Meet the Person Behind Ei!Kumpel

Ever wanted to know who the person is behind all those colorful and creative items in the Ei!Kumpel shop?  Well, meet Margarida!  She took some time to tell us about herself recently - how she got started, what inspires her, and her dreams for the future.  Read on!  You can also see Margarida spotlighted as an emerging designer for 2008 on indieshopping.com.  Check her out!

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Margarida.  I'm 29 years old and I'm presently living between Portugal and England.  I'm a Biologist, currently finishing a PhD in Environmental Toxicology.

What do you do?

I make funky and fun felt treats such as brooches (lots of!), bookmarks, softies, decorations, and pincushions, among others.

 How did you get started?

My grandmother taught me many craft techniques when I was a little girl., but I only started to explore my creativity in the summer of 2006.   I was going through a phase of lots of work an I was tired.   I searched for something to do that was different from my everyday life and my mum gave me some materials that I started to explore by making several brooches for myself.   I found it addicting!

What inspires you?

Life in general, I must say ... books, stories, patterns, colours, music, art galleries, travel ... sometimes just a piece of fabric or a button is enough.

Your dream for your life is ...

It may sound cheesy but it's to be happy for as long as possible. :)

What is your passion?

Life, people, travel, sunny days and crafts!

What would you like to do (or are doing) on the team?

I was appointed as colour expert and I am working on a post about colour trends for the Fall/Winter 2008/2009.

Anything else you would like to tell team members?

I am really looking forward to our Debutante Ball and I hope we can put the FDL team's name out there!

Visit Margarida's shop at http://eikumpel.etsy.com!

Sketch interview: meeting Laura Baillie

Q: Tell us about yourself

I am 30 and live in a town called Paisley, just outside Glasgow in Scotland. I graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2002 with a BaHons in Design, and my specialism was knitted textiles. I set up my business that year and have been making ever since.

Q: What you do?

I make jewellery, greetings cards, wedding stationery commissions, and do book keeping to get extra cash. I am a bit of a design all rounder and love a new challange.

Q: How did it started?

Since I can remember I have been making cards and selling them to family, when I was six I set up a stall at my Granny's house and sold 20 cards I had made for 20p each, I felt like a millionaire. I suppose that has always just stayed with me, the fact I can make things that people want to buy!

Q: How did you get to do what you are doing now?

When I left school I took a year out because I didn't know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I spent that year in schools, offices, and at a portfolio night class. I did about 20 work placements that year and found that the thing I was getting most pleasure from was the art cource, so I applied for college and did a years portfolio preparation there and was accepted to the Art School.

(Laura's favourite piece she created)

Q: What inspires you?

I know this sounds cheesey but life. Everything, nature, music, magazines, cakes, people, shopping, flowers, fabric, beads and so many other things. I keep journals and stick things I find and doodle ideas and things that move me throughout the day.

Q: Your dream for your life is...

I am a recovering agoraphobic which has made my business suffer over the last few years so my dream is to get Laura Baillie Designs back out there. Making is what makes me me and I love pottering away in the studio. Basically I would like to be as happy and fulfilled as I am today for the rest of my life, and maybe make more money!

Q: What is your passion?

Oh, now where do I start, I love working with paper, metal, crystals, photography and cooking.

Q: What you would like to do (are doing in the team)?

I really enjoy blogging and have spent the last few months researching and reading lots of them. So I would like to take more of an active roll in the teams blog. (Note: Laura will help us all with member check-up exercise and she will be moderating team's blogging activities this June)

Q: Anything you would like to tell team members?

I hope to get to know you all a bit better by doing this and that we can pool our knowledge and all grow successful businesses and develope the FDL team to its highest potential.

Sketch interview: meeting Rebecca @ Art & Philanthropy

I had this idea to pursuit my journalist's passion and write in my third language about interesting people around me. People in our Fashion, Design and Lifestyle team are these interesting ones: extremely different, interesting personalities we pass by.

This is the first blog like that, so please take your time to stop and have a read of my email chat with Rebecca, a busy artist and mum who works as Art & Philanthropy with her two children (for the link to her shop click on the blog title).


Rebecca's very personal photos... Rebecca and her son.

Rebecca: I am Rebecca Peragine, a self-taught artist and collector of unfinished projects. I do my art for a living, selling on Etsy and brick and mortar boutiques. I also do work for an organization called PEACE (http://www.peace-islamujeres.org/) creating prototypes of marketable products for the org’s Women’s Cooperative. I also create exclusive art for that particular organization, using the images to create a number of textiles to market to the tourist population. I have lived all over, for a big part in the Yucatan Penninsula of Mexico where I met my husband. We currently live in Wisconsin, where I grew up, with our two children.

-What is your dream for your life?

Rebecca: I wish I would be magically ”found”, become crazy successful and never have to worry about web upkeep, cross promoting, printing, packaging, creative dry spells, taxes or wrinkles again; until that happens, I’d be happy to live somewhere with a palm tree in my yard. They make me happy. They don’t grow in Wisconsin.


-You say you create art for children, though it is very postmodern and I could imagine myself buying it. Who are your customers?

Rebecca: I’m lucky to be able to market to moms, new moms are especially fun to work with. They are sooo excited and love the idea of custom art for their new little ones. I keep my prices low on purpose; I’d rather have my work enjoyed by 100 everyday families instead of one very rich one. My art is made predominately with recycled materials, so although they have a childlike feel, they are bought by big people too. I think it’s safe to say that my art makes people feel happy, and that’s why they appeal to a diverse crowd.

-What inspires you?

Rebecca: My kids reaction to my art ideas, hearing my son tell his friends that his mommy is an artist, positive feedback, progress.

-How did you get into what you are doing now?

Rebecca: Total fluke, I have been a crafter, jewelry maker, body product inventor, potter (for a day) - pretty much a jack of all trades. A while back my family moved into a new house in the country and my older son was afraid to sleep in his new room. So, I gathered whatever was unpacked, which was a canvas, glue and some left over papers and started making a “protector dinosaur”. One piece led to another and before I knew it, I found my thing.

-Is there something missing in your life? If so, what is it?

Rebecca: Quiet, sleep, a clean house. The basics of running a business out of your home with two young boys on top of you. Travel, that’s a big one. I’m trying to be a good, stable, rooted mom, but I guess you can’t hide your free spirit when it’s so deeply seeded in your soul. I need to embrace that.

-What is your passion?

Rebecca: Right now, it’s my art. I love nurturing it and watching it grow. I’m working soooo hard to make this a lucrative career. That would be such a gift to be able to truly do what I love….and be paid well. And if I can keep going and make it, I’m going to deserve that palm tree.

-Is there anything you would like to do in our team / for our team?

Rebecca: Promote, promote, promote. I can give you any info I come across that might help all of us. I’m constantly plugging myself, so I can do the same for the team.

-What would you like to tell me / our team members?

Rebecca: Let’s all make it a priority to find promotional opportunities for each other. I’m sure you all know how time consuming self-promotion is. Any extra help would be so great!

Rebecca, thank you for your time. It was pleasure talking to you.
P.S. You are in as our team's promoter. Let's help Rebecca with promotion ideas and assistance!