Artist Series --Kim's Crafty Apple

I met Kim when we both joined the Etsy Treasury Team. Kim has so much energy and creativity and her Etsy shop, Kim's Crafty Apple, certainly shows it! Visit her blog as well....for lot's of interesting adventures!

When did you become interested in art and did you choose art, or did it choose you?

I guess my answer is the same as many artists out there – I’ve always been interested in art. My grandma always tells the story of me sewing my brother a quilt for his birthday when I was five. I used my material from my mom’s dirty rag bin including the fuzzy toilet seat cover. My brother, of course, LOVED it.


I don’t think I could get away from art if I wanted to. I’m always seeing things and creating something different with them or dreaming of things I must make. My best ideas come right before I wake up for the day.






You get to spend one weekend each with three historical figures, an artist, a writer and one of your choice. Who are they and what will you talk about or do?

AN artist – Georgia O’Keefe – she was born in a town close to where I live now, Sun Prairie, WI, which I find really interesting. I think it would be fun to paint with her see her methods, inspiration, and creations.

A Writer – John Steinbeck – East of Eden is one of my two favorite books (my other is Gone with the Wind). I can read it over and over and be enthralled by his writing skills each time. I think he would be interesting to sit and have coffee with.


My Choice – Scarlett O’Hara – I know she’s not real but she’s my favorite main character in a book. I remember staying home during High School on a Friday night just sobbing to the end of ‘Gone with the Wind’. In the movie, Scarlett is portrayed as just a ‘B*’ but in the book you can understand why she does the things she does. I would love to go to the bars and she what happens after a night with Scarlett!

How has the popularity of the Internet affected your work?

The internet has enabled me to show my work all over the globe. I am no longer limited to those that come and see me at my orchard or my craft fair. Basically, it’s enabled me to more effectively ‘support my habit' since I can sell more of my creations.

Have you discovered any new technique to creating your work that you can share? How do you overcome artist block?

I don’t think that I have any amazing technique with my work. I think my biggest asset in my work is that I don’t over think anything. I get asked the question, “How do you do it all?” all the time. I feel that I can accomplish as much as I do because I just do it. I don’t sit there and worry if this color will look good with this one or if this pattern is too much – I just trust my gut and go with it. It typically works.

I never have artist block – that’s why I create in so many mediums. If I don’t feel like sewing I make jewelry. If I don’t feel like making jewelry I paint. If I don’t feel like painting I blog. If I don’t feel like blogging I do one of the other hundreds of projects I have in my mind. There’s always some sort of creative release for me out there – it just depends on the mood I’m in.

If I walked into your studio this moment what would you show me first? What would you want to hide?

I would probably show you my sewing machine. It’s my baby. I love it…it even cuts it’s own thread! I don’t think I’d hide anything – my studio is a disaster but that’s how I create the best. My husband does not understand how I can make such beautiful things when I work in the midst of a disaster. That disaster is all my ideas out on the table ready to be made.

Describe something that comes up in your work because of a life experience?

I’m 27. I haven’t had much life experience yet. I would say that i really enjoy creating things for kids right now since I have two beautiful daughters: Mercedi - 3, and Capri – 2.


Describe what you do or who you are in a haiku
spirited artist
wild imagination fierce
ready to dive in





Is there anything else that you would like to share?

I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today without my amazingly understanding husband. I was lucky that he grew up with the mom that he had who was very into the arts, crafts and quilting world as well (she’s who taught me how to quilt the proper way…). He spent many late nights cutting out wood shapes for the classes his mom would be teaching in the days to come. My husband doesn’t question when I come home with bags full of supplies or boxes full of fabric arrive in the mail day after day. I’m grateful for his support and encouragement.

Alltop, Missing Q, and Guy Kawasaki

A little over a month ago I was cruising around on the internet.
I had been twittering and saw a post by Guy Kawasaki. I enjoy his books, such as, The Art of Start, and listening to his lectures so I clicked on the link that he posted on twitter and it took me to Alltop. For whatever reason I had never heard of Alltop but soon figured out that it was a site that would lead me to blogs that contained a lot of great information.

I am a quilter, so I decided to look up what people were blogging about on quilting. I did a search and it took me to the Needlecraft category. Now there weren't a lot of blogs about quilting so I just figured I must not have searched properly. I backed up a few steps and came to a page that lets you look at subjects alphabetically. As I looked at the alphabet I couldn't find the Q.

It was rather late so I thought I had just missed it, so I looked again...still no Q. I thought, well how can that be, the rest of the alphabet was there why would the Q be left out. And, why wouldn't quilting have a category unto itself rather than under needlecraft. Especially since there are a lot of quilters and it is big business. Even though it was late I sent an email to their information email address. Stating, in a rather humorous way that the Q was missing and that I would really like the Q to be added and specifically that Quilting needed its own category. I also said that until they decided to give Quilting its own category I was holding the Q hostage. I didn't even expect an answer. Well, I just about fell off my chair when in about 15 minutes I received a reply. Not just any reply, but a reply from Guy Kawasaki.

He appreciated my sense of humor and how I had approached them to add the Q and ultimately Quilting. A couple of emails back and forth and Guy asked me to gather quilting blogs so that it would have its own category and the Q would be inserted back into the alphabet.


Wa La...the Q is now part of the alphabet again and Quilting has a home of its own on the Alltop network. You should visit Alltop. I promise that you will find a lot of really cool blogs on many different subjects --including quilting. If you place the widget on your blog you will get automatic updates on your favorite blog subjects.