For today’s Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx, I interviewed Karen Brazell from Life With Tigers (Etsy Shop).  In addition to living with some tigers (okay, 3 cats), Karen makes and sells cat toys, the most adorable dolls, soft sculpture, greeting cards and art prints. As a cat lover, many of her creations are cat-themed, but that’s not all Karen creates. There’s stuff for dog lover, mushroomphiles, robot fans and more. Everything is cute as cats though!

Onto the interview…

What’s the name of your business, what do create and sell and how did you get your start?

My business name is Life with Tigers. Around my house, the phrase “that’s what you get when you live your life with tigers” was muttered frequently, especially when it involved cleaning up after mischievous felines or after stepping on the dreaded early morning hairball. When I started my craft business in 2007, I felt that “Life with Tigers” was the perfect name for my project, especially considering I was making cat softies as well as toys for cats themselves. Today, in addition to cat, dog and robot softies, I make greeting cards, art prints and the infamous Severed Leg Catnip Toy!

What’s something you’ve learned as an adult that you wish you knew as a kid?

That no matter how cool it is at the time, you will look back on your current haircut and cringe.

Share something silly about yourself.

I have about 13 nicknames for each of my cats, sometimes changing by the hour depending on what they are up to. I also am a total klutz in the kitchen and cannot be trusted with the stove, ice cube trays or with anything that can be dropped. If it can be spilled, I WILL find a way to spill it spectacularly.

Were you an arty craftsy kid? What other types of crafty stuff to you do?

I was a very craftsy youngling! I made comics out of cut up magazines, made a life size alligator piñata, silk-screened my own pants in high school and always told myself “i can make that” to talk myself out of spontaneous purchases. In addition to sewing, I absolutely love to build things out of found materials. Metal, paper, wood, LED lights? Check. Goggles, clamp, reciprocating saw? Double check!

Cats or dogs? Hot or cold? Day or night? Coffee or tea? iPod or vinyl? Vanilla or chocolate? Summer or winter? Half-full or half-empty?

Cats, day, coffee, iPod, chocolate, winter, half-empty.

Do you have a favorite type of cookie and do you have a recipe you can share for it?

For me, the fresh-baked, chewy chocolate chip cookie is the way to go, but I have a soft spot for Hydrox sandwich cookies (how can you NOT love a cookie named after atomic elements). In fact, as a kid my family called me Karen Two Cookies. No recipes to share, as I am a cookie-buying girl (see klutz above).

What’s better all the money in the world or all the free time?

All the free time, for sure. I currently maintain a 9-5 job as a web designer in New York City, so my evenings and weekends are consumed with Life with Tigers work, as well as work for another business I am a part of, Ink and Sword, where I sell some of my Pet Care Public Service Announcement design prints with another artist/designer Jed Dore, my business partner.

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

I’ve always been a big fan of doing things myself. It was never a statement against the evils of “the man” or anything, but it was because of the satisfaction I get when working with my hands and creating something that never existed before, or repairing or re-purposing something and giving it new life beyond its intended purpose. If this idea fits me into the indie mold with like-minded folks, then consider me molded!

Share 3 things that you are crushing on right now from other indie artists/crafters/designers.

Right now, I am crushing on the jewelry of Jenny Topolski. I spent a very rainy weekend at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this year sharing a tent with her, and I stared at her acorn necklaces for hours. Got one of those, but missed out on the sperm whale bones necklace, which is awesome.

Wendy over at I Heart Guts has made me smile this week. Her plush internal organs are so fun. The bladder plush is life size and says “urine good hands”. Right up my alley, really.

I’m also excited to go to Renegade London this October and find Robin & Mould so I can snatch up one of their sleepy dog pillows for my feline staff to nap on!

With the holidays fast approaching (faster every year, it seems), I’m going to be sharing a lot of gift solutions. Today, I’m sharing 14 cute & clever printables. Purchase, print, presto gift!

1. The Wise Guys Paper Owl Figures
2. Book Plates
3. Matryoshka Stationary
4. Printable Stationery Set
5. DIY Journal
6. Gift Coupons – this gift certificate entitles you to…
7. Photo inside, do not bend
8. Wine Wrappers
9. Cute Alphabet Flash Cards
10. Printable Art Prints
11. Shopping List
12. Paper Dolls + more
13. More Recipe Cards
14. Printable Dollhouse

Make sure to join the flickr group and share your photos. They can be anything–images of your work, your studio, home improvement pics, vacation pics, crafty projects and really whatever you feel like sharing with the group. I do check out the Indie Fixx Flickr Group everyday to see the latest additions though and like to share finds occasionally.

P.S. I want to let you know that I am taking Friday for a little mini break. I will return on Monday.

1. MonkeyTree Creations
2. Miss Indie
3. Tasha Mckelvey
4. SweetBeaker
5. Freshline Illustration & Design 
6. Stephanie Fizer
7. Rabbit & the Duck
8. Glue and Glitter

The Indie Fixx Galleria is an online showcase of handmade, indie-made & vintage goods. Think of it as an ‘indie mall’ featuring a mix of designers & boutiques to provide a curated shopping experience. Participants do pay a fee to take part, but the Galleria is juried.

Now accepting applications for the Green Galleria – March 5th – April 23rd

All types of goods will be considered including handmade & vintage, but there will be a focus on green goods (both eco green & color green) as well as goods for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, April Fool’s Day and Earth Day. All artists, designers, crafters and indie boutiques that create or carry handmade, vintage and/or indie made goods are welcome to apply. The cost is $20. The deadline to apply is: March 2nd.

Send your url or 3 small images to apply.

Since I am easing my way back into the whole work thing, I thought I share some images from the Indie Cats Flickr Pool I started last year. What better way to start the new year than looking at pics of our furry sweeties? Sorry for all you dog people, but I’m a cat person…

Here are some recent highlights. You can join and share your cuties as well.

Klaus Up Close by MHorama

Kitty  by My Zoetrope

More Please by riendel

In #1’s House by  BlackStar55

Mmmwa! Je t’aime, mon amour! by Hasenpfeffer Incorporated

Holly from Silly Little Lady, and an extra-full-time junior in college, shares some of her Back to School Pixx. Holly is  getting her bachelors in management and her ultimate ambition is to open her own yarn store/tea & coffee bar in Colorado after traveling the world after graduation.  Holly blogs here.

Day 1 of the Back to School Guide is Here, Cool Mom Picks pixx on Day 2 Here & Amy the intern’s Day 3 pixx here.

+++ One Little Bird Planner $20 from joscelynnicole +++

+++ Bouquet of Perfectly Sharpened Pencils $28 from eclecticquirky +++

+++Peacock Messenger Bag $35 from rainbowswirlz +++

+++USB Stick $58 from woodtec +++

+++ Grid Journal Made with 100 percent Recycled Paper $15 from JournalisticTendency +++

+++Pocket Full of Posies Bookmark Set of 2 $3.50 from pixiepaper +++

+++ snack pouch. (small) $12 from downhomeamy +++

+++ I Love Books Zipper Pouch $12 from kukubee +++

+++ Mini CorkBoard OCTOPUS LOVER $15 from uncorked +++

+++ Red Poppies Sticky Notes $3.50 from MichelleBrusegaard +++

Kristen Chase and Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks are sharing their back to school pixx for the Indie Fixx Back to School 2009 Guide. Cool Mom Picks is the influential shopping blog and newsletter for parents that’s been called the “online arbiter of cool for the swingset crowd” by Parents and named one of Real Simple’s favorite three parenting blogs. CMP has been huge supporters of the indie community from the very first day (and huge supporters of Indie Fixx as well)! Make sure to visit the Cool Mom Picks Back to School Guide for more of the ladies must haves for school.

You can see Day 1 of the Guide Here

+++ 1. Preprinted lunchbox notes from Event 123, $6.50 +++

+++ 2. Little green robot pencil case from rohmer, $16 +++

+++ 3. Apple hair clip from Maya Papaya, $6.50 +++

+++ 4. Children’s oilcloth art smock from Rick Rack Queen, $15 +++

+++ 5. Kapow Tee from trusty sidekick, $22 +++

+++ 6. Wooly-Worry Notebook from Spiderbite, $15 +++

+++ 7. Personalized reusable snack bag from bleuroo, $7 or 5 for $28.75 +++

+++ 8. Just for teacher cookies from Lori’s Place Shop, $12.99 +++

+++ 9. Personalized lunch bag stickers from little red bucket, 25 for $5 +++

+++ 10. Personalized backpack tags from By Cheryl Images, $7 for 20 +++

Jennifer sells the planters, which can also be used as small jewelry holders (someplace to put your ring when cleaning) or as MOO card holders, for $20 on her website. She doesn’t normally sell them with the succulents, but can upon request…although they may not hold up in shipment.

I have also got my eye on a few of her polymer jewelry pieces as well. I like this ring, this necklace and these earrings.