Interviewing Silvana Barba

This is a new section devoted to interview other crafters and present their work.

I think a better way to meet each other and understand a little better what we do …

This interview is dedicated to Silvana Barba, a person who has helped me a lot and who make beautiful works with polymer clay.

If you want to participate in this project, I will publish interviews once a week, so please write me.

Interview:
1. Tell us a little about you ….
My name is Silvana Beard, I’m 28 years old, I am from Tucuman, Argentina, but currently living in Cantabria, Spain, it’s been now 6 years and I feel very well here but always in the mood for a trip to Tucuman. I studied trade business but although I never worked as a professional I feel that I aplly it the whole time and I still enjoy it.

2. How did you start with crafts? Why?
I could say I started without wanting it. My partner had to spend a few months in bed immobilized and he needed someone who stayed with him all the time… so I searched for a hobby that would give me that option, ie he could not require large space or be in a particular site. So I searched on the internet and I looked for a craft hobby: the list of possibilities was huge!but I already knew how to crochet, cross stich is not for me and I was dropping until I came across a material that I saw for the first time in my life, and began the journey in the vast world of polymer clay.

 

3. What inspires you?
A few days ago I talked about that in my blog, and I have verified that all the signals we receive affect us someway but what is not discovered yet is how it all came together and transform it into something concrete, something internal and not something that you can copy, putting your personality in every creation.

4.What do you enjoy the most of this activity?
That there are no limits to create, depending on where you’re willing to reach.

5. What are your expectations for the future?
I’d like to see my creations at various shop windows here and in other geographic locations, just to be fulfilling this dream and hope to continue that line.

One thing I would add is that I invite all those who are curious about this or any other material, to exploit just that curiousity, explore, explore, today we have a lot of information on the Internet, there is no excuse to let imagination falling asleep.

My blog http://silvanabarba.blogspot.com 

My Store at artesanum http://www.artesanum.com/artesanias-silvana_pb-6129-1-0.html

My store at Dawanda http://en.dawanda.com/shop/silvanabarba

My flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/silvanabarba/

 

A very sentimental vest

I was searching for new weaving techniques and I remembered a book I saw when I was in The Art School in Granada, Spain which I believe is called Creative Weaving and it was part of a series of books published in Spain which had several issues of handmade disciplines … if there is any Spanish around who knows it, just write me!

Anyway, this book inspired me to know that you can weave on anything, using a support that is able to hold the threads and then is a question of “entangling” …

This vest was made using a paperboard, which is its own pattern and here I explain how to do it. As is my first tutorial, maybe I’m missing certain things, so tell me what you would love to see in the next ones.

I made the back with silk that is not so “heavy” and with the wonders of fabrics that are in Paris, is a pleasure going to search them … It took me over two weeks of work, but worth it!

Tonight I’m going to publish it for sale on Etsy and Dawanda
Bon soireé!

A nice story

About a year ago we left our jobs in Buenos Aires and strated an adventure with my partner… we decided to walk the path … Patagonia Argentina and Chile before emigrating to Europe. He carried his guitar and I carried my loom. My idea was to specialize myself and learn all the secrets of the Aborigin loom.

As we traveled along the coast, the loom refused to be at ease, I tried it hard, and something happend but not exactly the results I wanted …

We arrived at the Alerces National Park where we camped for a couple of days and I rearmed with traditional colors: black, white and red.

We hitchhiked to “El Bolson” for me the most beautiful and magic place in Patagonia, and for the first time in the trip (after one month and a half) we installed ourselves in a “cabana” near the mountain …

I don’t know why? But this time I began to weave and my hands where very fluent … I almost end the “faja” in three days of constant work and I could never repeat it again…

In addition,this place was full of bohemian artists and artisans, and also it was a cooperative of mapuche weavers … they are the indigenous inhabitants of the region, which is the technique that I was improving. Of course this week was a constant going to weave with these women. They spun their wool, and wove in large looms! menawhile we drank “mates”

This fajita travel throughout the rest of our trip, for which, Chile, London, Corsica, Barcelona, Granada, Paris … and now finally moved to Stockholm, Sweden. A man who has indigenous origins have bought it and when I found out I could not keep my tears from falling … now has a new owner and my lesson was to know that I never abandon that technique which has given so much satisfaction to me.

Cotton pin flower

I come a bit late with the posts… I don’t have enough time! and I have thousands of ideas …

This time I present a very delicate touch that is part of the spring collection for which I now have three distinct color palettes creams, pastels and vibrant ones … This is the creamy family;)

It is a pin so it can be used as is, for any shawl or shirt or bag …. we want to decorate…

Fair trade

I have read a little more about the crisis and it is pretty worrying … but I repeat, I am Argentinian and I know what a real crisis is.
Because of this I think we must find alternatives to despair and that money is not everything …. when I remember 2001 crisis in my country, I have the image of people swapping goods and interchanging experiences that made a big change in their lives, we called it “trueque”. A very good thing that could make everyone do something for others (and ourselves too) …

I began to think what sort of thing I would love to swap:
1. Food, basically impossible to implement on line
2. Wool , yarn and fabrics (to continue producing)
3. Other handmade products of other artisans in the world (which I would use of course)
4. Services (why not?) As gym classes or haircuts or a massage (this could be implemented locally, as for food)
5. Specialized books on textiles
6. Supplies, endings, findings to make bags, bracelets,etc.
7. Anyone has a mannequin!? I need one!
8. Shoes!
9. Clothes

If you have more ideas… write me! especially if these are things I put on the list …
I think it would be best if both partners commit to pay the shipping via paypal to each other (although the same cost, but it is a payment made) and then send it and ready!
Anyway, I’m super excited about the idea so hopefully it is possible to perform …

Definitions

Hi!! I’m very glad today because I woke up with a lot of clear ideas and definitions… I always thought about explaining what I do and what I feel about and was very difficult, but today everything is clear and I decided to share it with all of you and also write it as a description of my shop.
And the result was this… what do you think?
Hi and thanks for stopping by at my shop. Here you can see one-of-a-kind handmade garments and accesories knitted, crocheted, weaving and recycled with a very trendy style.

Why this name? ( Crear es creer)I know this is more an english spoken community. But why not to learn a little spanish? Crear es creer means : to create is to believe… which I always thought and love. It’s a message full of hope and is the reason I’m here…

Why handmade? because you buy something unique at a fair price and you benefit straight the artisan

Why natural fibers? I prefer natural fibers because it doesn’t go in a process that pollutes the environment. In the case I use another kind of fiber is just recycled material from larger pieces or donations from people who know me and gave me materials they didn’t use anymore to reuse it in something productive.
In the future I’m planning to spin my own yarns and dye them with natural stuff as onion (yes! I’m keeping safe onion’s skin)

Why here? (online marketplaces) I think about these marketplaces as communities and I like the way all of us interact
________________________________________________
So, I know its important to be commercial but I needed to express my ideas as well, and I think is very positive…..

Question for textile artists

Hello people, I’m super stuck with a couple of things… I am doing a kind of crochet gadgets, but I want to give them structure and all the solutions I found were more “home solutions for carpets”… I would like to know about a kind of products to give it a more permanent and professional character to my work. I was researching on France firectories (where I live) there is a product called “durcisseur” which is for textiles, but everything I’ve seen done with this material is with fabrics. If anyone knows any brand to recommend me and have already done this type of work, please write to me! thanks!

Mini poncho granny style

Finally I get finished the mini poncho, and although I intended to make a Shawl at first, I found a lot more fun and young, a poncho for spring with such a vivid colors!

It is made with pure cotton (green kaki) and macramé yarn (red coral) in crochet with very fine needles.
Hope you like it!

Another Etsy Frontpage

Tuesday night when I was online, I realized not only had more views in my shop, but also new messages from other creators of Etsy in my post, which made me very happy. This time I was sure there was another frontpage but wanted to know who was the curator.

To my pleasant surprise was admin or Etsy staff… they selected products and put them in the frontpage. And it was again my handwoven scarf and I am so proud of it! say that patience is a very important virtue and I can assure you that since a while ago I learned a lot about it … I appreciate the possibility that my art is recognized and I am happy.
I’m still finishing things, and although the work is slow, will be precious …

Hope you like the treasury of admin

Until next time

Tags 2

I apologize to those who were awaiting the second part of the post tags, but I was very excited with all the Etsy frontpage story and I missed it a little bit…

Now I tell you all the do’s and don’ts

Dawanda case: I start with this site because it is the most familiar and easiest to explain in this issue. When you list a product you have to write the title (a random one , or you can describe what you sell in a short title, eg “scarf unisex” or you put a name ..; say” Inland” for example) be imaginative in this case, people want to see what inspires you… I sometimes do it, sometimes not.

The category is placed just before the title and also has subcategories, this is pre-recorded.

Then you can list the material which you have made it, the technic and the tags in this case are free (you can put as many as you want).

After this you are going to see a form where you can fill the features (more tags)with things like material, style and even if you could made it with another characteristics (eg color, shape, material)

Etsy Case: This case is somewhat more complicated and you have to take in account that the order in which you list tags are going to be crucial in order to appear in categories, for me it is very ambiguous and I’ve noticed that sometimes knitted stuff are better within its category knitting or crochet, and not within what I list, for example I listed a purse made in crochet and as I listed it in bags & purses I never found it in the searches, so everything in its place but for this reason when you are listing you have to be really cautious… I will say “try and see” and if nothing happens change categories and tags; you can do it whenever you want … another really important thing is you can only write down 14 tags here, so think about it very carefully

If you do not have many ideas after all, this is a great place http://thesaurus.reference.com/
in the search bar put the word you want to view related tags and will bring more synonyms and antonyms and that helps a lot

Well, hopefully this has helped you to understand a little more. Ask what you want this has taken me long to discover these things so that’s why I share them with you because sometimes you lose a lot of time and opportunities!