Featured Seller: mrs eliot books

mrseliotbooks

Story by mrseliotbooks

Published on Aug 17, 2011 in Shop

Photo by mrseliotbooks. "hello" sign by William Dohman

Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hello! I’m Francesca from mrs eliot books. I run my little shop from my house in North London which I share with my husband and two boys. I opened my shop just selling my little wooden books to begin with, mainly collaged pieces using cut up words and sentences from the book The Middle Age of Mrs Eliot by Angus Wilson. I happened upon it in a second-hand shop in college, loved its Englishness and thought it would be perfect for what I wanted to do. I still use it today; when I started making my little wooden books it gave me the perfect name for my shop. Then I started making cards and prints and so it went on. I love what I do. And I never forget how lucky I am to be able to say that.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I have two energetic, noisy boys — one age 5 and at school, one age 2 and at home. So most of the time I am on a seesaw, singing “Incy Wincy Spider” with hand actions or breaking up a fight. When I get the chance I like to watch old movies, collect vintage teacups, do a photo project, walk a lot, make lists, travel, beat my husband at gin rummy and read too many blogs.

What would be the title of your memoir? Why?
Mrs Eliot Books: The Juggling Years. I’m sure I can speak for a lot of Etsians when I talk about juggling work and family. It’s very hard, but when you’re creative it’s something you can’t really switch off. Not that I’d want to, but sometimes I think it would be so much easier to have a regular office job so that when I went home, or on the weekends, only family would be on my mind. And not family plus wondering, “Did I send that buyer a thank you email?”

Where does your inspiration come from?
It’s a cliché to say everywhere, I know, but it could not be more true with me. I can see something out of the corner of my eye, think it’s an interesting shape and start work on a print. Right now, I’m working on a print inspired by spilling a bag of rubber bands on the floor. The imperfect circles of different sizes were so lovely.

What does handmade mean to you?
Handmade is holding something special in your hands, that you know has come from someone’s imagination, something that no one has done exactly like that before. And you can feel the thought that has gone into it. I have several things from Etsy that are just like that. For example, my best friend is moving from London to New York with her family; it’s a big, stressful move. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to get her this.

Who has been most influential in your craft?
I don’t know if I’ve had one single important influence. I do look at people sometimes and think that’s exactly where I want to be, like Donna Wilson for example – lots of fingers in lots of different pies. The artist Rosalie Gascoigne has been incredibly inspirational. I had two art teachers, one at school, one at college, who were very encouraging. And without encouragement it’s very hard to keep going, especially when you feel like you’re getting nowhere. My sister is incredibly supportive. Etsy – where would I be without Etsy? To know that someone in Singapore is looking at something I made and wants to buy it is so amazing. I value each sale as if it was my first. But even more than that, I value the connections and real friendships I have made.

When did you know you were an artist/maker?
I have a very clear memory of making something when I was a child — a box or some kind of kit —and thinking to myself “I wish I could do this for a living when I grow up.” I didn’t know what I was going to be, I just knew I wanted to draw and make things all the time. When I was at art college, I was the one making extra projects for myself because I couldn’t get enough. My husband always teases me that I was a real teacher’s pet!

How would you describe your creative process?
When I get an idea I have to get it down on paper right away, even if that’s the middle of the night (which is often when the best ideas come). I scrabble around for a pen and paper and in the morning try to make sense of it. It’s usually a sketch with some scrawled words I can hardly read. Then I get about drawing. Usually drawing then scanning that work into the Mac and starting to get some colour down. Or for an original piece I start by painting a piece of birch ply white and start placing shapes. I love using texture and layers in my work so I often scan in pieces of fabric or wood.

If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be?
I would choose Rosalie Gascoigne. She is my favourite artist for a few reasons. Her work is natural, untaught, drawn from the landscape around her. She was very witty. She was a late bloomer and had her first show at 57. Before she started to work as an artist she felt different from everyone else around her. She said:

“I certainly didn’t win a lot of marks for the most elegant lunch party or the tidiest house or hanging out the washing in a regular form. People even said, ‘She’s got no idea, she hangs the tea towels there and the pyjama pants there, and then the pyjama jacket right on there,’ and I thought, ‘What does that matter?’”

I think she’s very inspiring to so many creative people who have come back to craft after bringing up children or having a regular day job. And she speaks to every woman who has ever wanted more out of life. Even if you haven’t found what it is yet. You can find the most wonderful interview she did with Stephen Feneley here — it’s a fascinating read.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?
I have so many handmade things I cherish, many from Etsy. But I really, really love a little ceramic spoon by Susan Disley, which my mum gave me a couple of years ago. It’s porcelain, and I love the lightness and fragility of porcelain. If you turn it over, the back view is underneath. I like to turn something over and find more. That’s why I like to design inside covers as well as outside covers for my paper books, or put a patterned lining into an envelope. I like surprises.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?
Stop trying. There is nothing worse than trying to force inspiration, it’s depressing! Let go. Soon a shape will appear. When I was at college you were either an “artist” or a “graphic designer.” I like to mix it up. So if something’s not working in one discipline, I experiment with another.

Where would you like to be in ten years?
Doing this but more. Licensing designs for different products. Making. Screen printing my own tea towels. Going back to life drawing classes. A little summerhouse in Sweden? Now you’ve got me thinking…

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