Today is the very first installment of something I am really excited about. I have featured a lot of artists and makers and crafters on the blog before, but it was always me talking about them, or generalized questions. I recently felt inspired to bring back the features, but with a little more of a personal touch. So, of course, Yas from Quill and Fox was my first choice and here she is today, in her own words.
Dear Yas, thank you so much for being part of this new blog feature. I am really excited to have you on the blog and share your beautiful work! Tell us a little about yourself and how you started making cards and stationery.
Dear Yas, thank you so much for being part of this new blog feature. I am really excited to have you on the blog and share your beautiful work! Tell us a little about yourself and how you started making cards and stationery.
I came from a graphic
design and advertising background. I've always enjoyed hand-rendered designs,
and always tried to 'weasel' it in a lot of the projects I do. Eventually I've
decided to have a complete go at doing what I love doing, and started my own
design shop.
A pretty standard question to break the ice! You have such
an incredible design style, where do you get your inspiration from?
I've been bitten for
awhile now by the nostalgic bug! I like referencing a lot of things from my
childhood like The Little Golden Books and the Little Prince. I'm always
inspired by various textiles and mid-century details!
How has your style changed through out the years?
I've always done
design work that were very saturated in colors. I go in seasons of very muted
colors to more vibrant ones, and back and forth. I've transitioned from doing a
lot of loose line art illustrations, to doing away with it completely and
utilizing filled in shapes. I'm now at the place where I'd like to do a bit of
both!
I know you recently filled a very big order with Anthropologie,
congratulations! Do you have any advice for other artists with a quickly
growing business? How do you stay organized {and sane} during such a busy time
for you business?
Why thank you! An
advice I'd like to give is something I'm still trying to learn myself---don't
let it overwhelm you. :) I was quite surprised with the response I got from my
shop that I felt like I needed to jump at every opportunity that came. It's a
good strategy, but it can also easily overwhelm you. It's important to
take your time, and really plan out what your next steps should be--even if
your plan is to not have a plan. What matters is that you decided on it
yourself. Don't let the situation take control of your own shop.
I'm not at all
organized, but I'm married to an organizational freak (I say that with love!).
My husband helps me a lot with admin work and has been amazing. I schedule out
my tasks and production throughout the week so I'm not always constantly
worrying about them everyday. I know that's basic project management but I'm
terrible at scheduling. I always strive to have them all done in a day! It's
possible--but you're for sure to go crazy!
You are constantly putting out new designs and new products, how
do you stay motivated and inspired?
I'm always motivated
by the opportunity to share, and I find inspirations in a lot of places. I've
recently had one of my easter cards inspired off of a hideous tie I saw. I'm
constantly drawn to patterns and shapes. When an idea pops up, I'm always
so excited to execute it and have it out!
What has been one of your most loved projects? What has been the
hardest project and how were you able to overcome the challenges and create
something to be proud of?
I really enjoyed my
Easter Cards this year, but a huge favorite of mine is my Pencils of Promise
project. It was also one of the hardest ones because I had to work with certain
parameters and construct a cool idea off of it. I think with any project, your
biggest challenge is that blank paper. There's so many ideas you can think of,
and also so very little. Something I learned is to sketch things out in small
thumbnails, just toget that idea out of your brain. That way, you're well
off to your next idea. It's a quick process of just hashing things out, so you're
not stuck.
Tell us a little about Pencils of Promise and how you became
involved with them!
I was able to work
with them through a collaboration with TanQ . It's a
studio based here in Portland, Oregn that's dedicated on designing one tee per
month for a good cause. They work with a ton of non-profit organizations, and
different artists per month. It was a really fun project!
Tell us a little about your work space!
I share my work space
with my husband who works at the opposite side of the room. I occupy most of it
because of the work that I do. I absolutely love working in my table.
I try my
best to populate my space with things that inspire and motivate me. I'm also
very happy that it has room enough for a lot of the things I need, like my
shelves, supplies, and printer. My work space has been ever changing and always
a work in progress (I'm itching for a new paint job!).
Can you talk a little about your experience selling on Etsy and
being part of the Etsy community? Any tips for new or aspiring etsy
sellers?
I've had a great
experience with Etsy ever since I opened shop. I initially thought (from the
things I've read online) that it was a very exclusive community, where the only
way to get noticed off of a sea of products and shops is to be in some kind of
'circle'. Like an online highschool! (Haha. But it really wasn't at all. It all
comes down to the product and hard work. And maybe a little bit of a waiting game.
Don't let the pages and pages of products in your category intimidate you or
influence how you set your prices. It's definitely a community that appreciates
the craft that you do, and is very supportive at that!
Where do you see yourself in the years to come? Any big plans,
dreams or goals you want to share with the world?
I decided to
work for myself because I love the idea of being able to work from home. It's
quite a priority. I like to maintain this lifestyle, and I plan to map out the
way I grow my business according to that. I was thinking of eventually setting
up my own brick and mortar shop as a vague 5 year plan, but I'm slowly seeing
the decreasing need for it. Especially when social media has always just been
increasing in coverage and reach.
Some big dreams or
goals that are a bit 'ambitious' would be to have the chance to work with Wes
Anderson on a really awesome stop-motion, consisting of paper dolls! And maybe
ship that reel to Cannes! Yep.
Thanks so much for sharing Yas, and please be sure to visit the Quill and Fox shop, there are some pretty incredible mother;s day cards available right now, I just bought some!!
xo,
Beca
Thanks so much for sharing Yas, and please be sure to visit the Quill and Fox shop, there are some pretty incredible mother;s day cards available right now, I just bought some!!
xo,
Beca
Wow seriously gorgeous designs!
ReplyDeleteZoe
http://gypsiesister.blogspot.co.uk
oh i love her work! i hadn't seen it before!
ReplyDeleteI just recently saw something of hers pop up on a friends pinterest board, and thought it was adorable! Her & her work are both amazingly adorable! Such an inspiration :) Thanks so much for sharing this interview!!
ReplyDeletexo Heather
http://ahopelessnotebook.blogspot.com/
lovely designs.
ReplyDeletesunglasses shop
She has so many awesome designs in her shop! & that's awesome that she is doing work for Anthropologie!
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspiring workspace, too!
I'm off to add some more of her items to my wishlist, ha! Great feature!