FINAL BLOG POST: Second Saturday Giveaway: Win a Pillow from Yasmin Ladha of Circle Cat Studio!

Posted by Crystal Pepperdine, Founder and Executive Director of Flint Handmade 

After three fabulous years, Flint Handmade has decided to retire our blog.

We had a fantastic run and now we want to focus on some new endeavors, including our brand new website, Facebook and (coming soon) bi-monthly e-mail newsletter!

For our final post, we will be doing our final Second Saturday Giveaway, featuring none other than our amazing graphic designer, Yasmin Ladha of Circle Cat Studio!

We felt it was only right to retire the blog with a bang and feature the fabulous artist who has given Flint Handmade its signature "Knuckles" logo and style.  Enjoy!

This is Yasmin (aka Yaz) in her very spacious, well-lit craftroom situated between her kitchen and living  room.   Notice the awesome curved arch into the living room...

...and the fabulous vintage door beads into the kitchen featuring mushrooms, a common motif in Yaz's apartment.

I asked Yaz to tell me about her workspace:

"My workspace is always a cluttered mess. I really do try to organize it sometimes, but the trays and bins just add more items to the art explosion. 

I am kind of a pack rat when it comes to craft supplies and I have to keep everything in case I could use it someday for some project I haven't even thought of yet, like when I used an old book to make a hanging sculpture.  I'm pretty sure this is a common quality in artsy folks.

Also, the walls must be covered in things to look at because it makes me feel more comfortable."

Yasmin really does have a large variety of items on her walls.  In additional to the above prints, she also has...

...a little book nook with an iron scroll on the wall and...

...her collection of tiny things!

Her book nook also features books of course...

...and her sewing machine when it's not in use.

On the opposite side of the arch to the living room, Yaz has a work table with a self-healing mat because her favorite tool is "my Xacto® knife, always with a fresh blade. I would probably actually die without it!"

She does a lot of her design work by sketching or cutting out paper first at her desk with her trusty sidekick, Lucy.  Notice the blue "H" above her amazing collection of art markers?  Letters are just another something that Yaz likes to collect for inspiration.

Although Yasmin now has a dog, I know there is a very special place in her heart for cats, so I asked her how she came up with her company name, Circle Cat Studio:

"Well, I love cats. If you've ever had a cat, you know how adorable it is when they curl up into a little fluffy sleeping circle! If any cat near me is caught in this heart-warming act, I will joyfully utter, "[insert cat's name] is being circle cat" in an accusatory manner.  Also, the first thing I started making for craft fairs were eco-friendly catnip toys."

Yasmin's boyfriend, Kyle, knows just how much she loves "circle cats" so he got her one asleep on a stack of books all carved out of wood!  (And, if you scroll back up to the photo of her tiny things collection, you will see another of Yaz's "circle cats" in the very center in blue!)

Of course, Yaz's favorite cat is her friendly feline named Stu.

As if on cue, Stu had to jump into a photo!  Here, he poses with Yasmin's vintage record player and collection of albums.

Noticing the records, I asked Yasmin what she likes to listen to/think about/watch while she crafts:

"It depends on my mood or what I am doing. If I'm making earrings or drawing I usually listen to girl bands or folky tunes. If I'm just stuffing a pillow or making cat toys, I am most likely watching How I Met Your Mother or some food documentary on Netflix."

As a graphic designer, Yasmin also does A LOT of work on her computer, which is just across from her work desk.  Notice all of the wonderful items on her walls for inspiration, including the letter "L" for her collection and "L" for Lucy!

Hanging just to the right of the "L" is one of Yaz's favorite vintage treasures...

...a needlepoint collage of mushrooms that her mom made decades ago!

Assuming her mom might have played a role, I asked Yaz how she got into crafting:

"I technically started when I was only a few years old. I was the youngest of four and my crafty momma always did fun projects with us (Mom and I now bond over this trait), so I owe it all to her. Even being the youngest, it was noticed early on that I was the creative one of my siblings ;) I was always being told that I was too little to do something, so that just made me want to do it more to prove them wrong.

I started doing it more recently (as a small personal business) to earn a profit while I was interning and freelancing as a graphic designer after graduating college. I didn't (and still don't) really know what kind of grown up job I want so I am just testing all the waters to see what I am capable of. I can't really help but make stuff."

Yasmin also does gorgeous pen and watercolor drawings.

The one that probably appeals most to crafters is her lovely "Craftiness is Happiness" drawing.  It just makes you smile!

To wrap up our interview, I asked Yasmin what projects she would like to work on in the future:

"Hmmm, I want to gain access to some screen printing materials and let the idea of easy multiples take me to a far off land of wonder and brightly colored ink. Since I am also a designer, I would love to produce some posters or t-shirts or somesuch." 

Well, Yasmin has produced some amazing event posters and t-shirts for Flint Handmade and for that, we are forever grateful!

We are also grateful for the item she donated for our final Second Saturday Giveaway!

"For the giveaway, I am donating a 14" square pillow I made from vintage floral material adorned with a wool felt cat bust silhouette. It's the first I have made (one of a kind!) after having had the idea in my head for months. Once I make more to sell at future shows and in the shop, I think they will be priced at $18."

For YOUR chance to win the Cat Bust Silhouette Pillow (valued at $18) by Yasmin Ladha of Circle Cat Studio, just complete steps A and B:

A) "Like" our new Facebook page or add yourself to our e-mail list through the form on the bottom of our website.

B) Leave us a comment in response to this blog post by 5pm on Saturday, August 25, 2012 answering the following two questions:

1) What other "cat crafts" could Yasmin make?

2) What is your email address?  Feel free to leave it in "name [at] gmail [dot] com" format.

Please be sure to answer BOTH questions to qualify for the drawing. 

The winner will be selected at random and emailed within one week after the deadline.

We hope to hear from YOU and we hope you enjoyed our blog, the entire Second Saturday Giveaway Series and this interview with Yasmin Ladha in particular! 

FYI, Yasmin can also be reached at:
Etsy: circlecat.etsy.com
Facebook: facebook.com/circlecatstudio
Email: y.ladha@yahoo.com

And, don't forget to keep in contact with us through Facebook and our website, which was designed by Yasmin!  :)

THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT!