This week's featured craft artist believes 'everyone needs a bit of magic in their life.' Let's meet Sarah Jane...
Name: Sarah Jane Evans, 24
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Bookmaker, illustrator
Craft: Nightmare Snatchers
How did you get into creating Nightmare Snatchers? The Nightmare Snatchers actually started as an assignment for a class I took at the Rhode Island School of Design. As our final project, we had to make a product in multiples and sell it at an upcoming craft sale. I wanted to make something that felt magical and fanciful, something that evoked the same feeling that I strived for in my painting and illustrative work.
While I was pondering what to make, I wandered into a bookstore and found a "dream journal" and I thought to myself "wouldn't it be more beneficial to write down your nightmares than your dreams?" From there the Nightmare Snatchers were just a natural solution to what a nightmare journal would be like, cute but ferocious and more than able to gobble up your fears.
I came up with the name “Nightmare Snatcher” and asked my resident wordsmith, my father, to write a spell for them, something that would capture all the nightmares and fears inside. After that they just took on a life of their own, as monsters tend to do, and continued to evolve into the fuzzy friends you see today.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration all over the place, through other artists, museums, my favorite books, and in anything strange and fantastic. I’ve always had a special fascination for old books. The smell, look, and tactile quality of them have always seemed so magical to me. I spend hours at a time sitting in used bookstores just poring over the shelves. I have a tendency to buy books compulsively, and am quickly running out of shelf space. Therefore, I think it’s only natural for me to make books for other people to take home.
What's your biggest craft challenge?
My biggest craft challenge is in controlling the amount of monster fur tumble weeds rolling around my floor. I brush every Nightmare Snatcher I make, in order to get all of the loose fur off of them, and it always ends up all over the floor some how, no matter how much I try to contain it. My crafting room is always so fluffy, but I guess on the bright side it adds a splash of color to an otherwise dull floor.
What's your best craft tip?
Always remember to rinse out a glue-filled brush! I’ve lost so many good brushes by forgetting this one simple rule. However, if you forget anyway, as I regularly do, soaking the brush in a cup of hot water with dish soap overnight can usually soften it up. Afterwards, while the brush is still wet, scrape off as much of the glue as you can and then run a tough comb through the bristles to separate them. You may lose some bristles doing this, but it’s better than losing the whole brush.
Where do you get your craft supplies?
I actually buy supplies from many different places. I get the majority of them from a variety of eBay sellers. I also shop at Joann Fabrics and DickBlick stores.
What craft would you like to try next?
There are so many things I would love to learn to do. I’m interested in silk-screening, polymer clay sculpture, and metal-smith. There’s also the most adorable trend right now for amigurumi, so I’d like to learn to knit so I can make some cute stuffies for myself.
What advice would you give to people who struggle with fear or nightmares?
The best way to fight fear and troubles is to write it down or tell someone about it. Just to get it out of your system. Even if the person you tell doesn’t have a solution to your problems or worries, at the very least telling someone lightens the load and makes it easier to bear. No one should have to be afraid alone. Every fear can be conquered; you just have to learn to reach out for help sometimes.
For more information about Sarah Jane Evans and her fanciful Nightmare Snatchers, please visit her Web sites: http://nightmaresnatchers.com and http://spiderbite.etsy.com.
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Comments (1)
My son, Thomas who is 10, and I just wanted to let you know the nightmare snatcher is the greatest thing. Thomas says the nightmare snatcher really works and he loves having it.