Guest Artist :: Krissi Sandvik of Krissi's Stitchery

This month our Guest Artist is Krissi Sandvik of Krissi's Stitchery and the creator of Skelekitty!

Krissi was raised by a pack of wild attorneys and a large console color television in the SF Bay Area of the 1970s and 80s. She was subjected to a liberal arts education as the Reagan years petered out, including a semester at Oxford University and two summer internships as Geppetto's assistant in the family workshop/shed.

In 1988, Krissi moved to San Francisco's Mission District where she masqueraded as a conservative legal secretary during the day and consumed copious amounts of sangria in the evenings. Following what she claims to have been a neuron misfire in 1998, she found herself in the Sacramento suburbs, caring for a plethora of rescued animals and breaking every rule she learned in sewing classes.

Krissi spends her days creating art quilts and what she calls "altared" clothing & "mixed-media Mexiphemera." She is most certainly best known as the creator of her character, Skelekitty, whose popularity grows rapidly in spite of Krissi's constant look of shock and awe.

Her daily blog, Krissi's Stitchery features tips, stories, tutorials & reviews for artists, crafters and collectors alike. She also formed and runs "Scary CRAFT," a group dedicated to sharing indie crafty knowledge, with her friend and partner in crafty crime, Yoli of Sacred Snatch Designs.

Krissi answered some of burning Pimp Stitch questions and I know you are all dying to know what she had to say...

1: What do you do when you're not (doing your day job)? Since my hobbies have become my 'day job' (yay!) what little time I have left over I spend blogging, caring for a menagerie of rescued animals including two macaws, three cats, a King snake and a California Gopher tortoise. I was also somewhat surprised to discover that I enjoy lifting heavy stuff, and do so regularly at Body Tribe in Sacramento.

2: What inspires you? Diffusing the power of negative thoughts and actions with laughter. There is so much intolerance and fear in the world that it is almost easy to let it consume and destroy you. Rather than allow those destructive people and beliefs to "win," I am inspired to find the humor in each situation and create art reflecting my point of view, in the hopes that others will laugh too.

3: When you were 6, what did you want to be when you grew up? Either a ballerina or a lawyer. I'm not sure which is funnier.

4: What do you want to be when you grow up now? I haven't decided if I'm going to grow up just yet.

5: What's your favorite song? I really love a variety of musicians and bands, so it's impossible to give one difinitive answer. However, for the sake of the interview, I'll say it would probably be a tie between Jimi Hendrix's version of All Along the Watchtower and Walking After Midnight by Patsy Cline. Of course, there's also my almost-secret love of the Bay City Rollers....

6: And what's one wierd habit you have? I habitually replace "and" and "of" with 'n' and o' (because it's tons o' fun 'n' stuff).

7: Where are you on an average Tuesday night at 9pm? On the fourth Tuesday of every month, I'd be packing up after "Night of the Crafters," a public craft night in Sacramento hosted by Scary CRAFT and Side Show Studios. The other Tuesdays you'd find me at home with Ron - my hubby, maybe watching Eureka on Sci Fi, or staring at the mess in my art & sewing studio. 8: What's your greatest phobia? Would you believe me if I said, "success?" ahem... Success.

Rubber stamps featuring Skelekitty are at the engravers and will be available this fall through Stampa Fe Art Rubber Stamps! Ron, Skelekitty and I are thrilled, and are planning a line of Skelekitty tee shirts and other items soon.

She has created this awesome free pattern for you guys called "The Cupcake of Guadalupe".  

Thank you so much Krissi for all your hard work designing this for us and letting us pick your brilliant brain!

Make sure you bookmark all of Krissi's sites and if you live near Sacramento be sure to hit a Scary CRAFT "Night of the Crafters" for good craftalicious time!

We have great Guest Artists lined up through the end of the year...but we're always looking for more! Nomintate someone to be a Guest Artist on the Pimp Stitch Blog.

Comments

[file under]

That is the cutest cupcake pattern ever. Thank you!

[yoli]

You guys rawk. Excellent interview! Excellent pattern. :-)

[lauren]

Hi Krissi! Thanks for joining us this week! Love your cupcake.

[Linda/Mommasbize]

Hey Krissi, love the cupcake just adorable, thanks

[The Lone Beader]

Great interview! Krissi's work rocks! :D

[Krissi's Stitchery]

Thanks everyone for all of the visits and compliments! And a super-cupcakey thanks to Tamie, Missy, Amy and Lauren for Pimp Stitch!

[Bethel of Bethania]

G'day, I love people who have a positive outlook on life & can laugh - you make others laugh with you & this in turn lightens their 'load' ... thank you so much for the cupcake-o-guadalupe pattern ... I'm gonna try that one in fabric ... Have a great week ... OOroo ... Bethel of Bethania