Local Crafters: Lovelypop

It’s been a while since I’ve published an iMake interview on the blog.  So I am delighted to introduce you to Hannah, the lovely Guernsey lass behind Lovelypop.  I hope this interview will be the first in a short series of interviews with Guernsey crafters.  Enjoy…

Please introduce yourself.

Hi, I am Hannah Godwin and I am a designer/maker from Guernsey in the Channel Islands. I live with Shaun and our two children Bea and Henry. I would be in trouble with Bea if I didn’t also mention the non-human members of our menagerie… Badger the Guinea Pig, Sonny the Cat and the persistently irritating Harvey our lovable new kitten (not conducive to crafting!).

I make under the name of Lovelypop, creating dolls, toys and all things lovable from vintage and new materials. I have been doing this now for a couple of years and have graduated from the basic bunny and on to dragons, giraffes and monkeys – I’ll give anything a go.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Creative, driven and dedicated (to finishing all those projects…eventually!)

A little bit about your crafty background please…

I don’t come from an especially crafty or artistic background but for as long as I remember I have been drawing and making. I was recently reminded by a friend from junior school that I used to do bubble writing for classmates on all their workbooks.  I know I was obsessed with colouring rainbow colours too and copying cartoons especially Snoopy! I studied fine art in Italy after leaving school and that cemented in me the passion for creating. As part of my degree course I did work placements in various disciplines including rug making and felting, production jewellery (to the amusement of my student housemates I sat at the kitchen table stringing beads for Vivienne Westwood that were destined for the high end boutiques of Tokyo!) and enameling – I loved them all but have always turned back towards fabrics, I seem drawn to the sewing machine.

Lovelypop came about initially as an enterprise to paint personalised pictures for children’s rooms, then one day I needed a baby present and had no canvas so turned to my scrap pile for inspiration, up popped some pink gingham and a pompom, the result was a little bunny with the baby’s name embroidered on the tummy. After a couple more well received handmade gifts I was urged to diversify and now the range includes all sorts of animals and dolls.

What is your favourite word?

Holiday and all that entails, so long as I am relaxing and have my family with me I am happy.

What is your least favourite word?

Credit Card Bill . Technically 3 words but enough to drive me to chocolate!

What sound or noise do you love?

My favourite noise can only be properly heard in my favourite place, Herm island, and more specifically Shell Beach. The sound of the waves pulling against the beach has a particularly gravelly sound that just doesn’t work with any normal sand.

What sound or noise do you hate?

As a mother of two I cannot stand the sound of whining or whinging! Especially if it is coming from two rooms away and I am expected to react.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

If I have a regret in life then it is that I didn’t pursue a career as an architect, I just know I would have had a lot of fun with that, maybe it isn’t too late to add that string to my bow.

What profession would you not like to do?

I have worked in Graphic Design, Marketing and HR so I am not averse to office-based roles but I really couldn’t work with numbers all day so probably something like an accountant.

The stage is yours… what else would you like to say in this interview?

I just love being a maker, it makes me very happy to be able to do what I love and although it may never make me a millionaire, it fills a hole in my life that is very empty when I am not doing something creative.

Starting Lovelypop happened almost by accident and without a doubt the driving force that has made it successful is the internet and social media. I love the creativity involved in building a website and marketing myself (although I am not always very good at self-promotion), all these things just wouldn’t have been possible even 10 years ago. Twenty years ago I wrote my dissertation on the difference between Art and Craft, why it was that Craft was seen as inferior and how people working in the craft world would avoid using the ‘C’ word. I am so glad that is no longer the case, crafting has an edge to it that sets it aside from the Art world and it is allowed to be cool and experimental and forward thinking in a way that Art cannot be. I would urge anyone to take up a craft and run with it, you really can create anything you want to.

Finally, please take a look at my website to see more of what Lovelypop is all about www.lovelypop.co.uk you can also find me on facebook, search for Lovelypop Creations and I regularly do giveaways so take a look and click ‘like’ to join in!