Today's featured artisans are Stephanie and Shane of WildernessSerenity.
First off, tell us a little about yourself!
Hi! My name is Stephanie and my husband is Shane. We live in Virgina, where we have 4 great kids, a garden & plenty of national parks to hike in. We are natives to Virgina but we love to visit the beach & hike so we travel when ever we get the chance.
How did you start creating your artwork, and how long have you been doing it?
We have been crafters since high school but started making the items in our shop about 2 years ago. Our dining room started filling up with hiking sticks that are beautiful to look at but weren’t getting much use since there are only 6 of us. I had been finding fallen trees on our hikes that were so unique and as I started carving them their beauty was showcased even more. I couldn’t resist adding to my collection.
My wife has always sewn for ours girls and started cloth diapering with our youngest which led to a wonderful world of woolie fluff & so began our adventure into the world of dyeing wool & making woolies.
We started out selling at the local farm up the road & then started seeking out ways to bring our crafts to the online world. I came across Etsy & Hyena Cart one thing led to another and here we are.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I am constantly looking for inspiration in nature. I stop at every national, state and city park I come across in the beautiful forests of Virgina. The local gardens are an amazing resource for new colorways to dye up,too. I also check out as many blogs a day as I can looking for fresh takes on color.
I'm always looking at the hidden inner quality of an old beat up piece of wood that is lying under a fallen tree trying to figure out what will showcase it‘s wood grain the best. And then, of course, my family is always inspiring me. As children, they are consumed by their love of playing, laughing & having a good time. It's just so refreshing seeing kids loving life. I'm so proud to call them my kids.
We have been slowly trying to find a way to live off the grid as much as possible. The philosophy that less is more rings true to our hearts in today's busy world of instant gratification.
Some day we would like to be able to say that we are true homesteaders but until then we will have fun finding ways to get there.
Outside of crafting what else do you enjoy doing?
We love hiking, canoeing, swimming,& hanging out at home. One of our favorite things to do is have a campfire in the backyard and roast marshmellows. I’ve even been known to do a little Irish step dancing on a Friday night.
Stephanie and Shane, thank you for the lovely interview :)
1 Comments:
Hola Anna, fantástico reportaje!!! Que bonita forma de trabajar la madera!
I follow you, lovely!!
Besos, desde España, Marcela
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