Meet the members of The Quilted Fish Design Team. Here they are, my wonderful Creative Consultants!
I asked them each to answer a few questions for me. Here are their answers:
Sally Keller from Houston, TX
sallysangelworks.typepad.com, cellomom.etsy.com, sallysangelworks.com
What is your favorite quote or saying?
When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown
"The joy of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10
What inspires you to create?
a sweet melody I can’t get out of my head, my husband, a blue cloudless sky, the smell of lavender, a cottage-style kitchen table with white paint peeling off of it, the soft feel of cotton, a wrap-around porch with a tin star on it, my husband, the cello, a rubber stamp – some red ink – and a black journaling marker, buttons and lace, swirls, the sound of my children peeking into my room while I’m sleeping in the morning then giggling and running away, did i mention my husband?, a beautiful blog, the ocean at sunrise, a group of women who honestly strive to encourage each other, my mother, the way that God uses the earth to paint a landscape, the sleepy-eyed look in my children’s faces when they first get up, embroidery thread, a pencil and a sketch pad, good bluegrass music, a comfy chair, a soft worn vintage quilt…AND being made in the image of the Creator and creating all day long!
What is one thing you want people to know about you?
Along with being hopelessly in love with my husband and loving crafting, I am also a professional musician. I have two degrees in Cello Performance, but really I prefer singing and playing guitar with my band, Brazos River Turnaround.
Stephanie Peterson from Kalamazoo, MI
My favorite quote/saying:
I got this in a fortune one time, and I just love it. It has sort of become a life motto for me: If you want to be happy, act happy. That pretty much sums up my philosophy of life!
What inspires you to create?
Just about everything can inspire me; and sometimes nothing can! A good pattern, a need that I have (like I need a quilt for my bed, so I should make one), really cute fabric, a photo of nature, a quip someone says.... It could all inspire me. Sometimes, given that I do all my creating on the weekends, this can cause a "bottleneck." I get ideas during the week and am inspired, but by the weekend, that inspiration is gone. Sometimes it's hard to force creativity only on certain days. But, one thing is for sure...the shower is where I do my best thinking. Most of my good ideas or solutions to a problem come in the middle of a hot shower! So, there you have it...when you are stuck, go take a hot shower!
What is one thing you want people to know about you?
That although I am really excited to be participating in this adventure with you, I am really scared that I will not be able to come up with any creative ideas and I will feel like a schlep in the process! And that I have NO SELF-CONTROL WHATSOEVER when I am in a fabric or craft store! Oh, and one more thing...I also have a fetish for organizing and office supplies. I LOVE little containers, plastic tubs, etc. And if I don't feel like creating on some days (or am not feeling inspired), I love to reorganize the sewing room!
Julie Dueck from San Francisco, CA
What is your favorite quote or saying?
My favorite quote is "Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle". I find it to be true and it is a good reminder to me to always put on a smile and a gentle voice.
What inspires you to create?
This is going to sound cliche but everything I see around me inspires me. I have always been a crafter. When I first learned to quilt I lived in Germany. I would drive and everything I saw became a quilt in my mind. The hills looked like a watercolor quilt and the fields looked like patchwork. I would get so excited about all of the designs in my head that some nights I couldn't go to sleep. Sometimes it is a person that inspires me. I will meet someone and they will have an interesting hobby or pursuit and it will make me think of a design for them.
What is one thing you want people to know about you?
That is a tough one because it could be anything. When it comes to crafting I would want them to know that my favorite thing is to help new crafters, quilters, jewelry makers etc... I love to help find a solution to little problems or help them make lemonade out of lemons. As far as me personally I would want them to know how committed to my family I am, and how much I love home schooling my daughter.
Brooke Sellmann from York, NE
sillymamaquilts-sillymama.blogspot.com, www.etsy.com/shop/sillymamaquilts
What is your favorite quote or saying?
Treat others as you would like to be treated.
What inspires you to create?
My love of sharing Fresh and Fun Handmade Projects
What is one thing you want people to know about you?
I love my life - what I do and my role as a wife and mother!
Jackie White from Ontario, Canada
www.jabotquilt.blogspot.com
What is your favorite saying or quote?
“To achieve what others don’t, you have to do what others won’t.”
What inspires you to create?
Something deep inside me drives me to do it, it is like a need that must be fulfilled. Similar to what inspires me to breathe - I just simply must.
What is one thing you want people to know about you?
I love doing what no one else has thought of.
Johanna Wilke from Munich, Germany
www.jonaetlili.blogspot.com
What is your favorite quote or saying?
My favorite quote for life in general would be by John Lennon:
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Now, that is just for daily life, for crafting it would be Scott Adams:
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."
What inspires you to create?
My inspiration comes from all around me. There are - of course - all those fabulous things on flickr and blogland but there is so much more than that. I get inspired by the people around me, a quilt displaying trees for my forest-loving brother, a "manly" messenger bag with a pear instead of the apple logo for my technology-loving friend. A red-orange-yellow quilt because those beautiful autumn colours are just breathtaking.
What is one thing you want people to know about you?
If there is one thing that I could tell people about me it's that I may look plain but I make things multicolored.
KarrieLyne Winters from Rockton, IL
What is your favorite quote or saying?
My favourite quote is by E. E. Cummings: " Trust your heart if the seas catch fire and live by love though the stars walk backward". To me this is about taking chances. To not allow what happened in the past to hinder you because the future is an open book and only you can write it. The possibilities are endless. :)
What inspires you to create?
Everything. From a box of crayons (the really really big ones...lol) to nature and everything in between. Everywhere you look there is inspiration and ideas for creativity! You just have to keep your eye out for it and don't limit yourself! I always have a camera and a sketch pad just in case. :)
What is one thing you want people to know about you?
The one thing that I would want people to know about me is how much I love to show people new things. It is so exciting to teach someone a new technique or an easier way to go about a project, then seeing the look on their face...that "Ah Ha" moment. Or when they look at a design and say "I can't do that" but when I show them how easy it is and they take a chance at it and knock it out of the park, it's priceless! Bringing people into creativity who thought they couldn't do it, that's what I love.
Candice Doyle from Chino Hills, CA
madewithlove-candice.blogspot.com/, www.etsy.com/shop/squirmywormstudio
What is your favorite quote or saying?
"Creativity is contagious. Pass it on." --- Albert Einstein
What inspires you to create?
Many things inspire me to create, including: Bloggers, beautiful fabric, quilt stores, and color!
What is one thing you want people to know about you?
I'm a perfectionist when it comes to sewing, yet I wouldn't have it any other way!
Jana Kigin from Frederick, MD
crossstitchdramaqueen.blogspot.com, jkigin.etsy.com
What is your favorite quote or saying?
My favorite quote is: Keep Calm and Carry On.
What inspires you to create?
I feel the need to create after a long day with my kids. My husband works crazy and long hours, so I'm alone a lot after my kids go to bed. I go down to my sewing room where it's quiet and make something pretty or functional (or both!) and feel like no matter how my day has gone, that I've accomplished something great.
What is one thing you want people to know about you?
I think I'm very, very funny. And beautiful.
