Crafty Bastards Vendor Q&A with Art School Dropout

Last year, we didn’t get to post all the Q&As of vendors who participated in the 2007 Crafty Bastards fair, so here they are now!

Art School Dropout is aptly named, as its creations seem to exude irreverence for everything formulaic, and to embrace, instead, a love for all colors and creatures that tickle the momentary fancy. These creatures include everything from hot pink octopi to the delightful “Funny Little Man” (pictured below).

According to Jessee Maloney, making crafts helps to calm the mind and keep her fingers happy. All hand-cast plastic pieces are made in-house with handmade silicone molds. All embroidered bags are hand-drawn on the computer, stitch by stitch, and also embroidered in-house on Maloney’s own personal machine. To see more Art School Dropout crafts, visit the website, where you can even get gift certificates!

Art School Dropout

1. How long have you been making things?

As a business… almost 4 years now - otherwise I’ve been making things my entire life, my mom and grandma made sure I knew how to sew at a young age and they both did art projects with me all the time.

2. What is your earliest/favorite crafting memory?

My earliest crafting memory is of making little dolls out of my mom’s scrap fabric, I would sew them up in weird shapes and put little ribbon and scrap fabric cloths on them. They always fell apart since I wasn’t that great at sewing. Sometimes I wouldn’t even make the dolls, I’d just made little clothes to go on my fingers and basically have finger puppets.

3. Why do you make things?

It’s very calming for me. I’ve been told many times that I’m a happier person when I get to make things all the time, and my husband says it’s my therapy.

4. What sort of things do you make?

I make jewelry, small accessories, handbags, pouches, stuffed toys, pillows, screen printed things, embroidered items (hand and machine embroidered) plus loads of other stuff… not all for my business, and I ALWAYS want to learn to do more. I get very fidgety if I can’t learn something new every so often.

6. Inspirations?

I love colorful Japanese art, clothes and toys. Plus I really love the simple designs of the 60’s and 70’s. And lately I noticed that I get a lot of inspiration from my two little sisters. When making my jewelry I think, “Would Ashley or Cori wear this?”

7. Craft supplies you can’t live without?

My sewing machine, scissors, wire, x-acto knife and 3-in-1 pliers.

8. Describe your work area.

My work area use to be my entire house, and it was a horrible mess!!! I feel very embarrassed to even own photos of that. I seriously work on 5-10 projects at once! But now since I just got married and we’re trying to save up for a house, I’ve had to down grade. I now work in a 4′x6′ area at the end of my bed in my bedroom. It consists of a table, two bookshelves and a bunch of drawers. In that area I make all my jewelry and package orders. I do all my casting and sewing in the basement. In 2 months I’ll have a proper craft room that I’ll probably want to show off.

9. Family? Pets? Plants?

I don’t have any pets but I do have a husband named JC. He’s extremely supportive of what I do, and always jokes that one day he’ll be able to quit his job and I’ll support him. And anyone who’s ever seen my booth at a show knows all about my little sister Cori who tags along to almost every show and even helps out! She’s a very crafty girl. She’s growing up though, so I don’t know how much longer she’ll think its ‘cool’.

10. Favorite color or pattern?

My favorite color right now is Teal, and my favorite patterns are Damask (old looking wallpaper pattern) and woodgrain.

11. Have you been a Crafty Bastard before?

I’ve done the show before… but I’m assuming that’s not what the question meant. Or is that what you’re asking?

12. Tell us about other crafters you love and your favorite handmade purchases.

The crafter I really love is Heidi of My Paper Crane. I own over 25 of her plush toys, plus I’ve bought even more as gifts, and Heidi is so talented and sweet. My other favorite is Danielle Maveal I LOVE her jewelry, I’m not normally a jewelry type of girl, but I wear her necklaces all the time. And she also is a very nice, talented person!

14. What is one thing everyone should know how to do themselves?

How to sew on a button, I’ve sewn so many buttons on people’s clothes over the years! It’s crazy. What would they do if I wasn’t there?