Artist Snapshot-Red Brick Glass

Wendy Jeavons of Red Brick Glass on Etsy was kind enough to answer a few questions for us. She makes absolutely gorgeous glass decorations and gifts. Visit her shop on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/redbrickglass or check out her website at: www.redbrickglass.co.uk

 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

From my studio Red Brick Glass on the Dorset coast, I make rather gorgeous handmade kiln formed glass products such as bunting, fairy lights and lanterns. My studio is in a converted outbuilding at home where I live with my husband and three children.

What inspired you to start creating with glass/what appeals to you about this particular medium?

Glass is a magical material. It is unique in terms of colour and transparency and when lit it seems to come alive. I gained a 1st class honours degree in Glass and Architectural Glass from Edinburgh College of Art in 2000.




Blue Glass Bunting by Red Brick Glass



Can you walk us through your creative process?

To make my glass products I start my cutting glass sheets into my shapes. The glass is then fused together in my kiln. When the glass is cool I then apply my screen printed patterns to the glass. These are then put back into the kiln. All my glass is then finished by hand and can be engraved with personal messages.

How did you come up with your shop/business name? Is there a story behind it?

In 2002 I received funding from the Crafts Council's Setting Up Scheme. I set up my first studio in a tiny red brick building so it became The Red Brick Glass Studio, and my business Red Brick Glass.

What piece are you most proud of?

I love the glass products I make and am very proud to be running my own business and being a mummy to three small children.





Pink Petal Fairy Lights



Where do you want to be in 5 years?

In 5 years time I will still be making gorgeous glass goodies, and I hope people are still buying them. I have a little dream to have my own retail outlets, but there is plenty of time for that.



Is there anything else you want people to know about you?

Here are a few things that make me smile: Log fires, blossom, fish finger sandwiches, running, beach huts, my bell tent, polka dots, fresh eggs from her chickens, weeping willows, stripy deck-chairs, the aga, eating al fresco, family duvet days, the sound of seagulls, my pink radio, stars and Benny my Morris Minor.

Blossom Glass Fairy Lights in Blue by Red Brick Glass

The Giveaway Train

I've noticed quite a few giveaways going down lately and I'm starting to feel left out. So I thought I would hop on the giveaway train and do one of my own. It's actually excellent timing as I'm in the process of clearing out my old inventory to make way for a new line coming out in September (probably mid-September at this point).  I just can't figure out which piece of jewelry to giveaway...I've narrowed it down to a couple of options...but I still can't decide. Does anyone have any suggestions? If you do help an indecisive sister out and leave a comment with your suggestion...or I can just pick one using the oh so scientific eany meany miney moe method...




 






 






Artist Snapshot-Ozetta Handmade Knits

Meet Hailey of Ozetta Handmade Knits on Etsy 

Hailey was kind enough to take time out of her busy designing/knitting/making schedule to sit down and answer some questions for us. I really enjoyed getting to know more about her and I am certain you will too! Click on the link above to visit her gorgeous Etsy Shop and drop by her Blog or swing by Tumblr to check out her 365 Project!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself

Hello! My name is Hailey, the proprietor behind Ozetta handmade knits. I grew up and currently live in a small town in Oklahoma. I married my high school/elementary school sweetheart and we were blessed by a little boy almost two years ago.

The Alaskan Infinity Scarf-Oatmeal

How did you first get started knitting…what appeals to you about this particular medium?

I started crocheting when I was ten years old, but took a long break from it and picked up knitting. However, I have found that both are equally important in this industry. So, I do both. This art form appeals to me because you start with yarn and needles. That's it. And with great care and process I begin to create something. It's amazing what you can create with so little and make something so extraordinary. When I work on an order, I like to look at it as something entirely different than just an order. It means so much more to me than that. Each piece I create is full of meaning, love, and high attention to detail. According to my father-in-law I am building a piece. And I guess in reality, I really am.

Can you walk us through your creative process? Every season is like a new beginning to me. I get to add to my previous collection and sometimes that proves to be a challenge. I sketch, decide what colors to use, create sample swatches of patterns, and build on the foundation of all things knit and crochet.

 

The Aztec Chevron Chunky Cowl-Cilantro

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I constantly draw inspiration from this beautiful world-Nature. Music. Fashion. Words. Photography. Family. I once lived in Alaska for a short year of my life and very few places have been close in comparison. You may notice a lot of the titles in my shop are named after places; it's my personal way of having a piece of Alaska with me. My handmade items are mostly named after cities, bodies of water, and small towns that make up Alaska. This cold and mountainous place made a huge mark on my life and I wanted a part of it to always belong in my shop.

How/when did you decide to start your own business?

Ozetta handmade knits is deeply inspired from my great grandmother. My grandmother taught me how to crochet, among many other things, and most importantly she showed me to lead by her example in life and that was to do what makes me happy. When she passed away a few years ago, I stepped back and took a look at my life and where I was heading. I was heading down the monotonous path and I wanted to become something greater than ordinary. I wanted to make something of my time and myself, just as she did.

The Montana Infinity Loop Scarf-Citron

How did you come up with your shop/business name? Is there a meaning or story behind it?

Ozetta is the middle name of my great grandmother. What's surprising is the name was never really an issue; I always knew my shop was going to be Ozetta. My Memaw was the brightest person in any room. She had the best advice, was so very patient, and dropped subtle hints of what she knew you could become. She would always say "little Hailey, you can do anything". I would sometimes stay for weeks with her in the summer months. We would wake up early to cook a huge breakfast for the two of us, watch movies, curl up in her handmade quilts while crocheting and talking talking talking. I think she always knew what I could become with my creative abilities. I wish she could see the skill that she alone taught me from just a chain stitch, has grown into something bigger than maybe even she imagined. Well, maybe she knew all along.

  

What’s your favorite part about running your own business? What do you find most difficult?

Being able to stay at home with my little boy has been the absolute best outcome I could have imagined. I love being my own boss, having time to be a wife and mama, and being able to make things full time. I am my best person when I create. The most difficult (and I should add, the most fun as well) is the holiday months. Being the sole person behind Ozetta can be exhausting but is rewarding at the same time. To be able to say that I alone have sent out every order in my shop, well, it’s quite amazing.

 

The Selawik Cowl Button Wrap-Pumpkin

How do you promote your work?

I promote on Etsy, my blog, and my 365 project. I also build relationships in the Etsy community and have found amazing friends through there.

Do you have any advice or tips for artists wanting to start their own business? If you fail, try try again. Do not give up. Take perfect pictures, have a unique shop name, and keep your shop organized and up to date.
Where do you want to be in five years?Exactly where I am now but even more successful every month.
Is there anything else that you want people to know about you?
A quote that has always stuck with me is “a dream deferred will hurt you over time”-Michael Emerson (most of you may know him as Ben on the TV show LOST). When I heard this quote I was even more determined to make my dream reality. What was I waiting for?

 

The Kobuk Chunky Scarf-Grey Marble