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Penguin Ornaments by Michal Wright
Michal Wright (aka Paper Armadillo) has a cheeky sense of humor and isn't afraid to use it. Check out her blog for her regular musings, and her website for her serious side. Her Flickr page has great in-process photos. (You know I love it when crafters share the inner workings of their projects; it's that generous spirit that is as inspiring as the work itself!) Be sure to check out her Etsy shop because I also love her cute plushie cats and her snowboy and snowgirl coin purses!
Arwen: How did you get into crafting?
Michal: i honestly can't remember myself not doing something creative. when we were little, every summer my mom would go to this wholesale crafts supplies seller and get loads of everything and just let me and my sister play. no kits, no directions - just fooling around. that was the best. ... and probably why, to this day, i can't follow a pattern without making some sort of change that will make it my own. and i love it!
Arwen: Why ornaments? :-)
Michal: that's actually funny because i'm jewish and originally from israel. i only celebrated christmas twice! i just got so inspired this year by people's trees and decorations they've been showing on their crafty blogs. i love how every tree, was made so personal by the ornaments people made or bought for them. i don't know what the fact that my tree is going to have pink penguins on it says about me... ; )
Arwen: What process do you use?
Michal: i used my dear gocco. it was a bit of a hit and miss, but i'm pleased with the end result. the process still feels a bit magical to me. i love it!
Arwen: And what inspires you most?
Michal: wow... a lot of things. nature, my cat, other people's interpretation of the world, fellow craftsters' work. i can get intimidated by other people's work sometimes, but i still think my biggest source of inspiration this year is seeing people's work on their blog or etsy. oh, and swapping with said craftsters is the best.
Arwen: What's one tip you'd give to other crafters?
Michal: don't be afraid to throw things away. learning from mistakes is the only textbook you'll ever really need.
Arwen: What are your favorite crafting books/websites/magazines?
Michal: i love craftster.org, whipup.net and the recently discovered softies central.
Arwen: What are your most important influences?
Michal: animals. that's going to sound really silly, but - have you ever seen a capibara?! nature created those zany creatures that just don't make any sense - and yet, they're out there and thriving. looking at animals and nature keeps reminding me to think outside the box and keep looking around, even when i think i already got my creative answer. it reminds me that still - i don't have a clue. and that it's great.
