Interview: Heart Felt by Aviva

I had the opportunity to interview Aviva, Owner and creator of HeartFelt by Aviva, one of my all time favorite Etsy shops. Here is a little peak into her world...

Where can we find your work? Shops, blog ,etc. Well, starting May 1^st you’ll be able to see my latest Heart Felt pieces on my new site, www.heartfeltbyaviva.com. I am also on Etsy, HeartFeltByAviva and scattered in a few select retail locations across the nation.

(The heart pins happen to be my favs!!)

Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m Aviva, owner, creator and

crafter-extraordinaire! Heart Felt is my do-it-yourself (DIY) hair accessory line, which

ranges from elaborate sequin beaded fascinators to felt floral headbands, as well as cherry rockabilly styled earrings.

I’m a born and raised a Jersey girl - so yes my nails are a work of art. My grandma taught me to bead and I’ve been hooked ever since. I started Heart Felt when I moved to Chicago in 2009. It started out as a hobby but quickly took over my studio apartment. Now I can’t imagine my life without beads, sequins, felt, my sewing machine and my hot glue gun!

What really has to spark for you to create? There is this little spark of excitement inside me when I get an idea. I’m always shocked at what can bring it on. . I literally find inspiration throughout my entire life. I try my best to have an open mind and free spirit so I can take everything in. Sometimes ideas brew for a while and other times I stop what I am doing just so I can start testing things out.

Have you always known that you were a "creative"? And by a creative I mean anything that falls under this - artist, designer; re-designer; seamstress - you get the picture.. Definitely. I was always in different art classes

as a kid. I always new that I would end up doing something creative but that also used to scare me. I thought artists had to be starving and I didn’t want to be a starving artist. I wanted to be able to play with the latest fashion, travel, and eat out with

friends. Thankfully the Handmade Movement is really changing that stigma for artists.

Is this your only line of work? No, but who knows what the future may hold. I’m a marketer by day, crafter by night. My day job is actually a Marketing Director for Dreaming TreeFilms, a film production company that works closely with youths. Our mission is to empower youth across America through the art of film making. You can check out our company at www.dreamingtreefilms.com.

We’ll actually have a new opportunity launching June 1^st for women between the ages of 18 – 34 who want to help educate and inspire others on the issues of domestic violence. We’ll be looking for women to team up with us to help us produce three amazing documentaries. If you want to learn more join our mailing list and we’ll send out an e-blast when we announce the program. (Fantastic!!)

Run us through your daily biz… On a daily basis I need to update my Etsy shop, promote/converse through Facebook and twitter and keep an eye out for new inspiration. I work Monday – Thursday at the Dreaming Tree Films office so I

am very focused on the teens and the clients while I am there. Fridays I work on Heart Felt all day creating new pieces and working closely with the Heart Felt marketing interns.

Favorite project/item to work on? My favorite project to work on changes all the time. I go through waves where I can’t do anything but make felt flowers. Usually my favorite project is the item of the moment. It’s the newest idea that I am excited about.

What has been the best form of promotion/marketing tip you can give to aspiring "creatives"? The best tip that I would give aspiring creatives would be to go for it! And don’t feel like you have to take on everything just to make something happens. Do what inspires you and only take on what feels doable.

Your favorite shops/blogs: I wish I had time to read more. I’ve been considering an iPad for this very reason. There are so many amazing blogs out there and I feel like I can never keep up. But Ditzy Redhead – OF COURSE!! (lol)

Here's a few for fun:

· If you had the chance to go back in time…when/where would it be? This is really hard. I love the style and hats of the 40’s but I would also love to live during the Art Nouveau movement.

· Christopher Walken or Christian Bale? Definitely more cow bell baby!

· You have been invited to dinner with Brittney….what do you talk about ?I have no idea.

· Norma Raye or Norma Jean? I’d like to look like Norma Jean and stand for something big like Norma Raye. If you made me choose…Norma Raye. Because of her, the work force is a better place for all of us!! Norma Jean is amazing but there is so much about her life that makes me sad.

· Baked potato or Baked Alaska? Baked Potato for sure with sour cream and butter. Yum.

· Pillow talk or Pillow fight? Pillow Talk! Pillow fights seem like a 17 year olds fantasy. (I know, right?)

· Theme park or theme wedding? Theme wedding. I would totally do a roaring 20’s wedding. FUN!

Thank you to Aviva for her patience in waiting to get this up, and for a wonderfully fun interview! Make time to check out her amazing work at www.dreamingtreefilms.com, and don't forget to check out her shop on Etsy!

Chatting with The Brilliant Magpie

This is a new series of "chats" I am starting to help feature other creatives. I couldn't wait to chat with Amy Abshier-Reyes, Owner/Artist of The Brilliant Magpie on Etsy. Please enjoy and be sure to check out her shop and other work on her website/blog and Flicker - it's fantastic!!



Tell us a bit about yourself:

I grew up in rural Texas, on the gulf coast, surrounded by rice fields and cow pastures. Came to Kansas city to go to the Kansas City Art Institute, graduated, moved to California with my guy, got married, had a baby, moved back to Kansas City where the rent's WAY cheaper, had another baby. I never stopped creating, never stopped painting, it's a necessity in my life.

How/what are you inspired by, what sparks your creativity most?

I have these incredibly vivid dreams full of bizarre, colorful imagery. I wish someone would invent a brain/thought camera to capture these images. They'd blow your mind! So I get a lot of ideas from dreams, and books, and odd conversations. Sometimes I'll see a great painting or photograph, and I just get the itch to go paint. Seeing good stuff is like a virus; it infects me and it'll haunt me until I can go draw or paint something cool of my own.

Have you always known that were a "creative"? And by a creative I mean anything such as - artist, designer; re-designer; seamstress - you get the picture..

Always. Since I could hold a crayon, and even when I was too young to write, I'd tell my mom my stories and she'd write them down. Then I'd illustrate them. I was always in trouble in grade school for drawing in class.

Is this your only line of work?

I wish! Nope, I work days at an auction house, which is a fascinating line of work. And it pays most of my share of the bills, so...

What is a typical day for you?

Up at 6 to get my oldest ready for school, get everyone breakfast, pack lunches, take her to school, come back home and get myself and the baby ready for work, work til mid afternoon, go pick up the oldest from school, come home and get dinner started, then baths and bedtimes, then maybe a bit of television with my husband (I keep a sketchbook by the couch) or I try to work on painting for a bit.. I'm usually in bed by 10. I do usually get a few hours to paint on the weekends though, when my husband's home to watch the kids. He works two jobs, so he doesn't have much time off.

Your favorite medium?

Oil paints by far, then watercolor paints next.

Where can we find your work?

My larger oil paintings are at the Blue Gallery in Kansas City: www.bluegalleryonline.com

My watercolor pieces and prints are on Etsy: www.thebrilliantmagpie.etsy.com

I nearly always post photos of my paintings and progress (and other stuff) on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amyabshierreyes/

And my blog:

http://amyabshierreyes.blogspot.com/

Your favorite shops/blogs:

I'm pretty bad at following blogs, I just don't have the time. I don't even keep up with my own! But I do love Regretsy (they say the mean things that I'm thinking!), Miss Moss (she has a great eye), Shorpy (wonderful collection of vintage and antique photos), and Design Sponge (it makes me jealous of cool people and their cool homes).

What has been the best form of promotion/marketing tip you can give to aspiring "creatives"?

I'm the worst at marketing! All the gigs I've gotten have practically fallen into my lap. I'm just too lazy to stay on top of things.

Here's a few for fun:

Vices? I eat too much, I'm super-lazy, and I procrastinate way, way too much. Shame on me.

Elvis Presley or Elvis Costello? Elvis Costello!

Ice cream or French fries? Ice cream, YEAH!

Cotton or spandex? Definitely cotton.

Modern or Mid-century? Mid century, although there's a lot of modern things I like as well. Good design is good design, no matter what era it's from!

The Rat Pack or the Brat Pack? Ooooh, that's kinda tough. I guess Rat Pack, though I watched my fair share of Brat Pack movies back in the day.

Thank you Amy!