We head to St Joseph, Missouri to meet Lee Rose, a ska-gypsy who takes her craziness out on art and crafts!
Featured Member Interview
How did you find CO+K and why did you join?
I had idea for several projects which when I searched other crafting websites didn't turn anything up, but I noticed consistently when I was searching the internet that Co+K had something like what I was looking for. Between that and the ability to save the projects I liked, I was hooked! Now I'm on here more than anywhere else.
What projects are you currently working on?
I've been trying to find a way to blend my art-painting with my love of crafts by adding fibers, cut-outs, embossing, stamps and stitches. I'm teaching myself to bookbind. And between all that I've been making up a new curriculum for classes to teach at a new venue.
Stats
- Joined
- December 31, 2012
- Location
- St Joseph, Missouri, United States
- Projects
- 19
- Featured Projects
- 0
- Favorited
- 56 times
What does your craft space look like?
I try to make it really home-y with a big cushy chair and decorating it mostly in red, gold, and leopard prints.
The other side is all business though, I have my own and highjacked my boyfriends drafting table, so that I can work on 2 (or 3...or 4) projects at a time. The carryout boxes on the wall hold my stamps, and each one has a label to tell me which stamps are in it. Behind the chair is more craft storage with labeled boxes by category and open storage for stuff I use a lot, and under all those are large crate sized boxes to store larger things like my seeing machine. Storage is everything since I don't have a lot of space to work with. I have fabric stored inside the ottoman too!
I love my space, and it gets a lot of jokes about being my girl-cave since its in the basement. But somedays I fantasize going to sleep down there so I can wake up and immediately start being creative.
Which tool or craft supply do you use the most?
I am such a sucker for layout and drafting tools! I have an easy grab toolbox with the stuff I use all the time: a lead holder with 9h lead, a 30-60-90 clear triangle, a folding bone, seam gauge, several different sizes of exacto knives, micron pens, tweezers, tiny saws, tiny drill, bead reamers, microbrushes for model making, a flexible curve, bunches of tiny stamp pads, and a tiny 4" paper trimmer. And that's all just in the top tray! But it's the toolbox I take to a lot of classes and with the diversity of tools in it I can teach a lot of different techniques without having to add much. I do want to find a tiny iron to add to it though!
Other than the toolbox, acrylic paint is my go-to for just about anything. I can use it for stamping, printing, painting, tinting, stencilling, and dyeing (not in the strictest sense).
What do you craft along to?
I'm remaking my craft playlist recently. It normally consists of Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Ke$ha, Natalia Kills, Neon Hitch, and Lorde. Sometimes I'll mix in some punk with Sex Pistols, Ramones, Dead Kennedys, and the Melvins. Lately I've been adding more hip-hop influence with Die Antwoord, Gorillaz, and Outkast.
Lee's Most Popular Projects
Favorite Craft
I can't choose! I love painting and sewing and papercraft the absolute most, but mostly I enjoy trying to blend my different crafts to try and make something new. Like one time I crocheted strips of plastic bags, just so I could fuse them with my iron afterwards. I guess I like being a craft-scientist best!
Lee's Top Crafts
If you could learn one new craft or make anything, what would it be?
I've been dabbling a lot more in cooking/baking/brewing. It's like the art or craft of nourishing someone, which is a really beautiful thing. So I would like to learn how to do these things a lot better and with less burning. It all started when I became a bartender and realized how much someone getting "the perfect drink" really improved their day. I've been writing down recipes that are easy, and that I've tried and liked, in a notebook so someday I'll be able to give a copy to my nieces and nephew.
Who are your crafting heroes?
There is a lady I work with named Rita who was making it as a professional crafter before the internet age. She has so many skills and so much experience and she isn't stingy about sharing either of them. And she tolerates me calling her sensei in public.
The frugal crafter Lindsey Weirich is a great resource, anytime I want to try a new medium she always already has a video made for it. The same goes for Roni from Ink Stains.
On this site, Muhaiminah Faiz is an incredible person to follow, she has such a beautiful diversity of projects! Monika Gottindottir has done beautiful work as well, and I love the dischordian bent to it. Barry Belcher also has a really fun style which I appreciate. As well as Mark Montano.
Asherah Arts (formerly Lee Rose)'s Favorite Projects
I love Andrea B's chained ear cuff! It has so many possibilities, I have several things picked out to use for variations with it, like slider beads, ribbon, and of course chains. I love the Bless this Hizzel cross-stitch by Hayley S too! I have mad-respect for people who cross-stitch, hand quilt, and do tatting because I have absolutely no patience for such tiny delicate and epically time-consuming tasks. Not to mention I have a soft spot in my heart for projects that bring together two opposing ideas or rewrite an old style. So, yeah I love that piece. ArteinterrogantE's pocket belt festival punk was probably one of the projects I could thank for actually bringing me to this site! It's such a beautiful piece, and it is so super useful too! I've tried to make something similar a few times, but it always turns out looking like I'm wearing my dad's toolbelt our something! Oh well, guess it's just my penchant for big pockets.
And finally...
Make sure to follow Lee to keep up to date!