This blog post was created to show you what I sent in for my application for Making It: season two. I listed the main questions they asked with my accompanying answers. I really hope I make it on to the show, but I also hope this post inspires you to showcase your talents and go for a dream of yours. Huge thank you to Angela Doheny Photography for her time and making this video, and thank you to my friends who filmed themselves with some items I made. I couldn’t be a maker without the amazing support of those who believe in me and help me, and I am forever grateful.
Q: Please write a brief auto-biographical statement that includes your current occupation, a description of your family, what role crafting plays in your life as well as a brief personal point or two that you think relevant/fun/interesting.
I am a graphic designer by day and a crafter by night. I live in Saint Paul, MN with my two cats and am a bit of a crazy cat lady. Growing up my parents and my grandmother always kept a ‘Box of Possibilities’ full of scraps, materials, and craft supplies for me to make things with. Anything that had possibilities went into the box! I have consistently made things my entire life. I am unique in that I make both by hand and digitally. I am a maker who can design a branding system formatted for multiple online platforms as well as a make a Pinterest inspired D.I.Y. project and actually nail it! I often use my blog to showcase what I have made by hand and I have found the intersection of these maker skills have endless possibilities. My friends and family have always championed me pursuing a creative career. They see my talents and determination and have always been supportive of me reaching for my goals. My goal with everything I make is to make sure it has meaning, starts conversations, and helps people see things differently.
Q: What is it that you specialize in within the crafting / handmade goods world?
I specialize in paper mixed media and paper quilling. I have also scrapbooked for decades and have over a dozen scrapbooks complete with pop-up pages and all the layouts are my own design. My scrapbooks are not made with pre-made templates or paper cutting machines. All the designs and paper engineering I make myself and are inspired from the event I am scrapbooking.
Q: If you had to brag about three of the biggest accomplishments in your maker career, what would they be? Please provide links if appropriate.
The three things I am most proud of as maker are the following:
I am proud of my drive to keep creating consistently and I am proud that my experience over the years has honed my skill level enough for a company like Disney. Not only did I work doing graphic design and marketing for the company but my handmade work has been recognized by the company as well. I have been a finalist twice at the Disney D23 Expo, once in 2011 and also in 2017. The piece is from 2017 is below. At first look it looks like a paper sculpture but like all my work it has deeper meaning. If you look closely it is made up of pieces of ephemera that tell the history of the ride.
I also made a global conversation with my digital design work. I showed the world what a magazine cover could be and I made people think differently. People around the world reached out to me about this passion project from Ashton Kutcher’s people, to the UN, and women in the military, and even a father who said this reminded him to try to be a better dad to his daughter and to not just compliment her beauty but also her accomplishments and that is when making something really matters.
And what I am most proud of is sharing my creativity with others. So many people have something I made them that has meaning or have learned how to make something from me. I have used my creativity to decorate elaborate Make-A-Wish parties, volunteering in schools showing kids that creativity is limitless, and even teaching creativity in community education. I teach community ed classes on paper quilling and how to open an Etsy shop. I even have a quilling class online you can enroll in on Skillshare! And these classes are a perfect example of how being a maker doesn’t matter if it is digital or by hand. In fact they can help each other to start more conversations and helps more people think differently, and shows them how to make something meaningful in their lives.
Q: What interests you about being a part of this show?
Being on Making It would push my creative skills by leaps and bounds. Being in a competitive incubator of this caliber would be life-changing for me. Not to mention being able to use all the supplies would be amazing! The show is basically a giant ‘Box of Possibilities.’
I would also relish the chance to be surrounded and pushed by other creatives of such a high caliber. True magic happens when you get that many creative minds in a room and the connections made would be a lifelong asset on my development as a maker.
And lastly I would really enjoy spending time in the L.A. area and seeing the entertainment industry from the inside. This will give me insight on how to reach and inspire more people with my work. I think that insider view will be invaluable.
Q: Have you ever been on television before? If so, please describe your role, including when and what shows?
Not outside of small local news coverage. My work has been featured around the world and even on the TODAY show. I have experience doing radio and podcast interviews. I also teach an online class on Skillshare and I have a YouTube channel.
Q: Include 2 recent photos of yourself and 3 pictures of your work or yourself working on a handmade project in some fashion. (i.e. you in the middle of the process)
And that is it! That is basically my whole application. Wish me luck and maybe just maybe I will make it on the show!