FAST Member Interview- Jenn of Rosebud Designs

If you’re a member of FAST and would like to be featured in the weekly interview, visit this thread in the yahoo group to get the questions, then send your answers (and a picture or two if you’d like) to me at merigreenleaf[at]yahoo.com (or a convo to merigreenleaf). These will be posted in the order I receive them.

What is your name?
Jenn de la Fuente

What is your Etsy shop? Does your shop name have a meaning?
It’s Rosebud Designs (rosebud.etsy.com). Rosebud was an old nickname bestowed upon me when I was in middle school. I came to school one day with a really bad body curl and my hair was all poufy. A friend looked at me and said, “You look like a flower …. a rose … let’s call you Rosebud.” And the rest is history.

Besides your Etsy shop, do you sell anywhere else? Do you have a website or blog?
I have my own online store, which can be found at http://www.agirlnamedrosebud.com. I also blog about indie goodies at indie*galore (http://www.indiegalore.com). I’m also a freelance graphic/web designer, and my portfolio is at http://www.jrosebud.com/designs.

How long have you been making art/crafting? What was the first thing you remember making?
I’ve been making things since I was a kid. I did lots of doodling and made a bunch of cards and lots of cross-stitch kits. The first thing I probably made was some sort of playdoh sculpture.

I started crocheting when I was in high school because a friend of mine was making a bag and I asked her to teach me. I eventually made a green makeup bag (which I still have, though I don’t use it anymore).

What kind of fiber arts do you do? If different from the previous
question, what was the first fiber art thing you made?
I crochet and knit, spin occasionally too. I do have a weaving loom stashed in my closet, so I’ll probably take that up next.

What’s your favorite thing to make?
I am a mad hatter. Seriously.

(Click the below link to read the rest of the interview and see more pictures)

What do you think is the strangest or most unusual fiber arts item you have made or been asked to make?
I don’t get a lot of weird requests, really. But it’s still early.

Where is the craziest or most interesting place you’ve ever crocheted, knitted, felted, spun yarn, etc?
I did crochet while standing in line at the DMV once. Good times.

What is your favorite place to work?
Strangely enough, I get a lot done while riding the light rail to school or work. Having knitting needles in hand also keeps the crazies away!

What inspires you? Where does your inspiration come from?
I like to work from the seat of my pants. Not any one thing inspires me … a lot of things I create are out of necessity. For instance, my dance bag broke one day and I was too cheap to buy one. So I made one … and they became the carry-all sack.

What is your favorite color? Do you tend to work with that color, or do you find yourself working with other colors?
I love the color blue. I do tend to work in it a lot, so much so that my friend Lisa has to remind me that there are many other colors in the world.

Do you prefer a specific type of fiber?
I like working with merino wool and BFL. They spin up nice!

Is there any other kind of art (fiber-related or not) that you’d like to learn?
I took up pottery at the local community college, which was a blast! I’d also love to work with fused glass and do more soldering. I like to do things that involve torches and hot kilns.

Tell us a bit about yourself- where do you live, what’s your job, do you have a spouse/children/ pets, any other hobbies, that kind of thing.
I live in Sacramento, California and have a variety of jobs. My real job is working in the online department of the local paper; I’m a web editor and producer. I update our site with breaking news and fix things that are broken and occasionally design special front pages for projects. I’m also a graphic design tutor at the local community college, where I also take a bunch of graphic design classes. I also do a lot of freelance graphic and web design projects. I live with my husband, Edward, and three cats who hate each other.

As for other hobbies, I got my start in journalism as a sports reporter, and am still a sports fan. I especially love football of all flavors (college, NFL, high school). I’m a diehard USC Trojans fan (the hubby and I went to college there) and have been a Steelers fan for a danged long time. My other big hobby is jamming with a band — I play the piano and guitar and write songs.

Tell us one quirky thing about you (or one thing no one knows about you).
My lifelong ambition is to sing the national anthem at a sporting event. Oh, and I am an original member of an all-female a cappella group from college, the USC Sirens.

Do you have any advice for other fiber artists? Have any craft room, storage, or other tips?
Get a ball winder and a swift if you haven’t already! My life is 20 billion times easier thanks to those two inventions.

Tags: etsyfast, member interview

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