Tell ALL Tuesdays :: Heather Moore of SKINNY LAMINX

Good MORNING Tuesday readers...AND have we got a special treat for you this morning...

This fabulous lady has kindly taken time to visit us here today...as we all know she is an extremely busy lady...but thankfully, she said "yes" to us....

well...let's not waste more time...  

I am extremely pleased to introduce you to the ever so talented designer and illustrator Heather Moore, or some of you may know her better as the creator of Skinny Laminx ::

Tell us a little about the Town you live in... and have you always lived there?

I live in Cape Town, which is the oldest colonial town in South Africa, with lots of Dutch, Portuguese, British, Malaysian, San, etc etc heritage. It's beautiful here, with a big mountain in the middle of the city, awesome beaches, incredible winelands and fruit farms and forests, good shopping, theatre, movies, and just about everything else, too. I've lived here with my husband Paul Edmunds for 15 years after having moved here from KwaZulu Natal in the east of South Africa.

If you could move anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?

We spent 6 weeks in NYC last year, and after that amazing experience, I'd definitely love to try living there for a bit. 

 

 How structured is your day usually?

We're pretty rigid in our daily routines, rising at 5:45, and getting to our respective studios at about 7:30 and working to 6:30pm or so. Paul is an artist and takes a long time to make his very intricate work, and I run my own business, which is very all-consuming.

What did you do today?
Had a coffee at a favourite stop on the way to my studio with Paul,
Got to studio and dealt with orders from my online shop,
Wrote a blog post for ELLE Decoration
Took photos of some new colourways of fabric,
Cut some cushion covers,
Edited photos,
Wrote a blog post for my blog,
Worked on a new online shop I'm setting up,
Did a Bikram yoga class,
And now, at 6pm I'm putting in a last hour before meeting a friend for sushi.

 Are you a cat or dog person?

I like both, but adore our two hilarious kitties, Monkey and Nanook.
 

 Are you a breakfast, lunch or dinner girl?

I do like food, but am terribly undisciplined about eating. Luckily Paul is a good and healthy cook, and makes me delicious dinners every night. On the weekends we like going out for brunch after some morning exercise.


If you had 6 friends over for Dinner what would you make for them?
I hardly every cook, but if I had to, I'd probably haul out my tomato tart recipe. It usually works out ok.
 

 How old were you when you knew you were on the right path in your Life?

I'm an inveterate late bloomer, and it was only when I was about 36 that I started feeling like I was doing something I really did well. Before that, I'd been working as an illustrator in the educational industry, and found it very unexciting work, on the whole.


Who /what drove & inspired your love to create?
I've always enjoyed it. My mom is a junior school teacher, so she knows the value of creative play, and always encouraged us in that direction.
 

Tell us something not too many people know about you.

I can't bear the colour purple.

 Shoe choice::flats or heels?

I'm getting better at heels... but on the whole I have to dash about so much, it has to be flats.
 

 What was the last book you read?

I'm reading one on animal/human interactions and relationships called Some we love, Some we hate, Some we eat, by Hal Hertzog. Very interesting psychology and morality about how animals and humans share the world.
 

And finally...what advice would you give others just starting out?

Don't put too much pressure on trying to make a living from what you do. If that's the motivation, you're not going to have a lot of fun.
 
THANK YOU Heather...
It really was a pleasure to have you spend the day with us here.
Your work is timeless...and perhaps one day I will come for a visit again to Cape Town...such a beautiful City with incredible landscapes!
 
You can find Heather at her:
BLOG
ETSY store
WEBSITE
 
I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday...can you believe we're midway through February already?
HUGS
Char.x
BTW...don't forget we have ALL our Tuesday Interviews linked from the "PAGE" tab at the top of our blog!

Tell ALL Tuesdays with Julia Freund

Hi everyone...it's Tell All Tuesdays again...


We're introducing you to a very dear and talented artist and illustrator Julia Freund.
Such a talent...I wish everyone was so much closer so that we could all meet up and chat over a cup of Tea!

Drum roll.....here's Julia from Lineanongrata ::

 Tell us a little about the Town you live in... & have you always lived there?

I live in Berlin (Germany), the city my mother grew up in and my grandparents are buried, but I was born in Bielefeld and raised in a tiny village close to Bielefeld.

If you could move anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?

I would stay right here. I have never been so happy to be anywhere.

 How structured is your day usually?

Usually I manage to put some semblance of structure in my day. Some days are better than others and I get a lot of the 'have to' things done, some days are not so good and in the evening I don't remember a single useful thing I've done.

 What did you do today?

Unfortunately, today I forgot to get up at the appointed time in the morning. There was a kitchen wall to be painted still, four illustrations that needed to be done, according to my running schedule I still have to run for about half an hour… We'll have to see at midnight how much really got accomplished in the end.

Are you a cat or dog person?

Definitely a dog person. Cats don't like me and so I've never really gotten close enough to a cat to find out if I could like them.

Are you a breakfast, lunch or dinner girl?
 I'm a breakfast, lunch and dinner girl. Unfortunately I'm heavily hypoglycemic so I need to eat at regular intervals. Also I started training for a half Marathon, so these days I even wake up once a night because I'm so hungry.

 How old were you when you knew you were on the right path in your Life?

Old. I was already in my mid-twenties. It took me a while to figure it out and even longer to persuade the family one could make a living as an illustrator and designer. We had quite the family drama around that time.

 Who /what drove & inspired your love to create?

Nothing. It has just always been that way for me.

Tell us something not too many people know about you.

I am always very afraid I might hurt somebody's feelings.

Shoe choice::flats or heels?

Flat.

What was the last book you read?

'Last night in Twisted River' by John Irving.

What advice would you give others just starting out?

Be present online, network, be courageous and stick with it. Go to the art and craft fairs, let people know you exist.

 Name 5 blogs you love visiting, and tell us why.

SouleMama

Janet Clare

The Purl Bee

Prickly Pear Bloom

Angry Chicken

Some of them are friends, Tracy even is a partner in the Food for Thought Project, and the blogs are a great way to keep up with what they're doing.

 Amanda from SouleMama is a consistently good writer and the small daily moments on her blog are like a breath of fresh and calmer air during my crazy days at the moment.

Amy Carol is funny and sharp, her blog always full of information, and the Purl Bee do (in my opinion) market their products brilliantly through their blog full of inspiration and ideas.

THANK YOU so much for joining us today Julia...I just adore your work, and as you know I am fortunate enough to have one of your 2011 Calendar's.

You can find Julia at her::

BLOG

ETSY STORE

Until next week's Tell ALL Tuesdays...

Show Julia some love and say hello!

HUGS and thanks for popping by!

Char.x

Tell ALL Tuesdays :: Jordan Grace Owens

Hello everyone...as most of you know...every week on Tuesdays we introduce to you another one of our *Fabulous Readers* who we have gotten to know through Blog Land over these past 2 years.(that's right...it's been 2 years already!!)



When I first stumbled across Jordan and her amazing creativity...I was in awe. She has a very unique style which I just wanted to see more of. I adore her Paper Dolls...and her paintings have wonderful warmth about them.


It's a wish of mine to one day own an original painting of Jordan’s.
Perhaps one day I could sit in that chair next to her...and chat up a storm...she looks so happy in that photo...


So...without further adieu...

I welcome...Jordan Grace Owens

Tell us a little about the Town you live in... & have you always lived there?

My home is in Greensboro, North Carolina, where I live with my long time boyfriend and our two cats. We have a small apartment in a lush and pretty historic neighbourhood right on the edge of downtown. I've lived in Greensboro for about four years, although my hometown of Winston-Salem is close by.

If you could move anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?
Paris in 1960 (via a time machine).

How structured is your day usually?

I have a day job at a graphic design shop, so out of necessity; I have to structure my day around a tight schedule. I'm always rushing from work to the post office to ship packages, running errands on my way home, answering emails and packing orders before dinner, and squeezing in as much drawing and making time as possible before bed.

What did you do today?
I started today (Saturday) with a bagel from my favourite local coffee shop before stopping by our neighbourhood farmer's market for zucchini, apples, corn, and honey. I teach drawing and painting classes to teenagers at my city's cultural arts center on Saturday mornings; today we started self-portraits. Then, back home for a quick lunch, and to wrap up some projects that didn't get quite enough attention during the week. I packaged some orders, answered some emails, and tidied my studio. Right now, I'm hoping to take a break from work and go out for dinner, drinks, and a maybe a movie.
 Are you a cat or dog person?
Cats, absolutely. Over the past three years with my pair of kitties, I've noticed myself happily slipping into crazy cat-lady land.
 

Are you a breakfast, lunch or dinner girl?
Breakfast—I love it all. Pancakes, bagels, jam, fruit, and juice. Yum!

If you had 6 friends over for Dinner what would you make for them?
I prefer potlucks, since I have a teeny-tiny kitchen. For my last potluck, I made savoury tomato and pesto pastries.


How old were you when you knew you were on the right path in your Life?
I always knew I wanted to be an artist, but I'm constantly editing and reevaluating the specifics as I go along. Part of what I love about having a creative career is that I can try new things and make up the details as I go along.

Who /what drove & inspired your love to create?
I've made art for as long as I can remember, and I have my mom to thank for all her encouragement. She's also an artist, so when I was growing up she always kept me busy with crayons and paints in my messy little hands.

Tell us something not too many people know about you.
I love old movies, and I obsess over my favourite actresses. Most of my wardrobe purchases depend on whether the item is something Anna Karina would wear.


Shoe choice::flats or heels?
Usually flats, but I'm breaking in a new pair of wedges which I'm absolutely loving.

What was the last book you read?
Creative, Inc. I learned so much!


What advice would you give others just starting out?
Be genuine and follow your gut.

Name 5 blogs you love visiting, and tell us why.
1. Design*Sponge—It has a little bit of everything. It's like a beautiful favourite magazine full of pretty new products and helpful advice.


2. Apartment Therapy—I love to peak into other people’s houses.


3. Pikaland—It introduces me to so many great new artists.


4. Modish—For its impeccable sense of style.


5. Etsy blog—For creative business tips and inspiring stories


Thank you SO much Jordan for taking part in our Tell ALL Tuesdays...

It really does mean a lot to have all these wonderful Artists, photographers, illustrators and crafters share with us all parts of their Lives.

REMEMBER:: there is a page at the top of our Blog to access all the interviews we've done on Tuesdays...so you can go for a browse and read some of the other amazing creative souls we've had so kindly visit us.

Please pass by Jordan at her WEBSITE here and don’t forget to say hello to her in the comments below...

Ok...back to work...I have to use every given second to build inventory for The Mamas and Chicks Show next week....

Hugs

Char.x