Giveaway!
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Winners:
Meet the Author
Hey there, can you introduce yourself?
Hi there! I’m Kayte. I’m the author of the book Paper Made! (as a well as couple of others). I live in Philadelphia with my husband and cat Bruce leBruce. By day I work at Anthropologie’s home office in the visual department. By night, I write, craft and post pretty things on my blog, this is love forever.
Tell us a bit about the book?
Paper Made! Features 101 projects you can make with everyday paper-things like magazines, newspapers, cardboard, paint chips and food packaging. The book teaches you how to transform these everyday materials into extraordinary things like home décor, jewelry, books and more.
What was the inspiration behind it?
I have always been interested in using humble materials and elevating them through craft. A lot of this comes from my upbringing: my mom is very crafty and taught me at a young age how to re-use and recycle. In the past I have worked a lot more with fabrics and sewing but I wanted to make a book that appealed to a wider range of people, with materials that everyone has at home.
Using recycled materials is really freeing and fun for people because they are less worried about making mistakes since the materials are usually cheap or free. And there’s no chance for your project to look cookie cutter because what I have in my recycling bin is probably very different for what you have!
Which is your favourite project?
That’s like picking a favorite child! No seriously, I’m a fan of the ones that were most challenging for me to imagine. I really like the cardboard side table because I wanted to prove how functional paper-made things can be! I’m very comfortable with decorative work so when a project is stripped down to its construction, it’s a challenge. But I like a challenge and I’m happy to be able to have a project like that figured out to make it easier for readers to make!
What is your craft space like?
I consider myself a dabbler in many crafts so my space is small but full! My husband recently said it was like an art store. He walked in and asked if I had anything for block printing and I was like, “blue cabinet. Third drawer down.” Because it’s small, I like to be very organized! I have a lot of shelves and cabinets and things are neatly piled into bins. My fabric is all folded and stacked by color, with small scraps in bins by color as well. It takes a lot for me to throw out a little scrap because it always seems like it could be useful in another project down the road.
I don’t usually write in my studio because it’s hard not to start making things! I write in the kitchen or on the couch in the living room, with my laptop.
Have you always been creative?
Yes! My parents are both artists and creativity and self-expression was always highly valued in my house. My parents were strict about rules, curfews, dating, stuff like that, but we could dye our hair purple, paint our room black, glue flowers all over our pants (all things I did as a teen) if we wanted to.
I’m very similar to my mom, who has been a musician, an artist, a graphic designer and a master garden over her lifespan so far. I couldn’t even dream of picking one creative avenue so I try them all!
When did you first start crafting?
I started crafting with my mom when I was very young. I don’t remember exactly what I made first but I’m guessing it had something to do with Christmas. We have always been a big handmade holiday family and I remember making ornaments, cookies and gingerbread houses under my mom’s tutelage. I actually have an ornament made from those days: my mother made a collection of appliqued animal ornaments when I was two or three and I made one too. It’s hard to tell what animal it is exactly though: maybe a walrus?!
Who are your crafty heroes?
Natalie Chanin is amazing, Sheila Hicks, Denyse Schmidt, Jewelry designer Lina Peterson, Christine Kim from Dosa, designer and stylist Sarah Illenberger, and of course, Louise Bourgeouis! There are probably a million more that I will remember tomorrow...
Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere! I like to think I am really observant. I keep my eyes open everywhere I go and the tiniest thing can get my brain working. I get a lot of ideas when I’m out walking and looking at everything in general but nothing in particular. I keep a journal with me at all times, snap a lot of photos with my iPhone for reference and write a little tiny paragraph about each day in a five year diary. That keep me organized!
I’m kind of an inspiration junkie! It’s a huge part of my day job at Anthropologie, going through magazines, reading blogs and books, trolling around Pinterest, checking out galleries and museums. I can’t remember long division but I can tell you what the Balenciaga collection looked like two springs ago.
What's next for you?
I’m excited to be teaching at a few amazing craft and art retreats in the upcoming months Squam in New Hampshire in September and Craftcation in LA in March. Also, I’ve been playing around with water coloring and printmaking a lot lately and I’m working on a accessories collaboration with a friend using those techniques. And of course there will be another book! No word on when just yet but I can’t wait to write another one. My notebook is full of new ideas already!
Publisher's Description
Announcing the biggest, best, most innovative book ever on paper craft. Even better, this is not about how to use costly, artsy paper, but how to turn stuff around the house—magazines and shopping bags, candy wrappers and paint sample cards, wrapping paper, old maps, and paper towel tubes—into stunning jewelry, gifts, home de?cor, party favors, and much more.
Chances are you’ve seen the author’s cutting-edge work in the windows of Anthropologie, where she is the chain’s merchandising manager. An inveterate crafter who creates projects and styles photo shoots for magazines like Parents and Vogue Knitting, Kayte Terry takes the most versatile of materials and the most basic of crafts (remember snipping valentines out of construction paper?), and creates something completely trans- formative. Turn a sheaf of any white or graph paper into an amazing Scrap Happy Globe Lantern for the dining room. Fashion colored tissue paper into Songbird Votives, leftover raffle tickets into a Prizewinning Bowl, that out-dated pile of holiday catalogs into a picture frame. There’s a necklace made of playing cards, a gum wrapper bracelet, and barrettes made by quilling—a paper technique that goes back to the Renaissance. Every project is photographed in full color, and includes step-by-step illustrations and instructions. Truly a book that shows how to think outside the (cardboard) box.
