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If you've been using that awesome crafty google map of San Francisco you have Leslie Yang to thank. Leslie is a member of the San Francisco Craft Mafia, and runs Feisty Elle where she sells her sassy handmade accessories. Craftwork recently talked to Leslie about running a small business in San Francisco, the community here, and some of her favorite local crafty spots.
How long have you been running Feisty Elle?
I started Feisty Elle in September 2005 while living in Oakland. Feisty L was going to be my DJ name! I was going to be a breaks and hip hop DJ but alas, my heart was was more into felting wool than scratching out beats. Besides, I'm feisty and so are a lot of awesome women I know. Thus, Feisty Elle.
What inspired you to start your business?
Around that time I was really into all these crafty online forums, like Get Crafty the Glitter boards on Super Naturale, Craftster, and later the Switchboards. Each forum was developing and sustaining a great community of women who were not only just learning handcrafts from each other, but were starting to see that what they could make could really be a business. I saw other female-run businesses starting up and I thought to myself, I need to see how this goes for me.
Can you talk about some challenges and benefits to having a crafty biz in SF?
I'll start with the benefits. I've met so many talented, fantastic women in the Bay Area who make and sell such gorgeous things. I love being around creative people and having a business puts me in constant contact with these people. I've learned so much and continue to get a lot out of the relationships I have with other creative, crafty business owners. Plus, like my crafty map says, SF is a craft mecca; folks here are so creative, it's impossible not to be inspired.
And ah, the challenges. I'm going to keep it real and say it's pretty hard! It's one thing to make a purse or brooch for yourself and call it a day, but quite another to source fabric and notions, develop a pattern, produce quantities of a line of items, mail out line sheets, correspond with boutiques, send out invoices, track consignments, do bookkeeping, and the list goes on and on. Plus, I work full-time, so Feisty Elle business happens on weeknights and weekends. It's a big commitment. I also feel that it's a big part of me in a great way so I've no regrets.
Any suggestions for crafty folks who would like to become a part of the community here or who are interested in selling their wares?
It's great timing that you should ask this question. The SF Craft Mafia recently decided to reinvent itself as the SF Creative Business Collective, to better focus on the thriving SF community of businesses doing creative, crafty work. We're focusing on networking, workshops and salons, and being a central repository for upcoming shows, shops that support independent designers, crafty events and classes, and more. We're officially kicking off in 2008 since these next few months will be pretty busy for holiday shopping. Email sfcreativebusinesscollective@yahoo.com and we'll contact you in early 2008 for more details.
And finally, what are your three favorite spots on that wonderful Google map you created?
I have no secrets now that me and Google maps are like this:
1) Kinokuniya stationery store: I *LOVE* the Kinokuniya stationery store in Japantown. Japanese stationary has no rivals in terms of cuteness and packaging as far as I'm concerned. My favorite are the beautiful handmade paper with beautiful screenprinted patterns.
2) Fabric Outlet: This place is the best for that I've-got-this-crazy-idea sewing project, especially when Burning Man and Halloween come around. Get on their mailing list as they have 40% off sales from time to time.
3) SCRAP (Scroungers' Center for Reusable Art Parts): Man, how can you go wrong with an organization that starts with the word, "scroungers"? Go there on a rainy or cloudy day and spend a couple hours digging through lovingly, meticulously organized random and not so random rolls and scraps of fabric, wooden frames, buttons, doll heads, greeting cards, gift boxes, paint, mirrors, corporate stationery from now defunct businesses, zippers, beakers, wood chunks, children's books, yarn, and plenty more.
Thanks Leslie!
Be sure to catch Feisty Elle at Felt Club in LA on 11/18 and at the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park for Bazaar Bizarre on 12/15.
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leslie and i were hanging out at this party where someone had brought their toy dog (i think it was a chiwawa). leslie, being the kind and compassionate humanitarian-slash-animal-lover she is, noticed this dogs uncomfortable shivering and decided to take action. she lept up and ran out of the party. on her way i shouted "leslie, where are you going in such a hurry?" to which she replied "can't talk, gotta weave." when she returned a short time later, noticably sweating and with a slight tremble, the small toy dog had run off into the crowd. i could tell this upset ms. yang when she shouted "greg, help me find the dog or i'll f'ing cut you!". lucky for her and for my fingers, the dog was found almost right away.
as leslie came upon the dog she dropped to her knees and pulled out of her pocket what looked to be a cross between a cashmier sweater and a toupe. she slipped the contraption over the shivering dog who, as if reenacting a scene from a disney childrens movie, leapt into her arms and licked her face. i still don't know how leslie was able to knit a dog sweater so quickly without access to yarn. some say that leslie wore a hat for the rest of that month, others say she can de-weave a stack of benjamins with one hand. who's to say? i guess she just has mad skill.
i stand corrected, the dog was a 'Chihuahua'.
Chrysler stopped making the chiwawa in the 70's.
-g