Name: Alejandra
Shop: reigrücheStudio
Where are you from?
The great state of Texas
Where do you live?
Houston area
What types of things do you make/sell?
Original paintings, commissioned portraiture, pet portraits, prints, crochet sterling silver and 14kt gold-filled jewelry, upcycled jewelry, and wearable art.
How long have you been crafting?
I would like to say I started when I was a young girl. My mother and both grandmothers were always creatively crafty ladies, and I remember being so mesmerized by all the different colors and textures, skills and techniques they had fun with (I wish I could sew!). When I was younger I used to make polymer clay food, figurines, simple pillows, graphite drawings, journals, painted jars. I studied painting and jewelrymaking in college. I'm ALWAYS excited to learn new skills and experiment.
I have been an Etsy fan, buying handmade and oogling all of their eye candy since 2007. I painted and made jewelry for myself and for friends occasionally, but I didn’t have a shop or anything like that. Eventually people began to ask me for a business card or asked if I had a website, a price list, etc. and my answer was always, "Oh, sorry, no/not yet…” A few years later I was inspired by the awesomeness of creative blogs and all the neat stuff Grrfeisty was up to and I was hooked!
Do you prefer to sell your crafts online or in person? Or both?
Both! I heart the internet and I love observing people’s reactions and comments in person.
Do you have a second job? If so, what is it?
I am in the process of becoming an art teacher.
What inspired you to start crafting?
Observing the women in my family, my love for wearing and admiring interesting jewelry, the beauty of handmade multicultural goods and art, and perusing Etsy shops really does it for me! I am inspired daily. The way a sack of deep saturated yellow turmeric power looks in a photograph, the smell of chopped cilantro, the glow of a pretty faceted glass briolette bead in the daylight, the pattern on someone's blog wallpaper, a crowded little shop filled with handmade ethnic goodies… I must say the power of color and pattern is appealing; it’s so fun to visit neat looking blogs and shops (I can look for hours!).
Have you learned anything along the way, as far as your business is concerned?
I haven’t been doing this for very long, but I have learned that if you surround yourself with other like-minded people in your community, sharing your gifts, the things you admire and love to do, you will find that it is such a good way to stay informed, inspired, confident, and learn pretty much everything you need to know along the way. You never stop learning! Start with baby steps; put one thought into action. No one is born knowing how everything works or how things will turn out, but once you decide to jump in and begin doing one little thing, you will see how it will all fall into place.
What other hobbies or interests do you have?
I love to prepare food, look at food, smell food, photograph food, share food (and eat it too :) I think this is connected to many of my other interests because of the strong sensory perception thing that is definitely a source of inspiration for many artists and crafters. I also love animals, watching indie and foreign movies with my hubby, going to museums of all sorts, and spending time making memories with family and good friends.
Who inspires you?
There are also so many awesome people out there, I can’t begin to name how many people inspire me daily. Kelly Rae Roberts is one very inspiring lady! Having a support system of family and friends who encourage you along the way is also important. But I would really like to thank my best friend Grrfeisty for being the one to inspire me to start it all with a blog J
Do you have any tips to share with newbies?
Be yourself, do + share what you love, and believe that you have the ability to make awesome stuff happen.
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