I've been stalking my next Foxy Friend for a while! Her Etsy shop is full of bright, gorgeous colors and funky geometric shapes. Check out the interview below to learn more about Becky's fabulous style and her Sketchinc shop!
Why don't you start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself.
My name is Becky and I started Sketchinc as a part time creative
outlet which has now become a full time gig. I was born and raised in the east
of England
in Constable Country. I have a BA Fine Art degree in painting and trained as a
High School Art and Design Teacher. Working for myself has always been a dream
of mine and Sketchinc has made that happen…I couldn’t be happier.
You have a variety of products in your Etsy shop, which
is your favorite to make?
I enjoy everything I make but I guess my favorite would be
the Harlequin Bunny brooches as they always make me smile when the final coat
of varnish goes on. Every Bunny is drawn
free hand and painted to order. This is
why I love handmade! Every product is unique and people appreciate the time and
love you put into them.
Describe your studio...
I work in a south facing large conservatory
conversion. It has wonderful natural lighting and a beautiful view of the
garden and corn fields beyond. Until
recently I lived and worked in a cozy but dark old Welsh cottage so its quite a
treat to be able to not only work longer without reaching for a light switch
but take the studio outside and enjoy the lovely weather.
How soon after you started creating did you decide to turn
your craft into a business?
I have been creating all of my life but the opportunity to take
my work to the next level never seemed to happen at the right time. Last year I
was telling my Mother how I was running out of space in the cottage to store my
paintings and art equipment and was hoping she was going to offer some storage
space at her place, instead she mentioned a website called Etsy for Artists and
Crafters and that I should try and sell my work to make room.
I opened my Shop in March last year and sold nothing until
September. I played around with improving my photos and descriptions and within
a month my shop was empty. I added the brooches I made for friends and my
homemade Christmas decorations in October.
By January I had created a brand image with a wide variety of products taken
from my piles of sketchbooks. Sketch.inc was featured in a few mainstream Magazines
and Blogs in the U.K, Australia and the U.S and my sales rocketed. On the 1st
March I gave up my day job and became self-employed. Running your own business
is not easy but it’s a wonderful feeling to make a product which will be loved
for its handmade quality and that all your efforts are appreciated and benefit
your bank account and not someone else’s.
What else do you like to do when you're not working on your
crafts?
Creating takes up the majority of my time but I do allocate
a ‘ME DAY’ once a week to re-energize. I
love to roam vintage clothes shops and surf eBay for second hand clothes and
make them my own. Pets have always
featured heavily in my life and none more so than a ginger and white Cat we
like to call Pickle. As a Kitten she was jealous of my brothers Dog and became
a little obsessed with his leash. 3 years later she happily walks along the
beach in her pink cat harness on warm summer evenings, always ready to jump
into my bag if a predator approaches
What made you decide on your shop name?
The name Sketch.inc is a combination of my two
favorite mediums; Sketching and Pen & ink.
However my not so small obsession with Sketchbooks is another
contributing factor.
 |
| Eco-Friendly Bear Brooch |
What is the most difficult and your most favorite part of
crafting as a business?
By far the most difficult part is finding the time to play
with ideas. I have been creating for a long time but never to a schedule. At
Art School we were encouraged to procrastinate, now I have to speed up the
daydreaming and get to the point…not as easy as it sounds!
The biggest perk for me is the freedom to determine the
course of my day. No commuting to a bland city office at 6am. Instead I enjoy the simple bliss of rolling
out of bed with a coffee and banana around 8ish and making the 23 steps it
takes to reach the studio at the back of the house…absolutely priceless!
What is your favorite: a) scent? b) movie? c) blog/website?
d) guilty pleasure?
a) Freshly cut grass
b) It would be a toss-up between ‘Mona Lisa Smiles’ and
‘Frida’
c) thisisnthappiness.com & ffffound.com - Fantastically random daily inspiration
d) Hot Chocolate
Lastly, do you have any advice for fellow crafters/entrepreneurs just starting out?
Don’t give up!
With every ‘paycheck’ job I have had over the
years I kept a sketchbook journal of all my creative ideas in my back pocket/
handbag/ briefcase. Don’t let your
creative Monster go to sleep! Be honest! Create what you love! And learn your
way around a camera.
Don’t be a stranger and say hi or follow me here…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/sketchinc
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Be sure to check out the links posted above to find out more about Becky and her awesome artwork/crafts!
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