Featured Artisan -- Red Marionette

This week's featured artisan is Kelli of Red Marionette. Kelli makes adorable little pocket critters and other whimsical loveliness.

Tell me a little bit about you and what you do.
My name is Kelli. I have been a crafter and lover of handmade all of my life. I have dabbled in fine arts, sculpting, sewing and many other areas. I teach art at a Computer Animation University and maintain Red Marionette on the side.


What 3 words best describe your work?
Kooky, Whimsical and Cheery

What inspires you?
Colors and Fabrics. I love fabric. Its nearing an addiction.. I have to touch and feel all kinds of fabric to see if it would work well with my character designs.

What drives you to create what you do?
Originally Red Marionette started as a stress reliever. I was working in Construction Management and that was not an easy job so I would come home and sew fun little critters. It grew from there and I have since moved on from that job, so it came with me.


What makes your work unique?
Hand sewing quality and the design, definitely. I hand stitch all of the characters. No glue or quick stitching. They are durable and sturdy. I design everything from start to finish and try to keep the continuity of the look through all of the Red Marionette products.

What role does your work play in your life? What role would you like it to play?
It does not have to be the stress reliever it used to be, so now its much more lighthearted. I do it now as a passion not because I would go insane without having an outlet. I would love to be able to do it as a part time job and be employed part time through the school. I love both of my jobs now, I wish I had more time for Red Marionette.


How do you see your work and/or your business evolving in the next five years?
Continuing to grow at a steady pace. I am learning so much about the business side of things still that by then I will have honed advertising and marketing for my products. I am always developing new products and designs. I hope in the future to have more time to execute the designs I have stockpiled.

Where can we find you on the web?
My Shop: http://redmarionette.com
My Blog: http://redmarionette.blogspot.com


Are you an artist or craftsperson? Would you like to be featured here? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment here with a link to your shop, and I'll be in touch about future opportunities.