New Member: Mermaid Garden Party.

Cara McKinlay is one of our newest members and brings enthusiasm and creativity to the table in spades.  This girl’s got mad skillz and it is our pleasure to introduce you to her.  We know you’ll love her as much as we do – and that’s a lot! Here’s an interview short to get you started.

What’s your company name? Mermaid Garden Party

When did you open for business? July. 2008

What types of products do you make? I sell post cards and little screen printed arts.

What is your favorite to make? I can’t pick! I love making both.

What types of materials do you use for making your products?
I draw most of my illustrations then use a computer to upload & outsource those designs. I use recycled paper and envelopes, biodegradable plastic, wood, staples, ribbon, and lots of hot glue for packaging and finishing touches.

Anything new in your plans for 2010? New product? New material? New medium?
Oooh, I love new ideas and projects! Right now I’m working on having my designs printed on bigger fabric (as well as screen printing myself!) and I hope to sew some goodies. I’m also playing around with hand painted canvas art mixed with recycled stuff… but I always have weird ideas, we’ll see what happens!

What’s your workspace like?
Well, besides a mess, my workspace ALWAYS has cookies. They’re the best! I live in a smallish space so my craftiness has pretty much taken over most of the house, oops.

What inspires you?
People! Meeting other artists and creative minds always 1) reminds me that I’m not the only weird person on this planet and 2) challenges me to keep creating and trying new things!

When do you feel most inspired?
Between the hours of 10pm and 3am. I’m always up late creating something or trying to sleep but constantly grabbing a pen and paper to write down ideas. I’m a night person through and through.

What shows have you done? Plan to do?
I just started doing shows this year so I’m pretty new and excited about them! I’ve done Big Ass Indie Art & Craft Show 2 & 3, Strangefolk and Rock n’ Roll 6. In the not so distant future I hope to do Craft Revolution and Green with Indie!

When did you start crafting?
I was always creating something when I was a kid. But I never liked anything with directions, so I would just make up stuff. Like this one time when I was 8 I remember my mother telling me about pet rocks in the 70’s and I thought it was a brilliant idea. So, I got my younger sister and we painted wild spots and stripes and faces and hair-do’s on rocks. Then we made each one a house out of a shoe box with a family room and bedroom and kitchen. Then we gave each a name and a personality and gave them to our friends as pets.

What was your first big project?
My very first big project was doing wedding invitations and programs for a friend of mine who got married last year.

How did you find your way to your current medium?
Well, I went through this phase right after college where I was starved to do something creative but didn’t believe I was an artist so I kept trying to find a creative job. I worked as a web designer and hated it. Then I worked as a florist and hated it and then worked at a hair salon…. and hated it. So one day I just tried to make a pretty design on the computer and actually liked it! Then, I found etsy.com and started thinking about a medium I could offer people my designs and made cards!

Pimp your fellow crafters. Who are 3 favorites?
Oh geez, I hate picking favorites!  And I certainly can’t narrow it down to 3! I like so many, but 3 of them are Twisted, Dammnation and Fancy Lamb.

Tell us one random fact about you… I have a dimple on my left cheek when I smile.

To visit Mermaid Garden Party on the web, visit her Etsy shop.  If you are in the St. Louis area, you can pick up her goodies at Paste in Soulard.