It all started a few months ago. I started playing around with vectors and creating bright and graphic pop culture portraits. I’d post them over Facebook, Twitter, my blog, and eventually dedicated a Pinterest board to them. The response was really positive and soon I was getting requests to buy copies of them. As I realized there was an interest in what I was making, I thought starting up an Etsy shop would be a great way to reach a wider audience. I attended an Etsy workshop in Toronto, which was extremely useful for me, being so new to everything Etsy, and shortly after I opened my shop.
What is it you like most about Etsy?
Everything is so beautiful! Not a day goes by that I don't swoon at the items and treasuries that come up on my feed. It's inspiring to see so much passion and talent by Etsy creators.What is most challenging?
Taking good photographs of my items. It was an ordeal for me to take the photos I took, and I feel like there is a lot of room for improvement. But I’m sure I’ll get better with practice.
From your printed work I'm guessing you're a hybrid fan of science fiction and literature. What makes you enjoy producing those images and please explain a little of your process?I absolutely love science fiction and literature. I think there are amazing worlds and odysseys created in scifi and great books and I look to tap in to that shared experience. I sketch out an idea with paper and pencil, then use Adobe Illustrator to break down and simplify the image even further. I try to recreate a retro feeling, building on the nostalgia I hope the images and their content inspires.
Your shop also carries cozy and charming knit goods specifically made for ipads and iphones. How did you come up with this idea because it's great - suddenly my iPad looks cold?
My grandmother taught me knitting, and for years I could barely manage a scarf. One winter break from school I wanted to do something purely creative, so I challenged myself to knitting a sweater. It was such a calming and rewarding experience, I’ve hardly been without a project on the go ever since. I’m lucky that I have colleagues who knit as well and we make it a regular social event. When I first thought about knitting items for Etsy, I was quick to realize there is such a wealth of amazing knitted accessories. I wondered what I could make that wasn't as popular on Etsy, something that wasn't too big a project, that let me play around with new techniques and styles, and would be great to buy as a gift for someone else or yourself. And there you have it, iPad covers. I’ve received requests for Kobo covers and laptop sleeves, which should be up on my shop soon!
Do you do all the knitting yourself (not sure from your item descriptions) and if so are you watching Breaking Bad while you knit?I do all the knitting myself - I have a trunk full of yarn and an epic collection of needles I inherited from my grandmother. And I definitely knit while watching Breaking Bad.
I know you love mint chocolate chip ice cream so - what's the one thing you would take to a desert not dessert island?
Other than matches, a knife, water purification tablets, and a solar-powered satellite phone? Probably a guitar. I don’t play very well, but I’d have a lot of time to learn.
Check out the other items available from Emma in her Etsy Shop! You can find more of her work on her website, blog and Twitter.
Interviewed by Christine of ArtThatMoves in November 2012 in Toronto.
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