What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?
I crochet and knit with metals which is a very unique/rarely used technique when it comes to jewelry. Though the technique has been around (for probably thousands of years!) my take on it is a bit unusual: I play around with a-symmetry and imperfections in my designs, as a way to embrace the beauty in ‘mistakes’. I will often start with a crochet/knit pattern and then start experimenting outside the structure of the pattern, which makes for an original artistic design. 

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?
pider Webs, Japanese Boro Quilts, Alchemy, Nature, Physics, Geometry, Architecture… I often hike in Griffith Park, and observe the intricacy in nature, which is very inspiring. I also find that when I let the materials and the hands do what they want, inspiration or design follows!

When do you feel the most creative?
At night! When I am relaxed and don’t have to deal with any stress or daily activities.

What is your creative process like?
I turn on music, or an interesting podcast or a documentary, set up my tools and materials, get comfortable and start working. Usually taking some ‘stretching’ breaks every hour or so. Listening to something helps me to enjoy the process without over-thinking it. 

Where can we learn more about you?
On my website: www.janjoonjewelry.com you can view images of my work and there are links to interviews/posts with me. You can also follow me on instagram: @janjoonjewelry & come meet me in person in Jackalope Art Fair this fall!

How would you describe your style?  

Our style is natural, eco-conscious, rugged and earthy. Above all, Benjees is for the explorer in all of us who chooses to take a road not traveled. Benjees was founded by Aussies now based in West Hollywood, CA. 

Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to? 

I'm inspired by innovative visionaries like Thomas Edison and Elon Musk.

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?

'Benjee' is the name of our border collie, who is the four-legged CEO of Benjees Eyewear. He's also from Australia, like the brand's founders (along with me and my wife). Starting off as an optometrist in Sydney, I've been in the eyewear industry for 15 years now, and Benjees is the first sustainable wooden eyewear brand in the US started by an eye doctor. So we're pretty unique in that regard.                                                                                                                                      Also, no two pieces of bamboo and wood are ever identical, so each pair of Benjees handmade sunglasses are truly one-of-a-kind. And our bamboo range of eyewear is so light that they float on water.

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?

Being in and around nature inspires us. We're lucky to have the ocean, forests, mountains and snowfields all around us here in California!

Where can we learn more about you?  www.benjeeseyewear.com

How would you describe your style?  Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?
I love the work of Dali, Mark Ryden and Faberge. It's fantasy meets reality. Surrealism meets everyday life. I think of my animals and my floral work as my own enchanted forest, where the creatures might talk to me and fit in my hand.

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?
I love nature and animals. It sounds a bit cliche, but it is truly where I get my energy from. On a bad day, there is nothing better than coming home to my dogs: Denzel Washington and Niles. I look at their smiling, loving faces, and everything is ok! Growing up, my family went camping in the woods a lot and my father would tell us stories of magical tree nymphs with flowing hair and hard working dwarves looking for colorful stones. Today, when I see a plant, I can see the nymph that might play on it or the fairy building her home in a nearby flower. When I see a gemstone, I feel like a gnome that discovered a treasure. And when I see a squirrel, I wonder what it is thinking and doing and what it would be like to befriend it.

When do you feel the most creative?
I am a night owl. Morning time means lots of caffeine and traffic and sleepy people that should really be in bed but are running around pointlessly instead. But at night, everyone is calm, nature is a little quieter, phone is not ringing and I can make some tea, turn of some 90s music and work in my studio. Some of the best ideas come around at midnight and next thing I know, the sun is coming up and my husband is getting up to go to the office!

What is your creative process like?
When making new animals, I look at a lot of pictures. If I can get my hands on the actual animal, that's the best thing. Like when I was making the English Bulldog, I had my sister's bully Winston, around and he was a great model, I could poke and prod and figure out where all the wrinkles should go! But it's harder to get my hands on a Unicorn or an Angler Fish... That's where photos, drawings, sculptures and even children's toys come in. Seeing how other artists have interpreted the animal and comparing it to images of the real thing, helps me capture the essence of it, the look and the personality alike.

Where can we learn more about you?  
You can always follow ERS Creative on Instagram where I post my thoughts and inspiration about art but mostly just what I'm doing at the time. You will see a lot of pictures of my dogs and my gardening efforts!

How would you describe your style?
I love the idea of taking a traditionally formal piece and bringing some humor to it.   It is really about revitalizing these beautiful vintage plates, altering them to be a bit more fun and contemporary.

What inspires you?
The juxtaposition of highbrow classicism with a sense of humor is the greatest influence in my work.  I am definitely inspired by pop culture, anthropomorphism and classic antiques.

What is your creative process like? 
Chaotic and Messy

Where do you source your plates from?
Sourcing the vintage and antique plates is really fun.  I get to shop antique stores, thrift stores, estate sales etc.  Each plate is then designed to match one of my mixed media portraits or pop culture portraits

What does a plate have to have in order to be used by you?
Most of these vintage and antique plates are truly amazing.  They have been hand painted, hand embellished with gold gilded, they may have enamel details or hand moulded.  This type of craftsmanship is rare today and nearly extinct in the plate making world.

Why plates?
his idea of the Altered Antique Plates started because my mom was an avid antique collector and dealer. When she retired she began getting rid of lots of stuff, in that "stuff" was many old plates. Some of which were old portrait plates with demure ladies posed in proper positions and big fluffy dresses. They were all beautiful with hand painted details, gold accents, and delicate porcelain but in reality they did not exactly match my modern, urban style. So, were they useless? No, I must make them cool again.... atlas the idea began.

Shop BeatUpCreations at Jackalope Art & Craft Fair on November 7th and 8th at Central Park in Old Pasadena.

How would you describe your style?                                                                                                  

I have heard my style described as clean and utilitarian. I agree.  Elegance, and refined '70's styling also come to mind, for those were my formative years and a lot of the things that I idolized came from that era. 

Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?                                                

In my 14 years of leather working experience, the majority of that time has been working for other designers, so I really try to stay away from being influenced from other designers/artists as much as possible. It's a challenge to wipe my visual slate clean, and approach the ancient, simple, yet challenging medium of leather in a new way.

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?  

What I feel makes my work unique and truly my own is the marrying of raw edged heavier leathers, with very fine leathers, deerskin being one of my favorites. While that in itself may not be unique, as there are other leather designers incorporating that same contrast, I feel what truly sets my work apart is the meticulous construction of the pieces, and the heightened focus of the shapes I want to present, regardless degree of difficulty or thicknesses of material. I truly obsess about every stitch and pour all my attention and passion into every piece I make, and I personally craft every leather item we sell.

Where can we learn more about you? 

At our store in Eagle Rock, online at http://www.ommleather.com/ and @O_MLEATHER on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Shop O&M Leather at Jackalope Art & Craft Fair on November 7th and 8th at Central Park in Old Pasadena.

Owner at Whorl Shop

Q. Tell us a little about yourself & your background in the arts & crafts world?   

A. I was always a young entrepreneur at heart making crafty goods for the Young American Bank markets. I always thought that the product I was selling was the “hottest” thing. That’s where my love of arts and crafts started. After all those years I finally found my passion… curating local, national, and global clothing, jewelry and home goods for the Denver community. 

Q. What/who is your biggest inspiration?   

A. Currently, all the Denver small business owners who wake up, do all the hard stuff, love what they do, and go to bed happy and excited about all of it! 

Q. How did you get into your position in the arts & crafts world?

A. I created it for myself. I wanted to contribute to the Denver fashion community by giving local designers a quality place to house their brand, as well as other brands that have a story and or a cause behind them. 

Q. Tell us about a few favorites of yours: Weekend Activity/Color/Animal?

A. My favorite weekend activity is exploring new shops in Denver hubs, followed by some delicious Sushi! My favorite color has always been purple and my favorite animal is a cheetah. 

Q. What do you love most about the handmade movement?

A. That it has become a way of making a living. People can now pursue what they love and carve out their own future. More and more retail stores are carrying more handmade work and it adds a distinctive characteristic to their store. 

Q. What is the most important feature in an artist's application for you?

A. The artisan statement is really important for me. The why and the passion behind every artist can speak wonders for the product itself. 

Q. What are you most looking forward to in being a part of the Jackalope Arts jury? 

A. I’m looking forward to discovering new and talented local artisans who offer a unique and fun product to the market! 

Q. Where can we find out more about you?

A. You can visit www.whorlshop.com, follow me on Instagram @msmegantimlin OR come on in the Whorl and hang out! 

Founder and Owner of Spices of Life Gift Co.

Q. Tell us a little about yourself & your background in the arts & crafts world?   

A. Hi! My name is Kat (just so you don’t have to do the math, yes my name is Kat Furr and you are allowed to laugh ☺). I am the owner of Spices of Life Gift Co. on Tennyson, going on 2 years. We carry almost 100% made in America items, with more than half being from local artists. I am also the owner and designer of my wire craft business, First Comes Love. I started my wire company after getting involved in some DIY crafts for our wedding (almost 5 years ago!). One of the projects was creating wire place card holders, which also doubled as a favor for guests to bring home and use as a photo holder. I realized after all was said and done, that I enjoyed creating them quite a bit and since I had leftover materials, I kept on playing and it became what it is today. I began to have appreciation and respect for handmade items and the time and love that goes into the process. I started to realize how important it was to support this movement and the individuals behind the scenes. Thus, my dream of owning a “made in America” shop was born!

Q. What/who is your biggest inspiration?   

A. Besides my amazing husband, Nate, I would have to say my customers are a big inspiration for me. I have always gotten so excited to see what reviews people leave for me at my online shop and the stories they would tell me of what gift they were giving or who they were making smile with something I created! It is always very touching and appreciated and I knew I wanted to carry that customer service over to the brick and mortar shop. Sure enough, seeing my customers and their smiling faces is what gets me through.

Q. How did you get into your position in the arts & crafts world?

A. Well, there is no beating around the bush here...I got fired from my marketing job of 5 years and knew that it was meant to be. I was let go on a Friday and went to work for myself full time on Monday without looking back. I could not question what I had been asking the universe for, 10 months later, we opened the doors to Spices of Life Gift Co.

Q. Tell us about a few favorites of yours: Weekend Activity/Color/Animal?

A. Some favorite weekend activities (now that I actually have weekends again!!) are definitely spending time with loved ones; my husband and our dog, Scarlett, and of course, dear friends. We love to hike, camp, see live music and all of the amazing things Denver has to offer. Favorite food: anything involving cheese and/or potatoes. Color: I really could not say ;) Animal: dog, to be boring.

Q. What do you love most about the handmade movement?

A. What I love most about the handmade movement is being able to support these extremely small businesses, most of which are a 1-man/woman show and knowing and hearing how important our support is to them and their families. Of course, having one of a kind, unique items is pretty awesome and just seeing what ideas and creations people come up with is always astonishing to me!

Q. What is the most important feature in an artist's application for you?

A. Most importantly, uniqueness as well as great craftsmanship and presentation. It should be fun and hopefully be able to portray the passion that artist has for his/her work!

Q. What are you most looking forward to in being a part of the Jackalope Arts jury? 

A. I’m just so excited to learn about new local artists and the passions behind the names and products. I am honored to be a part of the selection process and can’t wait to see what connections it might bring my way. 

Q. Where can we find out more about you?

A. I would love to see your friendly faces at our shop anytime, located in the ever evolving Berkeley neighborhood at 3867 Tennyson.  Otherwise, you can find us online! 

Visit the shop Facebook page HeRe! 

Follow us on Instagram hERe!

Our Spices of Life website is HEre and my Etsy shop is hErE!

CEO and Founder of Share Denver

Q. Tell us a little about yourself & your background in the arts & crafts world?           

A. I’m Becky Hensley and I run Share Denver - a community craft and maker space in Denver’s lovely Park Hill neighborhood. My background in arts & crafts started at home with my mother who learned how to embroider and crochet from her great grandmother and grandmother.

I was a pretty obstinate student, as a child, and didn’t pick up my own embroidery and crochet practice until much later. But once I did, I was hooked (pun intended!).

Q. What/who is your biggest inspiration?   

A. My mom is my inspiration. She didn’t have an awesome childhood, but she made a concerted effort to give me a great life and she was always committed to continuing her education and professional development. 

Also, I’m inspired by Lynda Barry, all the teachers at Share Denver, and Santiago Burritos!

Q. How did you get into your position in the arts & crafts world?

A. When I moved to Denver, I was tired of the punk rock party scene and wanted to start doing things that were a bit more productive. I started a group called Denver Craft Ninjas. It started in the backyards and basements of people’s homes, but moved to a fantastic punk rock bar. 

Denver Craft Ninjas created a foundation that Share Denver was built on and I’m so proud of the community that exists because of it.

Q. Tell us about a few favorites of yours: Weekend Activity/Color/Animal?

A. I love to hike with my dude. Drink wine and watch Netflix, eat Mexican food, and start projects I never finish! I love every color as long as it’s black. And I’m REALLY into puppies right now - which is a problem because I can’t have one.

Q. What do you love most about the handmade movement?

A. The community that lives around it. In my experience in Denver, I have encountered the most responsive and supportive group of people that legitimately want good things to happen for their fellow crafters, makers and artisans.

Sometimes it is hard to break into communities, but Denver really loves its makers - it wants them to thrive. And I love that I live here in a city that’s like that!

Q. What is the most important feature in an artist's application for you?

A. That they are being themselves. Not trying to be anyone else. Not making what they think people want, but making what they want.

Q. What are you most looking forward to in being a part of the Jackalope Arts jury? 

A. Seeing all the amazing work of people in our community!

Q. Where can we find out more about you?

A. Come to Share Denver and take a workshop with me or one of our amazing teachers! Or better yet, take our Teacher Training and work with us!

Hit up our website for details: www.sharedenver.com

Jackalope Arts filled the EXDO Event center with nearly 200 top notch artisans for a Summer shopping extravaganza on July 25th & 26th!  Within 1 hour of opening, the Fair had over 500 people through the door and the crowd continued to flow in over the weekend.  One attendee said it perfectly, "The vendors were AWESOME!"

Our Fair entrance welcomed guests with the Sophisticates Tea Truck selling fresh iced Chai & Black Tea!  Perfect for the warm day and sold out by the end of the weekend!  With a fresh iced, caffeinated drink in hand, attendees went head first into shopping two huge rooms full of bright and exciting vendors with an alley of even more vendors connecting them.  Some shoppers even came on Saturday to make the rounds and see everything and then came BACK on Sunday to make all of their purchases!  Now that's dedication.  

We love our vendors with a good sense of humor keeping the weekend light and happy!

Kids and adults alike had some hand on fun at our workshop station throughout the weekend making hula hoops, dolls, buttons and more!  And who doesn't love a beautiful henna tattoo to decorate yourself!

THANK YOU DENVER for an incredible weekend!!

If you missed our first Jackalope Art & Craft Fair in Denver, don't worry!  We are coming back again just in time to start your Holiday shopping in November!  Keep an eye on our Holiday Shopping Fair dates TBA at http://www.jackalopeartfair.com/denver/

Want to vend at the next one?  Apply online by September 19th:  http://www.jackalopeartfair.com/applydenver/

How would you describe your style?  Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to? 
I still look up to some of the big ceramic artists, Tom Coleman, Matt Long, Tom Turner, John Britt, and Frank Massarella, who taught me.  I feel as if my style in an amalgamation of how their work inspires and intrigues me.  With each session of production I feel as if my work becomes more and more refined.  I love to pair that refining process with new shapes, new glazes, and new design ideas.

What is your creative process like?
There are two distinctive processes that provide me with a nice creative flow.  Music and/or podcasts can inspire me any number of ways.  It allows me to concentrate with a tempo or rhythm.  They other process is silence which allows me to focus solely on feeling of being centered. 

What's the coolest artistic tip you've ever received? 
You have to have the ‘fire’ inside you to be serious about being a professional potter.

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? 
I feel as if I have a relationship with the clay I use.  When you've thrown hundreds, thousands of the same or similar shapes, there is an intuitive representation of form.  Over a few years I've refined every minute detail within the process.  My work is unique in the very fact that my hands create every individual piece, every handle, etc.  I love creating work with passion and I believe the attention to detail enriches each piece. 

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration? 
Looking at what other artists are creating is a good source of inspiration.  For design, I like to imagine what would enhance certain experiences involving clay.  Colors and shapes depending on any particular kind of salad, shape and thickness of a ramen bowl, the perfect coffee mug for a very specific set of hands, a properly constructed fermentation jar.  

I feel most creative in the early morning.  Waking up early gives me a sense of isolation, you don't tend to hear cars, or people walking around.  This solitude allows creativity to be uninterrupted as the repetition of throwing inspires rhythm and flow.   

More about me on my website: jeffreyryanmay.com      Which has links to other sites with more information.