23
Sep, 12

{studio sunday} with Kate Gabrielle

 I can’t believe that it’s Sunday already!  This week really flew by, but I’m glad that it’s Sunday, because I get to share a very sweet and talented young lady’s studio with you!  I’m sure that you’ve seen her drawings and prints, as well as, read her blog once or twice.  So, I know you’ll enjoy this week!  Enough jabber, I’ll let you take a peek.

1. Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Kate Gabrielle, and I’m a full-time illustrator. I run the Etsy shop, Flapper Doodle, where I sell my drawings and things with my drawings printed on them 🙂 I also blog at Scathingly Brilliant and am a proud cat mom to my kitties Hypatia, Chloe and Hubble!

2. Where is your studio located?

My studio is actually located in my bedroom! I have an 11′ x 11′ room, and one wall is devoted to my studio!
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3. How long have you had your current studio space?

I’ve had this room since I was six years old, but it only morphed into a bedroom/studio hybrid in 2009, when I started working on Flapper Doodle.
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4. What is your favorite part of your studio?

I love the things that I have hanging on my walls… artwork, little souvenirs of fond memories and notes from family and friends. Everything serves as inspiration for drawing, but since this is also my bedroom I like that it creates a warm, cozy, familiar place to unwind and relax as well 🙂

5. Approximately how many hours per day do you spend in your studio?

Oh gosh… except for the times that I’m eating or out of the house basically 24/7! In addition to my studio, I also turned my closet into a small office space with my computer, printer, scanner, etc. so pretty much everything that I do each day takes place in this one little room!

6. Do you have any future plans for your studio space?

Eventually I’m planning on getting my own place and spreading out a bit, but honestly I love my room so much that I’ll probably end up recreating it almost exactly the way it looks now! Except maybe having a separate room to sleep in… that would be nice 🙂
••••••
Kate, thank you so much for sharing your special little studio!  I love the colors that you’ve chosen to surround yourself with.  They do give a soft and cozy feel.  I also like the way that you chose to utilize your wall space to the max!  You’ve proven that it’s not necessarily the amount of space that makes a successful studio, but it’s how you use your space – clever girl!  I hope that this has inspired other creatives to use what they have and use it well.  Thank you again for your time, it was so fun featuring you! ♥R
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Be sure to visit Kate!  shop | blog | twitter | FB | pinterest

22
Sep, 12

guess who?

It’s almost that time again for another {studio sunday}!  Can you guess who tomorrow’s guest will be?

16
Sep, 12

{studio sunday} with Twinkie Chan

I’m so excited to have the lovely Twinkie Chan as our featured guest today!  I’ve been following her and her work for sometime now and have admired her ability to maintain such success, while staying incredibly sweet!  If you know her, you know this is true.  She’s always so bright and cheery with her pink hair and stellar tattoos – and you’ll see that this carries on into her studio, as well.  Go on, take a peek!

1. How long have you been crocheting your amazing pieces?! What’s your inspiration?

I started crocheting, designing, and selling my food-themed scarves in 2005. I was inspired by the delicious colors and textures of handspun yarn, plus I’ve always had a weird, childhood wonderment with faux food and toy food! It just makes me giggle. But I learned how to crochet when I was about 10 years old and have always turned to crochet throughout the years to make one-of-a-kind handmade gifts for friends and family.
2. When did you decide to start selling your work?
In 2005, I became really obsessed with making scarves for myself but realized I was not actually wearing everything I was making. The scarves looked lonely, so I decided to design a website (www.TwinkieChan.com) for them, and they all found new homes within a few days! That’s when I knew I was onto something. I had no idea beforehand. I didn’t really have a plan to start an online store or anything. I was just having fun!
3. On to your studio, where’s it located? And why?
 
I finally have a craft room in my house! YAY! When I first started, I just had a shelf in my bedroom for yarn. Then the shelves grew. Then I lived in a loft for a while, so I didn’t really have a separate space for crafting, just miles of bookshelves filled with yarn. I moved 2 years ago to an actual house, with an actual extra bedroom, and I love it! It’s the sunniest room in the house (and sun can be rare since I live by the ocean in San Francisco, and it’s usually overcast, especially during the summer!) and bursting with color and fun. I would actually love to have a separate studio outside of my home one day, so that I can hire interns or assistants without feeling like everyone knows where I live, but I’m not at that point where I can afford that yet!
4. What’s your favorite part of your studio space? Why?
 
My favorite part has to be the yarn wall. That’s where the magic starts! I also love the yolky yellow walls. They don’t photograph very well, and they make everything else yellow, but when you’re actually inside the room in real life, it’s very warm and cheery.
5. Approximately how many hours per day/week do you spend in your studio?
 
This really varies. I actually don’t do a lot of crocheting in there since there isn’t a logical place to have a comfy chair or sitting area. I used to have a mini couch under the window, but I needed more table space instead. I do most of my crocheting in my living room, sitting next to a space heater and my dogs, watching TV. In my studio, I do a lot of computer work, product assembly, gluing, yarn-winding, packing and shipping, so some days I’m in there 5 minutes, and some days I’m in there 8+ hours.
6. Do you have any future plans for your studio?
I’m not one of those people who is constantly changing her space. I kind of like to stick everything where it belongs, and then accept the way things are and use my time to create rather than organize, so I don’t really have big plans for any big changes at the moment. I wish it looked neater, but I’m working so much that clean-up time and organization time are really limited. I should really put my computer some place more ergonomic, but that’s where it fit when it arrived (it’s new), and I haven’t taken the time to put it any where better. What I would really love is to have at least one of the tables raised so that I can work at it comfortably while standing – for packing orders and/or gluing pompoms – and then just sit on a tall stool. Other than that, I’d just put more art on the walls!
7. Do you have any tips or advice on how to maintain an inspiring and functional workspace?
 
I think that people’s work spaces are so personal, that it’s hard to give good advice! I can only think of an obvious tidbit like: constantly keep it picked up and clean, and don’t let dreaded PILES grow in there! You’ll feel a million times better when your work space isn’t cluttered. Also, if you are feeling overwhelmed by a big clean-up or a big re-organization, bring in a friend. My BFF helped me re-organize my closet, which is now dedicated to my packing and shipping supplies, and I seriously don’t think I would have done it without her. I *could* have, but I *wouldn’t* have! Oh! Also, I think your creative space should 100% be you. What I mean is, sometimes the way I decorate my house not only reflects the things I like but also reflects what I think will be pleasing to visitors and not look too crazy. But you should feel free to decorate your creative space as crazily (or un-crazily) as you want. It should be filled with your own personal energy, and you don’t have to please anybody else with it!
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Thank you so much, Twinkie, for sharing your creative studio with us!  It really is the most colorful studio I’ve seen yet.  All of your brightly-colored yarn looks like candy, and bright colors are my absolute favorite!  It’s really inspiring to see where you work and how you keep your space 100% you.  Also, thank you for the wonderful advice!  You’re right, our studio space is just that, OUR space, so it should be whatever we want it to be.  I’ve always been a bit scared of putting too many holes in the walls, thinking that when we move, the new homeowners won’t appreciate it.  My husband said, “so what!”  It’s our house right now, we own it, so we can do whatever we want.  I took that advice and just visited Ikea for the first time, ever!  I bought a couple of wall storage units to utilize my wall space more, over my limited floor space.  So, you too, have inspired me to hang more art on the walls and not be afraid of little holes that can be patched later… heeheehee  You have been an absolute pleasure to work with and your time is much appreciated.  Thank you again!

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Didn’t get enough of Twinkie and her amazingly detail and fun crochet items?!  I didn’t think so!  Check her out around the web and keep an eye out for what she decides to make next!
site | shop | twitter: @TwinkieChan | FB

13
Sep, 12

guess who?

Here’s a sneak peek at this Sunday’s {studio sunday} guest and her lovely space, can you guess who it is?!  I’m so excited to share her and her space, that it makes it difficult for me to keep it hush-hush… but I must! bahahahaaha  Just look at those beautiful colors!  Anyhoo, I just wanted to tease you a bit while I go print some more Roblins for a few new upcoming products.  Night! ♥R

P.S. In case you missed last Sunday’s guest, check out Becky and her well-lit space here.

09
Sep, 12

{studio sunday} with Becky of Sketch.inc

Happy Sunday!  Today we’ll be peeking into Becky Kemp’s studio to see where she creates her work for Sketch.inc.  I can’t wait for you to dive in.  Her space is so open and full of natural light, it might make you a little jealous…  I really love how she surrounds herself with lots of colorful items, many of them being her own creations!  Let’s get to it, shall we?!

1. How long have you been creating your brightly colored geometric pieces? What’s your inspiration? When did you decide to start selling your work?

I’ve been painting and Sketchbooking all my life. I have had a few gallery shows over the years but nothing that was going to enable me to dedicate a full-time job to it. I opened my Etsy Shop at the end of March last year and in April of this year gave up the day job to concentrate on my passion ‘Creating’.  My Sketchbooks chronicle every doodle and idea that pops into my head, I love Japanese animation, abstract expressionism, wrapping paper, textile patterns and anything  else I can get my hands on.

2. On to your studio, where’s it located?

I live and work in the southeast of England and my Studio is an extension at the back of the house. 11’x23’ it’s a long room with tiled flooring and large square windows giving me plenty of natural light which is vital living in the U.K and a world away from my previous Studio in a dark cottage in north Wales.

3. What’s your favorite part of your current studio space? Why?

Probably my old sofa by the window. Inspiration corner as I like to call it. Comfort is key to keeping me motivated, and yes I have fallen asleep on this sofa with pen in hand and woken to find ink all over my face. This cozy corner has everything to hand; books, wifi, TV and my favorite inspiring pieces.

4. Approximately how many hours per week do you spend in your studio?

I usually spend 60-70 hours a week in the Studio, but often take my work outside when the weather permits. The room looks out onto the garden and cornfields so it’s very peaceful when the studio decides to go al fresco. The kitchen is also at the back of the house so I don’t have far to travel for meals and the Post Office is a 10 minute walk down the road, I could not have planned it better if I had tried.

5. Do you have any tips or advice on how to maintain an inspiring and functional workspace?

Everyone works very differently. For me I like a well-lit room, to be surrounded by my favorite images, splashes of colourful stationary, iPhone docked and ready for Genius mix  and well-organized storage, the rest is often pretty chaotic to the visiting eye but at least I know where everything is even if no one else does.

6. Do you have any future plans for your studio?

I love home improvements! Some extra shelving and storage space would be great but a mini fridge next to the sofa is top of my current wish list. I would like to say that it’s for my photo emulsion and acrylics but really a few ice-cold Corona is closer to the truth for those tight deadline nights.

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Becky, thank you soooooooo much for taking the time to thoughtfully answer all of my questions.  Your answers paired with your amazing photos are truly inspiring to me and my readers.  Your studio shows the dedication that you have to create what you love and nothing less.  Keep doing what you do and I can’t wait to see what you create next!  After looking at your amazingly organized studio, I need to go clean mine… again.  haha!  Thank you again! ♥R

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Please take a moment, if you haven’t already to stop by and visit Becky.

Shop | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram: @sketchinc

06
Sep, 12

sneak peek on an upcoming post


Today I wanted to share just a sneak peek of what’s to come in this Sunday’s {studio sunday} feature.  I don’t want to give too much away, but the artist is amazingly talented (as you can see) and incredibly motivated!  She’s living her creative dream in a well-lit and brightly colored studio.  I can’t wait for you to meet her and peek into her space!  ♥R

27
May, 12

{studio sunday} with Jordan Grace Owens

Hello and welcome to another wonderful {studio sunday}!  This week I’m so excited to introduce you to the amazingly talented Jordan Grace Owens.  Jordan’s art and illustrations are sure to capture your eye and your heart the moment you see her work.  Don’t believe me?  See for yourself, here!  I really enjoy her fun and playful style.  My favorite pieces that she offers are her custom paper dolls.  That’s right! You can order your very own paper dolls to resemble whomever you’d like.  Clever girl.  So, now that you know how amazing her work is, let’s take a peek into her studio and see where all of the magic happens, shall we?!


1. Who are you and what do you do?
I’m a twenty-four year old artist and illustrator newly located in Charlottesville, Virginia. I make moveable paper dolls and candy-colored paintings.

2. Where is your studio located?
My studio is at home. I just moved into this A-frame house at the base of the blue-ridge mountains. Sometime in the 70s, the owner added a giant room on the side of the A-frame, and it functions perfectly as an at-home workspace.

3. How long have you had your current studio space?
I moved here from Greensboro, North Carolina at the beginning of May, so I’m just barely settled into the space. I was in my last at-home studio for about two and half year
4. What is your favorite part of your studio?
The huge space! My old studio was a cozy 10 x 10 foot room nestled in the front of my little 1920s apartment. My new studio feels enormous by comparison, and I’m likely to be spoiled by all the space to spread out. The room has really high ceilings, lots of windows, and even a door to the backyard. The scenery is beautiful, too. I can look up from my computer at the mountains, and often catch a few deer hanging out right outside.

5. Approximately how many hours per day do you spend in your studio?
I’m usually working somewhere between 8 and 10 hours a day.

6. Do you have any future plans for your studio space?
Since I’m newly settling in, I’m still growing into the space, and there’s one neglected wall I’m not quite sure what to do with. I’ve been scanning Craigslist hoping I’ll find a nice big flat file to put there.
7. Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
There are usually a couple of cats keeping me company in my studio, although not pictured here. 

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Isn’t her new home just the absolute cutest?!  I love how open her studio is and it seems to have some great lighting.  Thank you so much, Jordan, for sharing a peek into your old studio (fourth image down) as well as sharing your new one.  It’s beautiful and I’m sure you’ll be creating lots of beautiful things there.  You are an extremely talented lady and we can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Jordan’s lovely creations here!

05
May, 12

{studio sunday} with Manzanita

This Sunday we are taking a peek into a very sweet and talented lady that just happens to live a few towns over from me!  If you aren’t familiar with her creations, then take a minute to visit her shop and blog.  I promise you’ll fall in love.  With that said, lets get into it and meet the lady of the day…
1. Who are you and what do you do?
 Hello everyone! My name is Rebecca and I am the lady behind manzanita: a handmade shop and blog. I live in Boulder, CO with my new husband and little dogs. I spend most of my time trying to be as creative as possible and taking photos every step of the way. 
2. Where is your studio located?
 At home, my hubby and I bought a small mobile home a couple of years ago and for now we use the second bedroom as a shared office. It is quite the small space so we have decided that building an extra space for each of us to have our own room is something that will have to happen very soon. For now I mostly use the office as place to keep my materials and I do most of my work in the living room or at the kitchen table.
3. How long have you had your current studio space?
 About two years now.
4. What is your favorite part of your studio?
 My favorite part? I would say it is a toss up between my wall of books and my wall of yarn. Both things make me extremely happy and just looking at them keeps me inspired to always be reading, writing, or crocheting. I really like to see my passions displayed in a pretty way.
5. Approximately how many hours per day do you spend in your studio?
In my actual studio not much. Since I work so many places, I would say I can usually bring my studio with me where ever I go. I spend about 3-5 hours a day crocheting or working on the blog. On top of a full time job! I don’t usually have a lot of free time.
6. Do you have any future plans for your studio space?
Yes! My husband and I plan on building an addition to our home this summer. If it works out the way we plan, my studio will be where our current living area is. One of the biggest and most well lit rooms of the house. I really excited about this!
7. Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
Thank you so much RobbieLee for having me here to chat a little about my process and work space!
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You are very welcome, Rebecca!  Thank you for sharing your beautiful and colorful studio!!!  I also really enjoyed looking at all of your lovely crocheted pieces.  I love that there is truly something for everyone in your shop and the colors are so vibrant.  You do such beautiful work and it was nice to peek into your creative world.  I can really see how much love and attention to detail that you put into not only your creations, but your beautiful space, as well.  Thank you again!
So, if you haven’t already, checkout Rebecca’s shop, and if you already have, then go back!  ♥RobbieLee

29
Apr, 12

{studio sunday} with Sam Wish

Happy Sunday!  Today I’m so excited for you to meet a talented young lady with great style.  She’s a great example of how it is possible to live a busy life, but still be able to fit in your passion!  So, read below to learn a little bit about Sam and her creative Studio.

1. Who are you and what do you do?
Hi! My name is Sam, I’m 21 years old, have a fiancé and a wonderful 2 year old daughter. I run a store on Etsy called Sam Wish where I sell vintage and handmade clothes.

2. Where is your studio located?
My studio is located in a bedroom at my dad’s house. We only live 15 minutes away and since he’s my dad, I don’t have to pay rent or anything!

3. How long have you had your current studio space?
Hmm, well technically I’ve been working out of my dad’s house for two and a half years (since I started). But as for the bedroom I work out of, only about a year. Before our current residency, we actually lived in the bedroom that I work out of. So at that time, I was just working out of a closet!

4. What is your favorite part of your studio?
When we lived there, my dad had busted out a wall to make an attached bedroom for my daughter.  Now, I use it as my little “photography studio” where I built a little set and take all my pictures. It’s so convenient and also provides for a lot more storage.  

5. Approximately how many hours per day do you spend in your studio?
I only work about 2-4 hours per day. Our schedules are so busy with both of us in school and work so I fit it in whenever I can but it doesn’t leave me too much time. I think that’s what keeps me motivated though, I never get too burnt out.

6. Do you have any future plans for your studio space?
In a year or two, we plan on moving to Austin, TX and I’ll have to figure something else out. But until then, I’m going to enjoy working for free out of my dad’s house!

7. Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
If you’d like to learn more about me, hop on over to my blog at My Latest Obsession!

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I want to thank you, Sam, so much for sharing your lovely space on Chickiedee!  Your photography studio is so lovely and your studio is so warm and inviting.  I also wanted to point out that you and I have the same vintage suitcase!!!  Keep doing what you’re doing and when you move to Austin and get your new studio all set up, please let me know so we can do an update post!  ♥RobbieLee

arrows via {hello vanny}

22
Apr, 12

{studio sunday} with Lady Like

Today we have the two lovely ladies of Lady Like sharing their unique studio space.  As you know, my momma and I love to craft together, so it’s always nice to see family working together towards the same dream.  I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I do!


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1. Who are you and what do you do?
Hi! Our names are Diana and Kristy and we’re Lady Like.  We’re a mother-daughter duo who create knitted and crocheted headbands, scarves, and cowls for women, children, and infants.  Kristy’s a professional photographer and blog designer; she handles product design and inspiration and the technical side of the business.  I’m the creator of the products in our Etsy shop. We love to brainstorm on colors, fibers, and new ideas.


2. Where is your studio located?
This is the hardest question to answer! Seriously, my studio these days is the couch! Did I just say that out loud? From the time I remember knitting and crocheting, I had my little corner of the couch and there I created.  With the need to have a space to keep most of our yarn, threads, fabric, pre-made headbands and cowl, our spare bedroom became a studio–all our yarn inventory, sewing supplies, shipping items within fingertip reach. We also have a craft room where we stock our inventory and supplies. It’s a sunny room to work in when the couch just won’t do. Another part of our studio is at various locations for photo shoots.  That’s where Kristy’s able to capture such beautiful pictures of our models wearing our products.


3. How long have you had your current “studio” space?
We’ve been using this space for about two years.


4. What is your favorite part of your “studio?”
Although we have a designated craft room, I enjoy the comforts of working on the couch, watching favorite shows On Demand while my needles and hooks are clicking away.  I also like being in the studio space where I sew our fabric bags that we ship all our products in.  The sun shines so brightly through the front window and I get to watch the seasons change before my eyes. 


5. Approx. how many hours do you spend in the “studio?”
Most of my time is spent in my creative spaces working with the yarn fibers. I probably knit and crochet 3 to 4  hours a day.  I probably sew about 3 hours a week when I need to make our gift fabric bags. I really do love being in both places. 


6. Do you have future plans for the space?
I have reworked the craft room space many times and each time it gets better.  I’m sure it’ll be time to revamp it again soon. I have plans to add some photography to the walls that my daughter Kristy has taken from all over the world for inspiration. The craft room is a sunny space with a big window to enjoy the beautiful outdoors here in Oregon. It’s almost as pretty as working outside when you have a view like that. 
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Thank you so much for being a part of {studio sunday}, ladies!  I just love your headbands and everything that you make… so much talent.  For more info on Lady Like, visit their shop, twitter and Facebook.  Have a great Sunday! ♥RobbieLee