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About you
Tell us about yourself! What’s the story behind your business? Why did you start your shop? Where do you find inspiration?
I started my art after a successful career as a cookbook author. I grew up in mom's artist studio, surrounded by papers, ribbons and fabrics. (Alma Shon was an influential designer; she created the legendary gift packaging for Neiman Marcus/Stanley Marcus.) "Remember that everything you use–from a toothbrush to a gift wrap paper–was physically designed by someone, somewhere." (Even AI trains on human design.) I often use papers designed by my mom, in my art and frames. She's still inspiring.
About your product
Tell us a little about the item you’re entering. What makes it special? Is it well-crafted or vintage? If crafted, describe your process—is it uniquely yours?
For my art and frames, I created a unique process that lifts and angles paper pieces in multiple layers, like a 3D collage that extends up and outside the frame. (Look at the shadows!) I hammer the pieces into wood, sandwiching them between vinyl tubing (cut at angles), slipped over nails. I reinforce vintage and handmade papers with gesso or gel medium for durability. My art is featured in 500 Paper Objects, by Gene McHugh. My process includes a degree of randomness: no two are exactly alike.
Why do you love selling on Etsy?
How do you want buyers to feel when they purchase your items? Is there a goal you hope to achieve?
Etsy brings the world to my doorstep. I live on a ranchito in the middle of nowhere, so reaching out to physical galleries is challenging. Etsy shoppers want unique items, and my process is truly unique. A New Home Decor is my 2nd shop, recently opened, and my StarkRavingCat shop (on Etsy since 2014) showed me my potential for breaking into home decor with my frames and art. I hope Etsy agrees: My pieces are exactly what Etsy shoppers find inspiring and aspirational. And they make great gifts!
How does your personal or cultural identity inspire your shop or the items you make?
Is Etsy Success only for young makers? Should I say I am not young? I am mixed race (half-Korean), and do not look like most people in my small town. I've had careers in Hollywood, tech, culinary arts, written 8 books, and lived/traveled the world, to places no longer in existence. Experiences make us what we are. Experiences color the connections I see when I mix old and new papers for my designs. I strive for universal emotions that make people *feel* connected, now and into the future. My remembrance frames are designed to lift spirits up: celebrating the joy of a life rather than the sorrow of the heart. And all of my works are meant to "re-see" an image, in 3 dimensions that change with every angle and shadow. I toss paper pieces like I-ching sticks, and make order out of chaos. That's my life.