Perfectly Imperfect: An Interview by and of the Designer Behind Impressed Crafts

How did I get into stamping?

After graduating from college is when I seriously started stamping. In school I knew I wanted to be a studio art major, but I was frustrated by figuring out what I wanted to do after school. I gave up art for some time and I focused my energy on someone else’s project. One day I went to a bookstore by myself and browsed the craft section. A very beautiful book on handmade prints caught my attention. I bought it, devoured it, and didn’t put it away for many days after. I soaked in the images, instructions, and aesthetic. (I might or might not have gotten teary eyed.) Most importantly, the book reinvigorated my long standing passion for making things. Since I was a young child I always enjoyed using my hands to create, and in the end I may never be a prolific, profound, Avant-garde artist, but I will always be a hand crafter.

 Where does my inspiration for new stamps come from?

One very important skill I worked hard on while being a studio artist is how to focus inspiration. That doesn’t mean I always have ideas flowing out of me. I learned that it is important to be patient during the times when it seems like inspiration, my muse, is nowhere to be found. In contrast, I have come up with ways to extract inspiration from many sources. For me, inspiration comes from people I know, music, catalogues and magazines, other bloggers, being in nature, and my dreams. For the most part, finding what inspires you can be easy. Transforming those ideas into tangible works is where the true labor comes into play. 

What is the appeal of stamps?

Imperfection! Stamping is one craft that embraces fades and broken edges. There is a natural look that hand stamping can evoke. The artist’s hand is evident as opposed to the look of industrial prints. What also attracted me to stamps is how quickly I can take an idea out of my mind or sketch book and translate it to tangible objects. I feel like I have only scraped the surface of what can be done using inks and stamps.  

Best advice for dealing with imperfection?

When I am in my studio I sincerely try not to get hung up on trying to create something that is perfect. I embrace the tiny specks of ink that sometimes show up on a printed surface. It may be that I missed fully cleaning a corner on a stamp before it is pressed, or I may not have applied even amounts of pressure to a stamp and part of the design is more faded than the rest. But sometimes that is exactly the look I am going for. It is the same kind of beauty I see in a distressed coffee table, a vintage leather bag, or the surface of pine tree bark.

 In many ways I relate personally to the stamp process. I am learning every day to embrace my imperfections. I have the daily decision to be caught up on what makes me imperfect, or I can enjoy the uniqueness that comes along with being an imperfect human. My challenge to you is to embrace your imperfections too.

-Angel Graves

Why Vintage?

My latest musings and thoughts have been set towards vintage clothing. Why do I dress the way that I do? What is the true appeal of vintage and pre-owned goodies? After asking myself these questions, I came up with a few illustrated answers I think are worth sharing.

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{This top was a thrift store find. It is a smooth silk and judging by the construction it was hand made. A huge bonus to it's handmade quality, it fits like it was made for my body measurements!}

Vintage styling can be an expression that says "Hey! I'm not so down with main stream culture!" In a way it is a rebellion against status quo. I am not completely dissing contemporary fashion and style, I am merely expressing my freedom of choice. Mixing vintage with modern is a great way to have a very full and rich wardrobe.  

{This dreamy mint colored sun dress is another thrift store find. My heart jumped a little when I saw it. I also squealed with joy when it fit perfectly.}

By wearing vintage I am paying tribute to women I look up to. Women such as my grandmothers, mother, and aunts. These are people who worked hard and looked great doing it! I was raised by my mother to take pride in how I dressed. A person's impression of another is strongly based on looks. Why not put your best foot forward? There is a certain great feeling that comes with dressing well.

 {This funky beauty was a generous gift from Kelsie McNair, owner of the vintage boutique With Lavender and Lace in Norfolk, VA. Check out the facebook and give it some likes :-) Thanx Babe!}

On a more material level, I feel like I am rescuing and reusing something that is a quality made item. If it can last as long as it has, it was made right the first time. Some people may have qualms with used clothing but once laundered or tailored most clothes can be good as new.

{I scored these lovely shoes at an antique store in Richmond. Having a size 9 & 1/2 can prove to be a challenge in the shoe world. When I do find great shoes in my size I almost always buy them.}  

 It is all in the details. Small cut out shapes, intricate laces, screen printed patterns, etc. Vintage clothing tend to have amazing and quirky details. It is this attention to detail that makes a piece of clothing unique.

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What vintage or reused beauties get you excited about dressin up?

Flame Stitch Chair Makeover

One of my many hobbies besides stamping is revamping vintage furniture. I am very certain that it runs in the family. When you have to be thrifty and you are creative, wonderful things can happen. It is possible to have the living space you desire if you are willing to look at your personal space as a problem to SOLVE instead of just a problem. 

Turning a vintage chair modern can be a seriously rewarding and easy project. Above are a few of the supplies you need to get started. 

1. My personal favorite tool: a staple gun and staples

2. Screwdriver to remove the screws that secure cushions to chair

3.  Scissors for cutting your choice of fabric{*if you are into this blog you def. already have these}

4. Fabric {you wont need too much depending on the project you take on, I used about one and a half yards with still some to spare}

 

 This chair is a piece that I purchased a couple years ago for about $5.00 and it survived many college dwellings, parties, and cats. What I really love about this chair is how easy the cushions can be removed. When you are looking for your own project, keep that in mind. Fabric and padding are easy fixes as long as the structure of your chair is sound to begin with.

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Step 1: Use your screw driver to remove chair cushions. {keep screws in an easy to find spot. It would be a bummer to loose them!}

 

Step 2: Remove the old staples that are holding the existing fabric to the cushions. Sometimes you can achieve this by simply pulling at the fabric but if you need added leverage, I recommend using needle nose pliers. 

 Step 3: Use old fabric as your template for cutting new fabric. This is the easiest way to accurately measure your new fabric. 

 

Step 4: Lay the cushions on top of the new fabric and make sure the fabric is centered. Begin to staple new fabric to the backs of your seat cushion(s), working along one side at a time.

Step 5: Remember to keep the edges of your fabric folded over once so that you do not have leftover hang underneath of your seat. When you have finished stapling, replace your cushion(s) onto the chair frame.

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After a little elbow grease, this chair has a fresh new look that is simply elegant and reminiscent of Eames designed furniture. I hope this post will inspire some serious chair UP-CYCLING makeovers.  

Inspiration Station

     
  Every design studio needs a designated space for a very, very important supply: Inspiration. A very fun and easy to refresh way of displaying things that inspire you is to create an "Inspiration Wire." This does not have to be an intense DIY extreme makeover project. In my home studio, I created my "wire" by using a few screws and natural twine. To hang my collected materials I used drapery clips, and clothes pins.
       If you are wondering what to hang, begin with magazines or catalogs that you subscribe to. There is a reason you were attracted to these publications and you may want to highlight or remember the most interesting things in them. Maybe you liked a wallpaper pattern in a home decor magazine, or a color scheme of cashmere sweaters in a fashion catalog. Another great item to add to your wall of inspiration is a collection of paint chips. You can usually find them for free at your local hardware store or at a place that sells interior/exterior paints. One last suggestion: vintage linens, such as the bird napkins in my studio, can add texture among paper goodies.

     Happy hanging!! If you have any other inspiration materials to share, please feel free. :-)