Where did your brand name come from?
I love puns and word play, and of course it’s always fun to substitute “Kat” in any word with “cat” in it – Katastrophe, Kataclysm, etc. “Katatomic” is the opposite of “catatonic” – there’s no way my stuff will put anyone in a stupor. It’s my aesthetic, with an energy pop.

What prompted you to craft professionally?
I’d just discovered needlefelting, and I felt like I’d found my “thing.” It took some serious encouragement from my BFF to go “next level,” but I decided to enter the craft scene with a focus on making felt stuff, because I really didn’t see too much of it out there. I wanted a challenge, and wanted to see if I could make a name for myself making really cute stuff. I had no idea how seriously I would take it. I still don’t know, actually, but let’s face it: It’s all about the Benjamins. Or in my case, the Washingtons and Lincolns.

Describe your design philosophy in three words:
Squee-inducing cuteness.

What is the one tool you would buy if you had an unlimited budget?
A fancy Bernina sewing machine, although I’d probably be too intimidated by it to take it out of the box. Le sigh.

What is your favorite motif or theme currently?
The quatrefoil! I love it so much it hurts me at my core. So classic, yet modern and fresh. Pretty much the opposite of what I make, so it’s a nice change of pace.

What do you think sets crafting apart from other forms of artistic or professional endeavors?
I think about this often, actually. I really dislike the perceived notion that crafters are the junior cousins of artists, like our work isn’t as important or relevant. Crafting just is what it is – it’s not necessarily open to interpretation, like fine art can be, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t fantastic design elements or craftsmanship involved. I don’t necessarily feel like crafters are trying to make a statement, per se – here’s a wallet, here’s a plush animal, here’s a hair accessory. But so many things that crafters make – at least the crafters I know – are beautiful, clever, well-designed pieces that just happen to have, perhaps, a more practical place in the world (of course, in arguing with myself as I am wont to do, I’d argue that fine art has a practical place in the world. This is where I just sorta give up the explanations and definitions and labels, and pick up a needle and thread, because I am really not sure that I actually answered this question.)

Oddest injury you’ve ever received while crafting?
Like a lot of people who sew, I have a habit of putting pins and needles in my mouth to hold while I’m doing something else. On more than one occasion, I’ve managed to thread a taste bud through the head of a needle and get it stuck there. I don’t know how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, but I can tell you that a taste bud threaded through the eye of a needle is an angry taste bud. Ow.

And finally, what advice do you have for anyone just starting out?
Ask questions, seek help when you need it, trust your gut, and just freakin’ go for it. Make something because you love to make it, and you’ll be happy.

Interview by: Beqi Brinkhorst

Hand made holiday decor can welcome guests with a warm greeting. Cutting your own stencil allows you to quickly make more than one, choose your own font, or look like a pro even though your lettering skills are questionable. Carrie Hawkins of Souvenirs From Wonderland shares her inside secrets here:

Items needed:
- permanent marker with thin tip
- piece of glass, edges taped with duct tape
- stencil blank
- stencil cutter (sometimes called stencil burner, Plaid makes one)
- exacto knife
- tape
- stencil brush
- acrylic paint
- cloth or rag

1. draw or print design (if the letters are too thin, you can draw around them with a marker to plump them up)

2. trace design onto stencil material with marker

3. for letters or designs with a shape within a shape such as letter “A”, make a bridge in one part of the letter, you can fill it in with paint later if you want

4. heat stencil cutter

5. place stencil on glass and use cutter tip to “cut” out your design, the burner tip melts the plastic and you drag the tip as the material melts, pulling toward your body is easier, turn the stencil as you go

6. use the exacto knife to cut away any melted plastic that sticks to the edges of your cuts

7. when stencil is cut, practice on scrap paper first

8. dab the stencil brush into paint and remove some on a cloth or piece of paper to avoid too much paint that will bleed under your stencil, pounce with stencil brush to paint your letters

9. for added depth, apply a second darker color in select spots over the first, then blend with a soft brush

10. remove stencil immediately and wipe away any bleeds

11. fill in gaps from stencil bridges, if desired

Where did your brand name come from?
I was knitting at a family picnic, and my great-uncle walked over and said to me, “Stick to your knittin’ kitten. That’s what we used to tell the ladies.” He meant that they said it to women when they wanted them to mind their own business and stick to “womanly” things. I thought the saying itself was cute (ignoring the connotations), and I liked turning it into something empowering by using it as the name of a woman-owned business.

What prompted you to craft professionally?
I’ve always made things, and my grandma sold things she made at craft shows for many years, so I was somewhat familiar with that. When I started knitting I became a bit obsessed and started making so many things that I had no idea what I was going to do with all of them. So I decided to start selling what I made.

Describe your design philosophy in 3 words.
Function, form, color

What is the one tool you would buy if you had an unlimited budget?
A Fricke S-160-DT double treadle spinning wheel

What is your favorite motif or theme currently?
I don’t currently have a specific favorite theme, but I have been making a lot of things from my own self-striping handspun yarn, so lots of my recent items have been striped.

What do you think sets crafting apart from other forms of artistic or professional endeavors?
I think that crafting is a way to make something that is both functional and artistic. I also think that the craft community is very supportive.

Oddest injury you’ve ever received while crafting?
Amazingly, considering how clumsy I can be, I can’t think of any odd crafting injuries I’ve received. I’ve had the typical glue gun burns and sewing needle stabbings. But luckily I’ve never stabbed myself with a knitting needle!

And finally, What advice do you have for anyone just starting out?
Do research on shows. If you can, go to a show before vending in it or talk to other crafters to get the scoop on the show. That helps you avoid doing shows that aren’t really right for your products or that don’t have good attendance.

• Felted Wool Scraps (old sweaters)
• Fabric Glue
• Scissors
• Safety Pin or Pin back
• Needle/Thread

St. Louis Craft Mafia member Julie Birkemeier is a talented photographer. We recently spoke to her about her newest endeavor, pet photography.

Q: What’s the focus of your business?
A: The main focus of my business is pet photography. I love, love, love, love, love it. I adore animals and working with them. A lot of my personal work in the past has been macro nature work, because I thrive on focusing on the little details of life that often go unnoticed. I think I’ve brought an element of that to this part of my work. I want to capture the soul of each animal in my work. I continue doing fine art personal work, and I’m still shooting weddings and portraits, as well.

Q: Tell us about your photos, what made you decide to start taking photos of pets?
A: It’s difficult for me to describe my own photographs because I see them as so simple, which is the point. I don’t have this huge process for my photography. There’s no hype in my photography–it’s all about the subject. And have an absolute adoration for animals, and because I love focusing on little things that go unappreciated or unnoticed every day, I think photographing people’s pets was a very natural step for me. Everyone loves the greeting they receive from their dogs when they come home from work, and to capture that energy in a photograph to look at forever is something special. When I started volunteering for Stray Rescue in November of 2008 things started to click. I wanted to photograph the personality of each dog I met. I’ve taken a few of them to the park and snapped some photos, loved it, and that’s how I got started.

Q: What do you like best about taking pet photos?
A: Several things. I love interacting with animals in general, so getting to meet a new furry friend is always fun for me. I love listening to pet owners gush over their animal companions. The more pets I photograph the clearer it becomes that each and every animal has their own personalities, and I love he challenge of trying to translate that personality into a photograph. When an owner tells me I have captured their pet’s personality to a T it makes me incredibly happy.

Q: What is it like to get pets to “pose” for photos? Are they cooperative? Do you need to bribe them with treats?
A: I definitely don’t take the Sears photo approach to photographing animals. Sure I’d love for them to sit still and pose for me, but what if a dog is known for running around like a maniac while she tries to kill her stuffed squirrel? I want to photograph that, too. My approach is to let whatever animal I’m photographing do his thing, and if he sits, great. If he doesn’t sit I’m still going to get the pictures I want because they’ll reflect who that dog is. Every animal is different.

Q: What is one of your favorite pet photo session experiences/stories?
A: My favorite photo session was actually very recently. I was photographing a 14-year-old Shar Pei. He was very slow moving, and his appearance was a bit crusty, but to witness the deep love his owner has for him was moving. The connection between them was amazing, and I was so happy that I could help preserve that love with some photographs.

Q: Do you have any animals?
A: Two cats: Francis and Sherman. They are best friends.

Q: What’s on the horizon for 2010?
A: Mutton Chops. I want to incorporate pet photography in with my dog walking and pet sitting business, so 2010 is all about launching this business. I’m also continuing photo work with a local program called Loosen the Leash, in which shelter dogs get trained by troubled teens. It’s a lot of fun to photograph, but I also want to help bring exposure to the program.

Q: Do you take the photos just for friends or do you take commissions from anyone? If you do take commissions from anyone, what is the best way for someone to contact you to get more information?
A: I do both! I’ll take as many animal photographs as I can handle! If anyone wants to contact me for a session they can email me at jbirkemeierphoto@gmail.com for a price quote. In the meantime, they can visit jbirkemeierphoto.blogspot.com to view more of my work.

Tonight, head over to The Royale for the official relaunch of Girls Guide to the Galaxy. While you’re there, make sure to enter to win our donated prize, a giant bag of crafty goodness from STL Craft Mafia Members! Visit the Girls Guide site for more information on the event.

About Girls Guide to the Galaxy

Girls Guide to the Galaxy isn’t your mother’s Martha Stewart or Oprah. It is a collection of articles, essays and opinions with edge, sass and style written about, for and by St. Louis women. We are all blog-o-holics who live, work and play in the Gateway City, and, despite popular opinions, we do not raise farm animals, nor do we know how to flash gang signs. If you are looking for a perfect parent’s blog or how to decorate your house with doilies you have reached this blog in error; please learn to use Google better.

Cranky Yellow celebrates their Grand Re-Opening at their NEW location, 2847 Cherokee (St. Louis, MO), this Saturday during the Cherokee Open House. Come by to check out their new digs and feel free to browse through the STL Craft Mafia goodies that are now available in-store!

Check out that sweet number above – that shizz is for sale for less than $20!

For more details check out her blog here.

www.senoramuertos.blogspot.com