Featured Designer #5 Cara Taylor of Cara Taylor Handbags

Name: Cara Taylor Business Name: Cara Taylor Handbags Location: Northampton, MA
(all photos courtesy of the artist)

1. Tell us briefly what you make/do:
Everything I make is made from crocheted plastic (grocery) bags. My line originally started with handbags and now has expanded to include change purses of various sizes, cuff bracelets with vintage buttons and key chains.2. How long have you been doing it?
I began the process of making plastic yarn about 8 years ago as an Art student at the University of Delaware. I first made large, organic, crocheted sculptures and after a few years of that began experimenting with bag forms.

3. Where did you learn your skills?
My mom! She taught me how to crochet when I was a kid and I have always loved doing it.

4. What's your current inspiration?
The new colors of bags that people are sending me are fabulous! I feel like I have a complete new spring line and that is really exciting. I love trying new color combinations.

5. What have you been listening to while you work?
I have been watching the first season of 30 Rock and listening to the new Cat Power CD, the Flatlanders and M. Ward. Not all at the same time.

6. What else do you do to keep busy?
I am a full time art teacher at a public school and that keeps me busy. I am constantly working on something.

7. Any summer plans you are looking forward to?
The summer is when I get to relax, work on my house, garden, craft, drink coffee and sleep in.

If you can't make it to Paper Boat to check out Cara Taylor's work, visit her Etsy shop.

Featured Designer #4 Lauren Scanlon of Lavender Zebra Press

June is already here and for those of you in Milwaukee you most likely have your fingers crossed along with me that you can bust out some of you cute summer clothes before Fall arrives!! Lauren Scanlon of Lavender Zebra Press has been making the most beautiful one-of-a kind hand-dyed slips for the past few years and Paper Boat has carried them since we first caught a glimpse!

Since Lauren filled out her featured designer questionnaire for us she has emailed us saying "I am phasing out of slips and into just prints and illustration" so people, get her inventory while it lasts!!!!

Paper Boat will continue to carry prints from Lavender Zebra Press, but for now, ladies, get em while the getting is there! Without further adieu....

Name: Lauren Scanlon
Business Name: Lavender Zebra Press
(all photos courtsey of the artist)



1. Tell us briefly what you make/do:
I make one-of-a-kind hand-dyed and screen-printed slip dresses out of vintage slips. I also work with camisoles and half-slip skirts. Recently, I've started doing some altering which usually means just adding a little bit of extra color or pattern to a part of the piece, like the waist for instance, to emphasize a particularly nice element in the design.

2. How long have you been doing it?
I've been playing around with these for about 4 years, but this past year has definitely been the most serious.

3. Where did you learn your skills?
I am self-taught when it comes to the slips, so it has mainly been trial and error. As far as the visual design and prints go, I am a printmaker/drawer and painter by trade - that's what I went to school for.

4. What's your current inspiration?
My inspiration for the slips comes out of whatever I am working on in my print/drawing studio. I'm strongly influenced by narrative including fairytales and folklore. Right now I am really interested in the combination of pattern, text and figurative image. The latest slip prints have been layers of pattern with heraldic animal imagery. I recently learned that someone very close to me has Asperger's (a mild form of Autism) and I have been reading about how Asperger's people have strong animal instincts and connections to animals, so I have been interested in creating these animal/human figurative beasts. I think those inspirations will be bleeding into my slip work over the next few months.

5. What have you been listening to while you work?
I like listening to public radio; local call-in shows, This American Life. I also listen to Uke of Spaces Corners, Shep and Me, Pink Fever, Woody Pines, Lucinda Williams, Bessie Smith, Geechie Wiley...there's a pretty big range. I like to listen to WEVL from Memphis, TN.

6. What else do you do to keep busy?
I teach workshops in wood engraving and drawing, I read, play piano and clarinet. I walk my dog a lot. And I am working on building a new garden.

7. Any summer plans you are looking forward to?
I'm looking forward to gardening, riding my bike and opening the windows of the house to let the sun and breeze in when the weather warms up! I am also taking and teaching a few workshops (you can see some of them at www.ashevillebookworks.com). Of course, I am hoping to do some craft fairs with Lavender Zebra Press.

If you can't make it into Paper Boat to check out the work go to these numerous links....

Personal Website/Blog:
www.laurenscanlon.com

Lavender Zebra Press Links:
www.lavenderzebrapress.blogspot.com
www.lavenderzebrapress.com
www.myspace.com/lavenderzebrapress
www.lavenderzebrapress.etsy.com

Featured Designer #3 Mollie Green of La Familia Green

Our current featured designer is the fabulous Mollie Green creator behind the stationary line La Familia Green- a must have for the usual and unusual occasions. La Familia Green features tons of amazing designs including great cards for Mother's & Father's day, both quickly approaching!!*all photos courtesy of the artist

Name: Mollie Green
Business Name: La Familia Green
Location: Chicago, IL


1. Tell us briefly what you make/do:
handprinted/collaged cards---for holidays and special occasions, or just for fun; and hand-bound journals---created from VHS boxes, album sleeves, and vintage postally-used postcards.

2. How long have you been doing it?
since 20053. Where did you learn your skills?
Formally, I have a BFA in painting and print media from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and I honed my stationery chops while working at Paperboy here in Chicago. Informally, I taught myself to print on a Gocco, and I'm always coming up with my own lo-tech techniques.

4. What's your current inspiration?
We just went to Mexico City, and I loved the intense color---embroidered textiles, violet flowering trees, abundant candy, painted doors and gates---usually royal blue, and the ring girls at lucha libre matches---their fabulous day-glo bikinis and go go boots.

5. What have you been listening to while you work?
I always come back to npr---what can I say, I heart Terry Gross. And a rotating playlist of new and classic Indie Rock---The Clientele, Pinback, Stars, Stereolab, Spoon, Belle and Sebastian... But right now I'm listening to David Bowie on my Sirius radio.

6. What else do you do to keep busy?
I'm lucky enough to live in the same neighborhood as most of my friends---so I love going for walks with any of them. Or thift store scavenging with my cute husband Andrew, or going to movies with my brother Bill. And I love riding my bike around town. This summer I finally want to teach my cat Lemur (one of three) to walk on a leash!

7. Any summer plans you are looking forward to?
I plan to finally get my etsy shop up and running---it's going to house my collage pieces and paintings. And I'm excited to work on my tennis game.

* If you can make it into Paper Boat to pick up cards visit his shop HERE

Featured Designer #2 Ben Floeter

Paper Boat is pleased to introduce you to a new addition to our shop and this weeks featured designer, Providence based artist Ben Floeter. Ben makes an awesome variety of handmade products including wooden bricks, mustache key hook and whale chalkboards all available in the shop!

Name: ben floeter

Location: Providence, RI

1. Tell us briefly what you make:

aaarrrrrrrrrt!

2. How long have you been doing it?

i've been making things as far back as i can remember. this most recent run of stuff started with the brick blocks. i made the first bricks in january 2008.

3. Where did you learn your skills?

i grew up surrounded by creative people. my dad is a carpenter and my mom is an artist. i've learned a lot of things on my own, just by having an idea and figuring out the best way to do it.

4. What is your current inspiration?

trash night, a good batch of mashed potatoes, the comedy stylings of kristen wiig, and my wife natalie who puts up with all my shenanigans.

5. What have you been listening to while you work?

right now i'm listening to a compilation by P572, but i listen to a lot of different stuff every time i'm in my studio. lately it's been 70's reggae, led zepplin, johnny cash, brant bjork, ghostland observatory, and a little rick ross.

6. What else do you do to keep busy?

i have a solo show at a gallery in DC called artwhino in november, so i've been painting a lot. when i'm not in my studio, i am riding one of my bikes or playing fetch with my cat, olive.

7. Any summer plans you are looking forward to?

right now i am getting ready for the renegade craft fair in brooklyn. after that i am going to alaska with my entire family. but what i'm really looking forward to is spending most of the summer with my family in wisconsin!

* If you can make it into Paper Boat to check out Ben's work visit his shop HERE

Featured Designer #1: meghan williams of birdcage jewelry

This is our first, of many, Featured Designer posts. At Paper Boat we stock our shop with items from over 200 artists, crafters & designers from around the country and abroad. So, we decided to ask a bunch of our designers 7 questions to get to know them better.

A large part of the Featured Designer aspect of our Blog is that it helps us remember that one of the many reasons to support independently produced work, is there is a person behind what is being created. Making with work more personable by knowing what makes the people tick, what music they listen to while creating and what inspires make the individual items much more personal and special to us.

So, with that said, we would like to introduce you to our premier Featured Designer......

*Please note that our interviews are not edited and pasted directly from the featured designer's emails.

Name: meghan williams
Business Name: birdcage jewelry
Location: san francisco, ca
(all images provided by the artist)

Paper Boat: Tell us briefly what you make & do:

meghan: i make pretty earbobs and necklaces from vintage beads, paper, horn, wood, bone and other fancy things. most of what i make is one of a kind which makes every girl that wears birdcage very very special.

PB: How long have you been doing it?

m: i started selling in spring of 2006, but i've been messing about since high school.

PB: Where did you learn your skills?

m: mostly self taught. i quit drinking and smoking a couple years ago and had quite a bit of time on my hands. making the jewels kept my hands busy and my heart happy.

PB: What's your current inspiration?

m: i am in school now at california college of the arts (cca) - learning metalsmithing. i fucking love it. it opens a whole new realm of possibilities for me. i am interested in continuing the asymmetry of my current work, but new and improved with METAL.

PB: What have you been listening to while you work?

m: kevin drew, broken social scene, say hi, the smiths, sterolab

PB: What else do you do to keep busy?

m: explore my new town. i moved to san francisco 6 months ago with my boyfriend. there is a ton of awesomeness here and there's always something going on. my new favorite is going to the ocean and taking pictures with my fancy new camera. i am absolutely amazed at how close i am to the beach. i was born and bred in wisco, so you can imagine the shock of it. it is february. i feel very lucky to be here.

PB: Any summer plans you are looking forward to?

m: i am planning to participate in a 3 week studio program in nyc sponsored by cca. i will live and make art and visit artist studios and galleries in brooklyn. i also plan to participate in art vs. craft and visit my hometown for a bit. (i miss you beans and barley! xoxo)

* If you can't make it into Paper Boat to check out birdcage jewelry in person or want to learn more about meghan and her company visit her site HERE.