

Victoria: The mid-century modern chairs and flokati rug as I described above for sure. I also have an art deco buffet I found at a yard sale about 15 years ago. It moves everywhere with me. I got it for $5.00 - it was covered with white paint, so I stripped and sanded it and polished it up. I love it! I also love my kitschy portrait of ‘Rico Suave’ I found at the huge Alameda Flea Market. He’s not really Rico - I just named him that. I wish I had more great portraits like this one and am always on the lookout for inexpensive ones.

Jubella: What boutiques, on-line shops, and other resources did you utilize the most when it came down to decorating?

Victoria: My biggest resource is craigslist.com. I find everything there, even my apartment and my dog, Cooper. It’s the best and you can find really great deals. I also shop the Alameda Flea Market on the 1st Sunday of the month - it’s another great resource for vintage finds. As far as retailers go, I frequent Ikea, and a lot of little boutiques around San Francisco. I love Nest, Swallowtail, The Apartment, X21 and Timeless Treasures, all of which carry fun vintage finds.

Jubella: What do you love most about your apartment and living in San Francisco?

Victoria: My apartment is really pretty special. I love the tall 13′ ceilings, the ton of light I get through the living area windows and the copper-faced fireplace is lovely. My neighbors are also pretty amazing. We have a wonderful sense of community; we call our two ’sister buildings’ Buchanan Manor. We look out for each other and have fun BBQ’s and holiday parties. When I broke my ankl and couldn’t leave my apartment for six weeks. One of my neighbors organized a group to take turns walking my dog and helping me out. I am so grateful for them.

The location in Pacific Heights is not as diverse as I would like, however it’s beautiful and very centrally located. Living in San Francisco is amazing. Clear blue skies (I grew up in smoggy L.A.) and fresh air are great, and you can walk just about everywhere. The things I love best about San Francisco are all the diverse neighborhoods. They’re all so unique, whether you go to the Haight for second-hand threads, or North Beach for excellent espresso, it’s all very small-townish. San Francisco is only 7 miles by 7 miles, so you can get around really easily as well. And, just a few minutes over the Golden Gate Bridge and you can find yourself immersed in nature - Mt. Tamapalias, Marin Headlands, Muir Woods - it’s all so close and such a great quick escape from the city when you need it. I love being surrounded by water. I find it very peaceful. And I think my personality suits the pace of this city.

Jubella: Why is creativity important to you?

Victoria: I’ve always been creative, even when I was little. I was always involved in extra curricular art classes. My mother is an interior designer, so I think it’s in my genes. I’ve always found logical solutions to problems, but think from a right brain perspective. I just find artistic, creatively talented people fascinating and inspiring to be around, so that’s pretty much who I surround myself with. Most of my friends and colleagues are photographers, art buyers, painters, fashion designers, writers, or work in a creative field. I just get excited seeing what they’re up to and feed off their creativity.

Jubella: Top 3 design / creative inspirations?

Victoria: I love the Bohemian Modern book I mentioned above and all beautiful homes photographed inside - that really inspires me and makes me wish I owned my own home. I love seeing my friends’ homes - there’s a few that I always aspire to. There’s always one or two aspects of their homes I admire - a lot of them are very minimalist - something I struggle with. I also really love the studio of designer Amy Butler. I like how she manages the mixture of vintage pieces with fresh, modern color. I really think she has a great eye.

Jubella: Favorite color combinations?

Victoria: It changes - all the time! Right now, I really love lots of white as a ‘base’ color for my furnishings. The I accessorize a lot with slate greys, soft blues with small spots of olive green and yellow. Ask me next month and it will probably have changed. Aqua and green seems to always be a predominant part of my decor.

Textile Designer Amy Butler is an inspiration to anyone who carries a passion for fabric and textile design as well as all of those who love creating beautiful crafts and clothing with beautifully designed fabric and paper. Amy has been an inspiration to myself and many others for quite some time and I simply fell in love with her style, her creativity, and her charm after reading and drooling over the fabulous photography of her home and textiles that are featured in her book “Midwest Modern: A Fresh Design Spirit for the Modern Lifestyle”. If you have never heard of Amy then you are in for a textile and pattern treat. Her designs are filled with creativity, color, pattern, and a style that fuses traditional patterns and artistic values and hues that results in magnificent fabrics and stationary to create many lovely things with!

Be sure to check out her website where you can not only find her latest Spring 2008 Collection, but where you can also find free patterns and shop her products that includes pillows, bags, and stationary. You can also pick up a bottle of her fragrant fabric wash called SOLA, which is bottled up in a lovely and decorative bottle. Amy took some time out to share a bit of her creative inspiration with us. Heres Amy:

JuBella: Why is creativity important to you?

Amy: I think as an artist I couldn’t live without it. It’s the core, unwavering ingredient in my personal make up, it’s that part of myself that I can’t question or doubt, it just is. But I also believe you don’t have to be an artist or designer to get in touch with your creative side. Creativity is a part of all of us, it’s a common thread and a unifying trait that brings us together, it’s something we can share. I think we need to nurture this part of ourselves and give it as much space in our lives as we can. For me, I need to honor time away from the ” business ” side of what I do each day to give myself the opportunity to free my mind and tune into creative solutions both in my artwork and with my daily challenges. Creativity is important to me because it’s the energy and impetus behind everything I do.

JuBella: How would you describe your most creative spot / room / atmosphere?

Amy: My most creative spot is on the bike path behind our house. There’s something about walking and being in the woods, maybe it’s the moving meditation but I always get a bunch of good ideas when I hit the path. Dave walks with me a lot and over the years we’ve come up with some of our best ideas for the studio while hiking along. We always giggle when our financial planner asks us what our 5 year business plan is and we say we have to hit the trail to figure that out!

JuBella: Favorite Craft & Design magazines, books or shows?

Amy: Oh I have loads! Favorite magazines: Selvedge, British Elle Decor, Australian Vogue Living and Inside Out.

Favorite Books: Ilse Crawford’s the Sensual Home, Tricia Guild’s Pattern, Christian Lacroix, The Diary of a Collection, Barbara Bestor’s Bohemian Modern- Living in Silver Lake, Joelle Hoverson’s Last-Minute Knitted Gifts and The Greater Perfection: The Story of the Gardens at Les Quatre Vents by Francis H. Cabot.

Favorite Shows: Sundance channel’s documentaries on haute couture designers and Project Runway.

JuBella: How would you describe the character/ decor of your studio / design space?

Amy: My studio is in the lower level of our 1970’s modern bank ranch home. The studio is very cozy and bright. The windows are north facing, so I always have the perfect light for working on designs. The furniture is an eclectic mix of vintage modern and old farmhouse. I collect most of my furniture at flea markets or the salvation army, I bring home the un-loved pieces with loads of personality. Everything is new again with a little padding and a fresh slipcover! Changing out the fabrics on my furniture serves two purposes, it allows me to see how my prints translate in home decor and keeps my space kinetic and fun. I love the new energy that’s created when I change things around.

I’m surrounded by all the things I love, loads of fabric, notions, antiques, ephemera and books. I made two big benches that are padded with cushy foam and slip covered in my Forest fabric. I push the benches together for napping with the cats, a little luxury I try to take advantage of as often as I can.

JuBella: What do you love most about being a textile designer?

Amy: I love that I get to create artwork for my designs and that they are enjoyed by so
many people. I love what I do and I feel this energy is translated in my work and passes onto others. It’s pleasure that keeps paying forward. I’m just a starting point, folks work with my patterns and fabrics to create and then pass that happiness onto the person on the receiving end. It’s a very cool cycle of joy. I’m so fortunate that folks respond so sincerely to what I do which is incredibly humbling and fulfilling.

JuBella: and do you have favorite textile designers?

Amy: Kaffe Fasset has always been a great inspiration to me. I admire him because he is first a fine artist who eloquently shares his vision for color and design through his work with great warmth and passion. I get lost in the color combinations in his fabrics!

I am also a huge admirer of Harmony Susalla from Harmony Arts. Harmony is leading the way for organic printed fabrics. She is the real deal, an amazing artist, designer and passionate supporter for the organic fabric movement. She is a visionary with an unwavering heart, and her fabrics are delicious! Harmonyart. I’m constantly inspired by Tricia Guild’s philosophy and her spirited use of color and print. Her designs are sophisticated and approachable at the same time. I love her books, they are put together so beautifully…. a total feast for the eyes!

JuBella: Do you have a favorite line or print that you have designed thus far?

Amy: I’m always in love with my Nigella home dec fabrics for Rowan. I describe this group as having a neo victorian vibe, with a mixture of modern elements and feminine details, it’s very romantic and rich looking.

JuBella: What is your process like when designing a print?

Amy: I’m always dreaming of future fabrics I’d love to sew with or use in my home which is always the underlying motivation for specific prints. I keep things fresh and lively by keeping my inspiration kinetic. I’m always excited about a new ” color” or colors. I keep an on-going color idea stash where I save snips of colors I love which eventually get worked into my palettes. My taste and interests continually change and are reflected in my design choices. I am always in the process of collecting inspiration in all kinds of forms.

For example, when I start working on a new fabric collection I pull my color palettes together by building color ” stories ” intuitively by making a collage with coloration and textures I love. I then match color chips to my color stories and complete my palettes. I almost always make way more palettes than I need, but I love have as many options as possible to react to. I trust my gut and go with my top 3 -4 favorites. For my prints, my base inspiration comes from antique documents that I re-design, scale and color to fit the story of the collection I’m building. Once I’ve developed my core designs, I create the artwork by hand coloring each print in all it’s possible variations in each palette.

JuBella: What design tools and software could you not live without?

Amy: I couldn’t live without my imac, stapler, xacto knife, Viking sewing machine, white out, cutting mat, and microsoft word.

JuBella: The most creative and inspirational city/ country that you have traveled to thus far and why?

Amy: One of the most moving trips I’ve had in the past couple of years has been to England. I travelled with my husband David and our two good friends Kevin and Chuck. We completely absorbed ourselves in touring historic gardens in the Cotswold region. We also spent a couple of dreamy days in London visiting the Victoria & Albert museum and the Chelsea Garden show. The combination of the english countryside and design sensibility are very inspiring, it’s more a “feeling” that is absorbed and translated later when I am back in my studio. My design collection called ” Charm ” was inspired by this trip in particular.

JuBella: Most unique gift that you have given to someone?

Amy: Original paintings or fabric collages. Dave and I often make each other artwork for gifts. These are my favorites!

Australian born Crafter and writer Allison Whitlock has probably made her way to the screens of all of our crafty homes. The lovely host of the DIY’s Network “Uncommon Threads” chats a bit with us about all things creative and she shares a sneak peek into her fabulous sewing and design studio located in her home. Allison is no newby to the design and craft world. She has worked as a writer and Stylist for Sheila Bridges: Designer Living, A Swell Holiday, and Dwell, and you can catch some of her work in Vickie Howells popular book “Knitty Gritty” & Vickies upcoming book “Catwalk Crochet”. I look forward to her upcoming home decor line “Home Made Modern” as well! Heres Allison

JuBella: Why is creativity important to you?

Allison: To me, being creative is like breathing. It’s the very expression of who I am. It helps me to stay centered, expressive and happy. I also believe that by being creative, I’m able to understand myself, my culture, and my environment.

JuBella: How would you describe your most creative spot/atmosphere?

Allison: There’s no one place that I go to be creative. I think inspiration is all around and sometimes you can take a fresh look at something you pass by every day and see something new. But the ultimate environment for creativity to me is a new one - so travel is important. Every culture or city expresses itself aesthetically in a different way. Even the way that light falls on a building or the way colors look so different from one hemisphere to the next or one city to another. I always travel with my digital camera a snap a shot of images that make me stop and take a second look. They’re a constant inspiration for my designs.

JuBella: Favorite Craft magazine or show?

Allison: I have to say being a knitter among other things - I love to watch Knitty Gritty. It’s great to learn from those amazing knit designers - and Vickie Howell is one of my favorite crafty chicks! Also, I’m completely obsessed with modern design and I’m very impressed with DIY’s Free-form Furniture - it’s not classic craft but it’s great design and that’s what excites me.

JuBella: How would you describe the character/decor of your studio/design space?

Allison: Allison: My studio is my home, and rather than dedicating a room to craft - I just let it take over my space whenever I’m feeling creative. I’d describe the style femme modern - classic clean lines but always with a curve or soft edge. My favorite piece is my 1950’s Saarinen tulip dining table and chairs. I bought it on ebay for a steal and have been in love with it ever since. It’s fantastic as a work desk, to cut on, sew at or wipe clean and have friends over for cocktails. My second favorite piece is a Womb chair and ottoman also by Saarinen…and it’s called a womb for a reason - it’s one of the most comfortable curvy chairs I’ve ever sat in. I use this one for knitting,crochet or any hand sewing or embroidery. I can get lost in my own thoughts in that chair. For inspiration I keep a library of craft, design, architecture and photography books.

JuBella: What have been some of the biggest challenges with being an artist,starting your own business, and promoting your work all at the same time…what advice would you give to others in the same boat?

Allison: The hardest thing is taking the leap! Like many women who start their own creative enterprises, I had a career outside of craft and design first - directing and producing television. I had to bite the bullet eventually -throw caution to the wind and just create/design full time. It’s still early days for me - but so far, it’s the best thing I could have done. Whatever you put 100% of your time and effort into - I truly believe you’ll be most successful at. And you’ll also be happiest doing what you love. Aside from that - it’s just about creating and maintaining your own momentum…not taking two hour lunch breaks or catching up on Oprah too much.

My most recent purchase is Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret and Extraordinary Lives by Helen O’Neill. Florence Broadhurst was one of Australia’s most prolific wallpaper and textile designers. I love looking at and appreciating the creativity of others and I’m particularly inspired by creative women.

JuBella: What is your favorite craft product thus far and what have you enjoyed making with it the most?

Allison: I’m definitely a fiber addict, so fabric and yarn are my favorite things for sure. I love making interior products and it’s hard for me to go past a good vinyl fabric without wondering of it’s capabilities and possibilities. Recently i made a western style saddle for a plastic stool. The brown vinyl fabric I used was challenging to sew with- but gave me a prefect result.

JuBella: What crafting tools could you not live without?

Allison: Hmmm…so many to choose from, it’s hard to pick one. But if I must play favorites - I wouldn’t be without my Bernina sewing machine. For years I sewed using my mothers old 1960’s Lemair Helvetia sewing machine. It was a fabulous light green cast iron model that did little else than straight stitching and a capable zig zag. I eventually decided to face my fear of digital and buy a machine with more functions - and I’m loving it. it has opened up new avenues for my designs. We also use them on my show Uncommon Threads. It’s interesting to watch guests who were like me - using the machines for th first time. At first they were trepidacious and by the end of the show, completely in love.

JuBella: Most unique gift that you have given to someone?

Allison: I recently found some old slide film of my mum when she was a teenager. There was a great photograph of her sitting on the bonnet (hood) of her car with her ‘P’ plates - in Australia this is your provisional license,it means you can drive alone for the first time. I loved the photograph because my mum looks so excited and ready to take on life. I had the photo scanned and then printed the image onto fabric. I created a pillow for her with the photo in the center with a slim white border - much like a postcard. it’s a nice way to take a memory and make something beautiful and functional out of it. I’m so excited to be a part of the community of creative women.

JuBella: Any additional comments for our readers:

Allison: My greatest desire is that we share our ideas and techniques with one another to ensure that they are passed on and live on. It’s through this sharing that we stay connected to one another and to creative women of our past. The best thing about working on my show Uncommon Threads is meeting groups of creative women (and men) and helping them share their ideas with a world of seasoned crafters and newbys. They all inspire me!

One of my favorite Textile designers is Malene B. Her textile/home furnishing collections are fused with freehand drawings, and global expression while maintaining the influence of “Modern” design. As with most creative people, her childhood was surrounded by creativity. Malene spent her time designing cakes with her mother and watching her change the décor and drapes with the seasons. Her collection of awards have been given to her by The Stark Carpet Corporation, The Home Fashion Products Association, Textile Surface Design Department, and the French Lace & Embroidery Federation. Malene graduated from FIT(Fashion Institute of Technology). She has designed collections for Nicole Miller, Liz Claiborne, Waverly, Nourison, and Marcus brothers just to name a few. Malene takes a few moments to chat with us about what inspires her as a designer…here’s Malene:

Jubella: Why is creativity important to you?

Malene: Creativity is important because it is one of the characteristics that defines who I am. I use my creativity way to communicate with people.

Jubella: How would you describe your most creative spot/atmosphere?

Malene: My most creative spot would be a space on a hill overlooking a turquoise ocean.

Jubella: Favorite Décor/Textile magazine or episode?

Malene: I love the US and UK versions of Elle Décor magazine, Living Etc., Metropolitan Home and Domino magazines. I really like watching Debbie Travis’s Face Lift, Redesign and Divine Design TV shows on HGTV.

Jubella: What are your favorite stores for Home Accessories?

Malene: HomeGoods is my absolute favorite store!!! I LOVE HomeGoods, Crate and Barrel would be next and then Pier 1.

Jubella: Favorite design piece/element in your home?

Malene: My favorite design element in my home would be my painted floors and stairs. My floors are painted bright orange and my stairs are individually painted using these colors: turquoise, lime green, orange, and red.

Jubella: Do you have a pet peeve about anything relative to décor (something that drives you crazy when you see it within décor)?

Malene: I have a few but this one stands out. I hate to see area rugs on wall to wall carpet. People should use one or the other but not both!

Jubella: How would you describe the style/décor of your home?

Malene: The style of my home is modern design with a cultural flavor. The walls and floors are painted in bold colors of turquoise, lime green, yellow, orange and red. Fine art, sculpture and textiles from around the world are accented throughout. My space has color, pattern, and texture.

Jubella: Favorite color combinations?

Malene: I have so many but to name a few, I love red and green, turquoise and orange, and chocolate brown and lime green. The fact is I just love color!

As a young girl Rochelle Rodriguez spent her younger years infatuated with all things fashion. From playing dress up in her grandmothers closet to her intense studying of Vogue and “Style with Elsa Clinch” on CNN on Saturday mornings Rochelle made sure to surround herself with fashion inspiration. Her inspiration paid off and she later found herself graduating from one of the top Fashion Institutes on the map, FIDM(Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising). Now Rochelle is amongst the best of the best in fashion.

Her pieces have been featured on celebrities such as Kat Sadler of E! The Daily 10, actress Erin Cummings, and on the hit show “So You Think You can Dance”. Her pieces can be found all over the country and you may find her in rotation in the display windows of Kitson, one of L.A’s hottest fashion spots. I particularly like her use of pattern, color, and flirty cuts; and the fact that her pieces appeals to real women with real curves makes it all the better! Rochelle takes out a bit of her time to chat with us about her fashion inspiration.

JuBella: What is your design process like & how do you gain creative inspiration for your collections?

Rochelle: In a perfect world, once every couple of months I would take off for some place exotic and listen to the rustle of the trees to move me a direction for the next season. Until that day, I retreat to my local coffee shop, Aroma Café, with my design book, pencil, ipod, and usually dozens of scrap pieces of paper with messy drawings on them from prior weeks creative moments. It’s basically like a puzzle and I just try and put the pieces together to make a collection that is interesting, unique and most of all wearable. I pull a lot of inspiration from the 30’s-late 60’s. However, it is subtle, whether I am using a style of a sleeve or idea of a neckline, I try to take bits and pieces and then add my own flare.

JuBella: Favorite magazines/ books / resources that provide you fashion inspiration?

Rochelle: Vogue, by far. I have 2 subscriptions. One so I can tear out pages and 1 to collect. In 50 years from now my dark wood library will be a library of Vogues. Also, any coffee table books focusing on women throughout the 20th century.

JuBella: What do you love most about what you do?

Rochelle: “I feel like a million bucks in this dress!” That phrase is the reason I am in this business. Whether it is a friend, a stranger, or even myself, I love being able to design something that makes a woman feel good in what she is wearing. Empowerment is an idea that can change a person to the very core. If a woman feels empowered, even for the short time she is wearing a great dress, then, chances are she will continue to do things that empower her. It is a cycle, if you think you look good, you suddenly start to feel good, you start to feel like you can do anything, you start to live life a little more, and before you know it, you are this bundle of happy walking around helping other people feel happy. Then one day you look up, and right before your eyes there is peace on earth. Perhaps, it’s silly to think a dress could change the world, but it could.

JuBella: How would you describe your style and the style of your line?

Rochelle: I design for me, and all the different personalities that make up Rochelle Rodriguez. I am not trying to reinvent the wheel. I am simply designing wearable dresses for the modern woman. The style is chic and sexy. There are dresses for those days when you feel flirty and carefree, for days when you need to make a good impression, for first dates, for the first time you’ve seen “him” since he broke up with you, for going to weddings and parties, and even for those “fat” days.

JuBella: Products, accessories, gadgets, & things you never leave home without?

Rochelle: My phone-Tmobile Dash, my brand new oversized Gucci shades, The Secret, and my credit cards.

JuBella: What are some of your biggest challenges when it comes to being a fashion designer?

Rochelle: Somewhere between finishing the design/concept and actually getting paid would be the biggest challenge. Designing is the best part, it is the most effortless part of this business for me. Unfortunately, that is only about 25% of the time. Sourcing materials was the most challenging task for me at the beginning. Challenges appeared as I started to look for fabric, then I would find the perfect type, only to find out I had to order 1000 yards. By now, I’m starting to get the hang of it. Just in time for a new set of challenges…payment. I have been fortunate enough to have one of the best sales people in the industry on my team, Kristen Aguilera at the Park Showroom. She has taken me from nothing to over 40 accounts in 4 months time. The challenge here is fine tuning which stores are worth moving forward. Most people don’t think about what happens after a designer has been given 50 new orders for 50 new stores. Over half those stores will have some sort of credit problem. Challenge.

JuBella: Goals you would like to achieve in the future with your line?

Rochelle: I would like to be the Target guest designer in 5 years. I would like to have 4 “Rochelle Rodriguez” boutiques in various cities across the US. Most importantly, I want my line to help women of all shapes and sizes to learn to love what they have. I want my line to have a positive influence on the way women feel about their bodies. I have drop dead gorgeous friends that can walk by the mirror and frown as if they are looking into one of those crazy mirrors at the circus. It is a rather large task I know, what with stick thin “celebutants” and models, but I hope to make some sort of impact on the world that if you can just “Love the body your in” you may actually find that you are already perfect.

JuBella: Favorite shops for fashion?

Rochelle: I love Intermix at North Park and Joile at Victory Park in Dallas, TX. I love Neiman Marcus and Barney’s, it is where I would like to die and go to heaven. I love Rumor in Sherman Oaks, CA, it is two levels of fun filled fashion. Online you can find lots of goodies at JoiaStyleStudio.com and HotterThaHollywood.com

JuBella: Favorite music/bands/albums for your fashion shows?

Rochelle: I have a great set of musicians in my close circle of friends. The hot new band Vintage (Vintage Band) and sultry sounds of Jenny Franklin of Some Strange are sure to be heard at my shows.

She’s So “Supa”: Supayana is a clothing line run by Designer Yana Gorbulsky. Her pieces incorporate some of the most amazing cuts, and embellishments such as vintage buttons and lace details that make you feel both feminine and like you are wearing a pretty piece of art that fits your creative taste oh so well! Born in Moscow, Yana first found her passion for sewing as a little girl, sewing dresses for her dolls and stuffed animals. Yana finds inspiration from both runway ready-to-wear and street fashion; both vintage and modern trends; and most importantly, the maniacal desire to transfigure everything she touches into something cute. We took five with this “Supa” lady to get a sneak peek into her creative inspiration

JuBella: Tell us about your creative process…do you keep lots of sketchbooks/journals when creating your pieces, etc. & how do you express your creativity outside of fashion?

Yana: I rarely ever sketch anything. I usually just have a basic idea of what I want the garment to look like, and then I just start cutting the fabric and sew it together. I’ll look at mainstream fashion mags like Lucky or Glamour when I am in a real creative slump. Otherwise, I’ll look at magazines like Bust or Venus. When I’m broke, I look at fashion blogs online. I also paint and draw occasionally. I used to play the piano & I make really weird purple cakes!

JuBella: How would you describe your personal style & the style of your designs?

Yana: I wear a lot of vintage clothing and a lot of my own designs. So it varies from being really girly to really basic and pretty.

JuBella: What are some of the most challenging thing about what you do and how do you overcome them?

Yana: The most challenging thing about what I do is coming up with an effective schedule and sticking to it (because nobody else will tell me to stick to it). I guess another challenging thing is answering emails on time.

JuBella: Something new you would like to learn?

Yana: I’d like to learn more about patternmaking, and sewing with denim. I’d also like to learn how to make toys! I don’t know if your question was specific to fashion. If not, I’d like to learn French and how to do a cartwheel.

JuBella: What are 5 things,places, or people that you think is “Supa”?

Yana: Montreal, animals, yoga, my family, and my boyfriend.

If you are ever in need of entertaining ideas, then the lady to go and see is Entertaining Extroidionaire Jenn Sbranti. She’s The Hostess With The Mostess and her website & blog serves up some of the yummiest entertaining ideas, products, and recipes! Jenn took a few minutes to “entertain” us with some of her favorite inspirations for hosting a great party, as well as some insight on how Hostess With the Mostess came about.

JuBella.com: What was the inspiration behind creating hostesswiththemostess.com, as well as your blog & what things would you like to achieve though them in the future?

Jenn Sbranti: The idea behind hostesswiththemostess.com started when I personally felt the need for a resource like this but wasn’t able to find it. I’ve always loved planning and throwing creative parties, so when my friends starting hitting the era of bridal showers and baby showers, I was excited to host a lot of them myself. I started to search extensively online for cool partyware and creative ideas – but rather than finding “idea” websites - all my searches kept landing me at online stores that sold the same frilly or cheesy-looking partyware designs – painted baby booties and cartoon teddy bears for baby showers, old-fashioned wedding bells or “fancy” floral patterns for bridal showers, etc.

My personal taste is much more on the modern/contemporary side – and I just wasn’t finding that type of inspiration despite hours of searching. I turned to books next, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of great books relating to baby/bridal showers either – and some of the cool ideas that I did find in books were hard to recreate because it wasn’t clear where to find the elements pictured or they were way too expensive.

So, being a graphic/web designer and a big believer in what an amazing, accessible information source the web can and should be, I started thinking that I should try create a resource like this myself. After talking to a lot of others about the idea, I genuinely felt the need for an online resource where people could go to get inspired about party planning and not only find actual ideas that are unique and stylish – but also be directed on where to find the things they need. Planning parties and get-togethers should be a creative and fun experience for the host or hostess, and not overly stressful as it seems to often become. “Hostess with the Mostess” sounded like a fun, memorable name for a company… so, fully expecting the domain name to already be taken, I still decided to check it out just in case. Lo and behold it was available! So my husband and I decided that it must be fate, reserved the domain name and trademarked the name on the spot – and decided to go for it!

Once we started actually getting into planning and developing the site, we realized what a huge undertaking it was going to be and that the timeline wasn’t going to exactly happen “overnight” like we wanted it to – especially since we had to keep our “day jobs” in order to pay the bills and get the startup capital we needed. So we thought that starting a blog might be a good way to reach out to people and start getting some buzz going while the main website was being developed. Never did we expect quite as warm of a welcome as the blog received – and of course we couldn’t be happier about it! Without the blog, we wouldn’t have had an audience to reach out to when the website launched – and it’s opened up a lot of other doors as well.

The first stage of the website finally launched in April 2007, and we have so much more we want to do with it and add to it – including things like message boards, interactive party planning tools, wish lists for our fabulous finds and fabulous gift sections, and even online invitation functionality. Our goal is to have a full-fledged interactive party planning resource that is extremely stylish, loaded with visual inspiration & imagery, and extremely helpful information.

JuBella: Favorite 5 on-line shops/boutiques for hosting gifts?

Jenn Sbranti: www.wrapables.com, www.wishingfish.com, www.redenvelope.com, www.patinastores.com, and www.perpetualkid.com

JuBella: In your opinion, what are 5 key elements one must haves to host a
memorable party?

1. A Theme – even if it’s as simple as a color theme or theme based on the type of cuisine you’ll be serving such as an Italian dinner or afternoon BBQ. Having a theme to guide you makes it easier to make decisions regarding partyware, decorative accents, and food & drink options – and it also creates a more festive atmosphere for guests – giving them the feeling that they’re at a “special” event.

2. A Signature Drink: whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic – a signature drink with a creative garnish adds a fun element to the party and is a great opportunity for a cool beverage display.

3. Good Lighting: I’m a sucker for white twinkle lights and break them out all year long for outdoor parties – not just around the holidays! Colorful paper lanterns, candles, disco balls (when relevant) and dimmed lights are great for controlling the party “mood” as well.

4. Food & Drink “Stations”: Rather than having all of your food and drinks in one place, create a few smaller stations around the room – to encourage mingling and movement – and stop potential traffic jams!

5. Great Music: that coordinates with your theme – keeps the festive energy up and the party going!

JuBella: Could you share with us one of your favorite recipes for casual
entertaining?

Jenn Sbranti: This appetizer is going to seem ridiculously simple but it always gets devoured first at get-togethers:

Sesame Cream Cheese & Crackers:

Ingredients: 1 cube cream cheese, soy sauce, sesame seeds, & water crackers.

Directions: Place cream cheese in the center of your serving plate. Pour soy sauce generously over the cube. Cover thoroughly with sesame seeds. Serve with water crackers. Done!

JuBella: Favorite books & magazines about entertaining?

Favorite books: Simple Stunning Weddings by Karen Bussen, InStyle Parties from InStyle Magazine, Easy Entertaining by Darina Allen, and Celebrations from Real Simple.

Favorite Magazines: Real Simple,Cooking Light, and pretty much everything from Martha Stewart Omnimedia – especially the Weddings, Living, Everyday Food, and Kids magazines

JuBella: What are some of your favorite flowers and/or arrangements for the
dinner table?

Jenn Sbranti: Tight bunches of flowers are always best for the dinner table – and make sure to keep them low if you plan to leave them on the table during dinner. I love china mums, button mums, and gerbera daisies – or gorgeous cymbidium orchids – either stemmed or floating in clear glass bowls.

JuBella: What has been one of the most unique gifts that you have given or
received thus far?

Jenn Sbranti: For father’s day I’m actually giving my dad a personalized steak branding iron. This is a fun, unique gift for someone that loves cooking and grilling. You can have one created with your loved one’s initials or a full monogram, using 2-3 letters.

JuBella: What do you love most about the art of entertaining?

Jenn Sbranti: The chance to be creative – especially when there’s an out-of-the-ordinary theme – and the reaction from guests when they come in and are excited about what they see.

JuBella: Thus far what has been your favorite table setting that you have
styled?

Jenn Sbranti: I love Hawaii and anything tropical – so the http://www.hostesswiththemostess.com/themes/bridal_showers/love_in_paradise/ “Love in Paradise” table setting is probably my favorite so far. It can be used for a bridal shower, engagement party, or an anytime celebration if you just take out the “LOVE” letters. I feel like there’s a good mix of both modern style and elegance here – and it’s the perfect setting for a good Mai Tai!

JuBella: Share with us your favorites of the following:

Dinner: Fancy: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/miso-salmon-with-cilantro-salsa Miso Salmon or http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001681seared_ahi_tuna.php Seared Ahi, Cranberry/Walnut Spinach Salad, warm French Bread with butter, & Grilled Asparagus. Casual: Chicken Enchiladas.

Dessert: Kimo Pie (a Hawaiian favorite!) or Strawberry Shortcake.

Beverage: Cocktail: Red Wine or Margarita on the Rocks Mocktail: Strawberry Lemonade.

Appetizer: Fancy: Bacon-wrapped Scallops, Casual: Pigs in a Blanket or the Sesame Cream Cheese mentioned above.

The Double Stitch Twins Erika and Monika Simmons are two crafty ladies. They crochet beautiful apparel and accessories that are filled with style, beauty, and color. Currently they are working on a wonderful Crochet & Pattern book that is due to come out in May of 2008. Erika and Monika talk with us about why creativity is important and they share a few marketing tips for promoting your work. Thanks Monika and Erika for sharing your crochet inspiration!

Jubella: Why is creativity important to you?

Double Stitch: As crochet artists, creativity is very important to us, because it initially keeps us from getting board during our creative process. Even if we’re crocheting a piece that’s all black, we’ll use black beads, black sequins, sparkly yarn, textured black yarn for fringes, etc. This pushes us to always add that little extra that we like to see when we shop for apparel ourselves.

Jubella: How would you describe your most creative spot/atmosphere?

Double Stitch: My (Erika), favorite creative spot or atmosphere is in my home studio in the sun porch. I love it because I’m facing toward the racks of clothing that we have in our inventory and it’s inspiring for me to see what I’ve created already, while making something new and innovative. There are windows around the whole area, and I’m usually listening to Law and Order or the Golden Girls DVD, lol!

Monika’s most creative spot/atmosphere is in her bedroom. It’s comfy and cozy and she listens to television while she hides her creation from me until she’s done. This way she can unveil her fabulous Double Stitch original.

Jubella: Favorite Fashion magazine or episode?

Double Stitch: We both like magazines like, Vogue and Lucky so that we can stay abreast to what’s current in the Fashion industry. But, we both love Sophisticates Black Hair Magazine, Essence and Ebony the most!

Jubella: Top 3 Fashion/Beauty Boutiques or Designers?

Double Stitch: Tracy Reese’s designs are absolutely beautiful. Sistah’s from Harlem are extremely innovative and inspiring. Anthropologie is great because of the special touches and quality of the designs that they feature!

Jubella: What designers have inspired you?

Double Stitch: Tracy Reese has inspired us through her perseverance in the industry. She has always had the obvious talent, but she has proven that believing in her ability can get her everywhere! She kept going though bankruptcies and never stopped. Also her designs are gorgeous!

Sistah’s from Harlem NY, has shown us that we can do it too! When we see them, we see us. We just live in different places. It’s very important to see yourself in others that you believe are successful. It pushes you in a way that only a role model can.

Jubella: What are your top 3 marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring designer?

1. Wake Up & Pay Attention: Listen to what your prospective clients say about your collection, but decide for yourself what your clothing line will be about. People other than ourselves, usually reveal the strengths or special appeal about our line through the comments that they make . Do what YOU do, and stay true to the essence of what made you designer. That way, your line can grow while you grow.

2. Invest is Marketing: Make sure that Marketing is not an optional part of your business. Plenty of people have a great product that no one knows about. So what’s the use of working on your collection and putting all of the money into supplies, when you need business cards and ads in place? Split the money up, make some hot samples and purchase some eye catching ads, flyers and/or business cards. Marketing investments make the difference!

3. Party with a purpose: It’s cool to scope out your prospective market, by attending events where you think YOUR client would go. This is very useful research and can help you to decide who is most interested in your work as well as who will actually pay for it.

Jubella: What would we find in your closet or purse?

Double Stitch: In our purse you would find a (5.50) crochet needle, fabric discount card, a pen, and business cards. In our closet you would find a Double Stitch T shirt with crochet sleeves (to represent Double Stitch in a casual grocery shopping kind of way), funky boots (any color), Tube tops (to layer Double Stitch jackets, shawls, and accessories), Double Stitch Multi-way shawl (can be worn over 30 ways), and some Long skirts.

Jubella: Other than fashion, in what other ways do you express your creativity?

Double Stitch: Hair Stylists: We have been braiding hair for over 15 years (since college) and we were able to express ourselves through our clients hair that way. Dance: We have been dancers since age 12 and we love modern, ballet, jazz, African, and hip hop dance! Artists: We both discovered very early, that we can draw very well, but believe it or not, we don’t do sketches of our clothing. we just dream it up and then do it, not patterns or anything!