Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx with Slaughterhead

Today’s Indie Artist Fixx interview is with Jessica of Slaughterhead. Slaughterhead is the husband and wife team of Joey Slaughter and Jessica Head. Jessica designs and sews vinyl bags and wallets and Joey designs and screenprints tee shirts. I love, love, love their unique designs and especially love the Jumbo wallets–I think they might be big enough for all the crap I carry around in my wallet.

Read more about Jessica and Slaughterhead below in my interview with Jessica.

1. What’s the name of your business and what do create and sell?

My business is www.slaughterhead.com. I create and sell vinyl handbags and a variety of wallets. My husband, the other part of the Slaughterhead duo, designs and prints tshirts, as well as vinyl for me to use in the wallets.

2. When did you get started with your business and why did you decide to open your own indie biz?

We got started about 4 years ago. I had graduated with my BFA and was teaching elementary art. I enjoyed it, but wanted something else; I missed the creative time I had in school. One afternoon Joey brought a sewing machine home for me, and slaughterhead.com began soon after. I loved sewing and have been doing it since.

3. What’s the creative process like for you?

The creative process for me involves piles of color. I don’t really throw away scraps so I have many colors of vinyl that I keep sorted. I play with color and shape until I find something I like, often reminiscent of a mood/feeling. I usually have a couple of themes; currently it’s rock layers.

4. What’s been your biggest accomplishment so far?

Our biggest accomplishment so far is that I am able to stay home with our son and work on Slaughterhead full time. It’s hard to get a lot done with a baby toddling around, but I’m very proud that I’ve created more this year than ever before. Joey teaches at the university level, so I’m really excited for summer break when we’ll both be home to crank it out together.

5. Tell us one funny/goofy/silly thing about yourself.

I hum all the time–really truly all the time. I have somehow become a sponge for any song I hear. Joey often picks on me about it and will intentionally say one line from a horrible song just so that I will get it stuck in my head. I can’t control it.

6. What’s the best thing about what you do? And the worst?

The best thing is when I see someone using a Slaughterhead item. It makes me really happy to know people are satisfied with something I’ve made for them. The worst thing about what I do is that I have no schedule. It’s sometimes hard to get other things done, like laundry and cleaning, when I see my machine sitting there with wallet parts waiting on me.

7. What blogs and mags do you read and what shops do you shop at? List as many as you want.

I read the “mighty” trio: mightygoods, mightygirl, and mightyjunior.

Magazines are mostly off limits for me b/c I become totally engrossed and don’t get anything done. I do look at Dwell and Readymade.

I am a “virtual” window shopper. I like Freshie and Zero, The Small Object, My Paper Crane, several Etsy shops.

8. Were you an artsy craftsy kid? If so, what kinds of things did you do?

Oh yes. I made tiny rooms of furniture out of folded paper with tables, chairs, etc…. I was a huge barbie girl so I made environments for them. I would make duct tape and cardboard sidewalks that were “tree lined” with clumps of weeds planted in votive holders. I used the empty tissue boxes from school and transformed them into sofas and hot tubs.

9. If a genie came along and granted you one wish, what would it be?

More time each day.

10. What does indie mean to you? You can give a literal definition, choose to be a little esoteric or a combination of both. 😉

Indie for me means small-scale and intimate, handmade and special. It means people like me who love to make things taking the chance to do it. Happily working for myself.

11. What are you reading, watching and listening to?

I am reading Osa Johnson’s I Married Adventure. Before that it was David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty One Day.

I am watching Medium. We are a network television household, and only after Sylas is in bed. Usually, I’m sewing.

I am listening to random iTunes radio these days. I try to play a variety of things for Sylas to hear as he plays and I work. Illinois Street Lounge is the latest. Oh, and I’ve been enjoying the Juno soundtrack.

12. What are your inspirations?

I am really inspired by color combinations. Joey is a paint, so I often look at his work to get ideas for interesting wallet interiors. Lately I’ve been inspired by recollections of elementary school science. I’m also inspired by life in the deep South and old women from my childhood.

13. What’s new for 2008? Any new plans or products that you want to share?

Well, we’re starting off this spring with a big local market event, so I’m super busy building inventory. We have a new jumbo wallet style that I am really excited about. I have also been experimenting with some of my stitching designs on shirts. These will definitely make their debut on our site soon. I am also planning some new bag bodies.