Fabulous Friday... The Interview ~ Samigail

This week's crafter is Fiona from Samigail's Handmade Gifts.



How did you get started in your particular craft and how long have you been doing it?

I started learning pyrography just before Christmas 2007. My husband wanted some ideas for what to buy me for Christmas and I decided I’d like to learn a new craft. So I stumbled onto pyrography and thought it sounded interesting. I got quite excited and impatient to start learning my new chosen craft so instead of waiting until Christmas though I bought myself a little kit and started straight away! I made some Christmas decorations for my 2 children and a friend saw them and said she’d like them as teacher presents for her children to give at school and so I started making things to sell.

Are there any negative aspects to doing your craft and if there are how do you work around them?

The only problem I’ve encountered is if I burn a piece of wood incorrectly and ruin the wood as there is no correcting the mistake once the wood is burnt! Anything tricky I draw on the picture first, or if it’s a lot of wording I write it all in pencil so I can be sure the spacing and layout looks nice.

What tips would you give to anyone thinking of starting your craft?

Keep practicing on scraps of wood. It took me a while to get the hang of the wood being burnt effectively so it wasn’t all horrid and blotchy/messy.

How did you find Misi?

Through a craft forum.

What is your favourite item in your own Misi shop?

My tooth fairy hanger. Some of my plaques (like the Babies don’t keep one) have a poem on which has come from a website which allows crafters to use the poems on crafts to sell, albeit with certain restrictions, such as amounts sold per week.

However, the tooth fairy hanger has a poem on that I wrote myself so I do feel quite proud of it.

What is your favourite shop on Misi (besides your own)?

Gosh, there are so many gorgeous products and shops – I can’t name just 1!!. I love so many, I’ll name just 3 - the Chocolate Truffle Co, Photo fairy Tales and Belovedly.




Random Facts about you:

What was your favourite Christmas present last year?

My son started reception at school last year and at Christmas he came home with a calendar he’d made on the computer with a space theme. It is so amazing!

What is your ideal vacation?

My friend and I were talking about holidays earlier today and reminisced about exotic holidays pre-children. Now my ideal vacation would be a camping holiday for all 4 of us with DRY weather – it would certainly be a novelty!!

Have you ever done an extreme sport, if not, would you?

No – although I have started trampolining again after a 20 year break – I think I’d consider it an extreme sport after 2 children and dodgy bladder control!!

What is your favourite fruit and why?

Banana’s, because I can enjoy them so many different ways – plain, or with greek yoghurt and honey, or in a smoothie

What actor/actress would you NOT kick out of bed?

Patrick Dempsey – Mcdreamy in Gray’s Anatomy J





Thank you for chatting with us Fiona. Take a look at Samigail to find some lovely handcrafted items.

Helen
xxx