Margaret Oomen Interview

Sometimes I have weird fantasies about having some kind of week long summer camp where we all go into the forest and there are special cabins waiting for us. We drink tea, sit around and craft, people teach a few crafty things and then we eat delicious dinner, drink wine and continue working on our crafts. By the end of the week we are all saying our tearful goodbyes and longing for the next time we can go to summer camp again. On my list of fellow campers would be the lovely Margaret Oomen. Going on her blog or viewing her photos on flickr always makes me want to be part of her world. It looks nice there. I have had the pleasure of working with her on several accounts and hope for many more.



S- Every thing you make is breathtaking. How hard is it for you to depart with the work you spend so much time with?

MO- Thanks so much. Your opinion and support means so much to me. If I could take you on a little virtual tour of my home right now you would see that there are many things I make that I am VERY attached to. If you don't believe me you might ask my husband about it. Almost everywhere you turn you will see a hand made toy, piece of art or more recently covered stones. That being said eventually I will tuck one of these special things into a parcel or gift for a friend and that makes me happy. I love creating things for a specific purpose or show like Plush You 2009. Even though I have usually no idea whose hands they will end up in I just know that they will be loved and well cared for.



S- You are pretty famous now for your beautiful crochet stones. What do you like about creating plush? Have you crocheted many plush creatures?

MO- Infamous may be a better description concerning the stones. The strange thing is I still don't consider myself first and foremost to be a crocheter. It is the newest of my crafting skill set. I still don't know how to read or write a proper crochet pattern. I just grab my hook and go so to speak. I have never made an entirely crocheted plush, strangely . I feel their are so many amazing and talented artists doing it already that I would have nothing to add to that pool. If I did however I would love to make soft, cuddly version of large sea creatures inspired by the work of Helle Jorgensen ( gooseflesh) http://hellejorgensen.typepad.com/photos/artcraft/index.html



S- What blogs/sites have you been addicted to these days?

MO- My daily cup of blog cafe au lait starts every morning with BBC world news especially the medicine and science news. Then I move on to the blogs of my friends Elsita and her husband William, Maya (maya*made, Patricia (zen crafting) , Sonia (cozy memories) , Geninne (geninne's art blog) , Melissa (tiny happy), Sarah (quince and quire), Lisa (lou, lou and oscar) , Mathyld (encore petite), Nicole (astulabee) , Joanie (nini makes), Rane (i remember sleep), Abby (infusion fibers) and Arounna (bookhou journal). My daily dose on design inspiration comes from Jan at Poppytalk and my plush fix from your blog of course. Flickr is my "real" obsession and I don't think my camera and I will ever be able to quit that habit.



S- Most exciting thing that has happened to you this year to date?

MO- The most exciting thing was being referred to as an "artist" in a magazine and showing my work in two shows one at Bookhou in Toronto and the other PS122 Gallery in New York City simultaneously!! Sorry I guess that is more than one thing.