For our February Second Saturday Giveaway, we are featuring Chicaloo Photography and More by Kate Kehoe!
This is Kate in her apartment living room with THE MOST AWESOME library card catalog ever!
We didn't even make it to her actual workspace and already I had to start taking pictures of the many crafty projects and supplies she has stashed all over her apartment!
Kate bought the (extremely solid and heavy) card catalog from a local library that was transitioning to an electronic catalog. It is filled with old catalog cards that she uses as covers for small spiral bound notebooks. I love clever upcycling ideas!
In front of the card catalog is Kate's knitting stand. She got it for $3 at a garage sale and it is ridiculously adorable.
I paused after all of the card catalog awesomeness to ask Kate how she came up with her company name:
"This was a harder decision than one would think. I discarded a lot of names before deciding on Chicaloo. It is a term of endearment that I call some of my friends. I thought it was appropriate since they are the ones who supported me at the beginning of my crafty career."
It's always our friends who support us at the beginning, right? We crafters make gifts for our friends and family who encourage us to sell them and off we go!
In the corner of Kate's living room are about 6 crates of records that she uses to make her record album notebooks and bowls. On top of those records is Kate's muppet, Rhoda.
Kate saw a super cute video on YouTube of a man who proposed to his girlfriend with muppets and became smitten with the idea of owning her own muppet. After a particularly hectic craft show season, Kate decided to get Rhoda as a treat for herself. :)
Now, rest assured, those 6 crates of records in the corner are only the tip of the iceberg...Kate's entire hallway is lined with crates of records!
Kare beams with pride at her massive record collection. We crafters love our collections, don't we?
Kate took me into the kitchen next and showed off her ingenious idea for storing her finished product magnets that she posts on her Etsy...just put 'em on the fridge! They don't get scratched up and she can easily grab one off if it sells.
Speaking of collections, Kate is a former Catholic and still has an impressive shelf of Virgin Mary statues and candles that serve as artistic and colorful inspiration.
And, now, we finally reach Kate's actual craftroom! I asked Kate about her workspace:
"I picked this apartment because of the space I now use as my craft room. That and the numerous closets that now hold supplies and finished product. Of course there is never enough storage space. I love to surround myself with the work of artists I admire it helps to keep me inspired."
Kate definitely loves to surround herself with the work of other artists. Immediately to the right in her craftroom is a wall collage of framed art prints.
The inspirational art must be working, because Kate had a substantial list of record album notebooks to make...
...and two big stacks of notepads featuring her original photography covers to bind!
Kate also has a very clever way of making sure she has the same number of pages in her notepads. Instead of counting them all out by hand, she just weighs them on a ditigal kitchen scale! Brilliant!
Clever gal that she is, Kate uses decorative file folders for the back covers of her photo notepads.
With all of her various creative projects, I asked Kate how she got into crafting:
"I have always been someone who has to keep my hands busy. I can't watch a movie without making something at the same time. The start of my craft business was a result of a Fire Mountain Gems catalog and a case of Mono. I needed something to keep me busy that wasn't going to wear me out and jewelry fit the bill. I made jewelry for several years until Carpal Tunnel put an end to that. A boyfriend gave me a camera and that started me on a photo based business."
Kate's photos make excellent notepad covers and magnets...
...especially now that she owns a rectangle magnet/button maker!
"Besides my camera I would have to say that my favorite tool is my new rectangle magnet/button maker. It is also the most expensive piece of equipment I have ever owned. I waited several years before committing to buying it."
In addition to her new rectangle magnet/button maker, Kate also has lots of very well organized craft tools like scissors and pliers in cute pots and glasses on her windowsill.
In the corner opposite the window wall is Kate's ENORMOUS stash of records bowls. If you want a particular album as a bowl, Kate probably has it!
Next to the record bowls are art books and a magnetic board. Can you see the FH Knuckles sticker in the upper right hand corner of the board? ;)
As we wrapped up, I asked Kate what projects she would like to work on in the future:
"I have a couple projects in the works including Photo Night Lights and album bookends or coat hooks. I would love to do some more collaborations with other artists."
Well, we haven't collaborated yet, but Kate and I made a great trade at the end of her photoshoot. In exchange for a custom record notebook, I gave her a pistachio shell flower brooch...
...which I promptly made her put on so I could take this gorgeous pic!
We at Flint Handmade are so excited to have some of Kate's awesome Chicaloo Photography and More creations for our February Second Saturday Giveaway!
Kate donated a little grab bag of some of her most popular items:
Gnome Liberation Front Pocket Mirror
Oh Waitress! Coasters (featuring Flint's Colonial Restaurant!)
County Fair Fun Slide Magnet
For YOUR chance to win Chicaloo's Grab Bag (valued at $26), just complete steps A and B:
A) Follow Flint Handmade via the blog, Twitter, Google Reader or whatever newfangled "following application" tickles your fancy. Or, if you don't do the whole following thing, email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com and we will add you to our email list.
B) Leave us a comment in response to this blog post by 5pm on Saturday, February 19, 2010 answering the following 2 questions:
1) How do you follow us?
2) Which album covers would you like to see Kate make into notebooks?
Please be sure to answer BOTH questions to qualify for the drawing.
The winner will be selected at random and posted on the blog within one week after the deadline. The winner will have 30 days to claim the prize.
We hope to hear from YOU and we hope you enjoyed our February Second Saturday Giveaway!
A) I follow on facebook and in emails.
ReplyDeleteB)I like rock and country music so anything in those genres. I hear that Tool has vinyl records so that would be a good one for me; I would give it to my boyfriend because he's the biggest Tool fan ever!!
Great stuff,
Hayley
I follow on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see either the cover for
Like a Virgin or Cyndi Lauper at Last ( http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Cyndi_Lauper-At_Last.jpg&imgrefurl=http://s-woods.blogspot.com/&usg=__QapKANxO1aim59p9yO9WTd3eHSU=&h=300&w=300&sz=20&hl=en&start=0&sig2=S-3L3NsqW3twElIW-3xWTQ&zoom=1&tbnid=kFJkWU9HnHImPM:&tbnh=153&tbnw=153&ei=GtpWTezJIoO78gb4gpimBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcyndi%2Blauper%2B80%2527s%2Balbum%2Bcovers%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1151%26bih%3D617%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=293&vpy=72&dur=4215&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=94&ty=133&oei=GtpWTezJIoO78gb4gpimBw&page=1&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0 )
Awesome feature on Kate! I follow your blog here and on FB. I would like to see her make The Doors "Strange Days", or some old Misfits albums into a notebook. Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteI follow on FB and I would like to see 'ELVIS' albums made into the notebooks
ReplyDeleteI follow on blogger and would love to see any Frank Sinatra or Glen Miller made into the notebooks.
ReplyDeleteI follow via email and facebook.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see some ultra cool soundtracks from the 80's early nineties.
i follow on facebook and reader.
ReplyDeletei would love to see a notebook made from harvest by neil young.
I'm a new follower. I sit across from Katie at The Sunday Artisan Market, and all her work is wonderful. Great feature!
ReplyDeleteLove this post...so creative.
ReplyDelete1. I follow @FlintHandMade on Twitter!!!
2. I would like to see "The Divine Miss M" album cover made into a notebook!
Thank you,
Kitoula
Katie's work is great!
ReplyDeleteI follow on Facebook and the email list.
I would love to see Cindy Lauper or Patsy Cline made into a notebook.
I actually follow all - blog, twitter & facebook...yes, I am a stalker :P
ReplyDeleteCover - hmmm...any Ramones or Violent Femmes
I follow on Facebook, and would love to see The Arcade Fire's "Suburbs" turned into a notebook!
ReplyDeleteAnother great article and photos, Crystal!
ReplyDeleteI follow via email and would love a notebook with Steve Miller Band's album as the cover---Book of Dreams.
Comment from Neita Sudberry via email:
ReplyDelete1) How do you follow us?
Currently new on the mailing list, I am following via email.
2) Which album covers would you like to see Kate make into notebooks?
Roberta Flack, A Star is Born, Carole King Tapestry, James Taylor Sweet baby James
1) How do you follow us?
ReplyDeletemailing list and blog!
2) Which album covers would you like to see Kate make into notebooks?
I would love to see some Fleetwood Mac covers or perhaps Poison!
1) email and checking on website
ReplyDelete2) how about Cream Disraeli Gears?