"It's the most wonderful time of the year...." and what better way to celebrate the season with another great interview and giveaway! Yay! This time we have Corra of Corrabelle from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada! With over 3400 in sales, this crafty carver really knows how to run a successful Etsy shop! Read this interesting interview and enter this week's giveaway!
Tell us about yourselfMy name is Corrie, (or Corra..or Corrabelle...nickname since birth!!) I'm an illustrator, crafter, gardener, tea drinker, journal keeper, soon to be wife, and the mother of a mad scientist and a future rock star. I'm completely in love with the arts, creation has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Be it music, film,literature,graphics, they all have a soft spot in my heart.
What is your creative process?My creative process is a little more complex than one would assume. When I first started carving stamps, I was in jr. high. I've been a journal keeper since I could write my own name, and frequently used rubber stamps in my journals. I didn't want the same rubber stamps that everyone else had though. I didn't want someone to open my journal 100 years from now, and see a stamp that thousands of other people had purchased at michaels. I wanted my own.
So I started carving on erasers while listening in class. (I have to have my hands busy in order to pay attention, i've always been this way, so the teachers never really questioned this strange habit.) I made an entire alphabet in a few classes, and then numbers, and bugs and faces, and patterns...before I knew it, I was addicted.
When I started selling these though, I realised that in order to make the same stamp twice, I needed to constantly be drawing out the exact same image to transfer to my linoleum. I use graphite on paper for the illustration, turn it face down onto the rubber, and transfer it by rubbing the back of the paper with a bone folder. Once it's transfered, that illustration might work once more for another transfer, but one is about it. I could only do this for so long though as sales started picking up and this was really a pretty slow process. So I started carving all of my designs in reverse. I have a backwards version of every stamp in my shop. Now, when someone orders a hedgehog or a fox, I pull out my drawer of stamps labeled "critters", find the ordered critter, and just stamp it right onto the rubber. And once it's carved, it's facing the right way again. The only part that i have to draw out each time now is a totally custom stamp, or the names on my bookplates.
What promotional tool or technique has worked for you the most?I didn't actually start promoting my shop until sometime last year. I didn't have time! Relisting as soon as an item sells, and frequently posting new designs seemed to be my best tool for online sales. Locally, it's word of mouth. After I had a bit more time, I opened a flickr account and started my blog at
www.themayberrysparrow.com . My blog really isn't about only my work, but just having the etsy mini listed on my blog has resulted in sales.
Why is supporting handmade so important?I support handmade for several reasons. I like things that are original, clothes that thousands of other people aren't wearing, toys that have purpose and are well made. Items that have a story behind them, an artist who put time and hard earned skill into their work. I have a hard time buying items that were most likely created in sweat shops, possibly by children. I also don't like that so many hand crafting methods seem to be dying arts. I want to support them all I can.
Where do you see yourself personally and professionally in ten years?Down the road, I hope to do a lot more with my illustrations. While rubber stamps are fun, I have a lot more hope for my designs. Paper, fabric, stationery etc. I also have carpel tunnel syndrome in both wrists, so I know I can't keep carving forever. I did just purchase a machine that will allow me to make polymer stamps (once I figure it all out!) and i'll be able to make the stamps by a sheet, instead of individually. My plan is to still carve the initial prototype, and make the stamps based on the stamped image of that design, so that they still have the same hand carved style.
Thanks Cora for a wonderful interview! As a thanks to all the readers, Corra would like to give away this hand carved retro kitchen mixer stamp to one lucky reader!
FREE GIVEAWAY!Requirements: You must be 18 years old or older to enter. This giveaway is open internationally. Giveaway is closed at 11:59pm on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 Pacific Time. Winner will be by random draw and will be contacted by me before being contacted by the artist. The winner must confirm their win within 24 hrs of my email or a runner up will be drawn.
How to enter!First Entry: Visit
Corrabelle and let Corra know which of her items is your favourite by posting in the comments section at the end of this post.
Second Entry: Follow me for one entry! Let me know that you're following.
Third Entry: Visit
Akane Designs and post your favourite here.
5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and post the link here.
10 Extra Entries: For each purchased item from
Corrabelle during this giveaway, receive 5 extra entries! Post what you purchased here and I will verify with the host shop.
Please separate your entries by posting them separately. Do not post all your entries in one post. Thanks!
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER!
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