Why did you start in business/crafting?
I had been inspired by visiting other craft fairs and shops and have a lot of crafty, creative friends. I’m a graphic designer by day and have always enjoyed creating things in my spare time. A couple of years ago my house was broken into and all my precious jewellery was stolen so I began making my own vintage inspired charm jewellery. It went really well and I soon began selling the items at fairs and online. Earlier this year my friend Sarah and I had a wee night out and stumbled across the idea for Bonnie Bling and we’ve been working away at it ever since.

How did you come up with your crafty name?
A friend and I were at the Sonar music festival a couple of years ago and were having much too fun!! So when I set up my online shop I thought it would be a great name to use as the main aim of what we do is to bring a smile to your face.
For the Bonnie Bling jewellery range we wanted something catchy and fun with a little bit of Scotland thrown in, we really like it.

Is your glass half full or half empty?
Always half full and striving to fill it to the top.

What is your favourite thing that costs nothing?
My cats are pretty fun, and the fruit and veggies I grow in my garden always impress me.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Design books and mags are an essential for me.
I love finding out what other crafters are getting up to and working on collaborative projects (we have a couple in the pipeline just now.)
Due to the amazing response we’ve had to our jewellery line, we have a lot of people shouting random Scottish words at us so we’re not too short on ideas for Bonnie Bling!

Top 5 desert-island essentials?
1. An eternally charged Iphone
2. Mascara
3. An umberella- it’s multifunctional
4. I think that seen as I have my iphone with me a lot of other things can be left at home!

What is the ugliest most pitiful thing you’ve ever made?
A clay dinosaur I made when in primary 3 stands out in my memory! It had a tail that had to be re-attached every 10 minutes to keep me happy.

What have you made that you’re most proud of?
I went to a silversmithing class last year and have just completed my first solid silver necklace and matching ring. I wanted something a bit different so it is just one long chain that you can leave hanging loose or can wrap round your neck. At one end is a lovely silver frog and at the other is the Dragonfly he’s trying to catch for his tea!

Favourite biscuit?
Classic

What crafts do you still want to learn?
Would love to get some screenprinting on the go sometime, and some dressmaking would be pretty handy.

What is your idea of a perfect day?
I quite like the unexpected things that can happen when you have no plans but the perfect start to the day would be a long lie, then a breakfast of tea and toast while getting some time to read the newspaper. In general hanging out with my husband and cats helps me to recharge my batteries when I’ve had mega busy weeks, nice to have some downtime. If I can manage to squeeze in a wee glass of red wine in the evening that’s always a nice treat :-)

What do you do in your day-to-day life, other than being a mafioso?
By day I am a graphic designer and run my own web design business called Mucky Puddle. I think, now that I officially have two companies, I get to be called an entrepreneur, look out Lord Sugar!

What is your favourite crafting tool?
My A2 wooden drawing board that used to belong to my Grandpa. I can pop my laptop on it to prevent hot-leg syndrome, draw and paint on it, and can spread out all my charms and bling so I can see what I’m doing when I’m in a crafting frenzy. Perfect!

What are your plans for the future?
We really want to keep sourcing amazing vintage charms for Much Too Fun. With Bonnie Bling, the plan is to release a new range every season eventually moving into regional words and phrases for different areas of the country. There are so many amazing words out there that people need to hear!

Why did you start in business/crafting?
I’ve always enjoyed making things which came in handy when I just couldn’t find what I was looking for in the shops. As for the business well, I kept getting asked to make things for friends and found that a small fee helped helped cover my costs. Since then it’s grown slowly but steadily.

How did you come up with your crafty name?
Ha-ha. I was going through a pretty fraught time when I had a eureka moment and decided to start the business. The name came during a phone conversation with a friend and seemed to fit in more ways than one.

Is your glass half full or half empty?
Definitely half full. I am known for my smiling and keep seeing opportunities in the strangest of places.

What is your favourite thing that costs nothing?
Right now hugs from my nephew – baby hugs are the best.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Everywhere! Is that boring or predictable? Sometimes I’ll buy material and just look at/feel it for weeks before deciding what to do with it.

Top 5 desert-island essentials?

1. spf face cream
2. solar digital radio
3. my full craft box (is that cheating? heehee)
4. an endless supply of tea in the chest that was washed up with me
5. Johnny Depp

What is the ugliest most pitiful thing you’ve ever made?
Oh dear too many things. My family won’t let me forget the concrete pizza I made at Home Ekkies in 1st year of school but more recently it has to be a horse brooch which had the most crooked legs ever and an eye that made it look demented!

What have you made that you’re most proud of?
I really enjoyed turning a friend’s t-shirt into a bag for her. I knew she wanted a long over-the-shoulder bag and was allowed to do whatever I wanted with it (see pic). It was fun and looks fantastic.

What’s so great about Glasgow?
Where to start? There is a vibrancy about the city and there’s always somewhere to go or something to do. I love the fact the museums are free (good on rainy days) and that I can sit in the park sewing and no-one bats an eyelid.

Favourite biscuit?
Careful now! The previous PM got caught out with this one ;-) I do have a sweet tooth so would probably go for a freshly backed choc chip cookie

What crafts do you still want to learn?
I recently went on a book binding taster session and that was fun. Would love to learn more about it and make some cute notepads.

What is your idea of a perfect day?
I don’t work on Monday’s so I kinda have my perfect day. I would do some sewing in the morning then meet family or friends for lunch. In the afternoon I’d go to the cinema as it feels like I’m being naughty going when everyone else is working and in the evening I’d meet friends for a drink or see a band.

What do you do in your day-to-day life, other than being a mafioso?
I work at Scottish Refugee Council as a housing advisor. That can get pretty stressful but I love advocating for people. My other job is as a steward with Glasgow Concert Halls which is de-stressing as I get to listen to whoever is playing. I mean I got paid to work for David Byrne last year!!! I’m also trying to get fitter and have entered the Great Scottish Run in September so can be seen trying to run in the evenings. That is definitely a work in progress.

What is your favourite crafting tool?
Definitely needle & thread. I find you can make the most boring item a bit more funky with it, create unique items and, as I’m often found doing, sewing on my commute to work.

What are your plans for the future?
My business is just starting to take off so I’m concentrating on honing my craft. As one of the newest members of the Mafia I’m looking forward to my first craft fair with the other Mafioso’s. I also have my eye on a tailor’s dummy so watch this space…

Why did you start in business/crafting?

We have always been creative in our house so maby it was inevitable that I would be a crafter! I started in business gradually, one Christmas I made cards for everyone at work and then come valentines day and mothers day some of my colleagues asked if I could make cards for them and that’s where it started, I realised people wanted to buy the things that I was making.

How did you come up with your crafty name?

I haven’t been very imaginative with my name, I have used my name Lucy Jackson Designs, I have thought about Re-branding but I haven’t come up with anything I like better yet.

Is your glass half full or half empty?

Most definitely half full.

What is your favourite thing that costs nothing?

Ohhhh that’s a hard one, I like hugs, a nice walk, to smile, I smile at strangers all the time

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

In lots of places, things that I see, comments that are made about my products,  the materials, sometimes I see a fabric or a paper and I can visualise a journal made from it or I see some beads and just get an idea.

Top 5 desert-island essentials?

1 A book or journal, to draw in and jot down ideas and plans for a boat/raft, tree house world, island domination.

2 Lighter/matches must light a fire and I can use the burnt sticks to draw with.

3 Big knife you always need a big knife.

4 Giant ball of string, im sure I will need this in making my tree house world for pulley systems and wot not

5 Ray Mears.

What is the ugliest most pitiful thing you’ve ever made?

Hmmmmm!

What have you made that you’re most proud of?

This can change depending on what I have been making, at the moment I am still quite proud of my silver flower ring, it is the first thing I made with my silversmithing gear. I wear it all the time and it is really cute, even if I do say so myself!

Favourite biscuit?

I like a classic, chocolate digestives, chocolate and caramel digestives yummmmeeeeee, a good choc chip cookie but not a chocolate chocolate chip cookie. And  Cadbury chocolate fingers

What crafts do you still want to learn?

I am still learning silversmithing, if you have a look at the different things that I make you will see that I am always trying and learning new crafts.

What is your idea of a perfect day?

I had two perfect days recently, it was my birthday and my boyfriend took me shopping then we went for dinner and then to the pictures it was all round good and then I got home to find my family with presents, I got 2 pairs of shoes need I say more and then there was cake!

Then on the next day the family went to Ayr and had a picnic and a walk along the beach then ice cream, a bit of Frisbee and some bouls then tea and chocolate fingers ohh chocolate fingers must add them to favourite biscuit.

What do you do in your day-to-day life, other than being a mafioso?

I craft as much as possible between procrastinating and working part time in Build a Bear Workshop

What is your favourite crafting tool?

I love my cropadile, I really want a big bite, I love my big scissors and the blow torch is fun. That was a hard one too!

What are your plans for the future?

I plan to grow the business as much as possible, my end goal is to have a shop/ gallery where people can buy handmade and participate in classes and workshops.

Why did you start in business/crafting?

I realised that working for the council just wasn’t making me happy, and what I really wanted to do was make pretty things! Previously, I didn’t think I had it in me to start a business and I didn’t think anyone else would like the things I made. But encouragement from my friends and my boyfriend (and particularly business advice from him!) gave me the kick up the bum I needed! I’m far from making this my fulltime job yet, but this part of my life keeps me sane and happy.

Glitterysah is a nickname I adopted back in highschool, I think I made it up for an email address or something. Sah is short for Sarah (cause you know, its such a long complicated name that needs shortened!) and I’m glittery! :) And as soon as I decided to start up my business, I knew that was the perfect name to use.

It varies! When its about things relating to me, probably half empty. But when its other people, I am always optimistic and see it as half full. I probably shouldn’t be so hard on myself!

Ooooh I have quite a few. I like sunsets and sunrises, snow, hugs and kisses, when people are polite, walking round the West-End, singing loudly in the car when I’m driving, seeing birds perched on lamp posts and signs and other odd places… there are more but I’ll stop here :)

Channeling my inner crazy-old-lady, vintage shops, charity shops, old films, comics, old photographs, flowers, people watching, my childhood, teashops – again the list could go on!

My sewing box, my phone’s Last-FM app, a piano, an endless supply of diet cola, the boy

Hmmmmm….. probably some hideous pencil case-type creation I made in high school home ec. I generally like the things I make, I’m just never sure anyone else will!

Easy! My best friend’s engagement ring. I made it with silver and its set with an opal. I love it and so does she, which was such a relief!! I was worrying for days that she wouldn’t. I was so honoured when Stu, her boyfriend, asked me to make it and am chuffed with how it turned out.

The buildings, the people, the smell (you know that Glasgow smell? Its the breweries or something), the West End, my flat, the charity shops, the amazing creative buzz there is here, the great places there are for people watching! :) Oh, and the fact its not my home village!

Favourite biscuit?

Generally I’m not a sweet-toothed person, but you definately can’t beat a crunchy ginger biscuit. Oh, and I make amazing butternut squash & ginger choc chip cookies – sounds bizarre but trust me they’re gorgeous!

Silversmithing (is that the right word?), how to crochet properly (I make it up as I go along), screenprinting & printmaking

Not waking up to an alarm, lying in bed for a while taking crap with my boyfriend and with my cat Ruby lying on my tummy, then having a lazy breakfast/brunch watching cartoons, followed by a day of getting to make stuff and be creative, tea out at a spanish or mexican restraunt with friends, then home to watch old films or listen to old music. Bliss.

I work full-time as a Youth Services Worker (youth worker) in the rural Stirling area. Its mostly great fun but can be stressful and involves lots of driving and paperwork – boo!

Hmm… I have some really good pliers that make jewellery making much easier. I also have a wonderful inherited sewing machine. They probably tie with just a good old needle a thread – I very often end up hand sewing my creations as I can sit and watch Heroes that way :)

To make Glitterysah a success! Its early days yet so for now, just to keep developing my designs and my brand and start to feel a bit more confident in my creations. A bunch more sales would be ace too! :)

Why did you start in business/crafting?

After my fine art degree I began to explore and experiment more in craft techniques as I’ve always loved to make beautiful things and I thought it would be a great way to focus my work and ideas into a craft business. The other main reason is a love of everything handmade, when you can see the love and time someone has put into making something and creating unique objects that no one else will have.

How did you come up with your crafty name?

Japan is the main influence of my work and ‘Kuro-e’ is the phonetic way to pronounce my name ‘Chloe’ in Japanese. In the Japanese language ‘ku’ is instead of ‘ch’ and ‘l’ sounds like an ‘r’.

Is your glass half full or half empty?

If it’s a Gin&Tonic, half empty so it needs a refill!

What is your favourite thing that costs nothing?

Being entertained by my cute cats.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

Traditional Japanese kimono, origami and textile patterns. Japanese fashion and craft magazines that i’ve bought on my travels in Singapore and Japanese bookstores in New York.

Top 5 desert-island essentials?

My Macbook laptop with wireless connection, a Sketchbook, a supply of Earl Grey tea, Almond Magnums and Morgans Spiced Rum.

What is the ugliest most pitiful thing you’ve ever made?

The first plush toy I ever made was really pitiful, lop-sided with stuffing coming out and visable stitches that looked more like a Frankenstein doll than a cute plush toy.

What have you made that you’re most proud of?

I made a satin ribbon hairband to match my dress for a friends wedding last year, had loads of nice compliments and that was the starting point for making my Japanese Kanzashi style brooches.

What’s so great about Glasgow?

The west end, especially the variety of charity shops along Dumbarton road.

Favourite biscuit?

Tunnocks Tea Cake

What crafts do you still want to learn?

I’m wanting to learn about printed textiles, currently putting together designs to make my own fabric. I’m currently studying for a city and guilds certificate in Embroidery that involves silk painting which I would also love to learn more on.

What is your idea of a perfect day?

I long lie in then out for a browse around the shops and charity shops, catching a film at the cinema with my cineworld pass (money well spent) then ending up in Chinaskis for drinks with friends.

What do you do in your day-to-day life, other than being a mafioso?

I’ve just reduced my day time job hours down to 4 days a week as an admin assistant for an insurance company so I would much prefer to be a full time mafioso!

What is your favourite crafting tool?

Good old needle and thread.

What are your plans for the future?

Next year I plan to do a two month research trip to Japan since so far, all my inspiration has been through books and photographs so I want to experience Japanese culture in person. Also I want to concentrate on my artwork, developing my craft business and setting up collaborations with fellow artists and crafters.

Why did you start in business/crafting?
I did a degree in Physics and Chemistry primarily and when I came out I hated it. I used to customise and create clothes for my sister and I to go out in at the weekend as we were fed up wearing the same as everyone else… I got a sewing machine one Christmas… applied for a fashion design and textiles course…without ever doing higher art… and i was accepted unconditionally on the spot :)
I started my business on completion of my degree and I haven’t looked back since :D

How did you come up with your crafty name?
Rachael Albert are actually my middle names… Kathleen Rachael Albert Osborne

Is your glass half full or half empty?
Full of course :)

What is your favourite thing that costs nothing?
Manners and a smile :D I cannot abide bad manners :O

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I find most of my inspiration from the 1950s but also Tattoos and Tokyo street style. I also take inspiration from the curves of a persons body… its far sexier than the sticks of the fashion industry!

Top 5 desert-island essentials?
Hmmm… Sunscreen(I’d get burnt!), rope (to cimb the coconut trees), a copy of the 13 1/2 lives of captain blue bear (a great book!), sketch pad and pens…. and… a solar powered i pod i think… come on apple get on it :P :D

What is the ugliest most pitiful thing you’ve ever made?
Oh.. I don’t think I’ve made anything ugly :( I’m sorry :)

What have you made that you’re most proud of?
I made a dress for a little girl who drew all over the fabric before i made her her party dress for her birthday! It was super cute and she loved it as she helped me design it :)

What’s so great about Glasgow?
The people, the music and soon the fashion :)
Glasgow is quite a close knit community it can have a family feel about it. I love Glasgow.. it will always be my home!

Favourite biscuit?
God… erm… chocolate hob knob!

What crafts do you still want to learn?
knitting.. i’d love to knit!

What is your idea of a perfect day?
Lying somewhere on a sunny day in the remote highlands with a pad, a pen and tranquility!

What do you do in your day-to-day life, other than being a mafioso?
I have my own studio in Hope street, my own website www.rachaelalbert.me.uk to update, I help out in a modeling agency and I go to quite a lot of local gigs and I love to hang out with my friends and family.

What is your favourite crafting tool?
My pen… I can design with it and draw up my patterns.. but i do love my overlocker… it cuts and sews at the same time :) how clever!

What are your plans for the future?
To see what it holds :D

Meet the Mafia is back with one of our new members, Julia Smith.

Why did you start in business/crafting?

My family are all creative people so making things and drawing has always been a natural thing to do.  My mum is a silversmith, my dad designs and builds cars, my brother is a film maker and my sister is a conservation officer in her day job but a crafty Mafioso type by night.  So when I decided I wanted to go to art school it wasn’t a complete let down to them.

The studio and community art side of my business is called Deepfired.  A friend of mine suggested it when I was trying to think up a name and I liked it straight away.  I like how people call it Deepfried and then think that’s really funny.  My own ceramics is called Julia Smith Ceramics which isn’t very imaginative but I’m trying to be sophisticated.

I am always worrying about something so I would say my glass is dry a lot of the time.

I get a bit over excited when I find free bubble wrap.  I often go for a rummage at the Glasgow Play-schemes Association’s scrap store (Langside Lane near Victoria Road).  It’s not free but close to it and they sell things like empty Lush tubs, big sheets of cardboard, rolls of paper, and lots of obscure things which I don’t know why I want them but I do. Another free thing I like is to say hello to people’s dogs and give them a tickle.

Mostly from my bike ride through the park on my way to the studio in the morning

A helicopter, a pilot, David Attenborough, Ray Mears and some veggie sausages

A strange friend of mine asked me to make her a big realistic pig’s head to hang on her wall.  I love pigs but that thing was ugly and a bit terrifying!

My homemade pizza always makes me proud

My favourite places are the vegan restaurants; 78, Mono, Stereo, The 13^th Note and Grassroots, my studio in Govan, The GFT, the Glasgow University gym and my friend’s houses.

Favourite biscuit?

Is a flapjack a biscuit?  That would be my favourite if it is because I’m quite greedy and they are usually pretty large.

Knitting properly- I do it really tight.  I would like to be patient enough to sew better and I want to learn how to screen print on fabric.

The one on the dessert island

I mostly do projects with primary school kids making ceramic murals or sculptures for their schools.  I also teach evening and daytime classes for adults at my studio.

I love my gocco printer.

To keep doing what I’m doing but shift the balance to less teaching, more making.

All items are available to buy from Julia’s etsy shop. You can also find out more information about Julia’s community art over at the Deepfired site.

Thanks Julia!

How did you come up with your crafty name?
I am somewhat embarrassed to say that it used to be my (oh goodness) DJ name. I am very proud to be female and from a small industrial town in the north of England, and I like reflecting that in my name. I also like the idea of being industrious in actually making things, and continuing a tradition that women have taken part in for generations.

Is your glass half full or half empty?
Definitely half-empty. There is always more to be had!

What is your favourite thing that costs nothing?
Paying attention. There’s a lot out there to enjoy, you just have to look for it.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I mainly work with reclaimed or repurposed materials in a process we call upcycling – turning something discarded or unwanted into something new, better or more useful. So my inspiration comes from the mundane and everyday, how could this strip of wallpaper become something useful? How could I give this duvet cover with a hole in it a more exciting new life, with just a zip, a sewing machine and some thread…

Top 5 desert-island essentials?
Is it cheeky to ask for the internet? Knitting needles, my yarn stash, a book of literary quotations and some sort of graphic design for dummies manual so I can learn something new.

What is the ugliest most pitiful thing you’ve ever made?
When I was at school I was on the winning Young Enterprise team for my region. We hit the big time making hair scrunchies from unwanted offcuts of upholstery fabric from our local textiles factory. If I tell you they sold us a car full of fabric for a nominal fee of £1, you can probably imagine how great they looked.

What have you made that you’re most proud of?
I made a cushion cover with a concealed zip out of a tweed skirt that I loved to pieces but had worn to the point of shabbiness. This signified the end of my war with sewing machines (unfortunate hand/needle interface in Home Ec at school which landed me in casualty) and the start of my professional crafting career.

What’s so great about Glasgow?
I think of Glasgow as a bit of a missing link between Manchester (where I’m from) and New York (where I used to live). We have the grid system, we have lots of rain, we have world renown in terms of fashion, music, culture and science. We have the patter, we have the inner-city green oases and people visiting or living here from all over the world. We also have a darker side which we’re not afraid to acknowledge and try to deal with.

Favourite biscuit?
Most of the time I like savoury over sweet, so give me a tasty oatcake and a good pongy cheese and I’m happy.

What crafts do you still want to learn?
Not so much a craft as a skill, but I would love to learn how to use my computer better for graphic design. My ideas for packaging and my website never look as good on screen as they do in my head, and as soon as I’m done with my Masters, I’d like to do a course on graphic design.

What is your idea of a perfect day?
Most perfect days for me occur on Saturdays and in New York. I would wake up totally refreshed at 7am and go out for a long walk or quick run to get my game plan for the day sorted out in my head. I’d grab a coffee from a friendly local vendor and head off for brunch with my fiancé and friends somewhere in Greenwich Village – knitting outdoors while we chat, if the weather’s good – before wandering off on my own over to SoHo for a browse in Crate & Barrel, Dean and DeLuca and some of the little clothing boutiques. I’d pick up knitting supplies in Purl SoHo and some delicious stationery from Kate’s Paperie. I’d carry a big tote bag and select my purchases wisely, like a local. I’d call into the Angelika to catch a matinee, before nipping home and getting dressed up for the night ahead, checking my etsy shop for any sales, and updating my blog if the movie was good or I’d taken any interesting photos on my travels. I’d also look out for any crafty happenings that evening in Brooklyn, or find out if my cousin was DJing anywhere that night. If I didn’t feel like going out out, I’d head over to a friend’s apartment to watch Reality Bites, picking up a six pack of Rolling Rock en route, and having to show ID. We’d maybe decide to finish off the night in a little bar, chatting to the bartender, randomly bumping into friends and telling corny jokes. Perfect!

What do you do in your day-to-day life, other than being a mafioso?
I work with members of the public, and support them to take part in activities which improve the quality and safety of the NHS in Scotland. I also run my own research company, study towards a Masters in Healthcare Informatics, am currently planning my wedding to the lovely Phil later this year, and have two adorable cats to take care of.

What is your favourite crafting tool?
Good paper scissors. Could. Not. Live. Without. Them.

What are your plans for the future?
I would like to do more community based craft work, supporting people to develop their own craft enterprises, and getting more people involved. I’d also like to successfully complete my degree, continue with my day job, and keep making things. And continue to visit New York frequently.

All of Katy’s upcycled goodies can be bought via her etsy store.

Thanks Katy!

I started PISTOL WHIP VINTAGE in the summer of 2006, having sold vintage items on eBay for a couple of years before. I had worked for a popular high street retailer for five years and felt stifled creatively. Basically I was sick of working for ‘the man’.

I am a huge fan of Tarantino films, where Pistol Whipping, i.e. whacking someone over the head with a gun, happens rather a lot. I think the expression conjures up nice fluffy visions of whipped cream rather than acts of extreme violence.

I would love to say half full and make out that I am a positive happy go-lucky type of gal, unfortunately, I am the most negative person you will ever meet!

Cuddles from my son and partner never fail to put a huge smile on my face!

When altering clothing, I find my inspiration from good old www.style.com I am a fashion whore who feels giddy when designers move the seam of a pair of jeans by 2 cms.

Not including people, I would say Guitar Hero, my iPod, my Adrian Mole books, straighteners, and my Apple Mac.

When I was in my first year of Uni, for my fashion design class, I made a pair of slippers. The sole was filled with bean-bag beans and was made from patchwork denim. I loved them at the time, but having recently found them, they look baaaddd!

I made a pink wool trench coat at Uni, and wore it most days for about three years. I have it somewhere…I might start wearing it again!

I like that it is so infamous for being a violent city. Apparently it is the ‘Murder capital of Europe’ but I have lived here all of my life and I have always felt safe. In terms of Fashion, I love that Glasgow has it’s own scene of independant designers, photographers, writers, models and stylists who are in no hurry to bugger off to London.

Favourite biscuit?

Chocolate chip cookies. I have been known to eat a whole packet in one sitting! Dipped into tea or milk. I want one now!!!!

I quite like the thought of using an old fashioned loom. Anyone have one sitting around their house that I could borrow?

Sleep in until noon, go out to lunch with my family to our local pub, eat a mammoth lunch without worrying about the calorie content because on this perfect day I am a size 8, then go shopping with an endless supply of cash, buying myself and loved ones loads of presents. Go to Waggamma for din-dins and order Chicken Catsu Curry (mmmmm!). In the evening, go and see a band…The bluetones and a comedian…Dimitri Martin, and then come home for about 11 and play Guitar Hero until 3 in the morning, not worrying about having to get up early the next day.

I am a student studying for a Masters in International Fashion Marketing. I also work as a freelance Fashion Stylist. Most importantly, I am a mum which is a full time job in itself!

I honestly could not live without my overlocker.

I have had an idea since school that I am in the process of starting. I had put off doing it for so long as I was sure that it would exist somewhere already, but good old google has turned up nothing. It is a craft related idea that could literally revolutionarize fashion as we know it. Or it may be a spectacular flop! We shall see.

Seek out some Pistol Whip Vintage bargains in the shop here.

Why did you start in business/crafting?

Because I love making stuff and one can only own so many plushies and dolls before you need to find another place for them!

How did you come up with your crafty name?

I wanted something that was a single word and like the meaning behind it-’stuff you want’! But I also wanted something where the sound of it evoked certain feelings. The “able” sound was like that in lovable or huggable.

Is your glass half full or half empty?

Don’t know, depends on what’s in it really.

What is your favourite thing that costs nothing? A walk by the river.

Where do you find inspiration for your work? From my 5 year old daughter, she has the most fascinating imagination.

Top 5 desert-island essentials?

Ice cream, my daughter, ice cream, sewing kit and…ice cream. Sorry, I’m in the midst of a craving right now.

What is the ugliest most pitiful thing you’ve ever made?

I once tried to make a sweater bear out of an old jumper. It totally didn’t work and I really only did it because I had great copy in mind for it’s online listing. The copy was all about it being a sweater bear not a sweaty bear. Hmmm, maybe not so great after all.

What have you made that you’re most proud of?
My newest cloth dolls, I am really loving them and I sold the first batch out in a week!

What’s so great about Glasgow?

It’s an incredibly friendly vibrant city with a great arts scene. I love the greenness and walkability of it as well.

Favourite biscuit?

Oreos but frankly I wouldn’t turn down too many biscuits unless they are chocolate orange which is the devils work.

What crafts do you still want to learn?

I’d love to learn screen printing.

What is your idea of a perfect day?

Sleep in late (really late), cuddle with my daughter, picnic in the botanic gardens, crafting in the afternoon, out to dinner, late night DVD snuggled under a blanket and late to bed.

What do you do in your day-to-day life, other than being a mafioso?

I have a baking business. I work from home and supply shops and private customers with cupcakes and lots of other icing covered things.

What is your favourite crafting tool?

The sewing machine though I am also quite in love with my felting needles as felting seems a bit like magic.

What are your plans for the future?

I am ashamed to say I haven’t really considered that. I’d be happy if I had a crafty business that was making regular sales and I was still making new stuff.

You can see more work from Michelle in her etsy shop here.