Today’s Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx interview is with Pamela Foeckler of Ploust Art & Design.

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

Ploust is a made up name that bubbled to my lips one day.  I take molds of real sea urchin shells and cast them in resin mixed with dyes and atomized metal for a bit of sparkle.  I had been collecting sea urchin shells from the tide pools where we live and I wanted to find a way to capture their form.  I started experimenting with casting them in plaster and then different resins.  It took a while to figure out a process but I finally achieved the results I had in my mind, preserving the remarkable structure of something so fragile and organic.

We love your use of the sea urchin form as an inspiration for jewelry. What other natural forms or mediums do you use in your work?

I’ve been using lichen, drift wood and barnacles in some recent work. In my relief wall works, I’m exploring the topography of mountains, icebergs and glaciers.

Please share some of your artistic, culinary, and musical inspirations.

Artistic:
17th century Flemish still life paintings….especially those painted by Adriaen Coorte…..swoon! And the drawings of Stephanie Halpern , collections at natural history museums, Indira Matina Moore’s work, and old wooden Ukrainian churches and barns.

Culinary:
I’m a loon over classical Persian food.  It’s so sensual, steeped in history and composed of such extraordinary ingredients—pomegranates,saffron, barberries, sumac, rose petals, mint.  Also, there’s a book by Niki Segnit called The Flavour Thesaurus….it’s such an exquisite idea and so well presented, I choke on my envy. Plus, everything Nigel Slater writes, everything Silvena Rowe cooks, everything Heidi Swanson photographs and everything put on a plate at Fäviken Magasin and NOMA.

Musical:
Almost everything that comes out of Iceland—Ölof Arnalds, Gus Gus, Sigur Rós, Jönsi and of course the iceberg that is Björk. Plus, The Horrors, Royksöpp, Róisín Murphy, classic singers from the 1920’s and 30’s—like Dorothy Dandrage, Annette Hanshaw, Ruth Etting—and Indian ghazals.

Do you have a mentor? If not, who would your dream mentor be?

My dream mentor would be an amalgam of three people: Marcella Hazan, so I would be cared for and well fed; Anne Truitt, so we could obsess over color and materials all day; and Björk, so we could listen to interesting music and I could borrow her clothes.  A splash of Steven Colbert would be nice too.

Has the draw to nature as artistic muse always existed for you, even as a child?

I grew up in the forest of Northern Wisconsin near a lake.  I used to make sculptures on the pier from the clay lake bottom, moss covered forts and snow caves 15′ deep into the snow drifts.  I also dragged every cool thing I found back home and decorated my room with it…..tree branches, leaves, rocks, etc.  If I could live outside in nature I would as it’s the place I find the most joy.  I guess they call that camping.

Underwater or overground?

Both.  Love being in or near water but my Mister flies a plane and that perspective to the ground is amazing too.

Dolphin or whale?

Dolphin. They’re just as wicked smart but they can dance.

Beach or forest?

Both. That’s the thing about Northern California.  There’s the Pacific Ocean on one side and an old redwood forest on the other, both are magical places.

What are the best and the worst things about being an independent maker/creator?

The best bit is satisfying a need to conceive an idea, explore it and end up with something physical that resonates.
The worst part is being distracted by all the other demands of life that keep you from achieving that satisfaction.

What/where is the Sea Ranch and how has it been instrumental in your artistry?

The Sea Ranch, CA where we live is an ecological and architectural community in Northern California that was begun in the 1960’s.  The original concept has flourished in many ways and been tainted in others.  It’s still a very special place that has exposed me to exceptional elements of nature in the redwood forest, at the tide pools, on the beach and out on the water.

Tell us about your upcoming cookbook, Morsels of the Forest.

One of the gifts of the forest Pacific Northwest is the bounty of wild mushrooms.  My husband and I have been foraging for many years now and with my love of cooking, cookbookery and photography it seemed a natural and exciting project to write about cooking with the wild mushrooms of the coastal range.  It’s an enormous amount of work but so gratifying.  I hope to find a publisher soon!

I am in love with LOVE+KEEP’s knitted jewelry lines. Textile & graphic designer and jewelry maker, Van Kim Le, is the creator of the gorgeous jewelry goodies and was interviewed for today’s  Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx interview.

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

I love browsing and shopping. There always comes a point when you have to get rid of things to make room for the new. Sometimes it’s a struggle to decide whether to let it go or keep it. Love+Keep is part of my design philosophy. I want to create a piece that is special enough to love and keep.

Please share some of your artistic, culinary, and musical inspirations.

Photography has always been one my biggest loves and inspiration. I’m also a textile designer so patterns can spark any kind of creative desires. A lot of times, one idea leads to to another and sometimes the outcome is a complete surprise. That in itself is an inspiration.

I’m far from a cook, but watching cooking competition shows is a major favorite for me…. Top Chef, Kitchen Nightmare, Hell’s Kitchen, pretty much anything Ramsey. There is always so much heart and passion behind their determination to succeed. Plus it’s extremely entertaining.

Music is definitely always on in the background when I’m brainstorming or creating. I can’t get enough of Little Dragon, The XX, Mayer Hawthorne. I love Motown and vocal jazz even though I can’t name many artist. Radiohead, Bjork, The Cure, Quantic, Grizzly Bear, MF Doom, Portishead. I’m sure I’ve left some out. It also depends on my mood, time of day, phase of my life, current work.

Who are 3 of your favorite artists of all time?

Kay Nielsen, Andre Kertesz, Sam Flores.

Do you have a mentor? If not, who would your dream mentor be?

Not technically, but I do consider my dad a mentor. He’s my biggest inspiration in life. If I could choose a mentor, it would be DANNIJO. I’m so impressed by their work and business.

What is the draw to chainlink as an artistic medium?

Taking my jewelry line into the direction of knitted chains was a happy accident. I taught myself how to knit. One day while making jewelry, I picked up a suede cord and started looping it into slipknots out of a knitting habit. Then I combined it with a chain. The idea was so interesting that I played with using the technique. The way it falls, drapes and feels is so lovely. I’m also drawn to how unique it is as jewelry.

Describe the most challenging and easiest steps of your creative process.

Most challenging… starting a new design because I never know how it will behave once it’s off the needle. There have been many hour spent on designs that just don’t work. It is also challenging to finish the end of a piece because if one loop slips, it will start to unravel and I lose the whole thing.

The easiest step is just being in the groove to a straight forward design. I’ve become better with practice and sometimes it’s meditative and relaxing to do something tedious.

Silver or gold? Smile or laugh? Glitz or pizzaz?

Gold, laugh, glitz.

If you could knit one thing forever what would it be?

It would be one of my swatch necklaces. 1) because it’s one of those pieces that is stress-free to make and I enjoy making it, 2)  it’s one my my most popular pieces and 3) I’m a bit sentimental…. it’s one my first designs.

What are the best and the worst things about being an independent maker/creator?

Best: seeing the sun, having my dog around while I work, freedom of vision and execution, the joy of other being excited about my work, no dress code, I can make jewelry at 2 in the morning in pjs while watching a movie, I can talk to my sister more.

Worst: being my own manager and organizing, doing everything myself and keeping it straight in my head, being my own toughest critic, not seeing as many people as I did at previous jobs, being my own toughest critic.

R.S. Posnak is a writer and artist in her own right as well as the owner of Animalia, which is an online boutique that specializes in animal-related art, design, housewares, clothing, books and more.  She is the subject of today’s Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx interview.

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

The name of my business is Animalia. Animalia is a store that sells animal-related art and design by many different artists, including me. Animalia has been around for about 6 months, but I started making my own work a few years ago. I’ve been a graphic designer and writer for years, but the moment when things started to connect for me and I began to build a body of work was when I went to graduate school at California College of the Arts. It was there that I began to think about my work more conceptually and started focusing on the relationship between humans and nature.

Please share some of your artistic, culinary, and musical inspirations.

I’ve always been drawn to artists, musicians and writers who combine humor and darkness. Some of the people who have inspired me are PJ Harvey, Roz Chast, Ann Hamilton, Roald Dahl, Edward Gorey, Tom Waits, and Anne Lamott.

Do you have a mentor? If not, who would your dream mentor be?

I don’t have any one person that I can pinpoint as a mentor, but I can say that my parents have been very supportive of me, and in that sense have been mentors. They’ve always been interested in art, music and writing, and have encouraged my interests in those areas. I feel lucky to have them.

What is your spirit animal?

Hmmm…I have no idea. I guess I should be more educated about that since my main interest is wildlife. Hold on, let me do some research…OK, I just took an online quiz that says I am a jaguar. Does that count?

What served as your inspiration for your “Animals of High/Low Moral Standing” pieces?

The Animals of High/Low Moral Standing pieces came out of my interest in how design can be authoritative. I was thinking specifically about museums and how the aesthetic presentation of their educational materials informs the way we absorb the information they give us. In other words, if things look well-designed, we often assume they’ve been through some sort of editorial process, and therefore we automatically take the information they present to be true. I was inspired by Smithsonian-style posters that present scientific information about wildlife. I thought it would be interesting to take something subjective and not true at all and put it in a format that we usually accept as fact. I was also inspired by the fact that we do put animals in those categories, and I thought this might be an amusing way to bring up the subject of anthropomorphism.

Has the draw to animals as muses always existed for you, even as a child?

The interest in animals has always been there. As a child, I was obsessed with wild animals and how I might convince my mother to let me have one as a pet. I read a book about a family that had skunks for pets and another one about a family in Brazil that rehabilitated sloths. I campaigned to have a sloth or a skunk for a pet, but surprisingly my mother did not agree that they would make ideal household companions. The other thing I remember is that we had a subscription to books about animals (similar to a Time/Life series). When a new book would come in the mail, I would pore over it. I still have those books, and I look at them often.

In light of the recent owl and bird craze, what do you think the next animal trend in the art/design/handmade world is?

I try to ignore trends and just pursue what interests me. But I do think it’s about time aye-aye’s had their day in the sun, don’t you?

What are the best and the worst things about being an independent maker/creator?

The best: Not workin’ for the man. You can choose to answer only to yourself. The worst: No health insurance.

We love your little dioramas of animal scenes. Can you tell us about the creative process behind these?

The miniature dioramas were influenced by the same line of thinking as the Animals’ Moral Standing pieces. I was inspired by dioramas in natural history museums. But I wanted to create scenes that were false or somehow skewed, and present them as factual. I was also inspired by the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, CA, which you should check out if you’re interested in weird, amazing places.

What a difference a day makes! I missed posting yesterday, because I was too busy holding down the couch, and watching horrible reality TV, to take my mind off of the horrendous toothache I had. Now with antibiotics and painkillers coursing through my body, I am feeling more like myself. I’ve also got a root canal scheduled, but I will worry about that another day.

Anyway, let’s move on to today’s post, which is Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx interview that was done by Heather the Indie Fixx intern. She interviewed Nguyen Le of  Knitknit (Etsy Shop), who makes and sells felted jewelry and accessories. We decided to interview Nguyen since I am a fan of her work…I even own one of her necklaces that I purchased a few years ago at the Art Star Craft Bazaar!

The name of my business is KnitKnit. No good reason other than the fact that I like to knit! I make elegant and witty knitted and felted accessories. I started on Etsy just a few  months after it launched when a friend told me about it.

Please share some of your artistic, culinary, and musical inspirations.

Artistic: Julie Morstad, Wes Anderson.

Culinary: I’ve been a baking fiend since I started crafting full time. Experimental baking feeds experimental crafting: think lavender pear bread.

Music: Joanna Newsom, Neko Case.

Who are 3 of your favorite artists of all time?

Robert ParkeHarrison, Andy Goldsworthy and Tim Hawkinson.

Do you have a mentor? If not, who would your dream mentor be?

I do not, but Michel Gondry would be quite dreamy.

Has the draw to textile fibers as a medium always existed for you, even as a child?

I always enjoyed making things & picked up sewing from my mom, who would make outfits for us kids. I didn’t start knitting until I was in college, and it just snowballed from there. Or should I say “yarnballed”? Heh, heh…

What are the best and the worst things about being an independent maker/creator?

The best thing —not having to set an alarm in the morning. I really love that part, even though I tend to work all day & into the night, but with many breaks including one woman dance parties.

The worst thing —leaving a trail of thread, yarn and felt scraps wherever I go. One can always find my “breadcrumb” trail…I can never hide!

How do photography and knitting as art forms complement or compete with each other?

I used to not think that photography and knitting had anything to do with each other until someone pointed out the fiber that I would layer onto my art photography. Without even realizing it, photography flowed right into knitting and the fiber world for me.

Christmas or Halloween? Felt or fur? Knit or knot?

Christmas, felt, knit.

We love your little animal embroidered felt necklaces…can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration and process behind those?

Thank you! They are new pieces that I’m very excited about. I was listening to the entire set of Harry Potter audio books this summer while working in my studio and though I haven’t made the mythological creatures directly from it, I was inspired by the woodland animals. My first embroidered pendant was of an owl—reminiscent of the owl messengers in the story.

Each piece is hand embroidered by myself. I’ll sketch an animal in my notebook to get a feel for the lines and stitches that I’ll need to make. I use a little fabric chalk to make a very rough outline of the animal, and because the animals are so small, I can’t make detailed chalk lines, so I eyeball the rest. Each pendant is unique, and will never be exactly like any other.

If you were one of your knit masterpieces, what would it look like?

I would probably be my knitted postcard. It was originally made as a creative chain mail to get people crafting. My face would be where the written message would be, and I’d run into people “tagging” them, and telling them that they now have to make a knitted postcard and tag someone else!

I am in love with Angela Monaco’s Concrete Polish line of jewelry. It’s so raw and organic, yet strikingly elegant. Seemed like a no brainier that I should interview her for this week’s Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx.

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

My jewelry line and boutique is called Concrete Polish.  The name Concrete Polish sprung to me one day when I was thinking about what my jewelry represents.  The pieces I design and make have a balance of a rough and refined line, but with a feminine touch.  It is a balance of sculpture that creates an edgy yet sophisticated piece of jewelry. Concrete Polish represents that idea of balance.

Please share some of your artistic, culinary, and musical inspirations.

I am highly influence by crystals and the sculptural formation of them.  I have been collecting gems for many years.  The way I design and produce  jewelry changed after I took a casting class at the Maryland Institute College of Art.  I have also been vending at many music and art festivals since I was 22.  Selling my jewelry at these events has always been very inspiring for me.  Being a part of such a large creative atmosphere is so much fun!  I love music and dancing.  I have seen many different bands and DJ’s including Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, Little Dragon, Phish and many more!

Who are 3 of your favorite artists of all time?

My favorite Jewelry designer is Linda Smyth of fleathers.etsy.com. My favorite visual artists would have to be Sylvia Ortiz and Alex Pardee.

Do you have a mentor? If not, who would your dream mentor be?

My mentors are all of my friends and teachers who are artists.  We all help each other grow and learn new techniques.  It takes a team of artist to really get yourself out there.  It’s all about collaboration and making the world know who you love.

Has the draw to jewelry as artistic expression always existed for you, even as a child?

I have always loved jewelry. I think the attraction to jewelry and creating it began with my mother.  She has always worn a ton of Native American Jewelry. I was always asking to borrow it as a child.  Now she calls me to borrow jewelry, I of course make her anything she wants!

What are the best and the worst things about being an independent maker/creator?

The best thing about being an entrepreneur is seeing the progress you have made over the years.  I also love how happy it makes a customer to have a piece of jewelry that makes them feel confident.

The worst thing about owning your own business is that sometimes it is very hard to see the progress you have made because everything is always evolving. The infamous To-Do list never ends.  BUT…I create my own to-do list and I am very fortunate for that.  I keep a journal and I record my accomplishments in it as well as other thoughts and ideas from my life.

We love the combination of rugged organic metal and refined sculpting that your pieces reflect. Can you tell us a little bit about creating this dynamic and how it makes unique jewelry?

My process of making the Mineral Massacre Line is a fun medium for me to work with. It is a combination of using actual organic crystal growth and wax carvings for me to come up with the designs.  When I sit down to design new pieces I usually start with an idea and make a few spin-offs of that concept to create a few different designs.  I have many molds of rings and pendants I have created. I love taking the wax injections of them and chopping up different parts of them and creating something new.

How does your studio and/or creative process change as your prepare for the holiday season?

I recently opened up my own boutique in Philadelphia called Concrete Polish. When I opened the Boutique, I started with only jewelry that I designed or Linda Smyth formally of Topstitch Boutique.  As I got the hang of things, I started to incorporate a few other jewelry artists.  Everything is handmade and I feel we have a great dynamic of jewelry in the shop.  I recently purchased new merchandise for the holiday season, including: a great variety of natural gemstones and candle holders made from Quartz, Amethyst, and Selenite.  The shop has a great new look and every empty space is filled with a fun gift that is glowing.  We have many events planned for the holidays, starting with a Black Friday Weekend Sale after Thanksgiving.  We will be having sales up to 35% off of selected jewelry.  Another fun holiday event I will be participating in is the Art Star Holiday Bazarre, which is November 19th & 20th in Philadelphia.  I will also be at the Brooklyn Artist & Fleas December 10th & 11th in Williamsburg. Both are great events with tons of handmade art for gifts.  Hope to see you there!

Hi there and happy Wednesday. I hope that wherever you are that the day is as beautiful as it is where I am. Today’s lovely warm temps and a bright sunny day are making me in good mood—this will change when it again turns into cold November later this week. Anyway I digress, the reason you are here is to see who I am sharing with you for today’s Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx and it is jewelry artist Shanalee Hampton of Cookoorikoo. Shana combines her love of the fabric yo-yo with an eye for color and pattern to create fun hair accessories and jewelry pieces. I own a couple of her designs myself and I find that I usually wear them on a day like today, bright and sunny and full of promise.

Enjoy the interview (there’s a cookie recipe involved) and make sure to visit Cookoorikoo.

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

My business is called cookoorikoo. That’s Russian for cock-a-doodle-do and it makes me giggle.

I make jewelry and hair accessories with fabric yoyos, vintage repurposed jewelry and vintage millinery supplies. I started making yoyos when I saw a picture of a fashion exhibit in Japan that featured yoyos prominently–yoyo dresses and vests and yoyo garlands hanging from the ceiling.—I just started to think about yoyos in a different way. And now I’m constantly thinking about what else I can do with yoyos. Sometimes I actually dream about yoyos.

I’m also inspired by all the time I spent sorting through my grandma’s button tin and jewelry box. One of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received was that my shop was grandma chic.

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

I wish I hadn’t spent so much time worrying about other people’s expectations, worrying about all the things I was “supposed” to do. I’ve realized we need to pay our bills, take care of ourselves, be kind and happy. But that’s it….everything else is gravy. Life is much simpler, and happier, that way.

Share something silly about yourself.

I cannot snap my fingers. Many people have tried to show me how and I just can’t seem to make it work.

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

NO! My mom is VERY crafty and she always felt like she failed with me. I learned to sew and crochet when I was really young but never showed much of an interest—until I picked up a camera. I loved photography— and still do! I also knit and sew. I still don’t crochet though. That’s never really stuck. I do like trying new things and challenging myself. I’m currently trying my hand at making hats.

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

I do! Natalie of Bake & Destroy made these cookies for all her friends who were at Renegade Craft Fair two years ago and they’ve become our favorite cookies!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows from Post Punk Kitchen
makes 2 dozen cookies

Chocolate dough:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons black unsweetened cocoa or more dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
3/4 cup natural salted peanut butter, crunchy or creamy style
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons soy creamer or non-dairy milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, black cocoa if using, baking soda and salt. Mix to form a moist dough.

Make the filling. In another mixing bowl beat together peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy creamer and vanilla extract to form a moist but firm dough. If peanut butter dough is too dry (as different natural peanut butters have different moisture content), stir in remaining tablespoon of non-dairy milk. If dough is too wet knead in a little extra powdered sugar.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Shape the cookies. Create the centers of the cookies by rolling the peanut butter dough into 24 balls. Scoop a generous tablespoon of chocolate dough, flatten into a disc and place a peanut butter ball in the center. Fold the sides of the chocolate dough up and around the peanut butter center and roll the chocolate ball into an smooth ball between your palms. Place on a sheet of waxed paper and repeat with remaining doughs. If desired gently flatten cookies a little, but this is not necessary.

Place dough balls on lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let cookies for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling. Store cookies in tightly covered container. If desired warm cookies in a microwave for 10 to 12 seconds before serving.

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

Free time, definitely. I had a job that paid really well for eleven years. I quit about a year ago and although some days are easier than others, and money is sometimes tight, I’d still rather have the freedom to structure my own day. If I want to go on an adventure with a friend in the middle of the week, I can. If I want to spend a day trying out a new idea, I can. That just wasn’t possible before and I love it.

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

Megan Brain’s paper sculptures are A-mazing.
Bettie Newell’s photography. Maybe its because she’s a new friend of mine but I love her images and I’m eager to see what she’s going to do next.
I love EVERYTHING she does.

Today’s Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx interview is with jewelry designer Jill Davis, who made my sister’s favorite necklace ever! I bought a simple sterling silver heart necklace for her birtday at last spring’s Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philly, and she just loved it. Wears it every day! So, I just had to get in touch with Jill to interview her. Read it below.

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

My business is J Davis Studio on Etsy (also at jillkdavisjewelry.com), but Jill K Davis Jewelry officially.  I make playful, yet striking, sterling silver and 14 k gold-plated brass jewelry in my studio in Brooklyn, NY.  I started with a BFA in Metalsmithing at Syracuse University, where I first began developing my Tiny House jewelry line.  After graduating, I went to work as a polisher in a repair shop in a mall jewelry store in Michigan.  I did learn to do jewelry repair, but after two years, I was completely creatively stunted and I was craving more.  So I enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC in their Jewelry Design Studio one year program and learned the ropes of the jewelry industry in the city. After I graduated, I began Jill K Davis Jewelry and I’ve been in Brooklyn ever since.

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

That no one is paying attention as closely as you think they are.  You can leave the house sometimes with a wrinkled shirt with a toothpaste stain on it.  No one notices that your hair looks a little funny today.  And, no one saw you trip and if they did, they really don’t care.

Share something silly about yourself.

I was voted Most Likely to Lead a Disco Revolution, Class of 2000.  What can I say?  I liked bright patterns, sparkles and platforms in high school.

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

Oh, yes indeed!  My Mom still calls me “Miss Mess” because I was always working on something, usually a few things, in different rooms of the house.  Which I, of course, wouldn’t clean up.  I sewed clothes for my Barbies, I made my own dolls, I made lots and lots of jewelry out of everything imaginable.  I made dollhouse furniture and accessories from all kinds of things.  My love of dollhouses and miniatures and tiny things obviously still informs my work today.

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

I was born and raised in Ohio, so of course my favorite cookie is the Buckeye.  Peanut butter, chocolate and no baking involved.  How can you go wrong?

I usually halve this recipe because it makes 166 cookies.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

Buckeye Cookies

2 lb creamy peanut butter

1 lb butter, room temperature

3 lb confectioners’ sugar

2 pkg (12-oz size) chocolate chips

1/2 bar paraffin (optional)

1. Mix peanut butter and butter together with sugar until smooth.
2. Form small balls and refrigerate.
3. Melt slowly chocolate chips and paraffin together in a saucepan.  (I use the microwave)
4. Dip buckeyes in chocolate with a toothpick.  Let dry on wax paper.

If you decide not to use the paraffin, make sure to store in the refrigerator.

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

I would take the free time, definitely.  If I had more time, I could make myself plenty of money!

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

As a micro business owner, Indie not only means “independent” but “independence.”

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

Oh, choosing just 3 things was so hard!

1. I just love these Instant Comfort Boxes from Kim’s Little Monsters.  What a great, unexpected way to show someone how much you care.
2. This reversible skirt by Rocks and Salt is also right up my alley.  Two comfy skirts for the price of one in great colors that you’re not going to find everywhere.
3. Architecture and metallics are two of my favorite things and both can found in this dramatic print by Nate Duval.

Christmas is coming, people!  And I’ve been very good this year

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!