after-hours crafter :: Plushka

after-hours crafter :: Plushka
madeit.com.au/Plushka

Tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born in Vladivostok, which is in the Far East of Russia on the boarder of China. I came to Australia to study Business Management and now live with my husband in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.I work full-time at my husband’s helicopter business and craft is my passion and something I do after work.

Can you explain your craft/art and the materials you like to use?
I love rough texture of linen that I use for my cross-stitch, cute Japanese fabric and felt. I get inspired and influenced by French and Japanese styles. Handmade for me is all about quality and unique feel of items stitched by hand.

How long have you been creating and how did you get into making handmade goodies?
I've been crafting since I was 12, doing embroidery and hand sewing. My culture taught me to treasure handmade craft and creating something helps me not only indulge my creative side but also honour my heritage.I started Handmade by Plushka because I felt the urge to express myself and be creative. I love when something I created brings joy to other people.

How do you juggle work & crafting/managing your business?
It's not always easy to find time for both. During the day I need to concentrate on crunching numbers and helping my husband running his company. I love that we can spend all day together. The best time of the day is the drive to and back from work when we can talk and enjoy each others company. After work it’s all about finishing my projects and getting creative.

Do you have any advice to other workers who are wanting to start creating handmade goodies?
Just get creative and have fun, you never know where craft can take you! Making enough stock, can be stressful some times and you still need to have a normal life so I keep my little craft business small and manageable. I focus on my Madeit shop, Shop Handmade in Canberra and do Mathilda's markets occasionally. I still feel that it’s just the beginning of my craft journey and there are so many new things that I want to make and so many possibilities.