PCAGOE Artist of the Week - The Ametista Girls, Carrie & Kathy

This week I am featuring Carrie and Kathy, the duo known as Ametista. Carrie and Kathy have a passion for creating custom keepsakes, and love to take ideas and run with them, and as they say, sometimes with scissors! Their work is a wonderland of whimsey and a wonderful example of what can be done with polymer clay.

Who or what inspires or influences you? Do you have a
plan before you make a piece, or do the materials "speak"
to you?

Carrie - For commission pieces there’s a plan – for
personal creations, not so much. I wait for bits of scrappy
clay to speak to me!

Kathy – Carrie really inspires me the most. She’s
very creative and lots of fun to work with so that makes it
easy to let your creative side just flow.

What kind of materials do you use in your creations?

In addition to the polymer clay (solid and liquid),
we use powdered pigments, liquid chalk, metal findings,
alcohol inks, photo transfer paper, foil paper, metal wire,
paint, wood and glass…so far.

Do you have a certain design style?

Carrie - I’d like to think we do but I’m not yet sure
what to call it.

What is your favorite technique?

Carrie - Photo transfers with embellished polymer frames.

Kathy – that’s probably the same for me as well, even
though I’m working on some fairies.

Other than Etsy, where could someone find your
creations?

www.flickr.com/photos/ametistagirl/
www.ametistadea.blogspot.com/

How long have you been involved in your craft, and how
did you get started?

Carrie - Hmmmm, just a few years really. We started out
designing and making jewelry together about 5 years ago and
then segued in clay and here we are.

Do you work from your home, or do you have a brick and
mortar store?

For now from home, but we can be found at
www.ametista.etsy.com

Do you have a method for remembering ideas you want to
implement, such as a notebook or tape recorder, etc.?

Carrie - Yes, we do our level best to write down our ideas
in our notebooks as they arrive. This basically translates
into a third of our ideas being written down and the other
two thirds being lost back into the cosmic universal idea
pool.

What do you do when you hit a brick wall creatively and
nothing is working?

Carrie – I stop and do something else for a while, it
always works!

Kathy – Ditto!

What is the most rewarding, interesting, or even
weirdest thing you’ve ever been asked to make?

Carrie – well I just made a pair of earrings that had
glow in the dark eye balls on them for Kathy…I though
that was kinda weird.

Kathy – hey you know you loved doing them…lol! My mom
asked for a very special frame to be hung on her wall. It
had 3 crosses on the top left corner and the Bible on the
bottom right corner and part of her favorite song inside
the frame.

What are some of your goals for your craft, and where
do you hope it will take you? Where do you see yourself in
5 years?

Kathy – just to be able to share what we do with
everyone, to continue to bring a piece of art into their
homes.

What is your favorite part of being a member of PCAGOE?

Carrie - Since Kathy and I joined PCAGOE, we’ve received
feedback, ideas, encouragements, challenges and incredible
inspiration…all my favorites.

What are your hobbies, or how do you like to spend your
free time, assuming you have any?

Carrie – I study astrology, numerology, kabbalah, little
physics, tarot, palmistry…all things mystical and
spiritual oh and I enjoy watching IFC.

Kathy – continue on improving my photography skills (I
have so much to learn), scrapbooking, Pilates, yoga,
walking my rather large dog and vacationing with the
family.

Favorite color?

Carrie – Violet
Kathy – hmmm…blues

Favorite food?

Carrie – Yes, food is my favorite! LOL
Kathy – Spicey Cajon Seafood!

Favorite song or musical artist?

Carrie - right now I’m listening to Kate Nash
Kathy – Wow, too many to list...

Favorite book or author?

Carrie – Hard to pick one, but JK Rowling is a favorite.

Favorite movie, actor or actress?

Carrie – Too many to pick
Kathy – My all time favorite movie is “To Kill a
Mockingbird”...love it!

Thanks, ladies. What a great interview!