Erin Garcia from Feed the Fish Co. created a larger-than-life felt wreath just for this year's SF Etsy's Indie Holiday Emporium. Read on for our interview with her! Holiday wreaths symbolize the celebration of the winter solstice and the promise of spring, and another year for us around the sun. Traditionally, it's a stunning arrangement of flowers, leaves, and holiday cheer carefully fastened into a festive ring. This year, felt artist and SF Etsy's "Queen of Merry", Erin Garcia from Feed the Fish Co., will debut her oversized vision of the holiday wreath at our 7th Annual Indie Holiday Emporium. Erin is fearless with a pair of scissors and worked diligently to create a monumental centerpiece as the true heart of this year's IHESF. Shop local and stop by to see it in all of its holiday glory at Pier 27 along the Embarcadero, Thanksgiving weekend, November 30th and December 1st! Share with us your Insta Story and tag @SFEtsy and @FeedTheFishCo !
Tell us about your Holiday Wreath and how your vision came about? Oh, you mean Awreatha? Yes, she has a name! 😊When SF Etsy Co-Captain Rebecca Saylor showed me the flyers for the Indie Holiday Emporium, I was immediately drawn to the wreath icon. I thought, wouldn’t that be fun to create out of felt? Then Rebecca suggested to make something larger-than-life for the photo booth. How could I reject such an amazing project! We immediately got to brainstorming and ordered lots of felt. My favorite thing to make were the pinecones – made of plastic wine glasses and felt. The final piece is about 4.5 feet in diameter and is made with 6 pool noodles, 3 connector tubes, 84ish zip ties, 37.5 square feet of green felt strips, 88 felt flowers, 19 loose felt leaves, 43 felt leaf stems, 25 felt holly, 6 felt fringed foliage, 5 felt pinecones, 25 felted lights, 20 felted balls, 22 felted candy canes, and lots of hot glue. It will hang at the photo station and I’m hoping everyone will share their photos and Boomerangs! Tell us about your small business, Feed the Fish Co. What is your background? Your vision? Feed the Fish Co is a nod to my childhood. I used to create handmade greeting cards and pretend that Feed the Fish Co was my card company (I was inspired by the Hallmark card commercials of the 80s, remember those?). Fast forward to 2011 when I finally decided I would try selling my cards along with other celebration-inspired goods; the only name that seemed fitting was Feed the Fish Co. Over the years, I’ve shifted to create more with felt, but my message and vision has always been to celebrate the everyday, find your creativity at any age, and to spread crafty cheer all over. Why do you like using Felt as a Medium? Why are you drawn to it? As I started working more and more with felt, I found it to be so versatile. I’m drawn to colors and textures of the different acrylic and wool blend felt varieties. Felt is flexible, but durable - I like that I can encourage people to touch all the product in my booth displays and not have to worry about items getting damaged. The reaction I get when I showcase my felt work has so far been very positive – people are surprised with what I can create with felt and I’m happy to bring that experience to the people! Do your felt decor and banners at Feed the Fish Co represent something about you? Absolutely! All the pennant and wall hanging phrases I create are extensions of me. They are simple, but colorful and packed with feelings! I’ve often been described as very animated; I think my projects help bring out everyone’s playful, fun, and animated side. Also, I love a good photo prop! What role as an artist and teacher do you feel you have within your community? I’ve decided that my purpose in life is to be a cheerleader for others, whether that be in my creative endeavors or in other aspects of life. I find joy in sharing my craft knowledge and also hearing about other people’s creative journeys. In my craft workshops, I like to show both a simple and an elaborate sample of the craft, equip students with skills to make both, and encourage them to put their own creative spin on the project. I hope this inspires people to think creatively and feel confident in their work. What do you enjoy most about being on the SF Etsy Team? I love the SF Etsy community of makers, creatives, and kind-hearted people! I am thankful I get to be part of a group that fosters each of our creative spirits and encourages us to grow as makers and entrepreneurs. I like that it’s not just about selling our products at craft shows – it’s about being human and sharing our talents with each other. Some of my closest friends are part of this community, and the Indie Holiday Emporium always feels like a maker family reunion! What should we expect from Feed the Fish Co in the New Year? 2020 is all about clarity. I want to really focus on what I’m good at and expand by making more meaningful connections, working on projects that excite and challenge me to be better at what I do, and to continue sharing my love for creating with the community. I have a few creative workshops on the horizon and I hope you’ll join me sometime! Booth info / social media - how can we learn more and sign up for your DIY workshops
I’m so excited to be part of the Indie Holiday Emporium this year! Find me and all of my colorful felt goodies at Booth 56. You can follow Feed the Fish co at www.feedthefishco.com or on Instagram @feedthefishco. You can also follow my craft journey on www.crafterateur.com.
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