Hellooooooooooooooo!
As always it has been too long since I got on my wee bloggie.....I have been super busy making pretty things and meeting lovely people.
I live in Auckland now (and it rules my school!) but I will be at Craft 2.0 on the 18th of December.........below is my fancy interview for it....cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese xxx
December stars – Plastic Fairy
by sue on December 2, 2010
Samantha (Sam) Dew is Plastic Fairy
What sort of things will you be selling at Craft2.0 on December 18?
I have been hand stitching an abundance of weird and fabulous rings, necklaces and brooches. The images have been gathered from many different books, printed onto fabric then stitched and filled with teddy bear stuffing in order to create a wearable wee wonderful. There are pretty flowers, cute objects, beautiful animals, crazy body parts, big pieces, little pieces, a bit of something for everyone and anyone!
I have also made a whole new load of “book” brooches, magnets and cards. I take photographs of old and forgotten book covers and use the photograph itself to create the above mentioned treats. Maybe you used to have the book when you were little? Maybe your name is “June” and the “June Annual” takes your fancy? or maybe your best friend is a huge fan of Sooty…….
How did you get started?
I started Plastic Fairy because I wanted to make my own money in my own time so that I could then dedicate my spare time to helping animals. This is still the long-term goal behind my work but as my work has evolved it has turned into an enjoyable addiction. I love snuffling about in opp shops, picking up dusty old books and flipping through the pages to see what kind of fabulous new character is going to jump out at me. The possibilities are infinite and the more I make the more I want to make more!
Each itemdoes have its own wee story behind it because I can do my work anywhere. One piece may have been stitched on the beach while sitting with my three best friends and then the next would have been stitched on a rainy day, tucked up in bed listening to P J Harvey……What I really love is hearing the stories from my customers about why they want to buy it (oh! my mum just loves sparrows, or wow! my girlfriend is crazy about cats, or do you have any pandas? They are my favorite animal……)
Crafter/Maker, Designer… how would you describe yourself?
Hmmmmm……I guess I am a self-taught crafter……an image scavenger…….a dreamer…….a creative fruit bat……
What makes buying something from you special?
I have been selling at many markets lately and the feedback I have been getting goes a little something like this “oh my goodness, that is such a great idea, I’ve never seen anything like it, just wonderful” (talking about the “book” range)
Or ” you put so much detail into everything (packaging etc) it’s all so gorgeous, I just can’t decide which one to get!”
I put a lot of time and effort into each piece and the packaging for each item is a one-off original (a wee cardboard stand covered in pictures and text taken from a children’s book). People seem to appreciate this kind of approach. I think the love for what I do comes through in my work……people are also starting to see the time and patience that it takes to make one piece (I stitch while selling at fairs) and I think this gives the item more value for the customer.
How would you describe Craft2.0 to a friend?
I have only been to/sold at one fair so far but I would say that it is a fabulous fair held at the Dowse Gallery full of the most brilliantly cool hand made treats around. Its bustling with lovely sellers and excited customers, with a range of prices to meet everyones personal budget. A wonderful wee day out :)
What made you smile at the last Craft2.0?
I had a quick swoop around at the very start and was just so excited by all the different goodies up for grabs. I was seeing things that I had never seen before which was just so refreshing. I also loved the energy of each stall holder, we were all so excited to be there with our hard work on show, proud as punch and ready for a happy chat.
Do you have a website where we can find out more about you?
www.plasticfairy.blogspot.com
You can Facebook “Plastic Fairy” and up I will pop (I’m not sure if the thingy below will work, I just copy and pasted it….eeeek!)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Plastic-Fairy/118250984867296
I have four online shops but am terribly bad at keeping them up to date………..these can be looked up via my blog :
