This week on Meet The Makers we meet Louise, a paper cutting artist extraordinaire! Louise's skill with paper is truly amazing and her designs look fabulous on just about anything (look at that gorgeous bag!) - they'd make a great colouring book! Happy Reading!
Go on - introduce yourself!
I'm Louise a paper cutting artist and graphic designer from Kent, England. I'm married with two children and a cat called Daisy. I actually have two businesses: Magentasquare, a graphic design agency working mostly in the events industry and Louise Bell Art where I create unique handmade pieces of art, cut out of a single sheet of paper using my hands and a scalpel.
When did your business launch? What was the spark that led you to starting it?
I started Louise Bell Art in August 2014 when I first had the confidence to start up a Facebook page and to start selling my work. Before that, I had been paper cutting since 2012 as a hobby making pieces for family and friends. As more people saw my work I started getting asked if I took on commissions, so I decided to take the plunge. Everything else slowly came as a natural progression, Website, Etsy, Instagram, twitter etc.
In 2011, we moved house and also found out we were expecting baby no 2. As we now needed my office space as a bedroom for the new addition, my husband built me my own space at the bottom of the garden. It was this space that gave me the room to do more arts and crafts. Especially once my son came alone, I could leave it all out and just shut the door behind me.
Show us your work space! Do you have a shop? Strictly from home? Tell us about it!
I mainly work from home these days because I try and fit life around my children, although every so often I work on big corporate events as graphics crew. One of my favourite places to work is the BT Tower. If I'm lucky I'll get to have lunch with the delegates on the 34th Floor.
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Look at that amazing summer house shed!
Image provided by Louise Bell Art. |
What has been your favourite make so far? What’s been your most popular?
My favorite makes so far would have to be something from my 'Leafy Collection'. Maybe Mr Fox or the hummingbird. They have been a labour of love. Every part of the process has brought me joy. From the initial pencil sketches, paper cutting, creating the digitally coloured designs, to the merchandise I now sell on ArtRookie and Society6.
My most popular make would have to be my family trees. I've sold many through my Facebook page and Etsy. I love getting to know my customers when making them and knowing that I get the opportunity to create something special that's going to be cherished for a lifetime.
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| Image provided by Louise Bell Art |
How do you generate new ideas for items?
New ideas come from everywhere. I'm always drawing. I feel restless if I don't have a project on the go. We try to go out exploring as a family as often as possible, even a day on the beach will get me drawing fish or mermaids in the evening or a trip to the park will inspire some papercut flowers.
Last year my daughter turned the right age to appreciate a trip to an art gallery and an afternoon tea! So we had a few days out to London to visit a few of the big galleries. My all time favourite artists are Frida Kahlo, Georgia O'Keefe, Lucian Fraud and Rob Ryan, of course.
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| Image provided by Louise Bell Art. |
Describe/outline your typical day.
I'm a Mummy first so between 6am and till the children go to school / play school it's hectic. I'm crazy running around like a mad woman, sorting breakfast, clothes, washing on, tidy the house, quick check of Social Media so when I get back at 9am ish it's calm and I can get started with work straight away, well after I've made myself a coffee.
Everyday is completely different in my world but a typical day. I'll have a few hours of presentation graphics to design and then I'll email the designs off to my client. While I'm waiting for client amendments I'll slide my chair over to the huge table I use for papercutting and I'll either be drawing out a new design or carrying on with a customers piece. My email will ping and I'll slide myself back for more presentation graphics.
If I'm working all day my parents pick up the children for me or I'll have the school run about 3pm. If the children are at home with me I'll do a mixture of family stuff and dinner while updating a few social media posts.
After the kids are in bed and if I've worked all day your probably find me on the sofa watching TV with the husband, if the program doesn't keep my attention I'll possibly end up drawing or perusing Social Media.
What are your favourite social media platforms to use for promoting your business?
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
What are your hobbies - other than crafting of course!
Yoga, Bunny Hop (A keep fit dance class), Reading, Meeting up with my wonderful friends
What three pieces of advice do you have for someone wanting to start their own small business (and maybe advice you wish you’d had before starting)?
There is no perfect time to start you need to make the brave leap.
Don't compare your start to somebody else's middle
and a big one I have to still remind myself about - Your are not for everyone, so try not to worry or waste valuable time trying to please these people. Keep being your authentic self.
What are you dreams/goals/aspirations for your business?
I do have a few huge dreams I'd love to create a colouring book, make more paper cutting templates so others can have a go at cutting my designs and a really big one, for my papercutting work to be featured in an art exhibition. But mostly loads of the same, I'm very proud at what I've accomplished so far. My youngest will be at school full time in September so I'll have even more time to create for my customers and myself.
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| Image provided by Louise Bell Art |
You can find Louise Bell Art here:
