Creative Peeps Interview - Kris from Missie Krissie

All photos and creations remain property of Missie Krissie and have been used with permission

Name

Kristie/Kris

Blog

Missie Krissie

What is your favourite creative pursuit? 

Well, I have many but my current crafty flavour is definitely jewellery design. I love learning new techniques and watching how the metal reacts and forms. Then being able to use a new thing like riveting (recently aquired skill) to make something pretty is exciting.

Mastering the setting of stones is going to take a while, still it takes hours of adjusting and re-adjusting to get them to sit right! And there are still accomplished jewellers who break diamonds, so if I break a moonstone or two, it's not so bad :)

 I also love to make jewellery trees from old silverware. They are fun to make (sometimes tricky/dangerous) and it's a way of giving old things a new and useful life.

 

 What is your earliest creative memory?

I think it's my Gran teaching me how to sew a pin cushion and stuff it, perhaps when I was about 5? I was so proud that she trusted me with the sharp needles. The cushion was a bit wonky and the stuffing poked out the side but I was really excited at having constructed something. I gave it to my mum and she still has her pins in it.

Any other crafty memories would have to be painting or drawing which I was addicted to from a very young age according to my Gran (who still keeps a lot of pictures and talks about it often, lol)


Who inspires you?

Many people. With regards to jewellery design, I constantly trawl the Flickr photos to find other jewellery designers to be amazed by. There are so many talented people! One in particular makes me want to move to the US to be his disciple. Scott has been a professional jeweller for about 20 yrs (I think) and his works take my breath away. You can find him here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/two_claws_jewelry/

With regards to my every day life, I would definitely say my Hubby, Jem. Everyone who meets him can't help but like him. He has the gift of the gab, which I'm sure will enable him to be a great Police Officer. I'd like to have his confidence in talking to strangers, but we'll say I'm still working on it. Jem is a very loving Husband who leaves little notes for me and is the best Dad any little boys could wish for. I am very glad I got my claws into this fish! :)

My two little men (Aus 3 and Noah 1) stress and inspire me in equal proportions every single day. The way they play together and show love for each other, their Dad and Me is just a huge boost to my 'Mummy Morale' and gives me strength to get out of my nice warm bed every morning. 

My parents have also always been hugely inspiring and influential to me. I have a close family and I'll give everything I've got to make sure my little family stay the same way.

What are you currently working on?

Many things at once. Right now I'm in the process of completing a custom graduation set (necklace, ring, bracelet & earrings) part of the WIP can be seen here: 

I love custom works because its such a challenge to create something that will stand up to the customer's expectations. It's so exciting and terrifying at the same time! 

Also the freedom of just fabricating something entirely made up in my own mind is very fulfilling. Seeing the work rough, with fire scale or flux all over it, then turned into something that shines and sparkles gives me happy shivers!

What is your ultimate creative dream?

What I dream of every single day is my own big studio where I can experiment and create beautiful jewellery. I'd love to quit my day job as a Building Designer and just hammer and solder and melt things all day, every day! I think I will eventually get there, but I also need a balance between family life and work. So it may take until my little men are at school during the week to really have the time for growing my business. Until then I'll just use every spare second I have- mainly when kids are sleeping- to indulge my jewellery designing obsession :)

Is your work for sale, and if so, where can I buy it?

 
You can visit my Etsy Shop for my jewellery already for sale and enquire about custom jewellery.

And you can see the jewellery trees and also enquire about custom jewellery through my Missie Krissie blog.

Do you have any upcoming events planned (exhibitions, markets, interviews, courses etc)?

 

Nope, sorry. But I'm hopeful that in the future there will be many :)

Do you have any advice for others who would like to follow their creative dream?

I think you have to love and harbour a burning passion for what you do. As long as you have that, nothing can deter you from success! There will be flops and failures, but if you have passion, you'll continue and get it right.

Thanks so much for the wonderful interview Kristie - I'm always interested in finding out just a little bit more of how others are inspired. If you like what you see here, then why not pop on over to Missie Krissie and enter the giveaway for this gorgeous Rustic Ruffled Sterling Silver and Amethyst Ring by July 31st.

My name is in the barrel and I have my fingers crossed!

My Place and Yours :: On The Shelf

Everybody else is playing along on this lazy weekend, so I thought I'd join in too.

I had a lovely little relaxing crafternoon (and cappucino) at Bec's house yesterday, so today I've been cleaning up and catching up on the massive pile of dirty washing in my laundry - I'm up to my fifth load for the day.....

This little set of shelves was in my bathroom at my old house, but now it lives in the corner of the kitchen right next to the sliding door. I haven't organised it at all, I've just plonked special little things in there bit by bit....

I still have many more special things packed in boxes that I haven't yet found, and I've been here for eight months now - all in good time I suppose.

From the top:

CurlyPops embroidery from Missie Krissie
Fabric covered tea light candle holder - housewarming pressie from Hoppo Bumpo
Scented Candle - Blueberry
Tea Cups and Coffee Cups collected from various oppies
Esther Bunny from Little Black Crow
More candles
Ugly clock that has sentimental value (21st birthday gift from my Nana)
Glass whale ornament - had it for years - I think my mum gave it to me

Well that's it - hope everyone is having a lovely weekend..... it's back to the washing for me!

Blogtoberfest Day 16: Missie Krissie and the SuperPops Spoon

Here's the next SuperPops Challenge entry by the very crafty Missie Krissie.

I think it's absolutely fabulous that everyone has used completely different tools and techniques to create the same character - crafty bloggers are a talented lot for sure!

Tune in tomorrow for another instalment - thanks Kristie

A Super Dooper Giveaway

If you head on over to Missie Krissie, you can join in the giveaway for her newest creation - a very groovy jewellery tree.

It's been created using various pieces of cutlery and a bowl, which have been soldered together.

I'm thinking that it would also make a very cool christmas tree in December, with just a few baubles and trinkets.

Good Luck!

A box full of sunshine

I arrived home lastnight to find a huge box waiting for me on the kitchen table (luckily my mum had been at my house when the postie arrived).

I was lucky enough to win the 'guess the new baby name' over at Missie Krissie. I actually won by default as Kristie gave the hint that the name started with the letter N. As I have two nephews whose names begin with N, I guessed both names...... and the new little bubba's name is Noah (which incidentally is one of my favourite boys names in the whole wide world).

Inside the box were the most amazing lot of goodies - beautiful vintage fabric, lots and lots of different types and colours of yarn (perfect for some experimentation), and the best bit - a beautifully embroidered CurlyPops frame.

Thankyou so much Kristie - I have no idea how on earth you had time to complete that beautiful embroidery for me, but I truly appreciate it!

Shop Update and a giveaway

I've just updated The CurlyPops Shop with some leftover items from the market....

I promised a giveaway last week but I got a bit snowed under with the market preparations, and I've been sick this week so I still haven't organised anything!

In the meantime, head on over and visit Missie Krissie for this fabulous giveaway

I'll definitely be having a giveaway this weekend!

It's a dropping frenzy

The Christmas Toy Society frenzy has begun in earnest.......

My helper elves came to the park to assist with the drop. They wanted to tie it right up the top, but we settled on half way up. We even stayed and played in the park for another hour or so (and I got a little bit sunburnt). A boy on a bmx bike had a bit of a look at the softie, but I think it was just a bit too pink for him!

You can check out the Flickr Group here where the drops are being uploaded as they happen, or the Toy Society blog here where drops are also being uploaded. A huge thankyou to a very special person for her fantastic organisational work in organising the whole shebang!

In other important news, there are a couple of fantastic pre-christmas giveaways happening:

Kristie from MissieKrissie is giving away a beautiful handmade necklace and bracelet with your own personal inscription, and Leigh from Love Leigh Things is giving away a Denise Schmidt Quilt It Kit. Head on over and enter!

What I'm wearing Wednesday

Just another casual day today - singlet and long sleeved top because it's still weirdly chilly for summer, and a pair of old and slightly too big jeans, teamed with my lovely CurlyPops necklace....

Join in over at Fii's place.

Merry Christmas to me

I decided to treat myself to a little early christmas present this week.

Above photo from Kristie

I saw these on Kristie's Missie Krissie blog and fell in love with them, so I custom ordered one for myself.

Isn't it gorgeous! It's sterling silver, and I chose pink beads. Who says you can't wear your name around your neck?

Kristie doesn't have an online shop just yet but you can email her - jemkris (at) westnet (dot) com (dot) au to find out more.

The Land of Topsy Turvy

Do you ever feel like you're living in the Land of Topsy-Turvy? I feel like that a lot lately. It seems that whenever something happens that's not so good, ten good things happen to counteract the not so good..... strange.

Take yesterday for instance... I won not one, but two fantastic blog giveaways! Thankyou so much to Handmaiden and Missie Krissie.

So now to reset the balance, I'm having my own giveaway. The winner can choose anything they like from The CurlyPops Shop. I'll draw a winner at 8PM on Saturday 6th December (Melbourne time). Good Luck!

Eeeeeeeeeekkkkkk part 2

Well yesterday I opened the letterbox and squeeled with delight again!

There was another gorgeous package waiting for me to rip it open. This was a gift from Kristie over at Missie Krissie just because..... Isn't that sweet!

Inside are some beautiful fabrics (the goldfish fabric is really cute), some ribbon and vintage buttons and the cutest little quilted zippered pouch. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it's a quilted block (I think it's log cabin but I don't know much about quilting) which has been turned into a pouch...such a great idea.

Thankyou so much Kristie, I love it all!

Also in yesterdays mail was this sweet little postcard from Jhoanna. I wish I lived closer to Balaclava so I could go and check out all of her gorgeous softies in person......

This is heading straight for my inspiration wall in the half craft / half spare room!