Tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! Wow this is exciting! I’m Tania and I live in the lakeside town of Paynesville on the Gippsland Lakes (it’s the boating capital of Victoria - Google it. It’s great!). My husband, daughter and I escaped - eh I mean... ‘relocated’ here from Melbourne a little over a year ago. I am a stay at home Mum to my beautiful, darling Madeleine (nearly 2), and I also teach general business studies casually at the local community college. My background is in financial services management and training (I know, a totally different world to craft, right?). Oh and I am amateur photographer. Oh and crafter.....of course!
Can you explain your craft/art and the material you like to use? Fabric, fabric, fabric - and all it’s lovely accoutrements! My items are designed to add beautiful fabric goodness into people’s everyday lives. Bags, fabric covered diaries and notebooks and the like, softies/cushions, soft blocks and more - nice stuff for women and kids. Some buyers are even lucky enough to buy an item embellished with one of my grandmother’s vintage buttons; some of them would have to be over 60 years old!
Where do you get your inspiration and what is your creative process? From everywhere! Books, magazines, blogs, TV (sometimes but not often), when I am out and about... I like to see what people are wearing and carrying; colour combos, shapes, patterns, styles. Sometimes I just daydream. I always carry a notebook and pen with me to capture those inspirational moments! Once I have an idea, I research different techniques then pull all these together to come up with my own way of doing things.
I test my new designs in calico first, just to make sure that it works in real life the same way that it does in my head. Then I select lots of fabric combos - I always make items in bulk quantities as I feel that it is a better and more efficient use of time and resources to make product in batches (think green!) But each will be different - be it a variation in size, fabric, embellishments etc. I rarely make 2 things the same.
And as I sew, the ghost of my maternal grandmother sits on my shoulder telling me to “baste it and press it as you go if you want a professional finish”- she is a very insistent woman not easily ignored!
How long have you been creating and how did you get into craft/art? That is a long story! Told quickly, it is in the blood. One grandmother was a milliner and made her own clothes; the other also sewed, specialising in smocking, and has sold at markets for years. My mother paints and sews, so it was inevitable. But it took me a long time to find myself settling into fabric as my main medium, after trying painting, drawing and ceramics to name just a few other creative outlets I have turned my hand to. Nothing felt right until I got out the sewing machine and overlocker from the cupboard for more than just taking up the length on my pants. My 30+ year old Elna sewing and over-locker machines were each inherited from my grandmothers.
How did you come up with your business name? Shortly after my wonderful husband (then boyfriend) and I met, he came to the realisation that I was not going to go bungee jumping/rock-climbing/sky-diving with him, because I am well ... too chicken! It came to him like a bolt of lightning one night “Oh that’s it! You’re Chicken Little”. Ever since I have been known to him as Chicken; only being called by my real name if I am in trouble (which isn’t very often)! So my business name grew organically from there. ‘Ink.’ is an obvious spin on ‘Inc.’, but placing it into a creative context.
What resources 'have or do you' use to help your creative pursuits (i.e. groups, classes, shops, websites etc)?
My Nikon D90 digital SLR camera is my must have item for both my recreational photography and for taking my stock photos as well. I wanted to pursue photography for many years, and my husband gave me this awesome camera as a 30th birthday present. I have never looked back.
Although I have Photoshop, I actually do about 95% of my photo editing using the online web-based photo editing program Picnik Premium. There is a free version, as well as a more advanced version which only costs about $30AUS per year. I recommend it to anyone who will sit still long enough for my rant and rave! You can find it here.
I would also like to mention the fantastic ‘group’ that I really feel a part of, and that is as a seller on madeit. I have met so many other wonderful sellers (especially through the forum) who have been supportive, given advice and just generally perk up my day every day. If you’re not on the forum, I highly suggest that you check it out! A special shout out to Linda at Lulu Froufrou; a school friend who turned me onto madeit and onto Picnik Premium too!
What's your best advice for someone starting up?
Really hear the advice of those around you even if it is not what you are expecting or want to hear; many of them have run businesses or have a creative background and will have a wealth of experience to share with you. Find someone you admire and ask them lots of questions!
Oh and these pearls of wisdom:
• Karma is looking over your shoulder
• The squeaky wheel gets the oil
Do you have any advertising/promotion tips for sellers to be successful? Who can overlook the awesome networking/marketing /advertising tool that is Facebook? Thanks FB! You got me off the ground!
Also, when I am at the markets I always talk about madeit.com.au as a whole and how there are many wonderful artisans from around Australia who sell on the same website as me. I figure that if we are all out there promoting not just ourselves but the entire website, we will generate more traffic for everyone! Yep; it’s a Karma thing. And I get the feeling that many other sellers are doing the same thing - thanks all!
Can you share any lessons that you have learned the hard way? Proof read twice and then have someone else do it. Don’t rely on spell check. Especially when ordering labels from overseas. No really, I got my own business name wrong.... doh!
What do you like to do besides creating? I am a wife and mum. Nuff said!
What is your favourite music, television show, film, book, website? Music
Lamb (I walked down the aisle to their beautiful song “Gorecki”).
Air
The Presets
Massive Attack
Underworld
Television
I am hard pressed to find the time to watch TV these days, so I don’t really have any favs. Sometimes I like to catch Californication late at night, or flick over to SBS to see what wonderful morsel of cinema is being offered from around the world! Oh and it is mandatory in my household to be a big fan of The Simpsons and Family Guy. I’m totally down with that.
Film
As far as film goes, I tend to stay away from block busters (I still haven’t seen Titanic) and look more for art house-esque films. I quite like David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino as directors.
Books
Oh to have the time to read a book on a subject other than sewing and design techniques! Maybe one day...
What would be your perfect day?
Spending the day with my husband and daughter doing family things - it doesn’t matter what they are, as long as we are together. Then coming home and having a nice meal, glass of Brown Brother’s Moscato wine, jumping on the computer to find that I have lots of sales and packaging them up ready to go (tee hee)!
Who is one of your favourite madeit seller, explain why in less than 10 words? Susannah Tucker Photography - Beautiful, nostalgic, quiet, inspirational. Jealous!
