This crafty crafter Natorious has quite a talent in many different crafts. It's always exciting and admirable to me when people have the ability to create with all different kinds of mediums. Here's her interview:

What is your craft?
I make all sorts of things. Truly. I've painted and drawn for as long as I could hold a pencil. I started sewing when I was very young, and mastered the sewing machine by 10 to make clothes for my toys. I learned to knit about a million times, but finally remembered how in university. So my craft is whatever I feel like making at the time, and this ranges from acrylic folkart paintings, to beaded jewelry, to clothing, to bags, to cat toys (I have a cat), and plush toys and things people ask me to make for them!

How did you get started?
Oops, I guess I started answering that question already. I need to keep my hands busy doing something almost all the time, otherwise I go crazy. So this rapidly turned into me multi-tasking: making something while participating in a conversation, sitting in class, watching a movie, travelling, etc. Eventually this turned into my spending money on materials that turned into toys and other things that I either gave away to charity, friends, or let accumulate in my home. Then I found Etsy!



Hobbyist or artisan?
Hobbyist for sure. I teach geology at a community college as my "day job" - and while I love making all the things I make, I really only will (if I'm lucky) make enough to restock materials!

What or who has influenced your art the most?
My surroundings. As a geologist I love love love going out into the great outdoors to explore and nerd out looking at rocks. So, when I find beautiful rocks I like to turn them into jewelry. When I see colour combinations in nature I like to replicate them also - I'm really into earth tones and warm colours, so often fabrics I use and colours I put together are inspired by the mountains or sunsets.
Otherwise, watching my cat do cat-like things certainly helps come up with an idea or two - especially for toys!



Where do most of your sales come from?
Well, I haven't been on Etsy for long, but the most I've sold has definitely been cat related. Actually, before being on Etsy, most of the items I was asked to make were for cats (my hand knit mice are popular - although none have sold on Etsy yet!). I'm still getting a feel for what will sell when I get my name out in the big wide world of Etsy!

Do you have a mantra or any tips for other artisans?
Hmmm... well, what I do is make what I love! And I have fun doing it. I'm putting love and good karma into my items, and I hope that the buyer of them will love their purchase, bringing that happy good karma back around! Not much of a tip, but it's certainly a mantra!


Thank you Natorius for insight on your crafts and for taking the time to do this interview. I hope everyone will check out her store.