Welcome to our Meet the Member feature. This time we're off to Germany to meet Ulli of Leocardia.
Please introduce yourself.
I'm
living in Munich, Germany, as a graphic-designer with my husband
Christoph (same profession and creator of innumerable funny little
drawings) and my 13 years old daughter, who loves to draw and make
little things of her own. I
was born in Munich and I really like to live here. The city is
beautiful and there are plenty of lakes around and the mountains are not
so far away. Frankly, it's only the sea, that I'm missing… But you can't have it all.
Please describe your craftwork / shop and your inspirations for it.
As so many sellers on Etsy, I've been making things my whole life. My
father was a graphic designer and my mother a skilled seamstress, so
there was always enough material at home to carry out any whimsical
project when I was a child. Pencils, paper, glue, brushes, watercolor, scraps of fabric, yarns, leather, pearls, buttons and feathers in any shade of color…
At
school, I had a fantastic art teacher (father of the famous artist
Thomas Demand), who encouraged me as well to become an art student.
I get many inspirations out of sheer chaos. Our flat is crammed with books, photos and all kinds of materials, waiting to be transformed into something new. As
I grow older I learn to appreciate an empty desk to start a new
project, but for years I liked to work in the middle of a burst of
colors and remnants on my desk…
Could you describe to us what a regular day is like for you?
Because I have a part time job, there are two kinds of "regular" days. Some days I'm working as graphic designer in an eight-hour day (but much later than from 9-5). Some other days I can spend on my own projects.
How long have you sold your items on Etsy?
I
"opened" my Etsy-shop in spring 2009, but I waited til
"Oktoberfest"-time in september to offer my first items: my pretzel
monotypes. In
March 2010, our very small group of etsians in Munich was honored by a
visit of Matt Stinchcomb, who had just founded the European headquarter
of Etsy in Berlin. He and his wife Benedikta explained the Etsy idea to all of us. By the way, she is from Munich!
Soon afterwards Matt bought one of my crocodile pencil holders for the Etsy lab in Berlin.
I've seen it there, when I went to Berlin in Aril 2012!
Years before I got to know Etsy I had the idea of selling handmade goods
on the internet myself, but I had no clue about how to do this, so I
was really happy, when I found out about Etsy.
What’s your favourite part of the Etsy experience?
I love to see that somebody has just bought one of my handmade items.
I like the wonderful themes and topics the Etsy crew is offering on and on.
I'm thrilled by likeminded people, who share my taste. As I refrain from joining the Facebook community, I enjoy the social sharing I can find on Etsy.
Are there any other skills you’d love to have?
I'd like to be a musical person, but unfortunately I'm not. I can't even repeat a simple tune, when singing…
What is your favourite item in your own shop?
My crocodile pencil holders. I had the idea for it, before a friend turned 50. He's got the prototype. I liked the little animal very much, so I decided to make more of them in different colors. Because I can't make up my mind which color I like best, I still haven't made one for myself. But for my daughter I made a light blue one.
What are your favourite materials to work with?
I have to work a lot with a computer.In
contrast to this "modern" occupation I seek the soft touch of felt and I
like to pick the tiniest beads and buttons out of little boxes, or
choosing matching threads from an old wooden drawer.
Please nominate another team member who you'd like to know more about.
I like the objects and the profile of Camillelarson of gardengnomearts.
Lets now take a look at some of Ulli's handcrafted items.
Herbal Tea Cup Print
Jars full of Wonders print
Crocodile pencil holder
Please click on the link below to go and visit Ulli's shop on Etsy.
Thank you Ulli for giving us a glimpse into your world.
