Interview with a Maker: Amelia Reising from Night Garden Design

You can find Amelia's shop here.

Meet Your Maker (MYM): Describe what you make and how you got your start.

Amelia (A): I've been involved in arts and crafts for as long as everyone else;
preschool, maybe earlier. I loved art classes best of all throughout grade
school, junior high, and high school, and always looked for an excuse to
turn a class project into an art project.

I studied fiber arts in college, along with painting, design, sculpture,
etc. What I really love, though, are papers and fibers. And I love
creating new things out of old things. So I find cool stuff, I collect
bits and pieces of things wherever I find them, and I make whatever the
materials inspire me to make.

Currently, I'm focusing on hand-bound books made with the reclaimed covers
of old books. I call these ReBound Books. I also make cards, hats, and
whatever else I feel like making on a given day.

This current project is also helping me live up to my New Year's
Resolution of buying no new craft materials. It's been a challenge, but so
far glue and thread are the only things I've needed to buy new. Recycling
and reusing gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

MYM: Is this your largest source of income or do you have another job?

A: I work as a graphic designer for a publishing company. Most of my job
entails designing book covers (surprise!) and advertising fliers for the
books we publish.

MYM: Any advice to someone about making the leap from hobby crafting to
selling?

A: I recommend having another source of income to back you up for a good long
while. I also recommend Etsy. They have pretty low seller fees, great blog
posts to help sellers, and a wonderful feeling of community. Also, if
you're going to do craft shows like Meet Your Maker, have business cards
available. Sometimes people don't have cash on-hand, but will contact you
later to make a purchase.

MYM: Have you had any big breaks? How did they happen?

A: Not yet. I tend to prefer small breaks, though. They're easier to handle
stress-level-wise. And they heal faster. ;)

7. Where else can we find you online?

I blog, Facebook, MySpace, Spoonflower, and Etsy. This link will take you
to my web page, where all of my various contact information can be found.

MYM: Any further info or comments?

A: I'm really glad to be part of the Meet Your Maker events, and I hope
attendance continues to grow!