One of my favorite things about Etsy, actually maybe my favorite thing, is that no matter how much time I spend trolling it’s pages for handmade gold I’m always finding new and beautiful little shops. Thankfully there are lots of other eyes and blog friends exploring and posting about new finds.
Just a few days ago I found the dreamy Etsy shop Super Duper Things because of Amanda’s post. The shop’s owner was sweet enough to make time for a little interview. Thank you Louise!
Louise and her lovely work area
Q. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Louise and I’m a Graphic Design graduate living and working in the UK. I make jewellery, accessories and sometimes homewares mostly from found and recycled bits and bobs.
Q. How did Supper Duper Things get started?
I’ve always made stuff, especially jewellery, and it just got the point where I had so much stuff I thought ‘this is ridiculous, I’m just going to have to sell it!’ so I booked a table at a craft fair and it just went from there really.
Q. Your shop is so darling! What is your creative process like?
Thanks! My creative process is quite chaotic (I’d be ashamed if you could see my desk) and usually starts from finding an object, component or chain in a charity shop or flea market, and a piece evolves around it. I usually know exactly what I’m going to do the moment I see it, but sometimes just muddling around the materials that I’ve got reveals combinations that I like.
Q. Do you have a favorite item you’ve made?
I don’t have one all-time favourite. One of my favourite ‘lines’, if you will, is the paper-cut silhouette jewellery. It’s so versatile which is good because I get bored making the same things over and over.
Q. What’s a normal day in your life like?
At the moment I intern three days a week with a local publishing company. The other days it usually goes something like this:
-get up and have a cup of tea while checking through the night’s internet stuff.
-get dressed, eat breakfast (another cup of tea) and make a vain attempt at tidying up a bit
-photograph items if the light is good, which often takes up more time than actually making stuff!
-now I might sit down at my desk and make things, or do a little custom work for someone, or even a bit of freelance graphic design work if I’m lucky!
-by now my eyes will have gone funny from staring at my screen, so I might do the washing up and eat some lunch
-now packaging up orders and taking them to the post office, which has a couple of good thrift stores next to it, so of course I must pop in there.
-at some point my boyfriend will come home from work, and after yet more internet checks we’ll have dinner. I usually spend the evening making more things, doing my filing (boring!) or at the pub.
Q. What inspires you most of all?
What inspires me is a mix of the raw materials, things I see on friends, and eye-candy from the internet. I have a very short design attention-span, which is why the shop is mostly full of one-offs and a total jumble of items.
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