Writing my own answers to this series was easy, but writing my own intro- not easy at all. I’d like to stick with the bio I’ve got up on Twitter: I’m pretty much full on trouble.
One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of
1: The Meet the Makers video series- I love people. I love clever people. I love creative people. I love odd people. I like makers. While working on the MtM videos, I have the opportunity to not only visit with the most interesting humans around, but I have the privilege of telling their stories to the world.
Two Mistakes You’ve Made in the Past
1: I speak before I think. I have a horrible habit of saying things that are very, very inappropriate. I’ve been known to swear, blurt insensitive things out, and to fall to pieces and cry in public. It has to stop, and I’m working at becoming more composed and more reserved.
2: Never giving myself enough time- I hate running late, but I can’t seem to avoid it. It makes me feel unprofessional, scattered, and rude when I’m not punctual.
Three Things That Make Your Work Unique
1: My clear, concise writing- with a background in journalism, I approach my tutorials with the objective perspective of a reporter. It lends a clarity to my instructions.
2: My obsession with flowers- I love, love, love flowers. I think that I combine flowers in a way that speaks directly to my eye for color and texture.
3: My willingness to try things I’ve never done before- I’m always down to just jump in. My spontaneous attitude is intertwined here.
Four Tools You Love to Use
1: Felting needles- they are indispensable. My first published craft project was the needle felted fruit on the cover of Craft, Vol. 2. And my book, Feltique, is all about felt. I literally wouldn’t have my career if it weren’t for those little barbed needles. And not only do I use them for making things like Angry Birds, I like using them for mending holes in sweaters and even for applique.
2: Floral wire- I use floral wire for just about everything. When I’m making a bouquet, and want to put a tiny orchid on a long stem, I make one from floral wire. When I’m trying to get an angle on a light that keeps slipping, I tie it in place with floral wire. Lately, I’ve been using floral wire and pieces of fabric to make ruffled headbands (tutorial to come, promise!). My favorite is green paddle wire because it’s cheap and easy to come by.
3: My Xryon tools- the X sticker maker, and the Creative Station. I was very skeptical when Xryon sent me a few of their products to try, but after working with them at the Maker Faire, I have been converted. Essentially, they are simple devices that apply adhesive- permanent adhesive, re-positionable adhesive, and even fabric adhesive. I use them to turn velvet ribbon and pieces of lace into stickers. I use them for covering boxes with decorative paper. I use them for adding embellishments to clothes.
4: Sharp scissors- I have two favorites. I like Fiskars SoftTouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snip for all of my floral projects. I have yet to find a more precise point. For cutting fabric, I love my collection of Simplicity scissors. They are made of gleaming metal, and have a weight in my hand that I just love.
Five Inspirations
1: Cocktails- they are delicious. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not a lush. I really ought not to consume more than two drinks, and unless something goes horribly awry, I don’t. But, I love elaborate cocktails and I love simple cocktails. I enjoy trendy drinks, like the nouveau offerings at 15 Romolo yet I also love a simple glass of bourbon. I let the flavors wash over my tounge, and over my mood. Oh, by the way, I recently had the best drink of my life. It was an Old Fashioned, mixed by Yanni at Nopa in San Francisco. He offered me my choice of rye or bourbon, and I selected the Hudson River Valley Rye, which is not the most traditional spirit, but still perfectly acceptable. Yanni stabbed the cherry with a knife, and ran it around in the glass before removing it. Then he added a thickly hewn orange peel, and two perfectly huge square ice cubes. Swoon.
2: The forest- I live in the woods, on a steep hill in the Northern California Coastal Redwood Forest. During certain times of the year my neighborhood literally qualifies as a rainforest. I am surrounded by tall, ancient trees, swirling mists, and everything is green with moss. One way I like to pay tribute is by creating miniature terrarium versions of my landscape.
3: The ocean- I did say the coastal forest right? My house on the hill is 30 minutes from restaurants and cell coverage, but 10 minutes from the beach. It’s impossible for the waves, the sand, and the driftwood to not influence me. I’ve been surfing for almost 4 years now, and I love to go abalone diving.
4: My friend, and mentor, John Heckathorn– he is a writer and professor in Hawaii, former editor-in-chief of both Hawaii Magazine and Honolulu Magazine, and is a renowned food critic. His career arc is remarkable and I look up to him as a shining example of how to do it right. When I am nervous about things like, say, filming a segment at ABC, I can call him up and he never fails to talk me down with grounded and sweet advice. He has also been instrumental in exposing me to the most amazing food I’ve ever eaten.
5: My bathtub- its the origin of my best ideas. I have a massive clawfoot and it is where I like to do my thinking. In fact, it was during a long soak that I came up with the questions for this very profile series.
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