Slash Of Blue Ceramics by artist Katy Kestler

Katy and I have known each other since childhood; well teenage hood.  I remember long conversations about Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin.  I remember lots of talk about concerts and art and photography and lots and lots of giggling.  Katy and I also share a birthday, (June 7th for those keeping track), and every year since we met each other, we always manage to wish each other a "happy our birthday" to one another.

Growing up, Katy was most certainly one of my most creative and interesting friends.  Her dad was one of my (and many of my friends') art teachers in school, and so for that reason alone, it instantly made Katy fun and cool.

Years have passed, and to this day, she is still one of the most creative and passionate people I know.  One of my favorite things is to see my friends flourish and grow as artists, and Katy is certainly no exception.  Her work has evolved so much in the last handful of years, and this is only one of the reasons I'm so excited to share her and her work with you guys today.

Katy's current focus in art is ceramics.  Hand-built pieces are Katy's specialty.  One of the things I absolutely love about her work is that it's not just beautiful, it's got really fascinating form and function. Form and function in artwork isn't as easy as you'd think.

I'm also extremely intrigued by the juxtaposition she makes of the extremely delicate pieces found in nature with these solid, heavy pieces that she literally builds from nothing.  The final form in Katy's work reminds me of her.  Grounded yet delicate; real, authentic and beautiful.  When viewing her work you aren't just looking at a piece of her, you are also quite literally witnessing her very personal appreciation of the world around her; you may have to look closely to understand what I mean, but spend some time with her work and you'll see it.

Here's our interview below with some cool snapshots of Katy's workspace and some of her beautiful pieces:

FWL: Slash Of Blue is such a great name, where did it come from?
KATY: It's the first line of an Emily dickinson poem.  Actually the first line is "A slash of blue" but typed as one word like it has to appear s a username, all I could see was a word that I might not want to use in a company name "aslashofblue".  Do you see it?  with my graphics and typography background it was screaming at me, so I dropped the "A", problem solved!

FWL:  How long have you been making pottery in the capacity that you are now?  
KATY:  It's been about 5 years.  My dad gave me a kiln that he "free-cycled" in 2009, but I didn't have a 230 line to plug it in until 2011.  The very day I got the 220 line, I got a box of clay and played around making very elementary pinch pots, and coil pots.  I had never taken any sort of ceramics class so I was going on what little my dad had taught me as a kid, he was a high school art teacher for 30+ years, we did a lot of art n our house.  I think I might have thrown one bowl with a lot of help in an 8th grade art class, but that was the extent of my ceramics knowledge at the time.

FWL:  What attracted you to this medium specifically?
KATY:  Any medium that I can use to build something with my ands, that's what does it for me.  I never really had an opportunity to use clay all that much, we didn't have any type of ceramic classes in high school.  In college, man I hated school, I just took the classes that were required to get done as quickly as possible.  So when I was gifted with a like-new kiln, I was finally able to make the art that I had wanted to all along.

FWL:  Your artistic background is pretty well rounded; can you talk a little bit about your training/development over the years?
KATY: As long as I can remember, I've been in art classes.  I was in every art club ever offered at any school I ever went to.  Ever.  In high school I was in a program called CAPA (creative and performing arts), I dropped out of it though when they tried to make me take an acting class.  HA! NOOOOOOOO!!!  I'm such a painfully shy introvert there was no way that was going to happen.  It was really sad too, I loved that program, the people in my classes, and my teachers but nope...I'm NOT about to act anything out in front of people.  Ever.  After high school I went to Columbia College in Chicago majoring in fine art photography.  After my 2nd year I switched gears and figured I could get a job easier in graphic design.  I moved back to Michigan and got a degree in graphic design.  I played that game for about 10 years.  I quit to raise my kids and slowly started making money selling little crafty things here and there.  I've taken classes in everything from stained glass to crocheting.  I take ceramics classes now at Schoolcraft College, learning the wheel (not a fan so far, we shall see), Mostly do hand building right now, which I love.  I've also taken a few classes at the Michigan Art Center.  I hope I can continue taking as many art classes as possible, for as long as possible, I can't imagine not!

FWL:  Your dad was one of my art teachers when we were kids, tell me a story about coming from such an artistic family.

KATY:  WOW!  Haha!  Okay, so I wasn't allowed to have coloring books when I was a kid.  Remember how in elementary school they would do those holiday parties and you would have to bring in a wrapped present then they would put the presents in a big pile an you got to go pick one?  I always went for the shitty coloring books!  You know, the gift that all the other kids totally avoided?  Besides that, growing up in my house was amazing.  My mom taught 7th grade English and my dad taught art, there were honestly the best bookshelves ever and my dad had an art room with ANY art supply you cold ever imagine.  It was like having a bookstore and an art store in my basement!  (Oh besides making things, I read a lot).  Also my brother played music so we had all sorts of musical instruments like guitars, drums a piano a giant Hammond organ, even an accordion!  It was a very loud, colorful house and usually full of people.

FWL:  You use, (almost exclusively) nature themes in your work and I seem to recall you having a deep love for the outdoors.  Talk about how nature inspires you as an artist and how it drives you to make certain pieces.  
KATY:  I have always really loved being in the woods.  I have a lot of favorite forests around here and whenever I'm not feeling motivated, if I can get into the woods even for 20 minutes, it totally clears my head.  I keep Ziplock bags and a pair of kid scissors in the glove box of my car so I'm always ready to collect things for my work.  When I find a plant I've never worked with before it's like I can't get into my studio fast enough.  I literally will run home and put everything on hold until I make something with that plant.  It's fascinating to me how much detail the clay picks up and I do everything I can to capture that with my technique in the building and the glazing.  It's all really a fine balance of so many aspects from everything to getting the plant when it's not too new (too soft) and not to old (too brittle) to using the right amount of pressure with pressing it, to knowing what glazes to use for what plants.  When it all comes together it blows my mind, every time.

  

FWL:  Do you use different types of clays in your work, and how do you decide what to use for what project?
KATY:  No, I use the same clay for everything at the moment.  I was using low-fire clays for the past few years and recently changed to a brand called Laguna, mid-fire clay and I love it!  I switched because I wanted to make mugs and vessels that hold liquids and I had a hard time doing that with the low fire clays.  Since then, I've since switched all of my work to the same mid-fire clay.

  

FWL:  How long, would you say, from concept to full completion, with a photo up onto your site, does 1 single piece take you?
KATY:  Totally depends on the piece.  Most of the work I make for my easy shop takes about 3-4 weeks from start to finish.  But I make other work, like my vases and bottles, specifically for galleries (and my sanity) and those can take a month or more.  It's quite a process.  Build it, dry it REALLY slow or it can crack, first firing, then glad it, then second firing. Ceramics has taught me a lot about patience.

FWL:  I know your husband Danny is an artist too, do you guys ever talk about collaborating on project or would that ever be something we could look forward to?

KATY:  I made him take a ceramics class with me a couple years ago.  He HATED it!  We have talked about how cool doing a show together would be because our work somehow fits...I do a lot of black and white work with plants, and he paints a lot of greyscale landscapes and we value each other's opinions.  It would be weird but year, I do, I think it could somehow be cohesive.  So maybe one day...

FWL:  I love seeing artist's workspaces.  Where is your workspace and can you share any photos of it with us? (the messier the better, so don't clean).  

KATY:  My workspace is in a big, really cold, addition on the back of our house. Its amazing and I can’t believe I get to work there every day. There is a big widow that looks out to a giant maple tree that in in our back yard. I put some bird feeders out there and I get to see all sorts of cool little critters every time I’m working. 

FWL:  I'm also super fascinated with process.  Tell me how you begin brainstorming for a new piece or describe how your process works.  It's okay if it seems to be all over the place, people find inspiration in hearing how random or methodical other artists are. 

KATY:  For the etsy work my main focus is  on composition and form. I have to work with the plants that are in season at the time I am making the piece. Usually I make the slab letting the shape find itself, then I try to come up with a good composition knowing which plants glaze well together. Some are more shallow presses than others, you have to figure out what works. I try to keep them as organic as possible not arranging or over composing the piece. My favorite stage is glazing by far! I play around with layering and I am a big fan of negative space. I try to leave a place for the eye to rest both in the composition of the plants and the glaze application.

With the vessels and other work, I usually sketch out a shape or concept and go from there. It’s a TON of trial and error. I have an app called “Pottery Notes” that I use to keep track of my steps of the process, especially the glazing. Ceramics can be super unpredictable, which is somewhat frustrating but mostly pretty exciting. I cross my fingers a lot. 

FWL:  I saw some of your pieces were shown at The Lansing Art Gallery & at Pewabic Pottery, do you have any gallery shows coming up? 

KATY:  I do. Actually I just found out last week that I will be showing a few of my mugs at The Detroit Artist Market in a show called “Cups” which runs from June 10–July16.  

FWL:  Where can people check out and purchase your work? 

KATY:  I mainly sell my work online at www.slashofblue.etsy.comBut I also have work in the gallery shop at The Lansing Art Gallery and starting this July my work will be available at Poppins in Mackinac Island, MI.

FWL:  Is there an official Slash Of Blue website?

KATY:  Nope. There used to be but I was really bad at keeping it updated. Between the clay, etsy, and instagram the website kind of became obsolete.  

FWL:  I know you have an aversion to certain technological things, so I'm not going to ask you if you have a Twitter, but I will tell you that @slashofblue is available on Twitter just incase you want to jump in.  :-)

KATY:  HHAHAHAHA I’ve never tweeted. What is good for? I love instagram because it showcases pictures.

FWL:  You are very active on Instagram, (which is my favorite), have you found that you can utilize that medium in a positive way for reaching your audience or for connecting with other artists?  How so?

KATY:  Absolutely! I find tons of inspiration on instagram. It’s such a great community, full of helpful, informative, creative people. At least in my little circle of instagramers. I have learned so much from other potters through IG. In some cases more than I’ve learned from any class. 

FWL:  Thank you so much for answering these questions for me today!  I'm so happy for your success and love that I get to brag about you on my blog!!

KATY:  Thank You Leslie!! xoxo

KATY'S INSTAGRAM:  @slashofblue
KATY'S ETSY SHOP:  slashofblue
KATY'S TUMBLR PAGE:  slashofblueceramics
KATY'S EMAIL:  slashofblue@gmail.com

The Proprietor of Pickled By Hattie, Mrs. Hattie Donley!

I could start off this new post by telling you guys that "hey, I'm pregnant and I know (and love) a good pickle", but the thing is, I've had a love affair with pickles even before I got pregnant.

I am pretty picky about my pickles and absolutely do not believe that "pickles are like pizza, even bad ones are good".  No.  That couldn't be farther from the truth.  I'm always pretty sure when I've had a mediocre pickle, but I always know when I've had a bad or boring pickle.

I will chase someone down for a really good, garlic-soaked, briny, cold, crunchy dill.  I would also corner someone for a pickle with both garlic and spicy heat.

Enter: Hattie's Hotties & Vampire Slayers: two of the most popular flavors in Hattie Donley's arsenal of handcrafted pickled delicacies available for delicious consumption and purchase at Pickled By Hattie.

Hattie was kind enough to grant me a FaceTime interview recently and had some great insight into the world of owning and operating a small business and somewhat falling into becoming an entrepreneur.

FWL:  What was the biggest surprise to you about starting your own pickle business?
Hattie:  What I loved was that I could make my own hours, but what was super surprising was not really knowing how much I'd have to make initially, or how many hours exactly went into all of it.  The time spent starting and supporting and running your own business is honestly an endless venture.  Make sure you love it if you're going to do it.

FWL:  Why pickles?
Hattie:  Honestly, pickles are really a labor of love for me, I don't expect to get wealthy from my pickle business, all I really want to do is make enough to survive and thrive.  I am getting there.

FWL:  How so?
Hattie:  Well for example I quadrupled my sales from 2014 to 2015 and went from making $10K gross to $40K gross in that time period.

FWL: Whoa!  That's a huge jump, what do you attribute to that?
Hattie:  Doing many more farmers markets and really just talking about my business more.  I'm also being more selective about which markets I choose to set up shop in.

FWL:  What are some of the farmers markets that you frequent?
Hattie:  Unique L.A. Spring & Fall, Renegade is also another one that I do very well at.  My other staple farmers markets are Hollywood Farmers Market, Playa Vista Farmers Market, and Hermosa Beach Farmers Market.

FWL:  How many farmers markets do you set up at per week and is there a location list for people to track where you are from weekend to weekend?
Hattie:  Yes!  You can go to my website www.pickledbyhattie.com to see where we'll be from week to week.  We tend to do 2-3 per week.

FWL:  But you also have some commercial clients both retail & restaurant in and around the Los Angeles area isn't that right?
HATTIE:  I do!  It started with a bar/restaurant here called Rock & Riley's; and currently El Cid offers my pickles with their Sunday Funday bloody marys.  Also, Little Door in West Hollywood and Santa Monica use my pickles as well.  As far as where you can buy my pickles through a retail outlet, Angelo: Home, Sunset Beer Company, and Strey Cellars are just a few, but you can check my website for a full list of every retail location that sells all of the Pickled By Hattie product line.

FWL:  Speaking of a product line, I noticed that you're now offering pickled serrano peppers, relish and pickled garlic!  That's what us marketer and advertisers call a line extension!
HATTIE:  It IS a line extension!  At first I was experimenting with the serranos and a few other things, but ultimately decided to pair it down to the serranos, the relish and the pickled garlic.  All really popular.

FWL:  Didn't I read a funny post on Facebook about someone coming into your booth recently at a farmer's market that had no idea what a serrano pepper was?
HATTIE:  You would be so incredibly surprised how many times I answer the question "so what's all this?"  "Well sir, these here...see these are pickles.  Oh these?  These, as you can see on the label, are serrano peppers."

FWL:  That would wear on me, answering supremely dumb questions every day, I'd have to actually try to not answer them sarcastically.
HATTIE:  Oh it can be exhausting, but after you've worked a handful of farmers markets, in Los Angeles no less, you end up having to develop a certain type of special customer service skill.

FWL:  So we've got Vampire Slayers your garlic dills, Hattie's Hotties the spicy pickles, then we've got BB's the bread & butter pickles, and lastly there's the Bloody Buddies which are your "pickled cocktail veggies" for savory cocktails like bloody marys right?
HATTIE: Right.  Or as I like to say "Bloody Buddies, elevating your Sunday Funday".

FWL:  So you get all types in L.A. obviously.  Have any celebrities ever purchased or taste tested your pickles?
HATTIE:  Leonardo DiCaprio has!!  He was there with a friend of his, and his friend stopped by my booth and tried some samples and then called Leo over who, had I not actually been up close and speaking to the guy, I would have had no clue it was him.  He was kind of disheveled looking, huge long beard, (probably cuz at the time he was filming The Revenant), sunglasses and a baseball cap.  He taste tested some of the Vampire Slayers, and it was then that I got a really good look at him, and heard his voice say "these are good", that I realized it was him.  I got white-out nervous, I started sweating, he gave me his credit card, I could barely function.  It was pretty funny...totally cool, I was a mess but it was super cool.

FWL:  Anyone else?
HATTIE:  Let's see, here's my list so far:  Joe Jonas, JJ Abrams tried my Vampire Slayers, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and then Kevin Bacon not only stopped by and bought some of my Hatties Hotties but he tweeted about it too.  He posted a picture of the jar and said "couldn't wait to get home to have them with my lunch".  HUGE win for Pickled By Hattie!

FWL:  That's awesome!  Talk a little bit about what a week in the life of making pickles looks like for you.
HATTIE:  It's extremely labor intensive.  I have a lot of friends that will say "oh I come help make pickles with you", and then realize that it literally takes an entire day to make the amount that I make.  To balance the actual making of the pickles, then balancing filling orders and sourcing ingredients, it can be literally and entire day.

FWL:  How long would you say?
HATTIE: Anywhere from 12-14 hours a day.  It's a lot.

FWL:  That's intense.  Plus, I would imagine that sourcing all of your ingredients take a bit of time too.  Talk about that.
HATTIE:  At first I was only sourcing my ingredients at local farmers markets, but then as the company started to grow, I wasn't able to get the quantity I needed there, so I have some regular customers from Melissa's World Variety & Produce that I get all of my produce from.  I owe an awful lot to them.  They've been super helpful and generous.

FWL:  Tell us all of the places online that people can find you.
HATTIE: On Facebook, Twitter & on Instagram I'm pickledbyhattie, and then people can go to my website to order online as well at www.pickledbyhattie.com

FWL:  I want some Vampire Slayers now, the jars I had are long gone!
HATTIE: I'll send you some more.

FWL:  Thanks for chatting with me today Hattie.  I'm so happy for your success, I can only see it growing in the near future!
HATTIE:  Of course.  Thank you for the opportunity.  Can't wait to read it.

                                      Here's a shot of the Pickle Princess herself, just handing over a jar of her beauties.           
                                                  Mmmm...look at those whole cloves of garlic in there you guys!  

Her WEBSITE CLICK HERE

Her TWITTER CLICK HERE

Her INSTAGRAM CLICK HERE

Her FACEBOOK CLICK HERE

Paul Czarnowski: Creator of the Robots With Coffee Comic Strip.

I've known Paul, (or Paulie, as I so frequently call him) for many years.  We met back in the mid 2000's when he was assigned to be the stage manager for a live show I was producing at the time.  Of course we became fast friends, especially after he realized I was a fellow rock-n-roll lover.

Over the years I've gotten to know a few standards about Paul.  1. He's super creative and has a really intense way of pulling out his ideas into actual, tangible art (music, drawing, writing, I could go on...).  2.  He LOVES pancakes.  3. He plays bass in a (brace yourselves) Simpsons-themed, Ramones cover band.  Basically he's super fun and super cool.

Paul took a break from his busy day to let me ask him a bunch of questions and to let me take random pix of his workspace.  I sat down with Paulie to talk about his latest project, Robots With Coffee, here's what he had to say:

What IS Robots With Coffee, and how did it come about?
Robots With Coffee started when I was taking pictures of various action figures I had next to coffee mugs or takeout cups, and I would share it on Facebook. I would get a response from friends that I hadn't gotten for other things, such as the music I had made or general life events I'd share. People I hadn't heard from in a long time would text or call me about it. So I made a facebook page and called it Robots With Coffee, as a joke, and then I woke up one day and I had 300 "likes." (I now have over 600). I created a Twitter account, as a little more serious way to promote the facebook page, and I have 600 followers. It has allowed me to connect with people all over the place, and I had FANS. Who weren't my mom. A lot of response was from fan artwork of specific pop culture related things, but I decided that as this grew (organically, I've done one paid ad on Facebook as a test), I should switch the artistic content that I generate into a comic strip about characters I created, with backstory as to why these strips look the way they do, as opposed to something based on the works of others. I created a website late last year to organize these strips, create a platform for me to discuss things I'm into, and prepare for bigger stories I have planned for Robots With Coffee.

What is the name of your business and how long has it been operating?
Robots With Coffee, and about two and about three years. It started off as a joke, just me taking pictures of my action figures with coffee. Maybe about six months later is when I started drawing pop culture related comic strips for it. But it was October 2014 when I decided I would make it original content (comics of my own characters) with reviews, with plans for video projects; hopefully soon it'll be a multimedia blog as an added bonus to the the comic strips.

Who or what are two things that influence your work the most?

This is hard to nail down to just TWO, but the big thing is the need to not waste more evenings bingeing on TV, so part of this is the feeling that I accomplished something, even if no one reads it. Goofing off on the internet is more fun if I'm the one creating the content people (maybe) forward.

The other thing that influences the work I do is the work I've done before. I've edited & written for a rock magazine, I've played in a lot of bands, I've done a lot of hands on fringe work for fringe theater, and everything I do I take to the next thing I do. HOW well they were done is another issue, but I've always been on shoestring budgets to produce hobbies into real things.

But I grew up on daily comic strips like Bloom County & The Far Side, I watched a lot of cartoons, I quickly discovered cartoonists like Peter Bagge and Evan Dorkin when I got into comic books, and I listen to a lot of awesome rock n roll. Space Ghost Coast To Coast is one of the strangest and funniest shows ever and had a huge impact on much of my writing for a long time. The whole robot thing is related to an infatuation with a ridiculous 80's cartoon about shape changing robots.


What type of project/client is your favorite to work with?Any project with an end goal I can describe is the best, I guess. It takes a lot of preparation which I need when I have to translate my enthusiasm & frustration with whomever I'm working on it. I made an album knowing exactly what it should sound like (and what the CD packaging should look like) and it came out really close. "Really close" isn't 100% but usually the other option/result is "total disaster." I have been making comic strips on a personal blog for a while, but Robots With Coffee has a goal and I'm working to make it happen, starting with this comic.

What three things could you not live without (not people)?
I had to move suddenly, and gave away my beloved stereo and speakers. Just dropped it off at a Salvation Army. Things come and go, so I don't know if I would refer to ideals, goals, or a world of stuff that keeps inspiring me, or if there were actual things. Music is a huge part of my life, right? That stays. I need my pens. People who need drawings of farting robots.

What's the biggest misconception people have about the work you do?

I tell people I draw. They take a look. "I thought you said you were an artist." No, I just said that I draw. I never said how well. I don't mind it being an acquired taste. Several of these people who wince eventually "get me" and then they're won over. Actual, serious, amazing industry pros have taken their personal time to give me pointers and advice, so that's great.

Someone gifts you $1M, what's the first thing you do for your business? Call the people who want to help me and let them know that a minor hurdle may have been vaulted over, and then call an accountant or business planner. I have PLANS, I tell you! The comic strips are fun but they're the tip of the iceberg, and what's below the surface could be a more elaborate story to be told in different ways. I still plan on doing those things in some way even without the money but that would be swell. Time is the real foe in our plans.


What are you working on today/right now?
I'm finishing up a commission for a 1st grader's birthday party. Some people give me a family injoke and I turn it into a six panel adventure, which often gets reread to the kids as bedtime stories (from what I hear). These help pay for the website and printing the comic. I'm slowly working on my first superhero comic, Sad Vigilante. Beyond that, it's preparing the next Robots With Coffee comic (a coloring book) and researching more movies to review and things to write about on robotswithcoffee.com.

What does the next five years look like for you?
I have to redesign the board game "Life" so that I don't end up BANKRUPT or whatever the non-TYCOON ending is. Hopefully within this year some of the plans for Robots With Coffee start taking shape. In five years they could have come to fruition or I could just still be drawing bickering robots.

Friend With Les: Sarah Finer of Lowry Creatives

I got married just this past September 19, 2015.  My wedding gown was a one-of-a-kind, custom made creation of Mrs. Sarah Finer owner and proprietor of Lowry Creatives.

Sarah’s designs run the gamut from tiny appliques for costumes or simple but interesting pillow cases (and absolutely everything in between), all the way to the mother of all design behemoths like wedding gowns.  Sarah’s work is thoughtful and personal with a very solid grounding in problem solving through fabric, not to mention that it's super duper beautiful and feminine.

Welcome to my new blog “Friends With Les”, a place where I get to write about all of the cool things my friends do, create, support and love; and welcome to my very first blog subject:  Sarah Finer of Lowry Creatives.

Each blog will have a quick opening of my own personal perceptions and experience with the person being featured, and will end with a list of interview questions that my subjects answer themselves.  Also, peppered throughout each entry you will find photographs of each person’s workspace and other outtakes of our time together.

Without further ado, here is my interview with the lovely and super talented Mrs. Sarah Finer:

What is the name of your business and how long has it been operating?

Sarah:  I've named my business Lowry Creatives, so that it can encompass all of the various aspects/design lines that I create. My Design lines are: Zoe Kallos Couture (bridal and special occasion), Lethal Looks (costumes and dance wear), and Cherry Bombers (vintage inspired maternity gear). I like to separate my design lines with different names so people aren't as confused about what it is that I do. I consider alterations and custom interiors just to be a part of the overall name as opposed to giving them a specific name. I have worked for myself in some form or fashion since graduating high school, arguably even longer than that, as I used to create bouquets in high school at prom time in order to afford my own prom gown. I wasn't confident enough to make my own at that point. Sewing and creating has been helping me pay my bills for around 20 years. 

Who or what are two things that influence your work the most?

Sarah: I love doing bridal. I really like helping someone make their dream dress a reality and within a realistic budget. The wedding industry can really make things hard to afford, I try not to play like that - but still make it worth it for myself. I also really like finding the processes and methods of working that make my ideas and execution innovative and beautiful. My other inspirations come in finding niches that aren't represented, like my Cherry Bombers line, (the vintage inspired maternity gear). There are so many pin up and rockabilly gals out there who procreate too, and there aren’t many options for them to keep their individual style intact during pregnancy. I hope to launch that more fully in the next year.

What type of project/client is your favorite to work with?

Sarah:  My favorite clients are ones who trust my ability and my eye. They feel comfortable enough to give me a direction they want to go in, and trust me enough to make them look like a million bucks without micromanaging my process. 

What three things could you not live without (not people)?

Sarah:  Three things that I could not live without (as they pertain to the work I do), a pair or 7 of sharp scissors, straight razorblades (for ripping stitches), and fresh sketchbooks and sharp pencils. I find myself buying these things whether I am out of them or not, and the last ones, nothing feels or smells better than new paper and a freshly sharpened pencil. I even asked for a good old-fashioned desktop pencil sharpener for Christmas.

What's the biggest misconception people have about the work you do?

Sarah:  There are so many, where to start? 

One is that this is a hobby for me, I surely will want to do it for free/discount, and that since it must be a hobby that I’d also be happy to share all of my sources for products with clients, or teach them how to do my job for free because this is just a fun thing that I do instead of people realizing that this is my actual bread and butter.

Another misconception is that having something sewn from scratch is going to be cheaper than purchasing it already made and off the rack. Major nope there. Do not go to Macy's and find a dress for $300 and come to me asking me for the same thing for half the price. That just will not happen. First, I don't knock off other people's designs. It's insulting to that designer, and insulting to me. Secondly, those items are made in a factory overseas with little care, that pricing reflects that mass production discount you get. Getting something made specifically for you, custom designed with your personality and needs in mind is not at all the same thing. 

  

Someone gifts you $1M, what's the first thing you do for your business?

Sarah: I think I would move to Libertyville and open a beautiful boutique in the cute downtown up there. I am more of a small town gal than a city gaI.  I would make my brand and boutique a destination to visit. 

(Some progressive sketches Sarah made of my wedding gown while she was still working out the details):  

What are you working on today/right now?

Sarah:  This week I am working on sparkly bra/panty sets for a burlesque entertainer, draperies for a condo in the Gold Coast, a jacket for a Michael Jackson impersonator, and a military inspired jacket in black leather for a dapper gent. Also, spending some time sketching some options for a bride, sourcing some fabrics for that bride (and my bridal line), and working on my taxes. They are time consuming.

What does the next five years look like for you?

Sarah:  I used to know what my next 5 years would look like, and then I had a baby, and he's unpredictable. So we will see where everything goes. I'd like to get my bridal line together and get my maternity line together, and get the brand recognition out. Probably start with Etsy. The bridal line I would like to eventually show at the National Bridal Market weeks at the Merchandise Mart in September and in March, but booth space is pricey and I really need to invest or have an investor to get that accomplished. The maternity line, there are a few rockabilly festivals and burlesque festivals that I think would be a good fit to set a booth at and start getting the word out. Hopefully if I can get the brands moving by the time my son gets to be of school age they'll be big enough to turn into a storefront or just a larger operation overall.  

Thank you to Sarah Finer for opening up her studio to us and for giving us a sneak peek into the world of Lowry Creatives.

(An overall shot of Sarah's workspace):  

Next week, stay tuned for my next Featured Friend.  In the meantime, you can visit my instagram @LeslieKChicago to get exclusive video content of my time visiting Lowry Creatives, and to get even more exclusive content follow me on twitter @lkchicago, on youtube at https://youtu.be/yVtOmpDiIZg.  Also, find me on Facebook at Leslie Kerrigan-Leyh.