Who are you, and what do you do?

My name is Sara Lanzillotta and I run Devout. I've been making dolls, monsters and other fabric creations since 1998. My pieces are a mix of cute with a touch of spooky. I also try to add in a sense of humor when I can. I make goods for kids, adults and collectors and occasionally do more detailed pieces for gallery shows. My work has been featured in many stores and galleries across the U.S. and also in a show at the Seattle Art Museum.

What's the latest thing you've been working on?

My latest project has been doing a Muppet themed gallery show for Schmancy Toys. It's been super fun as the Muppets are some of my favorite characters of all time. I'm also always developing new products and working out patterns for new things to make.

Any new exciting news you'd like to share with our readers?

We're havin' a baby! I'll have a brand new little girl just in time for the show! I most likely will not be attendance at my booth (my mom will be there working for me since we're sharing) but hopefully I'll get to stop by so everyone can meet her.

How did you get started in your business?

I started by making dolls with extra heads and appendages. My sister and I just thought it would be funny to have something cute that had something wrong with it. I loved it so much, I made more of them and also started making plush monsters. They were an instant hit and the rest is history!

Is this a full-time business for you?

This is a full-time job for me, and has been for many years. Not sure what the future will bring now that I'm adding to my staff (baby Devout) but I'm going to try to keep it a full time business the best I can!

Who are you, and what do you do?

I am Martina Brimmer, the owner and lead bicycle bag designer at Swift Industries. I work within a team of three amazing sewers, all of whom are as passionate about bicycles as they are about sewing.

What's the latest thing you've been working on?

This year Swift introduced our Zeitgeist Saddle Bag. The seat bag rests securely on the seat and holds tools, camping gear, or picnic fixings. It's the perfect summer bag. Customers have gone wild over our modern interpretation of this classical English seat bag. You will too.

How did you get started in your business?

Swift Industries was born from a love of bicycle touring. In 2008, our first panniers were put to the test on four different long-distance tours. We see our company as an opportunity to promote bicycle travel and commuting. Further, our workshops represents a necessary shift in domestic manufacturing practices because baggage is made from start to finish by one sewer. One of the most unique aspects of our business is our success in maintaining a debt free company. We have grown slowly and intentionally for five years, with the tenets of bicycle travel at the core of our business strategy.

What's the best experience you've ever had with one of your customers?

Our best experience with customers has been and will remain the celebratory feedback we receive from customers who have been riding with Swift baggage for multiple years. By virtue of being bicyclists, our customers are energetic, engaged, and community minded folks. We love when we receive postcards from people who have taken our bags on a 3,400 mile bicycle trip across the United States, or when we ride along the Burke Gilman trail and wave good morning to our local customers.

What do your customers love most about your product(s)?

Our customers are looking for stylish and durable cycling baggage made right here in the States. Our supporters come to us to support handcraft within the bicycling industry, while participating in the custom design process of their baggage. We offer commuters and adventure cyclists beautiful, well made products, and promote bicycle transportation through gear and education.

Who are you, and what do you do?

 I’m Jaime of Schmidt’s Deodorant. I live in Portland where I produce a line of all natural deodorant.

Any new exciting news you'd like to share with our readers?

I’m thrilled to announce my product was recently brought in to PCC Natural Markets. I have a loyal base of customers in the Seattle area (many whom I met at my first Urban Craft Uprising show last winter!), and having the product available at the 9 PCC locations makes it much more accessible to them.

Are you debuting anything new at the summer show?

Yes! I released 2 new deodorant blends this spring: Bergamot + Lime and Lavender + Sage.

What's something you've learned through running your business in the past 12 months?

I’ve found that simplifying my product line was a critical move for my business. When I started the business three years ago, I offered an extended line of body care products. Responding to customer demand, I made the decision last fall to focus my energy on deodorant production alone. Since then, I’ve become more efficient and confidence in the brand has grown.

What do your customers love most about your product(s)?

It works! I regularly hear from customers who have been on a quest for the “perfect” natural deodorant who say Schmidt’s is the only brand they’ve found that has worked for them. Customers also appreciate the sustainable glass jars as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging.

*Mention this interview & receive 25% off a jar of Schmidt's Lavender + Sage Deodorant!

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Jen Murse and I'm a graphic designer by trade who currently is the owner and designer for plastique*, a line of laser cut acrylic jewelry.

How did you get started in your business?

plastique* started as a hobby. I was working at an interactive design agency full time but got bored with my day to day life. I was sick of everything I did living and dying on the computer screen. One day I found out about laser cutting acrylic and I started making jewelry for myself. Then I started making it for friends and they suggested I make an Etsy page. So I did. Somehow people caught onto it and I started making more designs. Blogs wrote about my pieces and slowly but surely the hobby started to grow. Finally I quit my full time job just to do plastique* full time.

Are you debuting anything new at the summer show?

I will be debuting various new pieces along with my first ever enamel pendants. Ultimately I want to branch out into other materials for jewelry as well as other product lines. So my first step into that is with a few new pieces done in enamel.

What's your favorite item that you sell?

It's always hard to pick favorites because I love all the pieces I create. Otherwise I wouldn't make them! But if I had to pick a few they'd probably be my Helvetica necklace just because it was one of the first pieces I made and it resonates with some many designers. I also am quite fond of my keyboard necklace because it's so intricate and fun to look at. I also quite love my skylines because I love traveling and skylines are so beautiful.

What do your customers love most about your product(s)?

I think customers love that my pieces are fun and whimsical but modern at the same time. They can wear one of my pieces and know that they won't find much similar to it. Time and time again when I do show, customers tell me how unique my work is. How fun my pieces are to look at and wear. They also enjoy that nothing is terribly expensive. This is something I've strived for over time. I never wanted my jewelry to be out of reach to customers.

Who are you and what do you do?

I'm Susan, and I'm on a mission: to make the best hard candy lollipops you've ever tasted and to get them to you with lightning quickness. I'm proud to be part of a gourmet desserts renaissance that includes amazing and creative donuts, cupcakes and gelato... even cocktails. Finally, hard candy joins the scene and I'm excited to bring my gourmet lollipops to you!

What's the latest thing you've been working on?

This spring I began a super-exciting collaboration with local perfumer Sweet Anthem. Meredith and I have long admired each other’s businesses and are very thrilled to finally work together. It’s been mutual inspiration influencing This Charming Candy in a more aromatic direction and Sweet Anthem in a more edible direction. Our goal is to debut the fruits of our collaboration at UCU!

How did you get started in your business?

I got started making lollipops for fun several years ago. I love to cook, as do many of my friends, and making lollipops in unusual flavor combinations was a fun way for me to bring a creative dessert to our frequent get-togethers. At gatherings called "Oyster Friday" the host supplies the oysters, and the rest of us bring all kinds of dishes to share. Vanilla cardamom lollipops were one of the earliest combinations I created for a party. They were a hit at the party, I continued to try out new flavors and then in 2009 I turned my hobby into a business, This Charming Candy.

Is this a full-time business for you?

While This Charming Candy is my primary focus, I also do freelance work in the software industry under my other business, Sudzi User Research Services. User Research is a human-centered discipline that aims to understand users’ behavior, what they need, and how well their needs are met by existing systems. It’s what I moved to Seattle to pursue back in 1999, and I really enjoy being able to keep active in that field officially and unofficially – I apply the methods to my own process of developing new flavors and products for This Charming Candy.

What's your favorite item that you sell?

After many customer requests, I finally got my act together and brought out a beautiful “Box Set” of all my year-round flavors. It sure saves time during craft shows – instead of having to pluck individual lollipops one-by-one from my display, I can hand customers this glossy white box that’s totally gift-ready!

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Debra Weiss and I make wearable fiber art. Put more simply I make woman's clothing that I view as everyday wear that will never go out of style.

What's the latest thing you've been working on?

Knitting! I have started working on knitting sweaters which is so exciting to be able to create from the yarn up but I still love my cut and sew! I have been working on pieces that I hope to put into a gallery show at some point. I started what I call my controlled chaos series in 2008 and keep adding to it pieces of varying techniques. It started with collaged and stitched scraps of fabric and now I am working on pieces to correlate with macrame, weaving and knitting.

Is this a full-time business for you?

I started in 2000 as a business, made things all my life and it became full time in 2007

What's something you've learned through running your business in the past 12 months?

I have learned what it means over the last 12 years that no matter how hard it gets it is an amazing privilege to be able to do what you love. It is not an easy road but it is wonderful and I am blessed to look around at the beauty in our world and make functional objects from my inspirations.

What do your customers love most about your product(s)?

I would say that my biggest selling point for my customers is styling, performance and uniqueness. I have some amazing customers. it is all of them that keep me inspired and creating!

Who are you and what do you do?  

I'm Trinity Cross, I make completely conscious clothing. I also love to garden, work on my house, I have 16 chickens, 1 Rabbit, 7 gold fish in the pond, a cat and 2 dogs. I love thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets. I think it fulfills my modern hunter gather instincts. I love the sun shine, rock climbing, and swimming in wild water.

What's the latest thing you've been working on?

I am working on and building out a small flagship store/studio for field day in Down town Oakland. I am building out the space using all reclaimed materials. The floors are made from discarded red wood fencing, We a giant window wall separating my studio from the store front out of old french doors. The store will open June 7th 2013 and will have a new designer and artist featured every month.

Are you debuting anything new at the summer show?

Yes! we will be introducing the new Wrap dress and romper. Both very versatile, flattering and comfy.

What's your favorite item that you sell?

The sheet dress. Its field day's classic. Its high wasted, the perfect length, has several different options on how to wear the lapel, pockets for collecting and carrying treasures. I make each one out of a hand hunted and picked bed sheet. This is also the design that flatters and looks good on 95% of all ladies that Ive seen try it on. Feels good to master a design that looks good on so many different body types.

What do your customers love most about your product(s)?

The fact they they look good wearing them, feel confident, and love supporting an independent, hand made business that uses sustainable materials. I often get complemented on how you can really class up or be totally casual in my dresses. simply stated field day dresses make you look and feel good to wear.

Who are you and what do you do?

We are a family-owned business making hand-crafted wooden toys.  Aaron does most of the “making” of the toys, and Erin does most of the “business stuff” as she pursues her Masters degree in Accounting and a career as a CPA.  We have two beautiful, wonderful boys who are 3 ½ and 22months…who both LOVE to help their daddy make toys (don’t worry…they don’t do anything dangerous!)!  We try to keep our products as affordable as possible, while still using the highest quality materials and workmanship.  Every toy is created to encourage the development of motor skills and cognitive/problem-solving skills in young children.

What's the latest thing you've been working on?

We’ve just come up with two new sets of alphabet blocks—one set includes number blocks as well.  Both sets come in an oak box, and are comprised of numerous different hardwoods, including (but not limited to): walnut, maple, cherry, and oak

Is this a full-time business for you?

This is a full-time business for Aaron!  He didn’t like that his career in commercial construction kept him away from home to much…especially now while our kids are so young…so we decided to try something different!  Running our own business has definitely been a learning experience and very challenging at times, but we love doing shows and interacting with customers and most of all we love having the flexibility to watch our kids grow up—we wouldn’t change a thing!

What's your favorite item that you sell?

My favorite item that we sell is definitely our ferris wheel!  It is one of the first items we came up with, it took the longest to perfect, and it is by far our most unique item.  I love the way it spins, balances, and the people go in and out. I REALLY love watching how much fun my kids and everyone who comes into our booth has playing with it.

What do your customers love most about your product(s)?

I think that what our customers love most about our products is that our toys are made to last—out of quality, natural materials.  Most of our customers also really appreciate the uniqueness of our items and the customer service that we provide.

Who are you and what do you do?

We are OrWa Designs, we specialize in custom mid century modern inspired furniture. The 2 of us build custom furniture from scratch, making sure every detail is exactly how you want it.

What's the latest thing you've been working on?

We are introducing dressers to our available custom furniture line.

How did you get started in your business?

We started refinishing old furniture to sell and when retro furniture became more difficult to find and more expensive we started building our own designs.

Is this a full-time business for you?

Yes it is. We work 7 days a week to get furniture orders built in a timely manner.

What do your customers love most about your product(s)?

 Our customers love the fact that our prices are low, our furniture looks like it came from the 1960's and we customize every detail to fit their space and needs.