Local Featured Seller: ScrappyRat Designs

Who are you?
Veronica Noechel, Scrappyrat Designs

Why did you choose your shop name?
I'm scrappy, and I'm a rat (born in the year of, that is--oddly enough, it was also the year that "Ben", the movie about the killer rat, and possibly the sweetest song ever written for a rat, came out *and* Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH received the Newberry that year. I was destined to work in rat rescue. I currently foster them for CPR (Carolina Pet Rescue). They're the most amazing animals.

Where are you located?
Raleigh, NC

What do you create?
I'm a writer, first and foremost, with 4 published books--3 poetry books, "Museum Mundane", "Murder of Crows", and "Get the Rollax Replicaas You Watned, Vermin" (the last one being poetry made up entirely of Spam subject lines. Hmm, does that count as re-purposed art for Craftland?), and one cookbook, Yummy for Dogs). I also have another book on the way (via Foothills Publishing) called "Gone". I haven't been able to discern if Etsy allows the sale of books yet. On one hand, they are something I made, on the other, they are commercially published by small, literary presses (with the exception of Yummy for Dogs which I put out myself through Lulu.com. All the proceeds from the sale of that one go to animal rescue, so I wanted to self-publish to maximize the amount I'm able to donate.) So anyway, for the moment, if anyone is interested in my books, please feel free to contact me personally and I'll get them in your sweaty little palms, pronto. :)

Okay, whew. That was a lot of info and I haven't even started on your questions yet. What I was getting to via that long sidebar, is that I love the written word, so I'm a big fan of real live handwritten letters and can spend hour upon hour poking around stationery stores. This passion led to my Etsy site, Scrappyrat Designs: Your Animal-Friendly Stationer. Basically, I feature all the kinds of goodies you'd expect to find at a stationers, but with a pet/animalian theme. Cards, bookmarks, bookplates, stationery, etc. featuring images of various dog breeds, cats, wildlife, and my favorite, the more unusual pets like rats, chinchillas, and degus. I've worked in animal rescue most of my adult life, and I've been lucky to have made friendships with all sorts of species. The "animal-friendly" part of my shop's title comes from my tendency to donate many of my items to animal charities for auction, sale, etc. All they need to do is ask and I'll do my best to put together items they can use to generate donations.

What is your favorite place to visit in the "triangle"?

Locopops. Yum!

When did you start creating?
When I was a little kid, I loved collage. No magazine or catalog was safe.

What is your most cherished handmade item?
An Edward Gorey handmade print Scott gave me as a wedding gift when we got married.

What inspires you?
Finding an image of an animal that really transmits the "heart" of their species, whether it's a photo to collage or a stamp I can work with.

Where do you create?
I have a rather unpleasant degenerative spinal disease that results in constant, severe pain, so unfortunately I have to spend an inordinate amount of time in a reclined position. I've got a rigged easel that uses magnets to hold my papers in place so I can still work on the couch or in bed. I'll show it off sometime for your workspace feature. I have developed an assortment of tricks that help me keep going despite my bossypants spine.

What are your goals?
I'd like to get one of the novels I'm working on published in the next few years.

What do you do when you are not creating?
I foster rats, play with my own pets, cook yummy vegan food, read anything that will stand still, study canine behavior and nutrition (I was a dog trainer before my spine gave out.)

--Here's a few more places that you can find Veronica on the web: her blog, her writing site, and just for fun, her Gothbowl Site!

--If you're a NCTriangle team member and would love to also be featured on the blog, please visit the forum to learn how.