Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx is back from a 2 week hiatus while I was on vacation and today I’m sharing Katya the intern’s interview with Scott and Jacqui of Slide Sideways. The team make and sell lovely silkscreened goodies…take a look, I’m sure you will agree.
What’s the name of your business, what do you create and sell and how did you get your start?…
We are Scott and Jacqui of Slide Sideways. We have an Etsy(slidesideways.etsy.com) shop where we sell hand silk screened posters, tea towels, sketchbooks, and more everyday items from our original illustrations. We try to keep our negative environmental impact low by using organic fabrics, recycled paper, and water-based ink. In 2008 we left our design jobs to start our own graphic design company under the name Slide Sideways. We soon realized how much we wanted to get away from the computer and start creating more with our hands. We started with posters but realized how much more we wanted to be making and brought fabric items into the mix. It’s been a huge learning process but we love it.
Do you cook? If so, what is your favorite thing to cook? Have a recipe?…
Jacqui does most of the cooking. She enjoys it so much that at the beginning of this year she started her food blog So Good & Tasty, where she cooks and photographs for your viewing pleasure. For recipes go to sogoodandtasty.blogspot.com
What blogs and mags do you read and what shops do you shop at?…
We both read many different blogs but usually it’s a combination of design, print, and packaging blogs, a few interior design, craft, and food blogs, as well as a few photography or personal blogs. To name a few we frequent more often: Grain Edit, Design Sponge, Ffffound, Cool Hunting, Design Work Life, many different surf blogs, Mint, and sfgirlbybay. When we get a chance to shop we like to do it locally or on Etsy. We like to support other artists when we can.
What’s your favorite part of having a creative business? Is there ever anything about it that drives you crazy?…
Favorite part would have to be all the creative freedom we have and that we get to do what we love! It also feels really good when other people like what we make enough to buy it; that keeps us going.
One thing that drives us maybe a little crazy is that we eat, sleep, and breath Slide Sideways. It can be really hard to get away from work, but we like what we’re doing and it makes it worth all those long days. Sometimes our cat, Sofia, drives us a little crazy too, she always wants all the attention now that we are home most of the day.
What’s a typical day like for you?…
Our days vary depending on what needs to get done. One day we might have a ton of printing to do, then the next will include sewing or cutting paper. Everything in between involves creating new designs, packing orders, organizing all the icky paperwork, photographing new product, possibly a little hand-holding while on a walk for inspiration, emailing, and working on graphic design projects.
What other types of crafty stuff to you do?
We like to keep ourselves busy by learning new techniques and seeing if we can create something ourselves. When the weather gets cooler you might find Jacqui knitting or crocheting. Scott can be found making paper cut outs and folding them into cool things to photograph. Not really “crafty” but we both enjoy taking pictures.
What’s new or in works?…
We’re in the process of making new art prints. We also have plans for more fabric items for the home. We’d love to do wallpaper or at least start off with screen printed gift wrap.
Ah, lovely!