When SFist met up with our sister in Vienna this summer we fell in love with her journal. Not with the content of the journal (full of tales of rendevous with mysterious European men, no doubt) but with the journal itself. Every page had depictions of native Californian plants carefully drawn on them. We checked the back and lo and behold the journal was the work of none other than SF local Jill Bliss. Bliss’s delicate creations have gained a worldwide following. At home Chronicle Books liked Bliss’s work so much that it published the journal that we noticed.

Bliss answered the question that most artist get all the time, “so, uh, what are you going to DO with that” by starting blissen.com. Blissen is an online boutique where you can buy things from Bliss and other crafty artists that share a similar aesthetic. Jill Bliss was kind enough to answer similarly pesky questions from SFist in the following interview:

How did you start blissen?
Blissen is a hobby that got out of control, really. When I lived in New York I began the site as a place to sell illustrated books and other little things I made on the side of my regular design and illustration work. As soon as I’d secured a spot at grad school, I moved back to San Francisco thinking I could just get some temp work in the interim. But that was at the end of 2001, no one was hiring! At the same time, I’d visit boutiques wearing one of the things I’d made, and sometimes they'd ask me to make more for their shop. And I also met other crafty makers and offered to put their things on my site as well. So blissen became my interim job before and during grad school, and now it competes equally for my time alongside the design and illustration work!

What are the best and worse things about running a business out of SF?
since I don't have the time or money for 'real' vacations, I love the ability to take the afternoon off on occasion and go to the presidio or some place else quintessentially San Francisco, or go up or down the coast for a quick getaway. The proximity to so many great places is ideal.

What is your very favorite product you've ever made?
The things I make are like kids: I love them all equally!

Age and Occupation
35 - artist and designer.

Home Town
San Francisco

How much time have you spent in the Bay Area?
I've spent all my life in the bay area, apart from 5 childhood years on a farm near Chico and 6 adult years in New York.

Favorite website
Google

Favorite local business
Doe, a boutique/department store on lower haight. I get all my clothes there!

What I'm currently Reading
The last book I read was "Ecocities" by Richard Register. but now that it's my busy season, all I have time to read are magazines - if that!

Favorite mode of transportation
Walking

Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
The Orange Peels

Favorite local hangout
Every week a group of friends and I get together at someone's house for dinner and a movie. we each take turns cooking and picking out the movie.

SF has the BEST:
weather + food

Favorite Bay area politician of past or present:
I pick up an examiner every morning while walking my dog, and catch up with the board of supervisors.

Now that Gavin Newsome is single, who are you going to set him up with?
My friend Pete had a nightmare his wife left him for Gavin while he's away at grad school! now that it looks like the divorce may not happen, Pete can breathe easier.

You can tell someone is a local here IF:
They pile on a heavy sweater, coat and a scarf, and... flip flops. When I first moved back from nyc I used to laugh when I’d see this look, but now I’m guilty of it myself from time to time. I don't know what everyone else's excuse is, but mine is laziness when the dog needs her walk!

SF would be soooo much better if only:
I didn't have to spend most of my earnings on rent.

Best Burrito:
I’m still searching for a place that has a good veg burrito, good meat burritos for my accompanying carnivore friends *and* good house made chips. it always seems to be 1 or 2 out of 3, never all three.

Best Restaurant:
Koi Samui and the Monkey, my favorite Thai restaurant near my apt/studio on Brannan. The veggie green curry is second only to my partner's homemade recipe.

Best thing to do in the city in the summer:
Chill out (ha ha!). no. bundle up and go for a walk when the fog starts to roll in. it's beautiful.

Place you always tell visitors to check out:
The coastal trail between the sutro baths and the presidio

Favorite Bridge in the area:
ok, I know I’m not supposed to say the golden gate, but come on! pedestrians and bikes are allowed, unlike all the other bridges. And ever since I was little the designer in me has always been fascinated with those little poles and the ability to change the number of traffic lanes for each direction.

You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
Invite a friend, especially one I haven't seen in a while, to lunch or tea.

I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist:
I sold my bike and all my bike gear on craigslist in january once I realized I prefer walking. biking, in my opinion, is the most stressful mode of trasportation in this city. most drivers are very inattentive to their surroundings.

Tell us a San Francisco Story:
I guess this really could've happened anywhere, but the first thing to spring to mind is this one time when I was walking down market and some guy yelled at me "yo, bitch - I mean, miss - what time is it?!"