As you know every Sunday I'll be Spotlighting some very talented crafters and Crafty Business Owners. The crafting world is a large place and we all have different talents and specialties. I love finding new blogs, fanpages and websites to go to. I love sharing their talent with everyone. being that the crafting world is so huge and we are all unique as are our crafts. I not only think its great to have competetors because it gives you choices. Also, because we are unique, we all do things jsut differently and not all of us do the same "things". Every Sunday I will be spotlighting fellow Crafters and am very excited in sharing their Interviews and them sharing their crafting world and a lil about themselves too!
If you want to know more about me "The Scrapoholic", you can scroll down on my sidebar to find the "about Me".
If you would like to be "Spotlighted" just
email me , put Spotlight Sunday as Subject and I'll email you the questionnaire and let you know when you'll be "spotlighted".
Without any further ado I'd like to introduce you to:
What is your Real Name?
Erin Berger
What are you Known as in "forums"/"blogs"?
krinklzbaby
Short Bio ~
I just turned 31 years young and am married to an amazing and supportive man with whom I have two magnificent daughters. Squidgy is 2 years old, and Jujubee is 16 months. Yes, they are close in age, yes they drive me crazy...but I love them more than anything :-)
I grew up in Galena, Illinois and have lived overseas for 5 years of my adult life. I lived in St. Andrews, Scotland for four years while I attended the University of St. Andrews, graduating with a B.Sc. in Biology. (Yes, where Prince William went, yes I have seen him...but he was a mere first year when I was in my fourth year. And yes, the home of golf, but no, I still don't golf haha!) After a short time back in the states, I went abroad again to Daegu, South Korea to teach English for a year to kids of all ages. I'm now back in Illinois, but not close enough to family or friends for my liking!
What is your favorite Craft?
Sewing
How Did Discover Scrapbooking (or Craft?)
How did you learn to do Scrapbooking (or Craft?)
How Long have you been Scrapbooking (or Crafting?)
My mother taught me how to sew when I was younger, and we worked on a quilt top that my grandmother had started. I gave it up for a long time and she re-taught me a couple years ago when my daughter was born. My mother-in-law gave me my sewing machine as a Christmas present. So I have really only being sewing for a couple of years, and know I have a lot to learn. I love trying new things and figuring out how to make something work...though I do get frustrated now and then when my vision exceeds my sewing ability :-)
What "style" would you describe your Personal crafting?
Free-form and imaginative. I don't like to follow instructions and prefer to make it up as I go until I find a way that works best. That is the stubborn independent woman in me!
What are your 3 favorite projects and why?The Interactive Pillows are a lot of fun to design and I can get really creative with them, imagining what crinkly fun I can create for the front of them.
The Crinkly Roly Cubes are also fun to design, and I simply have to toss them around a bit once they are finished. I would like to have a room full of those someday just to play in!
My third favorite project is the ever-growing list of future designs I am just dying to find time to create! Imagining new ways to incorporate crinkle into baby friendly products is definitely motivation to keep working!
What are some of the drawback to the craft you find?
There are not enough hours in the day! Also, that I see mass produced items employing techniques or materials that I cannot use or have the equipment to produce...knowing that parts of them may be "cooler" than what I can do can be frustrating.
What are some of the enjoyments to the craft you find?Desiging, sewing, and all of the crucial steps inbetween are all theraputic to me. It allows me to enter a different and focused world (as long as the kids are asleep and I'm the only one home), and I find I need it to stay sane and challenge myself daily.
Do you use sketches?I tend to draw a rough sketch when I get an idea, so I do not lose the idea to the black hole that is my mommy-brain :-) But as for already created products, I just lay out fabrics and match them up as I like!
Where do you find Inspiration?I find inspiration through fabric shopping! I am a fabriholic, indeed. There is nothing as inspirational as finding amazing fabric with a great price, and imagining everything I can create with it. However, my fabric supply and inspiration greatly exceeds my time to create.
When you loose your "mojo" how do you get it back?Short term, I can be re-energized by reading the amazing comments and feedback I get from my clients, especially from the fabulous photos they share of their beautiful children loving what I have created!
Long term, House Hunters International! I have big plans and long term goals for Krinklz Baby, and when I start to feel overwhelmed I take 20 minutes to watch an episode, and can be fully motivated again dreaming of living overseas again :-)
Can you briefly describe how your process of creating begins? Such as with color, theme, etc choice?
This all comes down to fabric design. That is where I start everything...and what creates the vision in my head for what I want to create!
What are your top 3 favorite tools?
My rotary cutters.
My templates.
My chalk roller.
What are your Top 3 favorite embellishments?Here, I only have one. That is of course my super secret, washer and dryer safe crinkly material!
What advice would you give to a newbie jsut starting in this crafting?Truly be passionate about what you are creating. If you don't absolutely love it, it will become frustrating and overwhelming, with no way to stay motivated to challenge yourself.
Any organizational tips you'd like to share?Whiteboards and every imaginable color of dry erase marker you can get your hands on! Write everything down, color code it so you can wrap your head around it in a glance. Then of course all of the boring back-end spreadsheets for detailed inventory and cost records (blah.).
Any Budget Cost cutting tips?I'm still trying to figure this one out myself. I try to only buy supplies on sale. The best tip...start out with a sizeable amount of money and work space so you can purchase wholesale in bulk!
What made you decide to start a Blog, website, Facebook Fan page, etc?I started my website first, so I could sell my products at a retail price without having the overhead and headache of a brick and mortar store. My Facebook fan page was the next step, as a way to build the Krinklz Baby brand and gain a loyal fan base. My blog is still a work in progress...but I try to use it to keep my customers up to date with what is happening in the Krinklz Kingdom.
http://krinklzbaby.storeblogs.com/
Do you sell any of your crafting projects?
If so, where can one purchase them? (websites email, etc.)Krinklz Baby products can be purchased through the website, or contacting my through my facebook fan page.
www.krinklzbaby.com Erin Krinklzbaby (facebook profile for sending messages)
Just to show you the blanket I bought from her for my nephew for Christmas, oh its so cool! Everyone here loved playing with it and I'm sure to be a regular customer!
