An Interview with KIM RIPLEY!! :) aka Stoopidgerl

This one is extra exciting... I have been a fan of Kim's work for years now.. I originally contacted her to do this interview well over a year ago and LOST IT :( I was too embarrassed to ask for another one until now - turns out Kim still had her copy, phew!!!! So, enjoy all this eye candy - and please go purchase some of kim's amazing photography or one of her jewelry pieces!




1.) What got you into making things?? Have you always been a crafter?

Ever since I was a little girl I had a very strong interest in art and the whole process of creating things. Luckily my mom was super supportive . I think I actually got a lot of my creativity from her. She's pretty crafty herself.



2.) How does the resin process work? Tell me a little bit about your favorite things to create.

Resin is a pretty tricky medium to work with and it certainly takes some time to get used to it and figure it out. I learned everything all on my own and I am self-taught. Most of the pieces that I create are pretty spontaneous. I don't usually draw out my ideas. I just kind of let them happen. One of my favorite things about working with resin is the diversity of the medium. There is soooooo much that you can do with it! I also love seeking out fresh new goodies to toss inside of my pieces.



3.) Tell me about a goal or skill that you would like to learn in the future, related to creativity or otherwise.

One thing that I have a strong interest in at the moment is sewing. I have been wanting to acquire a sewing machine for awhile now and learn how to make things but I must admit.... I am intimidated by it all!
Something else that I would love to learn is glass. Ever since I was in high school I have been wanting to take some classes in glass. I toured a glassblowing studio during my senior year and I was "blown away" by it. It looks like such a fascinating and diverse medium to work with.



4.) Do you have a studio space or dedicated crafts area? What is it like?

I have two parts of my home sectioned off for my crafting. I have my office/craft room and then I have my laundry room where I do all my super messy resin stuff. Things may not look organized... but I know where everything is 99% of the time!

Here are some pix of my workspaces


5.) What do you enjoy the most about selling on etsy? What originally drew you to it?

I found out about Etsy in the summer of 2007. That was the year that I got married and I had a black and white theme. I had a hard time finding unique items for my wedding and a friend of mine suggested Etsy. There are a lot of great items on Etsy for weddings but at the time nothing caught my eye. A few months after I got married I signed up and became a seller. About a month into selling there I quit my crappy job and was determined to do my arts and crafts fulltime. I didn't think I could pull it off but I did!
My favorite thing about selling there is the global audience that I reach. I have sold to soooooo many different countries around the globe. I just think it's so awesome that little pieces of me are all around the world... making people happy!



Kim is offering a discount to PCF readers - code FIVEOFF for $5 off her 8x8 prints or 8x10s in her ARTFIRE SHOP.