{"id":47779,"date":"2016-06-07T17:54:41","date_gmt":"2016-06-07T21:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uncommongoods.com\/?p=47779"},"modified":"2016-06-20T15:28:34","modified_gmt":"2016-06-20T19:28:34","slug":"just-spiration-meet-amanda-slaughter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/2016\/just-spiration-meet-amanda-slaughter\/","title":{"rendered":"This Just In-spiration: Meet Amanda Slaughter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Amanda<\/a>
\nOur makers never fail to motivate us, encourage our creativity, and fill us with inspiration. So, when a new design<\/a> enters our assortment, we\u2019re always excited to learn more about the people behind the product.<\/p>\n

What gets an artist going and keeps them creating is certainly worth sharing, and every great connection starts with a simple introduction. Meet Amanda Slaughter<\/a>, creator of\u00a0our new Blooming Spoons Necklace<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Blooming<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When did you know you wanted to be a maker?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019ve known since I was a little girl that I wanted to be a maker. From fluting the edges of mud pies to making mosaic pot holders with plaster of paris and the broken pieces of my grandmother\u2019s favorite mixing bowl after it got dropped. In my adult life, I\u2019ve dabbled in painting, stitching, lampworking<\/a> and other glass arts. I have studio full of all sorts of odds and ends that never became anything at all.<\/p>\n

In between all the things that never came to fruition, I made different types of jewelry and always came back to that form of art. Something about making pretty, wearable talismans made me feel fulfilled. Every time I\u2019d sign up for a weekend arts class, it was always jewelry related! The funny thing is, I\u2019ve pressed flowers for as long as I can remember but it never occurred to me to use them in my designs until the magical day I stumbled across resin. I\u2019m also an antiquing nerd and had my \u201cah-ha\u201d moment when I was perusing the aisles of my favorite shop. I saw a lovely bundle of vintage spoons and knew they would be the perfect canvas for my flower art.<\/p>\n

\"Blooming<\/a><\/p>\n

What was the most exciting thing about becoming a professional maker?<\/strong>
\nEvery day brings something new and exciting, but I think my favorite is realizing just how far I\u2019ve come in the time I\u2019ve been making this piece. I can remember those initial weeks of learning and experimenting–the weeks when the results were so terrible and I doubted myself and what I was trying to create. I never could have imagined that the locals would refer to me as the \u201cthe little spoon lady\u201d or that I would have a couple of magazine features under my belt, a successful wholesale business and jewelry that has traveled to countries I could only dream of!<\/p>\n

\"Blooming<\/a>
\nWhat does your typical day in the studio look like?<\/strong>
\nOne of the perks of what I make is that a typical day in the studio isn\u2019t necessarily spent indoors. A lot of my studio time involves planting, tending, picking and pressing. I have several flower presses my husband made for me using reclaimed wine boxes and old wood. I pick and press large amounts at a time because the process of pressing does take quite a while. When I\u2019m not outside, I\u2019m in the \u201cBloom Room\u201d bending, cutting and polishing spoons to prep them for my resin process. I really think I could set a Guinness World Record with my vintage spoon stash!<\/p>\n

\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:StevieNicks.jpg

Stevie Nicks Live with Fleetwood Mac on March 3, 2009 in St. Paul, MN at the Xcel Energy Center. Photo by Matt Becker, melodicrockconcerts@gmail.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Is there a trinket, talisman, or other inspirational object you keep near? If so, what is it and what does it mean to you?<\/strong>
\nMy studio houses all sorts of trinkets and objects that inspire me on a daily basis. I think because I\u2019m creating tiny bouquets in jewelry, I\u2019m naturally drawn to miniatures. My favorite things are my collection of miniature ceramics, tiny window gardens and fairy\/gnome houses. Something else I draw inspiration from is my library-sized collection of books on flower and plant species, Appalachian stories and flower lore. All flowers have their own special meaning so when I want to convey a particular mood or feeling in a piece, my books come to my rescue. One more thing\u2026\u2026when I\u2019m making, Stevie Nicks<\/a> is usually playing in the background!<\/p>\n

Imagine you just showed your work to a kindergartner for the first time. What do you think they would say?<\/strong>
\nI love this question! I have shown lots of littles my work and they always have the same reaction. They ask me if fairies made it. I always tell them I couldn\u2019t do it without the fairies\u2019 help! I wish everyone still believed in a little magic.<\/p>\n

What quote or mantra keeps you motivated?<\/strong>
\nMy mantra is simple. Don\u2019t sit around. Start moving and keep moving. In the beginning you may not go in the direction you dream of, but as long as you\u2019re moving, you\u2019re creating possibilities!<\/p>\n

\"Blooming<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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