Category: Art + Craft

Jordan (jd.stitch): The Five Question Interview

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Jordan is the owner of jd.stitch. She designs and creates unique, and often salty, one of a kind embroidered pieces as well as kits for those that want to try their hand at the craft. Her classes at The Clever Tiger are very popular, so keep your ears to the ground for those in the future.

She finds mornings to be her most productive/creative time and can be found outside with a cup of coffee and her sketchbook or tablet in hand.

1. Why did you move to Elgin? 

 I moved to Elgin about 4 years ago to be with my husband. We have known each other since 6th/7th grade. 

2. What compels you to spend time creating?

I have always been a maker, but discovered embroidery shortly after the birth of kiddo with the support of my husband (at the time boyfriend). What started out a fun new medium of art-quickly became a passion! I love every step from drawing out the patterns, to transferring, to stitching and watching my ideas come to life! It really is the best! 

3. Tell me three things you’ve learned in the past five years.

1: being more open with my art—to make things I am passionate about!      

2: to get over the fear of judgment! Letting myself and my art be who and what it is. Not everyone is going to like it or want to buy it and that is just fine.      

3: not to freak out—things will work out! 

4. What are you currently making, reading, watching, or listening to?

I currently have maybe 6+ different projects I’m working on! From painting hoops, a new kit, some tattoo flash style art(thanks to a dear friend Juanito from better days tattoos out of Killeen TX, and some new fun products! I am always bouncing around between things! 

I have very little time to read for myself but am very excited to have started the series of unfortunate events by Lemony Snicket with my child. 

Music I listen to-it ranges depending on my mood, but at any give time you can find me with CD’s from my younger days. Can’t go wrong with Jack White, Nirvana  or Alkaline Trio! 

5. Cake or Pie?

BROWNIES! And the best I’ve ever had came from The Cookie Farmer-Ashley! 

Instagram @jd.stitch
Ko-fi jd.stitch
Etsy JDStitchEmbroidery
Society6 jd.stitch

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Sonia Browder: The Five Question Interview

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Sonia Browder is a photographer, designer, and owner of Lordnidesign. She is a busy portrait photographer and loves taking photos of Elgin.

1. Why did you move to Elgin? 

Paul and I were living in south Austin when we started looking for a home in the country. We wanted land big enough to settle a couple of families—ours and my sister and hers. We found enough acres to raise our kids in the country just outside of Elgin. Soon after, my parents and brother with his family moved out here, too. It’s our retreat!

2. What compels you to spend time creating?

I’ve always enjoyed making and creating. I’m sure I picked up this idea that I could from my mom and her ability to make and create. When I was growing up, we didn’t have much money for extras but we still never did without. If we saw something we liked to wear, my mom would sew it, crochet it or knit it —for us AND for our dolls! It’s always been good therapy for me to create something—it’s a good feeling to make a family portrait, a plate of enchiladas, a hand-lettered sign for a friend, or a T-shirt for a much loved small town festival! It’s art to share!

3. Tell me three things you’ve learned in the past five years.

1. Gardening: Water regularly.

2. Jesus went INTO the fire with  Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego (Daniel 6.) We need to invite Him into our tough situations. It’s better to go through life with Him than without Him.

3. Spanish was my first language, but when I don’t use it, I lose it! Im glad for the many opportunities I’ve had in recent years to speak more Spanish. The practice has helped me. I am able to translate and communicate in Spanish more and

4. What are you currently making, reading, watching, or listening to?

Making:  I just finished working on the Western Days 2020 Commemorative T-shirt. The printed shirt just delivered. I am also working on a couple of logos; one for Evergreen Farms and another for Nanny Goat Salsa and have an engagement photo session planned for the weekend.

Reading/Listening to: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Watching: Just started watching Outlander—I’ve got a very long way to go!

5. Cake or Pie?

Pie —coconut cream, cherry, pecan & millionaire pies for starters!

Instagram @lordnidesign
Facebook @lordnidesign
Website enyecreative.com

Weather’s Beautiful, Wish You Were Here!

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I have a small but growing collection of vintage souvenir postcard folders. Some have never been used, but I actually prefer the ones that have been addressed and stamped. It’s somehow sweeter to know they were sent to a loved one.

At first it was the kitschy Americana that originally drew me to them. But it’s the overly saturated coloring that makes each of these feel special, like tiny paintings.

Warning: Print Geek Alert

Color photography was not as advanced as printing techniques for the first half of the twentieth century. Black and white photographs required coloring in the printing process. New colorants, more like dyes than inks, were being experimented with in the late 1920’s. Their watery quality meant they absorbed into the paper too quickly and were slow to dry… making images blurry,

Printer Curt Teich & Co in Chicago, discovered that embossing the paper with a linen texture before printing created more surface area, and new heat set inks meant faster drying times. This meant that the dyes were set on the linen surface quickly before they had a chance to absorb into the paper. This is what gives these such vibrant colors.

Teich developed a technique called Art-Colortone. This a five-color printing process on a linen-finish stock from a black and white photo. In addition to printing with the usual CYMK colors, a lighter cyan was sometimes used to give the images extra punch. Just look at those skies!

The photograph-based cards also employed handwork by artists who brought them into production. Perhaps it’s this touch of the human hand that makes them feel like tiny paintings to me.