Paula Kumert is a storyteller with a camera

To define your own essence you have to look for your constants, the things that have always been there.

Family stories tell that by age one and a half I used to “read” the paper out loud, including some nodding and Aha! noises. One of my own first memories is about writing. At age 5 I had my first camera which at the time was quite unusual. At age 8 I helped my classmates out with their English lessons.

My life has had many interesting detours and yet I always go back to basics: I gather information, I record and I share. I´m a professional librarian. I write, collect, photograph, show and connect people. I am a storyteller with a camera.

Today I close the cycle of 30 interviews in 30 days with national and international artists for Art Every Day Month in November, answering the same four questions all my interviewees answered for you.

The day you stepped into your current creative space for the first time, did you already know how you wanted your studio to look like or did the design evolve from the actual space?

My studio is totally portable. A laptop and a camera. I can work from any place at home and any place in this planet.

After the work is done, do you clean up after each piece, after each day or whenever you can´t find the table anymore?

When I´m scrapbooking I re arrange the tools and supplies after each layout but only tidy up at the end of the session. Come November I only put everything away on the 30th!

Which is your best time of the day to create? Do you have music on or do you prefer to work in silence?

Each day is different. I have two planners: one for home and one for on line work. I see what needs to be done each day and assign proirities. Family activities always come first!

My brain turns on when the sun comes down. That being said, I´d rather get up very early, which can be considered the night before than sleep till mid morning.

If I am designing or painting I play music. If I am writing I need silence not to get the words mixed up. If I am doing housework and I have to be around the house I put the radio on and if I have to stay in one place (when cooking or ironing) I play Internet podcasts.

 Which is your next project?

On line workshops about creativity and organization for your daily life.  A lot of art journaling, maps and compasses to guide arts & crafts entrepreneurs to see where they are at and how to get where they want to go. Tutorial series on blogging and more.

After the owls that kept me company and guided the way in 2014 I´m choosing cameras as the image for 2015. I will met some artists “live” to know their stories and share them so we can all learn from them. I want to inspire others togo for their dreams in a practical way. I will keep up the photoprompts and illustrate quotes and songs with my own photography archives.

There are more projects in the works. I have a wall full of sticky notes!

Where can we find you on line?

Here! This is my website: http://paulabuenosaires.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PaulaKumertBA  Put me in Get Notifications!!!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PBAtweets

Instagram: http://instagram.com/paulabuenosaires

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/PaulaKumert/

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+PaulaKumert/posts

My thanks to all my guests and everybody who visited me this month!

Daisey Bingham is the woman behind the mask

Daisey Bingham makes breathtakingly beautiful masks. Full of colour and magic. They transform and enlight the people behind the mask. And she is the one who creates all that magic out of fabrics, beads and threads. She is actually the woman behind the mask.

Today Daisy shares about her working space and habits.

The day you stepped into your creative space for the first time, did you already know how you wanted your studio to look like or did the design evolve from the actual space?

The day I stepped into my creative space I said, “This is such a beautiful bedroom, the best bedroom I’ve ever had….” After our recent move to New Zealand, I was so excited to finally have a “real” studio space. And I do have a “real” studio space, with an amazing view and amazing light….but at the moment it is still packed full of boxes. I’m currently working out of the bedroom, and when no pins and needles end up in the bed, or stuck in the bottoms of feet, I consider it a success. When I need a change of venue, I pack a bag of supplies and head to the library, there is good light there, a café with tea, and the best little chocolate sweets. My dream space still exists solely in my mind. But, I’ve learned not to focus so much on having the perfect space. “Not having the space” is a very convenient excuse, if you really want to be creative and get something done, you’ll find a way to make the available space work. Not to say that I won’t be excited once the studio is sorted, but in the meantime, the show must go on.

After the work is done, do you clean up after each piece, after each day or whenever you can´t find the table any more?

The work is never done. I always have multiple projects going at the same time. Mostly, I clean to procrastinate doing a portion of a project I don’t really like….or when guests are coming over…or when the floor gets too scary to walk on.

Which is your best time of the day to create? Music or silence?

I like to get up and work in the early morning when everything is quiet and the rest of the family is still snug in their beds. However, this is generally not practical except on the weekends, so I mostly work during the day when everyone else is at work or school. I have a Pandora station that I like to listen to if I am sewing, but if am drawing or designing a mask I prefer to work in silence. I really miss the days when I had other creative people around to work and chat with, or just work in silence with. Working from home can get lonely.

Which is your next project?

I am in the middle of designing masks for an adaptation of Pinocchio, for a Children’s Theatre in Boston. I have just finished a skull, donkey, and field mouse mask. Next up, I am designing a crow mask. After the Pinocchio project is finished I am planning on starting a Birds of New Zealand mask series. There are some amazing birds here. In fact, we have these giant native parrots called “Kaka” that stop by the house every evening and peak in the windows. I think they are wondering why I am still working in the bedroom and haven’t unpacked all those boxes in the studio yet….perhaps I’ll get to a point where it will become necessary to use my procrastination skills for unpacking instead of cleaning.

Where can we find you on line?

Blog Site: http://creativecompolsive.blogspot.co.nz/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/creativecompulsive

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/oxeyedaisey?ref=hdr_shop_menu

mary hetchcoat

December 4, 2014 at 1:06 am

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Really like this article because it is about my wonderfully beautiful creative daughter! It thrills me to the core to see her work and to see that other folks are getting a chance to recognize and enjoy her love of art. She also works in beautiful watercolor as well as other venues! Thank you for exposing her!

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  Paula - Buenos AiresPost author

  December 4, 2014 at 6:19 pm

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  My pleasure! She is a lovely lady, very talented and great to work with. I´ll keep an eye on her work to promote it even further.
  Thank you very much for your visit, so nice to have you here! 

Gigly Perez is a scrapbooking pioneer in South America

 I was so happy to find a scrapbooking pioneer here in my own city! Gigly Perez brings scrapbooking supplies and classes to the local community.

She has a lovely femenine style with pastel colours and flowers with a touch of smash book style. She has a sweet but no-nonsense approach to teaching and a crowd of loyal followers.

The day you stepped into your current creative space for the first time, did you already know how you wanted your studio to look like or did the design evolve from the actual space?

I chose the space with two fundamental premises: space and light. From there, I designed the rest.

After the work is done, do you clean up after each piece, after each day or whenever you can´t find the table anymore?

I try to tidy up before a class but not always at the end of the day. The desk is sometimes too small but it still works for me.

Which is your best time of the day to create? Do you have music on or do you prefer to work in silence?

I like the quiet and working in the mornings. I´m convinced that if I start early I will make good use of the day.

Which is your next project?

I have a project in mind to take me slightly away from traditional scrapbooking and closer to painting and collage. It will probably include photographs but in a more creative and unusual way.

Where can we find you on line?

Blog: http://giglykits.com/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giglykits

Ann Freeman has a wealth of scrapbooking ideas to share

 

Ann has been scrapbooking for almost 12 years now, started off more in card making (which she still does now and again), made her own wedding stationery in 2003 and then found an advert for scrapbooking in a cardmaking magazine. She was hooked and the rest as the say, is history.

She has designed for the UK retail store A Trip Down Memory Lane for a number of years now and teaches a lot of her scrapbooking ideas at their twice annual retreats as well as running her own scrapbooking crop in North London. ScrapMates is coming up for its 10th birthday!

 The day you stepped into your creative space for the first time, did you already know how you wanted your studio to look like or did the design evolve from the actual space?

I started with a fold out table stored alongside the sofa with a bag of paper craft supplies 11 years ago! I called my husband from my first retreat full of excitement at how awesome it was and by the time I’d returned I had a small corner of the kitchen set up for me! That was in our last house, here I have a small but dedicated craft room. I’d like to empty out and start again storage wise (and maybe declutter) especially after I see all the gorgeous craft spaces on Pinterest!

Smile – layout from 2011 featured in The Scrapbook Magazine (UK)

After the work is done, do you clean up after each piece, after each day or whenever you can´t find the table any more?

I try and tidy up after each piece but sometimes there’s a tidying purge!! If it’s too messy I’ve been known to grab what I need and head elsewhere to create usually just cards as I need my space for larger scrapbooking projects.

A Good book – layout from 2010 as part of a “tell your own story” challenge

Which is your best time of the day to create?

Evenings usually (I work full time as an Accountant and days off are usually reserved for family). I’ve been known to scrap into the early hours, especially when I am away at a crafting retreat! I do listen to music most of the time when crafting (my favourite album to create to is the Soundtrack to the film Eat – Pray – Love) but anyone who knows me is more than aware I’m a huge Matt Cardle fan so he gets played often and has featured on several layouts too.

Gromit – layout from atdml gallery 2013

Which is your next project?

Always have monthly Design Team commitments and am working on December projects at the moment. That coupled with me preparing to join in with the online December Daily project everything is rather festive and sparkly right now!

Love you – one of my recent creation using Websters Pages papers (which I love at the moment)

Where can we find you on line?

Blog: http://mafswife.blogspot.co.uk/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mafswife40/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/mafswife

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ann.freeman.10

Romina Martiré designs shoe making workshops

 When I tell my friends Romina teaches shoe making workshops their eyes light up. Who doesn´t want to have the most original shoes among your friends?  

Ro is an awesome teacher, full of patience, talent and passion. When she told me she had no space of her own to create I asked her how she managed to work like that. Here´s what she told me.

Transmitting knowledge and seeing what my students can make on their own makes me happy!

 The day you stepped into your current creative space for the first time, did you already know how you wanted your studio to look like or did the design evolve from the actual space?

I started my carrer teaching shoe making workshops in creative spaces where you could also learn crochet, book binding and other crafts. With time, I taught on my own, with no “middle man”. I looked for a place I liked and that is how I found ARTIS, a very nice place in Caballito, Buenos Aires and that is where I started working on my own.

The project evolved from the space available. When I finally had a spot where to teach my shoe making workshops I could organize my stuff. For each seminar I bring the materials and the tools we will use and some of that is left at ARTIS. That is why I try to teach only  there. I´m also teaching shoe making workshops at Deco Marce´s Showroom. I love that Shared Space, it has a lovely atmosphere and the owner Marce Conti is super sweet. Right now that is the only “other space” I work in. Carrying materials and tools from one place to another takes a looooooooot of energy and planning.

After the work is done, do you clean up after each piece, after each day or whenever you can´t find the table anymore?

As I work from home too and in a tiny space ay my mother´s home where I stock the fabrics, cut samples and make pieces for clients my work is quite divided and scattered. This has pros and cons. I try to have everything in order, at least as tidy as it can be. I do administrative work at home. I manage my blog, check the mails. My home is the operations center.

I get up early every day. When I am not teaching a workshop I am takjing one. I love to learn!. I organize my day while I have breakfast, going over the plan I laid the night before.

Even though I´m quite obsessed with having everything in order, sometimes it gets hard to be tidy all the time. Specially when I´m taking things around all the time. I search, take out, put in, shuffle, bring and take allllll the tiem. You know how it is. I´m away from home a lot and that makes things more complex as well. Some days are better than others.

Which is your best time of the day to create? Do you have music on or do you prefer to work in silence?

The best time for me is the mornings. I like to get up early, it is my most productive time. I wake up very energetic, I feel fresh in th emornings. I have breakfast, I organize the day, check e-mail and start my work. I also enjoy the late evening and small hours of th enight. After midnight my energy goes up again. I like it when it is all quiet and in silence.

I work with music, of course! I love listening to music while I work. I listen to the radio that keeps me company. I paly music according to my mood. My boyfriend works from home too but he prefers the silence (he is a programmer and needs silence to concentrate) so we take turns at sound or silence or I just use my ear buds. We both love music so we play it a lot.

Which is your next project?

My next step is to plan out the new workshops for 2015, inclusing an on online class I´m working on. I also want to travel around the country and teach the shoe making workshops in several provinces. My main goal now is to have my own space where to teach my classes and have a working space. I want to have everything together in one place. That is what I want the most!

Where can we find you on line?

– Web/Blog: http://rominamartire.com/

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/romartirecursos
– Instagram: http://instagram.com/ro_martire
– Google+ : RoMartireRo+
– Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rominama_ok/

4 thoughts on “Romina Martiré designs shoe making workshops”

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  peppylady (Dora)

  November 27, 2014 at 1:15 am

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  Never knew anyone who hand craft shoes but known people to decoration there own shoes.
  Coffee is on

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  Paula - Buenos AiresPost author

  November 27, 2014 at 12:42 pm

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  Dora, Romina teaches a simpler line of shoes for beginners and then has her own designed shoes that she sells in shops. Her style is fun and fresh. 

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  Emily la Grange

  December 17, 2014 at 8:12 pm

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  Oh WOW, I would love to do one of these workshops, sounds like so much fun!

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    Paula - Buenos AiresPost author

    December 17, 2014 at 9:53 pm

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    Oh, yes Emily! Romina is both sweet and fun, you´d love her.