Feature Friday - Pins and Thimbles

Q: Tell us a little about yourself; what makes you so special…
*blushes*... Well,
-- I love anything involving coffee, bicycles, sunflowers, bright colours, Muppet songs, mangoes, or chilli peppers.
-- I'm waaay overeducated for someone whose favourite activity is sorting differently coloured buttons into jars.
-- I've recently started changing my life to focus on these things I love -- my etsy shop is part of that change. I've become engaged to the sexiest, smartest, most supportive man on the planet, I'm working on a business making things that people can use and that can make them happy, and I'm spending more time with my garden and my dog.
-- I wish it hadn't taken me so long to get here!

Q: What do you make/create?
That's an easier question! I play with fabric and vintage buttons. My wrist wallets, which use both, were created almost by accident. I was going dancing with friends and had no pockets in my dress. I was annoyed because I didn't want to take a purse -- I hate worrying about where a purse is or carrying it while I dance. I folded my bar money into a piece of red satin, sewed a snap on, left my coat at the check, and felt free as a bird all night.

The design I now use in my shop has gone through many, many reworkings and every time I go out someone makes a new suggestion. I've also heard weird and wonderful ideas for how to use them: to hold money, house keys, (ahem) protection, kids' lunch money. One lady at my local sewing store even wanted one for her Mum who's in a nursing home and has to have her room key on her at all times (but tends to lose it). I custom make these for people who want to match their wallet to a special outfit.

I also make purses that you can store your notebooks and pens in, because I'm one of those people who can never be without my to-do lists.

Now onto the really important questions…

Q: If you were an appliance, what kind of appliance would you be? Why?
I'd be an Mp3 player, and I'd only play songs that make people happy. That would be my contribution to world peace.

Q: Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
My best friend -- soon to be my maid of honour -- Claire. She's a historian and currently burning the candle at both ends to get her Museum Studies coursework done, whilst working full time. We miss each other a lot now that we live and work in different cities.

Q: What’s your most embarrassing moment?
Well, the MOST embarrassing moment will go with me to the grave! The second most embarrassing: when I was about sixteen I had a huge crush on a Goth boy and I pretended to like his taste in music. Hint: if you're going to say that the Cure is your favourite band, have some idea who Robert Smith is before going to a Goth party.

Cruel twist of fate: I love the Cure. I just didn't know it then.

Q: Movie star crush?
Nobody wears a coat like Nathan Fillion! Then again, there's David Boreanaz... (Director) Joss Whedon call really pick 'em.

Q: Black and white or a hazy grey?
Wow, am I ever the wrong person to answer that question. I'm all about tangerine and silver and violet and watermelon and if possible, all at the same time ... even my engagement ring is a deep green emerald. That goes for philosophy as well as buttons!

Q: Who’s on your iPod?
Anything and everything that can put a spring in my step. There's Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, a heck of a lot of silly 80s and 90s pop, the Juno soundtrack, a touch of the Jackson Five, some Roy Orbison, some random ska... I'm not very cool (see embarrassing story above) but I'm usually perky!

Q: If Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter dueled, who would win? Why?
Harry Potter, but only because the two of them would both stand around moaning about their adolescent angst long enough for Hermione Granger to cast some awesome spell. She's the real star, isn't she?

Q: Best advice you ever received?
Be brave in spite of yourself. I recently stepped out of the academic career path, and it was the hardest decision I've ever made.

My fiance Dan spent the better part of two years telling me to take this risk. He was right, but I was too afraid to admit it. I was worried about our finances, worried about having wasted years of work, worried that I would make a giant fool of myself... and that's just for starters. But I think it's going to work out. I've made a number of sales and, though I've not yet sold from my new Etsy store, I have put some of my favourite items up there and I'm confident of them.

It's scary taking this risk while we're just starting out in our lives together. But I think it would have been even harder if I'd put it off until we had a mortgage and little ones to care for. And if and when we do have kids, I'm looking forward to being a creative mum who can show them, not just tell them, how to be brave.

Totally nifty huh? Check out more in Pins shop!