Local Featured Seller: The Speckled Kat

Who are you? My name is Katrina, but aside from business purposes I go by Katie. I am TheSpeckledKat.

Where are you located? I was born in Durham, I have lived in most of the surrounding cities and towns and currently am living in Durham. It is such a pleasure to be living in this town that is a budding and thriving artist community!

What do you create? I create lots of things. Growing up I had pretty amazing people in my life who could make and do anything. "I can't" was not in their vocabulary. My favorite creations are painting, mosaics, and in my shop I sell 100% wool flowers. They are pretty awesome, and can be attached to a brooch pin or a variety of hair accessories.
What is your favorite place to visit in the triangle? Ooh this is a hard one. Can I pick 2? I have 2 young children and so my favorite place to be with them is the Library. I grew up down the road from a library, and I'm pretty sure I spent just about everyday there with my nose in a book. So it is very important to me that my kids have a familiarity with the library and a love of reading. When I get a day to myself however, you will find me on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. It has always been my favorite street to stroll. You could most definitely find me at Caffe Driade at some point during my outing!

When did you start creating? I have been making and fixing things for as long as I can remember. But being a 3rd child, I was determined to not be compared to my older sister who was the "artist in the family". So it took me a long time to actually embrace my artistic side. You could say I really went with it when I took an art class in 9th grade. I learned so much and discovered so many different avenues of art, that I was in love. It wasn't until recently that I actually gave in and accepted that I was an artist, even though I've been making quite beautiful pieces for over 10 years now.

What is your most cherished handmade item? About 10 years ago, my best friend {who was a pretty amazing artist} gave me a picture of myself that she painted when she was 9, entered into a competition and won. I had never known that she did it and it was such a sweet surprise. She passed almost 7 years ago and I value all the letters and pictures that she gave me over the years. Also, being an artist and a mommy, it's really important that my kids have a love for art and really embrace it. So ever since they could hold a crayon, they have been making me quite wonderful pieces of art. I am unable to throw away any of it, so you can imagine how large my collection is of my children's artwork.
Why did you choose your medium? When I started out making my flowers I used cheap craft felt that was 20 cents a sheet from the craft store. Even though my flowers were still beautiful, I wanted something more. I wanted the highest quality, the prettiest, The.Best. So I found a supplier of 100% wool felt sheets on etsy and I am so glad that I made that switch. Along with lasting longer and being environmentally friendly, it's softer, real, and when I'm making something that represents nature, I should use materials that are from nature, right?

What inspires you? Everyone. My husband has always been my biggest support structure. Always pushing me, encouraging me, and honestly pointing out what could be better so that I can grow as an artist. When I'm making my flowers, I think of different people in my life. When I choose a color, I think of someone who loves that color, I think about their likes and dislikes, their style, and I create that flower as if it were a special gift just for them. Also looking at the beautiful nature around me, music, movies, whatever is my atmosphere at the time, helps to create special one of a kind pieces. In general though when I'm creating, I'm listening to Bach or Beethoven or watching a romantic movie, like Pride and Prejudice.

Where do you create? Wouldn't it be fabulous if I could say that I had my own art space and got to handpick every single piece of antique furniture in it? Unfortunately, I do not have an art space all my own. Currently I'm set up on the kitchen table. My husband and I built this large bar/table that sits in a window between the kitchen and living room. Being 8 feet long, and having room enough to eat and craft on at the same time, the family eats on the kitchen side, and I have taken over the living room side. My flower making supplies start in the corner and spread out across the length of the table by the time I am done for the night. My supplies like paints and broken items for mosaics spread across the rest of the house, in bins stacked in corners and on shelves above our bed.
Why did you choose your shop name? A few years ago, I was in search of a clever email address. Tired of my current one. So I thought "I have freckles, I have always been called various nicknames with Kat in them" so it hit me, SpeckledKat! I fell in love with the name. It fit ME. So when I created my etsy shop the other month, it only seemed fitting that I go with a name that I already loved. So that's why I am THESpeckledKat!

What are your goals? I still want to grow so much as an artist. I love trying and learning new things. I love finding ways to make what I create better and higher quality. I would like to eventually add more lines to my shop like oil paintings and mosaics. I'd like to get my name out there and sell my flowers in local shops. I'm still learning the art of networking and "selling myself". It's quite hard, I'm not that kind of person. I also would like to give selling at craft shows a go.

What do you do when you are not creating? A lot of my time and attention is spent focused on my religion. I love spending time with my kids, family and friends. I have pen-pals, yes, real life friends that I correspond with using snail mail. So I spend a good amount of time making cool, unique stationery. But honestly, I create every day. It's a part of who I am. I also really love watching romantic movies. I'm learning how to knit, so perhaps one day you'll find items like that in my shop...the sky is the limit!

So after you've browsed the beautiful flowers in TheSpeckledKat's etsy shop, go ahead a like her facebook page and visit The Speckled Kat's Blog.


NCTriangle Team Members who would like to be featured, please contact ShoreDebris.