Our latest featured artisan interview is with the "Duchess of Felt" herself - LeBrie Rich of PenFelt. Created in 2004, PenFelt offers a line of handmade, hand dyed felt objects, with a mission to bring delight to people of all ages. Made from start to finish in Portland, Oregon, PenFelt is designed with quality, the environment, and customer glee in mind. All products are wet-felted merino wool, with some needle felted embelishments. Each item is made personally by the Duchess of Felt.
For Trillium Artisans, LeBrie makes Nuno Felt Scarves. Nuno Felt, also called Laminated Felt, is a process by which animal fiber is felted into very sheer fabric (LeBrie uses recycled and reclaimed fabrics).
Please visit LeBrie's website at www.penfelt.com and her online shop at penfelt.etsy.com.
Q: If you are not a native of Portland – what drew you to this city?
A: I love Portland because it is a livable-sized city. My transportation is a bicyle, and I can get everywhere I need to go in Portland! It is also great to be among like-minded people when it comes to sustainablility, or funding the arts, etc.
Q: Are you a full-time artist, or do you have other jobs as well? If you are not a full-time artist, is that something you would like to be some day? Why or why not? How possible is it that you will be able to go full time?
A: I make things full time. I also teach workshops in felting, and in the summer I teach art at summer camps.
Q: How are you evolving your business practices to grow with the explosive trend of selling handmade items online? Do you sell online or are you planning to?
A: I am constantly trying to get better at photographing my own work! This is the key to selling online. I have had pretty consistent sales online, but it is not that much of my income. I would like to do more! Sites like Etsy and World of Good connect you with the buyer in a way that selling in stores does not. I like that connection.
Q: What are your business goals this year? What challenges do you face? Do you feel that you have the resources to meet those challenges?
A: The big challenge is this economy, but we are so fortunate that there is a movement to buy handmade and local to counteract that. I don't have a goal for the year---I don't work in terms of goals, I just try and be happy with what I am making and in my life. If I break even at the end of the year, I feel like I have succeeded.
Hotty Hot Pink Felted Hair Clip from LeBrie's Etsy shop
Q: How has Trillium helped to make a difference in your life?
A: I just had a really awesome photography lesson from Lisa, courtesy of Trillium. It has also helped alert me that online sales are a viable trend, and I need to pay attention to that! I think without Trillium I would have lost sight of that and missed out on a lot of opportunities to sell my work.
Q: Please share one “green” tip – something that you do either in your business or personal life that is good for the environment.
A: I buy all of the fabric for my scarves from thrift stores, the paper for my tags come from SCRAP, and my studio runs on wind power. I just discovered the "supplies" section on etsy, which is great place to buy second-hand art and craft supplies.
Pep Felted Candy Clips from LeBrie's Etsy shop
