Spotlight: girl savage

Kate is her name and feltidermy is her game. You know her as girl savage, and she's been an artist since she was old enough to clutch a fat crayon in her chubby toddler fist. Now as a real live (almost grownup) artist, she still loves to create things that bring people joy and perhaps even make them giggle, and I'd say, she's right on track with that.

Read on to learn more about how feltidermy came to be, how Kate got her start on Etsy and what she has planned for the future.

Where do you hail from and currently live?
I was born and raised in a small farm town in North Western IL. I now live in Chicago with my husband (a web designer), our 2 (15 year old) cats and our 4 year terrier mix.

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
I opened an account to buy on Etsy on March 31, 2006. I opened my shop on June 3, 2007

Do you sell on Etsy full time or do you have a day job?
Thanks to my supportive husband, I sell on Etsy full time.

What, if any, formal training have you had in your craft?
Well, I took wood shop all through high school, which helps with staining and finishing my plaques. I also took as much drafting as I could in highschool, which helps with my pattern making. Everything else has been self taught.

What made you decide to open up shop on Etsy?
I started making plush bunnies, while living in Upstate NY, for Easter gifts in Spring 2007. The bunnies evolved into plush squirrels, then deer. The plush started to take over our little apartment and a few friends, some of them from getcrafty.com, mentioned that I should open an Etsy shop. I went on etsy and did countless searches to see if anyone was making anything quite like I was. At that time no one was stitching wool felt, by hand and letting their stitches show. I decided it was worth a try and started taking photos and taking measurements of my plush.

Where did your shop name come from?
A bottle of wine, a good friend, my husband and my hospital baby bracelet that my Mom had just sent to me.

Define 'feltidermy' and tell us how it began
Felt + taxidermy = Feltidermy! Feltidermy came about by a strange request from a music video producer. I was contacted and asked if I could make a mounted moose head that could be puppeted from behind to lip sync to music. While I actually thought it was not such a weird request, the fact that it would need to be in Los Angeles 4 days from then was way out there to me. I hadn’t even thought about the mechanics of the whole thing…A pattern would have to be developed, mounting would need figuring out…Let alone the whole puppetry aspect. I decided I had to try to make one, not a puppet version, just mounted. I loved the idea of a mounted felt stuffed animal head! After 2 weeks of trouble shooting and figuring out how to mount it securely, I had my first feltidermy finished!

What do you like least about your craft?
Cutting the tiny felt eyes? Haha, no really, I can't complain about what I do! Sometimes I just sit back and giggle that I actually get to spend my day doing this. It's a dream come true for me!

Do you have any advice for other sellers on Etsy or those thinking about pursuing their craft?
Stick to your own ideas, list often, take great photos, be original and think like your customers!

Five Etsy Shops you love
knitalatte
KitLane
loulouandoscar
ashleyg
sarahogren

Favorite Etsy purchases
I would say it's a tie between a crocheted hat with antlers on it from Jack Rabbit, my peas and pods collection from Kit Lane and my pincushion from rabbitsmoon.

Five things you love
Period drama movies, Steve Martin, lazy Sundays, laughing and baking

Five things you dont
Mean people, negitivity, stress, stress and stress

Where is the coolest place you have ever been?
A little back street in the West Village of NYC. It was so quiet and lined with perfect brownstone buildings. For a few minutes it was like we had stepped out of the city and onto a Hollywood sound stage.

What is your favorite leisure time activity?
Baking, cooking and lounging around watching movies with my husband. When I can I love to be with my family, I'm one of 6 kids, we can laugh for hours!

What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you?
When I was 9 years old, I was attacked by a Rodeo clown dog. Weird, right?

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, with whom would it be?
I don't know. As good as someone else's life might look, I think I prefer my own. Although being Elizabeth Bennet for a day or two might be nice.

Share some of your favorite music
Mostly French music from the 1960's, Breakfast at Tiffany's soundtrack and Demitri from Paris

If you could be a superhero, what would your powers be?
Super sonic housecleaning powers and the ability to blink myself anywhere for travel...any travel time over 2 hours makes me crazy.

What makes you angry?
Close minded people, people who are "never' wrong, people who bale others for their shortcomings.

What does the future hold for you and your shop?
The future is weird for me, I have a hard time knowing what will happen in the next hour. I hope for more success, to keep growing and creating new ideas. I would one day love to have my own wood shop for making my own plaques.

You can keep up with Kate, her work and all the new happenings in her shop by visiting her blog and following her on twitter.