Please enjoy my interview with local paper artisan, Mindi Brown of Butterfly Papercrafts.
Me: Thanks for having me out to your cool little shop.
M: You’re welcome, thanks for coming.
Me: Tell me how this all came to be?
M: Well, when Mike and I were looking to buy a place we wanted a place with a garage for him and a studio for me. And then when we found this place it just evolved into a little s...hop since we figured I would be in my studio all day anyway, I might as well carry some of the products that we need locally for everyone.
Me: I love this shop, it’s off the beaten path which makes it even more fun to shop here.
M: Thanks, it’s been a fun project.
Me: How did you start using paper as your main medium?
M: My friend, Corrine, got me interested, or should I say hooked, on scrapbooking in um, 2006ish and it just took off from there.
Me: I love the things you are making, the clutch you made for adult prom is amazing. (see photos)
M: Thank you, I started looking through my purses for something that would go with my dress and I just didn’t find anything I liked so a lot of paper, glue, tape and rhinestones later...
Me: Is this something you would custom make for people?
M: Sure, it’s just something I would have to really make sure they understood the time involved would be reflected in the price.
Me: You bring up a good point. It is hard to value your work in the hours it takes to make something beautiful that other people will enjoy.
M: It is. If I can’t get out of it what I put into it, I just keep it. (laughs)
Me: So you started out scrap booking and now you can make some amazing and funky things with paper. Where do you find your inspiration?
M: Well sometimes it’s simply because I can’t find what I want or need and so I make it. Other times I find inspiration in things I have seen on Pinterest and then add my own flare. (She then shows me a couple of really cool plastic canvas contraptions she has made to cleverly store her markers and pens.)
Me: Do you find that people try to pigeonhole your work into crafts?
M: Um, no not really. I think people see that I bring color theory, patterns and embellishment into my work that has it’s own artform. Plus I am not an easy person to pigeonhole with my burgundy hair and metallic silver fingernails. (we both laugh) As far as what I make being art, well, there has been some fails but that’s all part of the process.
Me: I think you have an amazing eye. Everytime I see your stuff I see something I missed before. There are many layers to your craft.
M: Thanks. I am very critical of my work, I guess I am mildly OCD so I work hard at creating what I want.
Me: You have been published in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine on scrapbooking so I guess people are noticing!
M: Yes, I was really happy they liked what I contributed.
Me: Is that something they do a lot of?
M: No, I was very lucky, they published me after just that submission where a lot of my peers say they have sent in hundreds before being published.
Me: What’s your favorite parts of what you do?
M: Well it is ideal for me to have my studio and shop here. Kids come home and I am here and my husband is very supportive of me doing this and that is wonderful. It is kind of the perfect scenerio for me because there is a lot of risk opening a shop like this downtown.
Me: What’s your favorite thing in the store?
M: Ah, the stacks of paper are pretty great. When I get a new batch in, it’s like heaven.
Me: What would you tell others who are considering being a full time working artist and making it their income?
M: I say, go for it, if it is financially feasible for you and your family. I think also it is important to have a support system. People who believe in what you do, at least this has been a great thing for me with my husband Mike and kids.
Me: You are showing your work at a lot of shows locally.
M: Yes, I do several shows a year. People come and see what I am doing and then they can come up to the store and pick out their own paper or what have you and I can make something really special for them or for their gift giving.
Me: Lewistown is lucky to have such a cool and funky resource for all things papercrafts and it’s cool that you are so forthcoming with your advice and expertise.
M: Thank you, I am really enjoying it and hope to do more in the community. Tonight I have some gals coming out to the shop for wine, scrapbooking and chatting. That is the sort of thing I really love.
Me: Oh that sounds great! I can see myself bringing out some gal pals and doing that with you.
Me: Thanks for having me out to your cool little shop.
M: You’re welcome, thanks for coming.
Me: Tell me how this all came to be?
M: Well, when Mike and I were looking to buy a place we wanted a place with a garage for him and a studio for me. And then when we found this place it just evolved into a little s...hop since we figured I would be in my studio all day anyway, I might as well carry some of the products that we need locally for everyone.
Me: I love this shop, it’s off the beaten path which makes it even more fun to shop here.
M: Thanks, it’s been a fun project.
Me: How did you start using paper as your main medium?
M: My friend, Corrine, got me interested, or should I say hooked, on scrapbooking in um, 2006ish and it just took off from there.
Me: I love the things you are making, the clutch you made for adult prom is amazing. (see photos)
M: Thank you, I started looking through my purses for something that would go with my dress and I just didn’t find anything I liked so a lot of paper, glue, tape and rhinestones later...
Me: Is this something you would custom make for people?
M: Sure, it’s just something I would have to really make sure they understood the time involved would be reflected in the price.
Me: You bring up a good point. It is hard to value your work in the hours it takes to make something beautiful that other people will enjoy.
M: It is. If I can’t get out of it what I put into it, I just keep it. (laughs)
Me: So you started out scrap booking and now you can make some amazing and funky things with paper. Where do you find your inspiration?
M: Well sometimes it’s simply because I can’t find what I want or need and so I make it. Other times I find inspiration in things I have seen on Pinterest and then add my own flare. (She then shows me a couple of really cool plastic canvas contraptions she has made to cleverly store her markers and pens.)
Me: Do you find that people try to pigeonhole your work into crafts?
M: Um, no not really. I think people see that I bring color theory, patterns and embellishment into my work that has it’s own artform. Plus I am not an easy person to pigeonhole with my burgundy hair and metallic silver fingernails. (we both laugh) As far as what I make being art, well, there has been some fails but that’s all part of the process.
Me: I think you have an amazing eye. Everytime I see your stuff I see something I missed before. There are many layers to your craft.
M: Thanks. I am very critical of my work, I guess I am mildly OCD so I work hard at creating what I want.
Me: You have been published in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine on scrapbooking so I guess people are noticing!
M: Yes, I was really happy they liked what I contributed.
Me: Is that something they do a lot of?
M: No, I was very lucky, they published me after just that submission where a lot of my peers say they have sent in hundreds before being published.
Me: What’s your favorite parts of what you do?
M: Well it is ideal for me to have my studio and shop here. Kids come home and I am here and my husband is very supportive of me doing this and that is wonderful. It is kind of the perfect scenerio for me because there is a lot of risk opening a shop like this downtown.
Me: What’s your favorite thing in the store?
M: Ah, the stacks of paper are pretty great. When I get a new batch in, it’s like heaven.
Me: What would you tell others who are considering being a full time working artist and making it their income?
M: I say, go for it, if it is financially feasible for you and your family. I think also it is important to have a support system. People who believe in what you do, at least this has been a great thing for me with my husband Mike and kids.
Me: You are showing your work at a lot of shows locally.
M: Yes, I do several shows a year. People come and see what I am doing and then they can come up to the store and pick out their own paper or what have you and I can make something really special for them or for their gift giving.
Me: Lewistown is lucky to have such a cool and funky resource for all things papercrafts and it’s cool that you are so forthcoming with your advice and expertise.
M: Thank you, I am really enjoying it and hope to do more in the community. Tonight I have some gals coming out to the shop for wine, scrapbooking and chatting. That is the sort of thing I really love.
Me: Oh that sounds great! I can see myself bringing out some gal pals and doing that with you.
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