Claire Lennon Brown of Miso Funky
June 12, 2009 | By desertmaidenbathworks
Claire's tea towels crack me up, seriously. My English grandmother would've given me the evil eye if I gave these to her, but I think my dad would get a serious kick out of them too. My friends would get a kick out of the "Sniff Glue, Worship Satan" framed stitch piece she has available on her website. So, she's shown me that she appeals to all tastes, especially with her Kawaii (Means adorable in Japanese - See mom, I told you that my Japanese fangirl lessons would come in handy!?!) Badges.
She's a busy woman, submitting this interview to me on short notice while on Holiday. She's also the co-Founder of the Glasgow, Scotland Craft Mafia! We're pleased to present her interview for Mafia Month!
Hi Claire! Tell me about yourself?
My name is Claire Lennon Brown and I am the personality behind Miso Funky in Glasgow, Scotland!
Do you have any interesting personal factoids?
My proper job is subtitling TV shows and I can count to ten in 5 languages.
Tell me about your craft...
My main craft medium is cross stitch – it's relaxing for me to do most of the time and I find it very satisfactory for my methodical, obsessive side. I like to take the traditional craft of embroidery and bring it bang up to date with a modern twist by adding a little humour.
Tell me about your most enjoyable experience with a customer
I like pretty much any interaction with customers, as not only am I thrilled to the very pants when someone
buys anything I've made, it often inspires me and gives me new ideas on where to go next. My particular favourite is the random email saying, could you stitch my friend and I's in-joke phrase... I've seen some crackers! I always like to hear what people are thinking, even if they aren't buying.
Where can we find your work?
My main outlet is my website – www.misofunky.com. I also sell on Etsy (http://misofunky.etsy.com) and Folksy (http://www.folksy.com/shops/misofunky).
In real life, my work is in several shops and galleries around the UK – check out my stockists page for details (http://www.misofunky.com/stockists.php) I also have some exciting new international stockists coming soon.
I also sell at various markets around Glasgow, Edinburgh and the North of England – watch out for the Miso Funky gang coming to a market near you soon!
Any advice to new or young sellers just getting their feet wet?
Yes – remember at all times why you got into doing what you do and don't let anyone knock you off that groove. It's way too easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing – don't take your eye off your own target – life's too short to worry about everyone else!
I recently wrote a guide for getting started with a stall at craft markets, which you can read here: http://www.misofunky.com/news/2009/04/miso-funkys-craft-fair-tips/
What do you do outside of your business?
I'm a subtitler for UK television programmes which keeps me pretty busy when I'm not hard at the craftiness. I'm also married to a very supportive man who doesn't bat an eyelid when I'm up til 3am the night before a market packing.
Aside from that, I love to travel (I'm writing my answers from a beach on a Greek island!) and am a voracious reader of any sort of book, with a particular interest in the Victorians and social history.
What is your favorite type of handmade item to buy for yourself?
As my bank account will testify, just about anything! If I'm selling at a market, it's rare that I don't come back with something from a fellow stall holder. I love quirky plush and unusual gocco or screen prints for my recently started art wall.
Who is the person most supportive of your craft business? How do they support you?
That has to be my husband – I couldn't do it without him. He helps a lot by keeping on top of the laundry, feeding me, going to the post office and generally looking after me when I am up against it. He's also my chauffeur, stand-in stall-keeper, technician... you name it! What a guy!
What does the "handmade movement" mean to you?
The handmade movement is all about being free to express your creativity in whatever way you want. It's about taking what you love doing and sharing it with others. As co-founder of the Glasgow Craft Mafia, I'm all about helping other local artists get their handmade message out there. In the UK, we're lagging behind the USA but we're definitely getting there with the launch of Folksy last year and the new craft mafias springing up across the UK.
Tell us a bit about the space you create in? How has it evolved since you started your craft?
Well, I do have a spare room in my flat which I have my sewing machine set up in, as well as my new embroidery machine, but most of my hand-sewing is done on my big old leather sofa in our living room. It's squishy, comfy and came free from Freecycle so it's definitely been a cost-effective set up for my business! When I first started, I had all my stuff squeezed in the wardrobe of our bedroom in our tiny flat but when we moved, I was able to spread out and have some proper storage. I dream of having a workshop/shop one day, as there is never enough room – the more room I get, the more junk I acquire!
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