Today’s interview comes from Heike, the owner of the adorable and cuddly Etsy shop, Minu.
Q. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
I enjoy the beautiful, simple things around me as well as making things myself and sharing ideas and inspiration. This is what I try to do under the label Minu. I was born and grew up in Germany. I am now living in Wellington, New Zealand.
koalas & teddy bears
Q. When did you first start making things?
As a child building sandcastles, making ships from sticks… I just didn’t grow up. Having said this, I didn’t do anything ‘handmade’ for almost ten years while I was working as a commercial graphic designer (web). When I moved to New Zealand almost 3 years ago, I decided to do my creative work without using a computer. I started screen printing and traditional printmaking like etching, woodcut and drypoint and I love it!
lovely prints
Q. Every item in your shop is so adorable! What is your creative process like?
Thank you. I draw inspiration from the world and beings around me, from things I see, hear and smell. I love to stroll through cities, zoos, bookshops, parks and wilderness. I always carry a notebook and a pen with me (as well as a camera). I sit down on a bench – or in my little studio at home – and start scribbling, adding creatures, developing the scenery. I am trying to feed back the energy around me through my whimsical creations, creatures and prints.
Q. What inspires you most of all?
Hm… I think stories, true and made up. The stories behind the things you see. Imagine: you sit in a park and you see this girl knitting on a bench. You start thinking about who she is, where she is coming from… and you have a motive for your next illustration or soft toy.
The Giveaway: an adorable stuffed print.
cute, stuffed prints
To enter simply visit Heike’s lovely shop and leave a comment about your favorite Minu item.
The giveaway will be open until October 1st. Good luck!
Tags: adorable, etsy interview, giveaway, minu
Schlaf Cutie in White!!!!!!!! adorable shop! thanks so much for introducing it to me :D
I love it all! So cute : )
these stuffed prints are actually my favorite items in the shop, so I really hope I win!
Thanks for hosting such a fun giveaway!
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I absolutely LOVE the Schlaf – Cutie in White! It’s sssssooooo cute!
Schlaf – both in white and black- are the cutest things EVER. And yup, I’d like to be entered in this giveaway =)
I love Minu’s artwork. The stuffed prints are the cutest ever!
Bears No3 is my favorite print.
such a cuuuute shop!! The illustrations are just so adorable and really makes you reminisce your childhood! And I would totally go with Lilu No. 2 – 2 Bears Stuffed Print, really hope I win!
It’s so hard to pick just one. But ..Red Panda.is just a bit more fave :)
Wow, that was a hard choice. My favorite is the Red Panda No. 2. I hearted it and can imagine it in my kitchen wall collage I got planned to do one day.
this is my favorite – reminds me of my best friend: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31117262
such a cute shop!
Schlaf Schlaf Schlaf Schlaf
[...] from waysideviolet.com was so kind to publish an interview with minu on her blog. Many [...]
[...] from waysideviolet.com was so kind to publish an interview with minu on her blog. Many [...]