Interview - 5th September 2011

Welcome, Louise Armitage!

Hello all, it's with great excitement that I unveil my first interview with Yorkshire-based crafter Louise Armitage, otherwise known as Gini's Boutique on Etsy. As some of you may know, I like a bit of crafting, sewing and illustration being my main outlets, as well as a cheeky bit of fimo here and there. It's a real pleasure to be involved with crafting communities like Folksy and Etsy, there are so many superb, unique objects to be found, and lots of lovely people. So I was thrilled when Louise contacted me off the forums, offering to be my first interviewee.

Not only does Gini's Boutique offer something truly unique in the form of her Dorset Buttons, but the main thing that struck me was her gift for photography, she just has that knack of showing her creations in the best light. My personal favourite of all her items is this beautiful bookmark - check out the colours and the workmanship, it's exquisite. Although it may not be there for much longer if you know what I mean, so click on this link sharpish while you can...

In the meantime, make yourself comfortable for the interview!


Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Louise Armitage, I’m 38 and I run an Etsy shop called Gini’s Boutique. I live in Yorkshire, England with my partner and my 2 year old daughter and I’m currently a stay at home mum. I sell all sorts of things in my shop from jewellery to baby gifts. I wanted to give a feel of browsing a little boutique gift shop and appeal to many different types of customers. My shop’s name is my nickname, Gini, which is short for ginger, my hair colour. I’ve been called it by my friends and family since a teenager. I like it, it’s a bit more individual than Louise. 



How long have you been crafting?

All my life! There’s never been a time that I can’t remember making things for myself and others. I still have a few Sindy doll clothes I made in the 70s! It’s an addiction with me, I can’t imagine life without being able to create. I even remember at ballet school collecting all the sequins that had fallen off costumes backstage and taking them home to make them into something else.

My studio is in our study at home and it’s packed to the roof with everything a crafter could ever want. You ask me to make it and I’ll surely have the materials to do it! And I love trying out new crafts, my items are always evolving and changing. I never get artist block, there’s too many things to try to run out of ideas.


Clearly crafting is a passion of yours, what else do you love to do?

Definitely reading, I was a Librarian before I had my daughter, but my house has always looked like a library. I think I picked up the passion for books from my father, there were always books everywhere at home. I have hundreds of books in all sorts of subjects. Fictionwise I like kidult, fantasy, medieval mysteries and science fiction.
I also watch a lot of films. We have a home cinema and generally watch two or three films every week. 



Looking at your shop, you seem to specialise in Dorset buttons. What made you settle on this intricate little niche?

Me and Dorset buttons just clicked. I can’t say why but I just really love making them. I saw an article in a craft magazine years ago of some very simple Dorset buttons and had a go myself. I was instantly hooked. I soon worked out that I could design and make much more intricate patterns and use different threads to give different effects. I even got in touch with an old lady from Dorset who shared a couple of patterns with me. I thought that it’s a shame to keep them just as buttons for garments when they could look so nice as earrings, necklaces, bag charms, brooches etc.

I am very proud of the quality and variety of the buttons I create and (not to be big headed) but I think that I knock the socks of the other few people who have Dorset buttons on Etsy. It’s nice to have something that’s not saturated in the Etsy market too, no one else makes them into type of things I do.

And lastly they are such a portable craft that they go everywhere with me, I always have a button on the go tucked in my pocket, one day you may see me weaving a button at the bus stop, in a café, in the park……



What advice would you give to people wanting to set up shop on Etsy?

Mmmm... I would say there’s a few things you need to do to make a start on a successful shop. Firstly make sure you have your shop name right before you sign up because you can’t change it once you’ve filled out the form, even if you only intend to buy to start with. Secondly your photographs have to be good quality. Imagine you were buying the item yourself, would you buy your item if you couldn’t see the whole product or see the quality up close? You don't even have to have an expensive camera. It took me quite a long time to learn how to do this, but it's worth it in the end. Thirdly it’s always good to have a unique product that no one else is selling but you need to bring attention to it. It can be time consuming but getting yourself known is key. Join teams, have a facebook fan page, get featured on blogs, get some business cards and leaflets printed, sign up to the newsletters and take advise from other Etsians, it all helps.



And lastly… TV/movie star crush?

Now you got me there! I had to think about this one, erm, I would say possibly Johnny Depp, he’s still dishy even at 48. Although in real life I would say my lovely other half. Even after nearly twenty years he’s still the perfect man for me. Aw!

Thank you Louise for taking the time to be interviewed. Don't forget to swing by her shop and take a look for yourself! If you are an artist/maker and you would like to be interviewed on this blog, simply get in touch.

Mysterious...

What a wonderful topic for this week's Illustration Friday brief. Forests are hotbeds of mystery: think about the far off sounds you hear in forests, the smells, the wind in the old, looming trees. And there's all the folklore and legends surrounding forests, in print and even on film: Hansel and Gretel, The Hobbit, Blair Witch... and what about the sound of a tree falling when there's no one to hear it?

Anyway, please do comment and follow, I have some really exciting news which is: tomorrow I will be publishing my first ever interview, with Yorkshire-based crafter Louise Armitage, otherwise known as Gini's Boutique. I've been wanting to do this for a while, and I'm so glad to finally get the ball rolling.

I'm looking for artists, illustrators and printmakers to interview, if you're interested, drop me a line and we can arrange something...

Journey with scissors...

Here is some more work I have been doing this month for my project: Scissors Paper Pencil. I have been experimenting with paper cutting again, something I have always loved, ever since I was given a set of Jan Pienkowski books as a small child. This illustration on the left shows his beautiful work with silhouettes, and marbled backgrounds. Isn't it stunning? His work has captivated me for years. These days the art is dominated, quite rightly, by the likes of Rob Ryan and Kate Forrester. They are both so amazingly good at what they do I feel quite sheepish picking up the scalpel again, my efforts seem clumsy in comparison, but I just love doing it. The bottom right set of sketches was done in response to a email challenge set by Sandy Ackers, whose blog I subscribe to, she sends out little creative challenges that require nothing more than 15 minutes, some paper and pencil. I'm enjoying my project so much, not much in the way of final, polished work, but in terms of creative juices, it's top notch. Now I have this afternoon's I.F. brief to look forward to!

Disguise... and more...

Could I be more late in submitting this week's response to Illustration Friday? Despite the rush I was anxious to enter this one, especially as I am still sticking to my project rules mentioned two posts ago. So, in adherence with my "scissors, paper and pencil only" rule, here is my submission. She's been waiting all night shrouded in that hood, watching, waiting... for what, we do not know. Created using a scalpel (come on, it's a blade!) and a piece of scrap paper.

Don't forget, you can contribute and join in! I want to find the time to upload more of my creations, and really push the limits of the materials I can use.

And, (drum roll please) guess what else? I won a competition on 99designs! It was a T shirt design contest, one of my favourite categories. Generally you are allowed more creative freedom than in some of the other categories, so I hang around there a lot. My entry was selected by the lovely people at Caspio to go on their staff T shirts. The essence of the brief was that they wanted a shirt that their employees would want to wear in and out of the workplace. I'm hugging myself with delight right now! What a feeling! If you have some digital design skills and want to have a go yourself, check out the website.

Scissors Paper Pencil: coffee time doodle

So, here we are. This is me at my desk looking suitably haggard, I even managed to get the bad posture that sets in once the afternoon lethargy squats over me. I drew this on my afternoon coffee break.

My life drawing tutor once told me I had all the delicacy of a sledgehammer when drawing, and he's absolutely right, I am very decisive when I draw, and love nothing more than digging that graphite right into the paper and making a deep mark. Ahh, fantastic!

I think I'd like to create some art with scissors once I get the time. Watch this space!

Interestingly I didn't specify in my rules about the colour of the pencils or the paper. Might make for some interesting work...

Scissors Paper Pencil (and the I.F. brief)

I have decided to set myself a grand project this month: named Scissors, Paper, Pencil. The idea is simple: these three things are the only things I can use to create art, for the next four weeks.

I think this has partly been borne out of the amount of uninspiring digital work I have churned out lately, both professionally and for pleasure. I adore my computer and the creative software that comes with it, but the trouble is I feel like I've lost touch with the creative process: the mucking around that gives birth to inspiring, "eureka" moments.

So, before I ramble on into infinity, here are the rules:

1. I can use pencil, paper, scissors/scalpel to create, and that's it. I was going to include glue, but hey, lets be spartan and keep it pure.
2. I am allowed to use my digital camera and computer purely to upload my work onto here, and nothing more.

That's pretty much it. I'm really excited, instead of feeling limited, my mind is suddenly opening up to a wealth of possibilities. I would have been stumped if I'd had unlimited resources, that or sat down in front of the trusty mac and stared at the Illustrator workspace like a mollusc for ages.

if you'd like to join me on this project, I would love that. Just leave a comment or nudge me in the direction of your blog, and I'll be sure to mention you in my next blog posts with links, if you would like that.

To all the Friday-ers out there: Here is my Illustration Friday piece, adhering to the outlines of my new project. Sorry for making you read all this ramble. Hugs.

Plaster for the city, to sooth the pavements gritty...

This was stuck to the pavement in Cathedral Square in Peterborough's city centre. It made me smile as I was wheeling my bike through. For once I'd remembered my camera, as I often see funny objects on the pavement that I want to capture as I cycle along. My friend Karen is a photographer and collects pictures of combs she sees lying on the ground. I sent this to her, I knew she'd like it. For me it was a cheeky, bright little splodge of exuberance in a busy place.