Welcome to FloDo Designs. I inherited my love of hand crafting from my mother. I learned to sew at the age of 10 and have expanded that creative interest to include creating vibrant art pieces using experimentation and my own inherited curiosity.
As a fiber artist I thoroughly enjoy using mixed media to create unique pieces of art. I enjoy working with all forms of textiles, fibers, paints, wood, metal, beads and paper. From woodworking to doll and jewelry making, with the exception of soap and candle making, there is not a craft that cannot be done in my studio.
My studio space is set up with flexibility in mind. What may serve as a sewing table one day, may be my design space the next, or a production site on another day. As most of my crafting includes sewing or embroidery, I have configured my space to accommodate the use of 4 machines at one time. Organization is the key. My favorite haunts for picking up inexpensive storage items are office supply, hardware and dollar stores. Baskets are my favorite item for storage and organization of projects; this is very important as I usually have several projects going at one time. I am all about repurposing. The wooden boxes used for packaging Clementine oranges are perfect for acrylic paint storage and they stack easily. Clear acrylic containers used for mixed greens in the grocery store, once they are washed thoroughly make great stackable storage for small projects.
My office space is separate from my studio. It serves many purposes as well. I use it to digitize embroidery designs, manipulate photos, create greeting cards and meet with clients; this small space contains quite a bit. One trick I use to keep my spaces looking neat and tidy is to create a very simple fabric curtain hung from a tension rod on my bookshelves. The curtain hides mismatched storage containers, books and any other supplies I need readily available and makes the space look more coordinated and neat.
My inspiration comes from many sources. As an amateur photographer, my mind sees the world in colors and fabric. I automatically translate photos into 2 dimensional quilts and 3 dimensional fabric art. I find inspirational color combinations in magazines and catalogs and use blank books to organize pictures, swatches and articles for future reference and to keep my ideas organized. Cork bulletin boards are always covered with inspirational articles and colorful ideas as well.