Biologie's Sunshine Spotlight: an interview with artisan Rebecca of Raige Creations.
Raige Creations - where Creating is all the Raige and where you can find hand-crafted items made by the wonderful Rebecca, today's featured artisan. She makes many crocheted items of all kinds from cozies to purses, intimates, original stuffed animals and, soon, quilts. When she doesn't have her hands full juggling her family schedule she often has her hands full of yarns or fabrics.
Beck loves to create and she's good at it too! Her interests lie in friends, family and experimenting with new materials, including trying new things. She's a very talented lady with a background in Business Administration and she has two online shops where you can browse her pretty creations on Etsy or Zibbet. I'm the proud owner of this adorable crocheted stick-shift cozie (pictured above) as well as some of her Easter egg cozies!
Here's a peek at Rebecca and what goes on behind the scenes of Raige Creations:
When did you first realize you were an artist and wanted to create?
I am an artist? Really? I never considered myself one. Seriously though, I am sort of uncomfortable calling myself an artist because I have never been good at drawing or sculpting, and my Painting 101 class in college hardly makes me a painter. Though my final painting in that class was selected to be in the end of term art show, I think it was because my teacher thought I was “most improved“.
I was actually introduced to art at a very young age, and art and creation has been a large part of my life since the beginning. One of the first memories I have is sculpting a snowman out of Ivory Snow Powder.
I fully enjoy the process of creating, but I consider myself more of an artisan lately, as my current works tend to be of the more practical and crafting side.
Did you come from a large family of creative people?
Though I never considered both my father and mother artists, both sides did contribute very much to where I am today creatively. My Mother was an artist and photographer who had her own Photography business. Her father was a creator of sorts, a structural engineer (created bridges). My Father was a musician, definitely the practical thinker though not much of a visual artist. I got my urge for creating things practical from him. His mother was both practical and creative - creative by necessity. She taught piano lessons throughout her life, sewed clothes, and then quilts with the leftover fabrics. It is from her that I was inspired to try a modified version of her Tied Quilts.
My husband is an artist by trade and uses many mediums. We have always had art in our lives and exposed our own children to as much art and creativity as we could. My husband and I even opened our own internationally renowned fine art gallery overseas several years ago. That venture was cut short in 2004 by a Category 4 hurricane but still remains a great chapter in our lives, and we certainly were immersed in the art world and surrounded by creative people: which we miss dearly but never could replace, to this day.
Have your children expressed an interest in pursuing a career in art?
They have each had spurts of artistic desires, though each in very different ways. Our heavy involvement in the arts may have “cured” them of pursuing art as a career. You know they say your children strive to be the opposite of their parents. And they have seen the difficulties involved in making a living as an artist, so although they each enjoy creating they may pursue a different career. Too early to tell yet really.
Your blog has a wonderful post about colorblindness. How do you choose which colors to put together when you are making your items?
Thank you for the compliment
regarding that post. Our 2 sons are colorblind, so we have always found the subject to be interesting. I am ashamed to say I am a bit selfish when I create my crocheted things. I tend to use colors that I like, and create things that I find useful, and beautiful. I find it more difficult to create when I do not totally love the color or item I am working with. However, with the quilts I have made and am trying to make now, I choose the colors based on who I am making the quilt for. I find that I love working on it because I think they will love it and appreciate it, and understand the colors and materials that I am using. With each I have made, there is a story behind the fabrics and a special meaning for each recipient. I am currently making a quilt for my son, who is colorblind, so I am choosing colors and images that he likes and using materials that he picked. He wanted a quilt of his old favorite tee shirts that he grew out of, so I know this one will be special for him.
Who/what inspires or influences you?
I think what inspires me the most is the people in my life, and the stories of life. Most of the things I have created were for those close to me, and/or in memory of those who were in my life. I also love the stories behind the creations because the item takes on an added dimension with a history behind it. If there is a great meaning or history behind the materials or items used, I am inspired to create with those things and give them a new purpose. The fabrics I use in quilts are always fabrics that were used in a different way in their ‘former life‘. I create other crafts based on the story behind them also, like the Sand and Shell Christmas Ornaments I made while living in the Caribbean. The story of the gathering of sand and shells was a big part of the final product. Those ornaments were more that just sand and shells, it included the searching, the gathering, the fun I had with my kids. And I see those things more than just the sand and shells in the ornaments each time I look at them. The history and meanings behind the creations are something I truly enjoy, so when I find that meaning, I am inspired to create something that will carry on the story.
What other interests do you have outside of creating?
I am very interested in losing about 10 pounds, so I have been working out with My Fitness Coach (on the Wii) almost every Monday through Friday since I got it for Christmas. I also like walking the dog as it gives me time to think, enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, and get some exercise. I do love to be outdoors, though it is difficult during the winter here. During spring-time, I want to be outside as much as possible, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. I like to plant flowers, and have tried Rhubarb and Asparagus with some success. When we get more land I would love to try a full vegetable garden.
Other than that, I have found some interest in the stock market, since the crash last year when things were quite cheap. It has been interesting to dabble in it here and there. As we all know, the interest earned on savings in banks is next to nothing, so we thought entering the market couldn’t be any worse than that, and we could have never entered into the market at it’s previous levels.
And of course, the hubby and kids, and their interests, generally take up the rest of my interests.
What are Tied Quilts and have you been working on any lately?
Tied Quilts, sometimes called mock quilts, are quilts that have its 3 layers joined by a stitch of yarn, or string. The loose ends of the yarn or string are then tied together in a square knot. The Complete Guide to Quilting (my one and only quilting book that gave me the courage to try quilting) says that tying is used when time is limited or when the fill is too thick to be quilted. True, time is always limited, and that is one of the 3 reasons I began quilting tied quilts. The main reason I started with tied quilts is my Grandmother made tied quilts and I just loved the looks of hers and wanted to create that simple, rustic look with a modern update. And the other reason I tried tied is that I was very intimidated by the thought of hand quilting an entire quilt. (I can’t hand sew very straight, and my sewing machine is not for quilting).
I have 2 quilts I am trying to work on right now. The one is for my son that I mentioned already. It will be made using tee shirts he has grown out of, and he picked each shirt to go in the quilt. I am also supplementing with his once favorite camouflage pants he grew out of. and I am also making one for my daughter. It is a surprise for her - she has no idea I am making one for her or that I have been saving fabrics for this. It will be made from a selection of materials that she loves, or loved at one time. I have saved clothes she grew out of such as embellished jeans and velvet dresses, the material we used to create our first teddy bear, and the cheetah/leopard print material we made a pillow out of for her room.
Plus I am trying quilted coasters, inspired by the Flannel Quilt I made for my husband last year.
When did you learn to create baskets from hemp?
I am a self taught hemp basket creator. I first tried to crochet with it a few months ago. It is a very durable, natural material and I love the look of it crocheted. I had attempted my first original crocheted yarn basket at the beginning of this year, not using any pattern. (I seldom use patterns, and thus there is a lot of trial and error). I loved the results of that. I find I am very drawn to baskets and love their practical function with the aesthetic beauty, and thought the hemp would really make different and attractive basket. So I gave it a try just about a month ago, the beginning of April. After starting one, ripping it out (it looked terrible) and starting over, I was off to a great start. I didn’t anticipate the need for band-aids, but not even halfway through the first try, my fingers were raw! Once I put 2 band-aids on, I was all set to finish. Though it is difficult to crochet, I actually love doing it and plan to take another stab at it soon! I also want to try to dye the hemp different colors to create colorful baskets.
What is one medium you have always wanted to work with but have not as of yet had the opportunity to do so?
It is hard to think of one I haven’t at least tried that I was interested in. I was lucky to have been able to try all kinds of mediums while growing up. I even learned stained glass and tried airbrushing (tho’ be it airbrush tattoos) a few years ago.
I do want to try mosaics next. I have this urge to break plates and china. I had this compulsion to buy china sets for cheap at auctions a few years ago and seem to have a lot of plates and dinnerware. I see plates and china now and think, “Oh, I would love to break them into little pieces!“ Then I would like piece them together in different ways to create something totally different than their original purpose.
I also would love to figure out something to do with rocks. For some reason, my family collects rocks. We have rocks everywhere, from anywhere and everywhere we have ever been. We have trekked rocks from Iowa all the way to the Caribbean and back, gathering more from the Caribbean, then Maine, North Carolina, Florida, and of course New York where we live now. How can you create something special and practical with rocks besides a wall? Oh, hey - there’s an idea!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Creating a rock wall with pieces of broken plates in it, in Asheville, NC. We do plan on moving this summer to NC where, hopefully, art and creation still will be a large part of our lives, all be it on a smaller, less formal and demanding scale.
Thank you Rebecca for letting us get to know you better and for all your inspiring and creative ways to enhance our lives in not only practical but artistic and heartfelt ways!
Beck and her family are now in the process of preparing for their move to North Carolina. She was recently appointed as a columnist at IndieSmiles.com and you can read more about her creations on her blogspot at Raige Creations or check out her Facebook page!
