My Interview with Rachel @ CuriousCrowVintage



Meet Rachel



How did you discover Etsy?

I’ve known about Etsy for awhile and even had a shop a couple of years ago, but I never really did much with it. I can’t even remember what the name was. At this moment in my life, I have the luxury of being able to put all my attention to a self-employment endeavor, so I decided to start two Etsy stores. One for my art and one for my vintage finds.

You have multiple shops, where do you find the time? Lately, I’ve been working about 18 hours a day, seven days a week. A lot of my time is spent in front of the computer either researching or putting new things in my shops, and I’ve been known to spend half of a day taking photos of my shop stock. As soon as my shops are up and running a little more smoothly (read: making more money), I’ll relax a little and won’t be such a workaholic… I think.

Your art is so unique (really big fan of Oliver to Infinity plus 1), what inspires you?





http://www.etsy.com/listing/66315231/oliver-to-infinity-plus-1-mixed-media

  Tim Burton and Edward Gorey are two of my favorite artists. I’ve always been drawn to dark, yet still cute, art. I am definitely not a fan of blood and gore. Most of my art is based on someone I’ve known at some point in my life (more often than I’d like to admit, it’s myself). A lot of the time, I don’t even realize who it is I’m creating until I’m partially finished with the piece. My art evolves during the creation process and sometimes ends up being something entirely different from my initial vision.

Best vintage treasure you've ever found

Just this week I found three, first edition Tasha Tudor books, including her very rare first book, Pumpkin Moonshine. The best part is that I only paid seventy-five cents for the lot of them. When I looked up their value, I almost hyperventilated. They will most certainly be sold. I think my favorite find that I’ve kept is my 1940s wire dress maker’s dummy. I love it so much I even named it. Her name is Olivia and I dress her (usually just a hat and scarf) for seasons and holidays.

Ok, has to be asked for the Sci-fi geeks...you live in Eureka Springs. Do you watch the show, Eureka?

As much as my very geeky, sci-fi loving boyfriend wishes I were into the sci-fi thing, I’m not. I’m still a geek, just not a science fiction fan.

What times of day do you find yourself creating, collecting?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68579149/vintage-1967-spinnerin-knitting-pattern

When garage sale season starts (hopefully soon), I’ll be up early to get the best deals. Right now, I do my thrifting in the afternoon and most of my art is created in the evening. There’s something about that quiet, unrushed time of the day that makes creating much easier for me.

Animal, vegetable, mineral.

Vegetable. Preferably ripe tomatoes fresh from the garden.

Where did you come up with the name of Curious Crow?

I am absolutely fascinated by crows. I think a lot of people view them as pests, but they’re really much smarter than people realize. They’re the bad boys of the bird world. I knew I wanted “crow” to be in my name somewhere, and I also knew I wanted an alliterative name. I started going through a list of adjectives that started with the letter ‘c’ and when I got to curious, I knew it was perfect.



http://www.etsy.com/listing/68740376/vintage-1960s-peacock-brand-black-patent

 What books/magazines/etc are you reading right now? Who has time to read? I’ve typically been a voracious reader my entire life, but it seems like in the past year or so my reading has tapered off. I still read Martha Stewart Living and Country Living religiously. And when I have the time, I’ll flip through the latest Art Doll Quarterly. Actually, I did read an entire book the other day. All 48 pages of it, half of which are pictures. It was The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. Even though it was published in 1992, I’ve only just now discovered it. It’s a retelling of fairy tales and I laughed until I cried. It’s definitely recommended reading.

Let's say you have a clear day, no responsibilities a full tank of gas--where do you go, what do you do? I would take out a map and mark off a 150 mile radius, close my eyes and pick a spot. Then I’d spend the day exploring all of the small towns in between here and there. Some of the coolest places and best places to eat I’ve ever experienced have been discovered this way.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/67677380/turquoise-house-abstract-painting


Any advice for other etsians or artists?

Don’t be afraid to be yourself. I think a lot of time as artists we want to produce what we think will sell instead of just producing what needs to come out of our heads and heart. Also, don’t be scared to support other artist and sellers on Etsy. Oftentimes, we think that if we shed light another artist or shop, it will detract from our own, but the opposite is true. The more we help others, the more we’re helped. One of my favorite sayings is by Erin Majors and is, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”



http://www.etsy.com/listing/68163694/vibrant-vintage-ladys-pride-expandable




Thank you Rachel, for that interview and for sharing your talents and treasures with us!!  
Rachel and I are both members of the Vestie Team on Etsy.  Go Vesties!



Good luck to everyone in all your endeavors

        – no matter how big or how small.

               Be happy!