Featured Crafter: Kay from Poppyglass and FingerStuckFelts

In this Featured Crafter, we talk to Kay from the Poppyglass and FingerStuckFelts. Read on to learn about how Etsy began Kay’s addiction to felting!

Tell me a little bit about yourself. My name is Kay Backstrom and I live in Michigan. I am a Stay at home Mom by day, and an artist by night mostly. I get most of my work done when everyone else in the house is sleeping! I have always done some sort of art since as far back as I can remember. I just have this inner need to always create, no matter what the medium may be.

Where can we find you?
You can find my work on Etsy. I actually have two shops now (and who knows how many more to come!) they are Poppyglass.etsy.com and FingerStuckFelts.etsy.com.

What first got you interested in your art?
As far as my glass work I had always wanted to try my hand at it and about 10 years go I finally took a beginners stained glass class. There I learned the basics. When I was pregnant for my first child my husband bought me everything to get started on my own. So I took what little knowledge I learned in that one class and got started. I have evolved alot since then. I rarely use typical stained glass patterns! I like to do my own thing. Thats the most fun for me to sit down at my glass table and see what I can come up with. I love to hear how people react to this more none traditional glass work also, they always seem more interested in the really “out of the box” pieces. As for my Felt work, well one day I came across a starter needle felting kit on Etsy and thought it sounded interesting. I quickly became totally obsessed with the whole thing and started making everything I could think of! I find the more I work at it the better my things get! I can really do some detailed creations now.

Please describe your creative process (how, when, materials, etc).
I don’t really have a set process. When I get the urge I will scurry up to my glass table and just start creating whatever comes to mind. I usually have a “loose” idea of where I am going with something and sometimes it goes in that direction and sometimes it may end up a totally diffrent piece than I had invisioned! I like the process of building onto a basic idea and seeing where it will take my work. The same pretty much goes for my felt work process. I will sit down and just pull out some wool and start poking away and see where it takes me. Such Fun!!

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
Apart from my art I pretty much am your typical Stay at Home Mom, which means I take of care of EVERYTHING having to do with raising my kids, running my household, and taking care of all my families needs! (isn’t it amazing how MUCH us woman take on in life!!!)

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I love Etsy!!! It has really helped me grow as an artist! And the community is wonderful. Even though sales have been rough over the summer months, there is still nothing better than Etsy in my book