{FEATURED DESIGNER} DesignByFee

I first met Fee at the BrisStyle Twilight Markets and I immediately warmed to her.  Her smiley face and happy-go-lucky nature was a real joy to be near, especially when it seemed that Mother Nature was against us stall holders for a while!  It was her beheaded bunny hair combs that really interested me (I have always been a fan of little oddities), and those little bunnies were the start of something truly great.  From pouring resin and playing with clay, to tatting and making moulds, all of her products have a great deal of care and love put into them.  So sit back, grab a cup of tea and enjoy, this is the story of DesignByFee...

<3 Amanda 

How would you describe your work?

A mix of old and new, with a twist of geek goth culture thrown in for good measure. I love working with vintage fabrics and vintage crafting methods such as Tatting, but I also love making chunky Doctor Who inspired cameos, gothy rosary beads. I guess its just a retro-vintage-geek-goth mashup of all the things I like.

How did your Etsy shop come into being?

I had been collecting beads and trinkets for a period of time, in the hopes of one day creating my own jewellery. In January 2011 I lost my job for a period of 4 months due to the Brisbane floods, and with very little luck in finding other employment - I found myself with a lot of time on my hands. I started making simple earrings and brooches, mainly as a way to keep myself busy and posted the results on facebook. A dear friend and fellow BrisStyler, Nel from Quirkville suggested that I should open up an online store - and with demands from my Facebook friends, I took her advice.

Who or What inspires you?

My biggest inspiration is my family, friends and fellow crafters. I am very lucky to have met so many wonderful and talented artists through the BrisStyle family, their work continues to awe and inspire on a daily basis.

Can you describe your studio / work area? 

Chaotic at best - my work table is generally cluttered and covered in a mix of half finished products and prototypes. I do try to keep it tidy, but I have a bad habit of wanting to make everything, all at once.

What is your favorite thing in the shop at the moment?

My favourite thing in the shop at the moment would have to be the Doctor Who Dalek Cameo necklace - I grew up watching Doctor Who with my dad from a very young age, so it has a little bit of sentimental value behind it. I also loved the process of making the cameo itself, from the hand crafting in polymer clay - to creating a mould and then moulding the final piece in hand coloured resin.

Do you have any other places that people can view/purchase your work? 

Online store

Blog

Facebook

Twitter: @designbyfee

Instagram: @designbyfee

February Featured Member & Giveaway!

Introducing...


NAME: Rebecca Cason

ETSY SHOP NAME: edward and lilly

1. Can you please describe the item you are giving away to one of our readers?

Lavender Scented Bird

The aroma of lavender lingers after this sweet little bird. The flowers are hand embroidered on linen set in felt. The bird’s belly is full of lavender flowers and scented with essential oil sourced from Australia. A cute little ribbon holds the bird to a coat hanger, hook, door handle, anywhere you like the scent of lavender.


Lavender Scented Bird Giveaway
2. How would you describe your work?

Edward and lilly designs begin as a gift for a loved one and the design evolves from there. The current rage includes softies, scented birds and zip pouches which are all handmade original designs. Sewing and embroidery are my favourite creative outlets and feature predominantly in my shop. I enjoy the creative process from original sketch through to a completed product line. I feel attached in some way to every piece I create. I believe in the value of handmade to effect change environmentally, culturally and socially hence the edward and lilly blog

3. How did your Etsy shop come into being?

Last year I designed my first softie, a blue dog in a basinet for my animal-loving niece. I uploaded it to flickr and the response took me by surprise. Soon after, a fellow Brisbanite contacted me to commission a similar design in a different colourway. She became my first client. I was still teaching myself to sew and hadn’t thought seriously about selling my designs until then. I was already an Etsy shopper so it seemed to be the best option. I soon followed this up with a madeit shop for Australian buyers.


4. Who or What inspires you?

Every day I feel inspired by something or someone different. Lately I’m inspired by French magazine Marie Claire Idees, Apolline, Julie Arkell, Dries Van Noten, nature, fashion photography, linen, Japanese fabric and the many crafty blogs I read each day. I’m always craving new inspiration so if you have a great find I would love you to leave me a comment on my blog.

6. Can you describe your studio / work area?

My sewing area is the dining table so I try to keep projects fairly contained in case we need to use the table. Every couple of days I like to pack everything away so things don’t get too carried away. The design process usually takes place while I’m walking, that’s when I have my most creative ideas/solutions to problems.


7. What is your favourite thing in the shop at the moment?

That’s easy, the ear flap beanie zipper pouch. It was very difficult putting that one in the shop.


8. Do you have any other places that people can view/purchase your work?

Blog
Madeit (Australian online selling place)
Flickr (Photo gallery)

Thanks so much Rebecca!
The rules: Simply leave a comment on this post to be in the running to win this giveaway. Be sure to leave a way for us to contact you. If you don’t have a blog, please include your email address. Only one entry per person. You may enter twice if you mention this giveaway on your blog. If you choose to do this, please pop back after posting to your blog and include the url address to the post it was mentioned on here in the comments. This will count as your second entry. International folk are welcome to enter. BrisStyle members and their immediate families (ie: husbands/partners, dependent children, and their computer savvy pets) are excluded from entering all BrisStyle giveaways. A name will be randomly drawn on the 25th of this month and the winner will be announced on the blog on that same day.

The very best of luck to you all!