Today I'm quite honored to be interviewing Fred from Birdhouse Accents on Etsy. Little did I know that I was interview quite the Etsy star :). Birdhouse Accents was recently featured in a video on Etsy's website for the Handmade Portraits section on Etsy. Fred told me to pick any items to feature, which I was thrilled about when I started poking around in their shop. I don't think I have ever seen so many cute birdhouses all in one place. Fred was right when he said that they try to make something for everyone! To make the picking easier on myself, I decided to go with birdhouses that matched my blog (all green!) which is good because green is Fred's favorite color too!
To get to know a bit about Fred, his favorite breakfast is hotcakes and sausage. And if he could do any weekend activity he would be outside cooking on the barbecue. And last but not least if he could travel anywhere, he'd travel to one of the Hawaiian Islands. (Which, I might add, works well with this nautical themed house)
Now onto those dear birdhouses:
What started you in your art/craft?
The love of woodworking. I have always enjoyed working with wood and found my niche in making birdhouses.
What are your favorite materials/tools?
I use reclaimed wood for most of my birdhouse projects. Discarded objects that I pick up at tag sales and flea markets such as rusty nails, antique hardware, and really anything that catches my eye.
Who's your biggest inspiration?
I love to make a design around an object that I have found at a tag sale or flea market. These one of a kind pieces are my inspiration. I also enjoy listening to many of my repeat customers when they tell me they had a family of birds in one of my birdhouses, it makes what I do worthwhile.
How long have you being producing your work/How did you get started in it?
I have been building and designing birdhouses for nine years now. I made one which led to two, which led to a birthday gift, a house warming gift and before I knew it, became a full time job. I knew I had made the right decision when we were chosen as a Featured Seller (May 2008) on Etsy and featured in Handmade Portraits (June 2009) on Etsy. We have won several awards for our birdhouse designs in juried craft shows over the past few years too.
Where do you hope your art will take you in the next year?
I hope to increase my wholesale accounts and sales. We do have a following now and many repeat customers search us out at craft shows.
Is there anything you want people to get/take away from your work?
I hope people take away the fact that my birdhouses are one of a kind hand made pieces. I try to make something for everyone.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Enjoy what you do, it will show through your work, offer fair pricing and don't be discouraged at first, it takes a while.
Make sure to check out their shop!
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