Autonomous Artisans... handmade finds: Artisan of the Week, Sara from Sara's Texture Crafts

This week we have the multi-talented Sara as our weekly featured artisan. Not only does she create the most gorgeous mixture of goods to sell, she has such a passion about what she does that she makes up kits to encourage others to be creative too. If you wish to meet her and share in her joy of textures and creating she will be at the Stitch & Craft Show 27th to 30th March 2008, Stand GB14, Olympia, London.

1 & 2. Could you please introduce us to who you are and what you do? And what led you to take up your craft?
My name is Sara and I am a freelance Fashion and Textile Designer based in London.

I started designing as a child by making clothes for my dolls and later grew into customising my own clothes and making jewellery to sell to friends, family and neighbours. My mother is my main inspiration and she always encouraged me to learn new crafts and techniques. She was also very supportive of my educational choices and opting for art and textiles I trained to become a Designer. Graduating from the London College of Fashion in 2000 and I got my first job, starting the very next week and have since worked for a number of British designers. In June 2006 I became a freelance Fashion and Textile Designer, moving from company to company working on different projects. I have enjoyed my new found freedom in design after leaving a full time post and found that this suited my restless creativity much more.

As a Designer I have always been taught to take inspiration from a number of sources; from museums and art, to the world around me and as a crafter I have been inspired this way too. Through all of this the one thing that has always inspired me the most is texture. I find anything that is layered or 3-D in effect a great source of inspiration and I enjoy recreating texture by combining a number of media.

In late 2006 I decided to turn my crafty passions into a business and set about creating Sara’s Texture Crafts to work alongside my freelance design jobs. The business was two fold to start with; firstly supplying craft kits and equipment, through eBay and secondly creating and selling hand crafted, unique jewellery, bags and gifts, through Etsy and DaWanda. Since then the business has grown to include my own blogzine for like minded crafters and I am now appearing at major UK Craft events and local fairs and markets.

3. Which part of your work do you most enjoy?
Creating… it doesn’t matter what else gets thrown at me, as long as I can get at least an hour creating a day, then I’m happy!

4. Which part do you find hardest?
I guess that’s a mixture between confidence and accounting! Like most creative types I find it hard to openly say ‘I’m good at this’, or ‘my work is good enough’… I am always striking to improve and yes, like most creative types figures are not my favourite things either, but they must get done!

5. Where do you hope to be in 1 year’s time?
Personally I would like to be able to move out of the city… and live a bit greener! In terms of my business, I would like to have created a wider presence with my work and be big enough to allow this to be 100% of my working time.

6. What is the best advice you have ever been given?
‘To study/work hard and to keep on trying no matter who tries to put you down, or get in your way… if you really want something you have to go out, get it for yourself and prove people wrong’. My mother has been consoling me with this one since the day dot and you know what, she is right!

7. Name other artisans sites/shops would you recommend are worth a visit?
I’m inspired mostly by my boyfriend’s work… by day he is a civil servant and by night a Photographer. He doesn’t show his work at the moment (I need to build up his confidence too!), but I believe he should. He has strong ideas and statements in his work and his clever use of light carries with it a wonderful texture, which I just adore. I am working him up to a feature on my blog at http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com – so watch this space!

8. What is your favourite sandwich filling?
Either just cooked bacon with brie, spinach and cranberry sauce in a freshly baked baguette, or just plain avocado on an English muffin – divine!

Thank you Sara for taking part in this feature. I have loved looking through all your shops and I hope all the readers will too. So dear readers if you do like what you see, click on each of the pictures to be taken to the land of Sara's Texture Crafts and be amazed and inspired by her beautiful choices of materials and colours!