Archive for Interviews

Interview with Ann Hirschfeld of Secret Leaves Paperworks

August 23, 2007 at 8:40 am · Filed under Conscious Consumption, Environmentalism, Interviews, Paper Goods, Sustainable Style

Secret Leaves Paperworks

Photo by Secret Leaves

Ann Hirschfeld and Sharon Derry are the co-conspirators of Secret Leaves, a charming St. Louis, Missouri-based company that breathes new life into discarded books and vintage papers by transforming them into scrap journals, photo albums, and note cards. I spoke with Ann about her love of old paper, and the growing role the environment plays in running their business, right down to the smallest detail.

1. How did Secret Leaves come about?

Sharon [Derry] had a card/paper arts company called Papeterie, and I worked part-time for her here and there helping to assemble the journals. A little over a year ago, we were talking on the phone and she spoke of her desire to start a web-based paper arts business. She wanted to pursue it full-time but was not interested in doing it alone. She wanted a partner. I immediately said, “Pick me!” We met a few times to discuss her goals for the business and she did—pick me. This was April of ‘06 and we’ve been working together ever since. It seems like we’ve come a long way already.

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» Fun with food Make iced berry lemonade. I have a cheat version—brew about 4-5 tsp of loose black tea in a large teapot, let that cool a bit, and then pour the tea into a pitcher, along with an entire can of frozen organic raspberry concentrate. Top the rest of the pitcher up with water, and then pop the whole thing in the fridge. Serve with ice cubes (and lemon slices, if you’re so inclined). My favorite way to cool down on a hot summer’s day. (1) #

Interview with Elvis Robertson of Lovely Textiles

June 13, 2007 at 12:32 pm · Filed under Environmentalism, Interviews, Recycled, Sewing, Sustainable Style

Art by Elvis Roberston

Photo by Elvis Robertson

With a name like Elvis, how can you not aspire to fabulousness? Ms. Robertson has it in sheets. After studying graphics and illustration at St. Martins School of Art, and stints at various ad agencies and design companies, Elvis decided to fly solo with her bespoke textile company, Lovely, producing delicately handcrafted pieces she says are inspired by “English eccentricity, handicrafts, and a celebration of people coming together to share skills and produce pieces.”

Her primary ethos: Community and loveliness. A believer in recycling—she mostly works with vintage fabrics—and working within the community, Elvis uses textiles to “bring people together with the emotional and deeply intimate links that we all share with fabrics and stitch.”

Look below the fold for more in her own words. (You can find more of her gorgeous textile work on her Web site.)

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Interview with Tina Barseghian, Author of Get a Hobby!

May 29, 2007 at 11:28 pm · Filed under Crafts, Interviews, Non-Fiction

Get a Hobby by Tina Barseghian

Cover of Get a Hobby! by Tina Barseghian

I recently had the privilege of chatting with Tina Barseghian, author of Get a Hobby!: 101 All-Consuming Diversions for Any Lifestyle; the book is exactly that—a most-excellent compendium of 101 different hobbies you can take up, from mushroom hunting to Polaroid transfers. Tina explains it far better than I do, below the fold.

Want to snag my free copy of the book? Comment below and let me know how a hobby (or two, or three) has impacted your life. I’ll pick a winner at random on June 5.

Update: Dustywheat is our randomly picked winner!

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