Me: Can you tell us a little about your life outside of Etsy?
MWC: I wonder why this is always such a hard question to answer! I do spend a lot of time Etsy-ing, or making or scheming about Etsy. When I am not doing that though, I am with my friends or my boyfriend, or traveling home to NY to see my parents. I don’t have any kids or pets but I would love to have a little pupster! I like to go on little adventures around Boston, eat crepes, cruise amazon, and see Hanson in concert! Haha, yes – MMMbop Hanson! My friend Meagan and I have seen them 20ish times! Later this month, I’ll be walking 39 miles in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in NYC!
MWC: My favorite pieces are my wishbone stitch embroideries, I think they are really fun and different. I love making them too because I have so much freedom with colors, and that’s my favorite!
Me: What inspired you to start making such beautiful art out of fabric & hoops?
MWC: In my senior year of college, second semester, I was feeling an extreme lack of motivation to do my studio art work for class. I was ready to graduate! I was procrastinating and feeling uninspired so I forced myself to sit down and make something, anything, just to get my hands moving and brain thinking creatively. This was when I did my first wishbone stitch embroidery! It worked! I felt inspired again and became sort of obsessed with embroidering. When I got around to doing the school work, I was working on a project called “happy party” which was an experiment in memory making and giving material items sentimental meaning (concept was a big part of the program I was in) and that project involved making a lot of party decorations, that’s when I started making bunting. The patchwork hoops were just a happy accident!
Me: What are some of the goals you have for your shop?
MWC: Lots of people want to quit their day job and do Etsy full time. I only just recently graduated from college and so I haven’t really ever had a typical day job. My goal is to avoid a day job! I want to be making enough money to support myself but that might be a long way off. Short term, I just want to keep making and selling enough to support making more! Someday I would love to open a brick and mortar shop but I am still developing what that might consist of! I think a sale a day would make me unbelievably happy!
Me: What things are on your bucket list?
MWC: Oh wow… hmm, well, I would love to do some more traveling, I’ve been very lucky to have traveled a lot with my parents when I was younger and that has really left me wanting to see more places! Here is a short list:
See a movie at a drive in
See the Dromore Woods in Ireland
Visit Narbonne, France, and the Toulouse-Letrec museum in Albi, France
See the Swiss Alps
Go to San Antonio and Austin, Texas
See the houseboat neighborhood in Sausalito, California
Go hot air ballooning
Live in Manhattan
Own a dachshund!!
MWC: Hmm… I don’t really have a motivational mantra but if I need inspiration I crack open my favorite book “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer. It’s full or imagination and is beautifully written. I always feel inspired after reading over some of my highlighted sections! Then of course there is always the little “mom and dad” voice that tells me not to give up and to trust myself.
Me: What other crafts have you created that are not in your shop? Have you considered putting them in your shop?
MWC: I like to knit and crochet but mostly that is just for my own enjoyment. I also like to do linoleum cut prints, which I have considered putting online but I haven’t done any in a while. Another thing that I have experimented with is Spoonflower and textile design. I looooove Spoonflower and I do hope to sell some yardage or fat quarter cuts of some of my designs someday, maybe soon!
Me: What color are your favorite undies? I would ask boxers or briefs but that just does not seem fitting. ;)
MWC: I wish I had a better answer for this. Black… most of the items in my wardrobe are black. Is that surprising? Everyone always comments on the stark divide between the way I dress and the way I make things!
Me: Would you ever knowingly go to a nude beach?
MWC: Ahaha, no.
Me: What is the first memory that pops up about the 6th grade?
MWC: Ugh pure misery!
You can visit Danielle around the web!
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/merriweathercouncil
Tumblr: http://merriweathercouncil.tumblr.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MerriweatherC
Blogspot: http://www.themerriweathercouncil.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MerriweatherCouncil
Website: http://www.daniellespurge.com
11 comments:
Great interview! It is so nice to get to know more about Danielle. What a wonderful inspiring person!
Aww, I love Danielle.
What a fun interview! Great to get to know Danielle better!
Hope you never have to get that day job!!
such a fun interview - i hope etsy is always your "day job" ....you have an awesome shop!! love you items. :)
we have a lot of the same "traveling" goals, and also the hot air balloon and drive thru movie goals! wishing you a sale a day! :)
Danielle you have the talent that will enable you to not HAVE to get that day job. :) You have such a bubbly personality that just makes you such a pleasure to get to know!
Cindy
thanks everyone! it was fun to do this interview!
SOOO happy to see Danielle featured here!! One of my best Etsy friends! :)
So fun to read about you Danielle! You just seem like the happiest, funnest person to be around :) Your hoops are amazing, I seriously want to get some, sometime in the future. Great interview!!
This is shawnee by the way :)
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