How did you name your business?
When my nephew was very little, before he learned to speak, he was signing. For whatever reason, he always signed “frog” instead of my name - which was amusing because I’m pretty fond of frogs. When my son was born two years later, we called him Monkey. So… frog loves monkey, because nothing could be more true.
 |
| Orange & Cream Potholders |
How long have you been doing your art/craft?
That’s kind of hard to answer… Primarily, I sew, and I learned how to do that when I was seven, even though I didn’t really start to do it often or for a living until I was in my late twenties. That’s when I discovered theatre and turned to technical theatre and costume design. I worked professionally for several years before my son was born, and have been working primarily from home for the last four years. So, I’ve had the knowledge and the interest for thirty years, but I’ve really only been doing anything with it for the last ten years.
That’s kind of hard to answer… Primarily, I sew, and I learned how to do that when I was seven, even though I didn’t really start to do it often or for a living until I was in my late twenties. That’s when I discovered theatre and turned to technical theatre and costume design. I worked professionally for several years before my son was born, and have been working primarily from home for the last four years. So, I’ve had the knowledge and the interest for thirty years, but I’ve really only been doing anything with it for the last ten years.
 |
| Orange & Pink Twirly Bird Skirt |
What inspires and influences your work?
Hands down, the biggest influence on my work has always been my mother. She grew up sewing her own clothes and, at the time that I learned to sew, my grandmother was working as a seamstress. They did absolutely beautiful work and I found it really, really intimidating. While it’s why I didn't sew until I was older, it’s also where I got my somewhat obsessive attention to detail. As far as inspiration goes, honestly it comes from everywhere. Inspiration comes from all kinds of different places - a really intriguing color combination, an unexpected texture, playing a game with my kids, realizing that something we have doesn't really suit our needs…pretty much anything.
 |
| Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub |
Where can your artwork be found?
On people’s bodies and in their homes. There was a great little shop in Glendale, Arizona that carried quite a few of my items, but they have recently had to close their doors. So, right now, all of my new stuff is available strictly online.
Dedicated site: www.froglovesmonkey.com (Almost live!)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
 |
| Green Beanbags Set of 3 |
What do you do when you’re not creating?
Play with my kids! I have a four year old and an almost-two year old and I spend pretty much every moment of every day with them. We hang out at home most days, but are quite fond of going to farmer’s markets, parks and museums.
 |
| Polka Dot Monkey Car Seat and Nursing Cover |
What is your favorite piece that you’ve created?
A painting that I made for my mother. It hangs in her hallway, which was quite a surprise when I saw it there.
Why did you create this piece?
I’ve always kind of loved to paint, though it’s not something that I really have any faith in. My mom has always, always, always been one of my biggest supporters and I wanted to make something special, just for her.
 |
| Green Animals Flannel Cloth Wipes Set of 5 |
What do you feel is special about your art/craft?
I think that, even though many artists can build off of the same inspiration to create similar objects, everyone has their own take on it, and that shows in the finished projects. Sure, there are people who use the same fabrics that I do, or make garments in similar styles. Sure, there are people who can take a cursory look at my soaps and think, “Hey, those are almost like mine!”. But, because we have different processes and different goals in creating our items, what I make is different from everybody else’s. One thing that I've noticed is that, while I love doing work on custom projects, I’m happiest creating things that I believe in - and I think that that shows in the final product, even if everything that I make passes QC.
 |
| Floral Ruffled Tunic |
Are there other forms of arts/crafts that you would like to learn? And why?
YES! I’ve dabbled in all kinds of different artistic pursuits over the years. I’ve played with painting, jewelry making, ceramics, sketching, poetry (even published!), soaping, candle making, knitting, quilting, singing, dance, combat training…all kinds of things. And everything that I’ve tried, whether I did it well or not, has informed everything that I’ve done since. Learning something new gives you a new outlook and new perspective. And it’s a lot of fun.
 |
| Stripes & Polka Dots Produce Bag |
6 comments:
Such wonderful items! I really love the story about how her shop was named. So cool!
The kids clothes are just adorable!
Etsy Blog Team
Thank you so much for the feature! :)
I love the fabrics that she uses! Very fun and colorful.
Link up your Friday Feature with me!
I agree she uses so great fabrics and her kids items are adorable!
I have just found your blog and I really like it.
Post a Comment