Interview with Southabi from Etsy

Abigail of Gail's Creations (southabi on Etsy) is a wonderful crafter who utilizes upcycled technological components as well as various natural components in her creations. Here is an interview that shows you what drives her to create such unique crafts:

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your Etsy shop.

I'm a designer at an interactive advertising agency by day and a crafter by night. I started up my shop originally to sell illustration commissions, but it took on a life of its own as I explored what Etsy has to offer. I currently sell upcycled and cyberpunk accessories and jewelry, using such materials as broken camera parts, motherboards, and vinyl records. It's grown significantly in the few short months I've been open, and I'm starting to branch out to more materials and items. I'm even thinking of opening a separate store for my illustrations so I can focus exclusively on jewelry and accessories in my Gail's Creations shop.

What inspires you to create?

I adore my job immensely, but no matter the job, it can always be stressful. Crafting takes the edge off that for me. I'm not the type of person that sees being stagnant as a way to relax. I have to keep my hands occupied. Crafting is an environment that holds no restrictions on what I can and cannot make. I'm my own boss. That gives me a freedom I can't quite reach in a day job.

Describe your creative process.

As I upcycle most of my items, the beginning of my process is getting materials. They can be from friends, family, thrift stores, other Etsy stores, and sometimes Freecyle (a Yahoo! based community where people with items they want to get rid of connect with those looking for those particular items). It can be anything form old vinyl record to unusable motherboards. I rarely know what I want to make when I pick up something; it jsut has to look interesting to me. From there, I have a couple shelves filled with raw supplies, jewelry hardware, and tools. I pick up any raw supplies that looks interesting to me that particular day and see how they could fit together. Sometimes it's a success, sometimes I start all over. Either way, it's an outlet for my creativity that's no holds barred.

What are some of your own favorite creations?

When I get into the mood to illustrate but not anything in particular, I grab a vinyl record or a vinyl record bowl from my pile, pull out the acrylic paints, and paint to my heart's content. I went to school for illustration, so it holds a special place for me. I also enjoy working with watch circuits. I did a series of watch circuits and key pendants - I love the size and shape of watch circuits; they're so compact you don't have to fiddle with them overly much to make something great.

How do you want your craft and business to evolve?

I see myself picking up more of a variety of materials. While originally I focused on the cyberpunk aesthetic, I'm bringing more natural materials into my work - stone cabochons, meteorite fragments, ammonite fossils, ets. I'm also looking at ways to tackle the problem of using manufactured jewelry hardware and replacing them with upcycled items, such as replacing chain with plarn (plastic bag yarn) and t-shirt yarn.

What or who influences you as an artisan?

I work with computers all day, but I understand why some would feel technology sometimes gets away with us. I want to show that in my craft work: that the natural and the unnatural can be balanced and even beautiful. I also want to do my part to stop bits and pieces from ending up in a junkyard. Many of the items we buy end up in a landfill within six months, when a lot of it can be reused, repurposed, or recycled.

What brings people to seek out your creations and what makes your work unique?

Upcycling is something that's only becoming more and more in the spotlight, which I think is part of the reason my shop is building steam. It also helps that in using upcycled materials, sometimes it grabs the attention of someone who loves what it was made from. I've created rings from camera dials, which was a hit with photographers. Many people who work with computers get a kick out of my circuit items too.

What advice would you give to other artisans?

The great thing about crafting, and Etsy, is that the sky is the limit. Don't let anyone else tell you what you should and shouldn't make, and don't let something that should be creative and freeing consume you. It's easy to get caught up in the sales, when your focus needs to be your craft.

Where else can your creations be found?

Currently my crafts can only be found on Etsy. I'll be opening up an Artfire store as well soon and might put my crafts in shops in my hometown.

Enjoy all of the lovely creations at southabi here.

You can also see my own jewelry creations in my Etsy shop, ideology, here, and you can read more articles about the many creative Etsy artisans here.