Oooooooh, delightful things in our prize drawing this week. Take a look: - A cute pink paint-ship notebook, from cat and monkey. - A sweet plaid zipper bag, from Holland Cox. - An adorable button and recipe card set, from boygirlparty. - A lovely machine-embroidered fabric flower pin, from Honorable Mention. - An amazing polymer clay magnet, from niceclutter. One lucky subscriber will win all this bounty. We'll announce that winner here next week. Fingers crossed, everyone! UPDATE: And the winner is . . . Judy Corona! Congratulations!

Okay, this week's prize is a dynamite reference book on collage techniques: Claudine Hellmuth's Collage Discovery Workshop: Beyond the Unexpected. You can peek at some sample pages right here and see what I mean. One lucky subscriber will win, and we'll announce the winner here next week. Hope it's you! UPDATE: Congratulations to our winner, Serena Barton!

This week, we're visiting with Mariko, who is the co-owner of superbuzzy. (If you're a fabric junkie, or a lover of Japanese crafts, you'll love superbuzzy.) And in her increasingly-smaller spare time, Mariko also makes things and blogs under the name Super Eggplant.

-------------------------------------

So, let's start with your crafting -- what kinds of things do you make (when you have time to make them)? I tend to go in spurts with crafting. I'll get all obsessed with sewing something in particular, like skirts or totes, and then go on a rampage, and then I'll have a period where I won't sew at all. In sewing, though, I mostly make garments and a few accessories, like bags. I've only ever made one quilt! I also like to knit sweaters, though you wouldn't know that lately -- I've been working on the same sweater since last summer! I'm on the collar now, so the end is near, I hope. I'm trying to learn how to crochet and do some embroidery and cross-stitch. The crafting possibilities are endless! . . . And you recently started up an endeavor called superbuzzy -- where did the idea come from, and what do you sell? The idea for superbuzzy came to me in a flash. It just kind of hit me really hard, and I knew I had to pursue it. I signed up for an import/export class and starting thinking about how to make it all happen. Around that time I was reading Kelly's blog, and she casually mentioned wanting to open a business selling Japanese fabrics and zakka goods, and oh, was anyone interested? I contacted her immediately, and can you believe we actually made it happen? I think if I had been left to my own devices, I never would have followed through. It's so great having a smart, capable, and fun partner! superbuzzy sells not only Japanese fabrics but also notions (we just got in some really fun bias tapes), Japanese craft books and magazines, zakka (stationery, magnets, clips, tote bags, placemats), tools (yo yo makers and pompom makers!) and yarn. We're always looking for fun new products to add to our inventory! What has been the biggest surprise in the process of bringing superbuzzy to the world? I tend to be a self doubter, but I had a strong feeling superbuzzy would be successful. I did not, however, have any idea that it would grow so quickly! We just opened for business in August of 2006, and I remember having about two shelves of fabric. Now we have a lot more inventory and are running out of space. The response has been overwhelming, and it's really gratifying to know there are customers out there who love our products. Superbuzzy has a very enthusiastic following! Why do you think crafters love these fabrics and trims from Japan so much? I think the Japanese craft revolution is somewhat of a trend, but I also believe that there is a really strong Japanese craft aesthetic that speaks to us here in the US. You look at Japanese craft books and designs and fabrics, and you know, there's just nothing like it being produced here, so it's easy to get all crazy obsessed with the Japanese stuff! I've been reading Japanese craft magazines since the 1980s, and they have always been so full of amazing ideas. I guess I've been a Japanese craft junkie for a really long time! What is your take on the difference between "Art" and "Craft?" Hmm, good question! When I think "art," I tend to think towards fine art and toward individual, one-of-a-kind pieces. For instance, when I look at Angry Chicken Amy's miniature quilts and such on Kingpod.com, I think that is art! I guess I tend to think of art as something you put on a wall or at least something you don't touch or mangle, but I also am not completely adamant about this definition. I'm flexible! As for "craft," I think of craft as anything a person creates with her hands that brings the creator joy, both in the process and the final result. It's a very wide canvas! What is your favorite creative spot in Portland? There are too many to pick a single creative spot, and the spots have changed over the years! Back when I first started getting into sewing, I spent a lot of time at COD Fabrics in Beaverton. They were the first to carry high-tech fabrics, and they had seconds from Nike and InSport. They had polarfleece before it became ubiquitous! I also spent a lot of time in the remnants section at the Mill End Store in Beaverton. Oh, and my best friend's mother was a co-owner of Josephine's Dry Goods, so I remember spending a lot of time there and dreaming up all sorts of garments. Nowadays I go to Fabric Depot (it's fairly close to my house), Rose City Textiles, Bolt, Close Knit, Lint, oh, you name it. I tend to do all of my crafting at home, but if I had time to go out and knit, I'd probably find a sunny cafe. I've always found sunny spots, wooden tables, and yummy coffee to be very conducive to crafting.

We're chatting this week with Amanda Horton, who makes delicate jewelry under the name Allium Designs, and has mad metal-working skillz. You can see more of her work at her Etsy store. ----------------------------------------------

So, how did you get started designing and making jewelry? Well...I really started making jewelry when I was living in Brooklyn, NY. I had always dabbled around making different things (headbands, clothes, soaps, lip balms, various housewares and accessories, etc.) and the I started making jewelry for myself and friends. People would always encourage me to start selling my various products. And, then one evening I was on a really bad first date and the cocktail waitress complimented me on a pair of earrings I was wearing (that I had made). We started chatting and come to find out she was starting a showroom and was interested in seeing and carrying my line. (Why I love New York.) So, in retrospect that was kind of a turning point for me...it is when I finally thought, "Hey, other people like my designs...I can actually start making jewelry to sell!"

How would you describe your approach to jewelry design? My approach, let's see. People are in a hurry most of the time and not everyone has a chance or wants to think about accessories. I try to create pieces that are simple, wearable, durable, and glamorous. I hope people feel like they can grab a piece of jewerly to put on whether they are spending 3 hours to get ready or running out the door in five minutes, and look good and feel confident about how they look. I try to portray a sense of simple elegance by combining elements of vintage charm with a contemporary look and feel.

What kinds of things inspire your work? Everyday sorts of things from nature to the people I encounter on a daily basis. Usually I get an idea and start to make it and halfway through, I get inspired while in the process of making an actual piece. I really have to work with something and have something tangible in my hands to get an idea of what it is going to look like, how it will hang, etc. So, I guess I don't really have a "design eye"...I like to be in the process of working with the various components that go into my pieces.

Out of all the pieces you've made, do you have a favorite? I have this really great big beaded necklace that I made when I first learned how to properly bead - with silk thread and handmade needles. It is chunky, long and goes with so much of my stuff. I had this really great teacher at F.I.T and she made me appreciate and embrace the craftsmanship of handmade jewelry. So many designers just use crappy beading wire and crimps and there isn't anything special about the workmanship. I try to avoid that because with a little extra time, you can make something so much more durable and nice. I am probably one of the only people that notice, but that is enough for me! I absolutely love the piece. I only made one and wear it all the time.

What is your take on the difference between "Art" and "Craft?" Good question. I guess I don't really consider myself an artist and I don't really know why, I just don't. I think each are both perfectly acceptable forms of expressing yourself. Art encompasses so many things and I think of crafting in more specific terms of making and producing something like buttons, stocking hats, bath products...stuff like that.

What is your favorite creative spot in Portland? Sadly, I spend a lot of time on the bus in Portland. I work up on the hill at OHSU and it takes about an hour to get up there and an hour to get home each weekday, which I must say is crazy in and of itself since I do live so close-in in the city. Anyways, it clearly isn't the most creative spot per se in Portland, but I have a lot of time to think and gather my thoughts in terms of design. I do a lot of sketching and planning on the bus.