My interview for this week is with Gemma who runs a shop I just can't get enough of. Just when you think it's all calm and pretty textiles - door stops, tea cosies and brooches, WHAM! there is a ninja kitty! So here we go chatting to the owner of Sugar & Rhubarb.If you were a colour, what would you be?
Pink with blue polka dots, I’d be lying to myself if I said something plain!
Cadbury or Galaxy?
Oooh this is hard.... Cadburys crème egg, but galaxy chocolate bar- one of those embarrassingly huge ones, that you should never eat alone, but you do.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what one thing would you want to have with you?
Yumyums... but only if I could take more than one – it would be too cruel if there was just one.
Who would you want to play you in the film of your life?
Obviously someone as stunning as myself... Scarlett Johanson might be a good match ;)
And now about your work.
What’s the first thing you can remember making?
It was a lavender bot... a little lavender filled sphere with a face on. I hadn’t mastered sewing very well and it was a bit wonky... slightly
embarrassing really. I made loads and tried to sell them at a vintage fair with my friend who was selling off most of her wardrobe. The price progressively went down from £3 to 90p during the day. It caught the eye of a few kiddies, so that was nice to see their little faces light up when they paid for one. It wasn’t really my target market but it gave me a warm glow nonetheless!
What’s your favourite material to work with and why?
Any pretty cotton fabric. I love anything by Heather Ross, Kokka, Amy Butler,
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
My cat... no must be serious for these interviews ... think business head. People like Poppy Treffry and Anna from Widget the Sock Bunny – they show that your once small ideas can turn into a worldwide phenomenon,
What’s your best crafty tip?
Have faith in your skills and never price too low! It takes a lot to have confidence in yourself and your creations, and too many people suffer from self doubt and price too low. Woody had a wonderful blog entry on pricing your stuff so that you can make a profit, and it’s surprising how much better I feel about listing my items on folksy and etsy now that I know I’m making a small profit from each sale I make.
What’s your favourite item in your shop?
It has to be Ninja Kitty. He took a lot of failed attempts and learning to get where he is now. He’s even got his own blog which makes me giggle whenever I write entries – I am of the LolCatz generation and having his blog lets me write those silly thoughts I have about cats without looking too strange because I can say an inanimate object wrote them!!
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