Company Name: Beside Herself

Names: Carolyn Self and Alda Escareño

What do you make?
We are printmakers and we make a wide variety of hand-printed things, from fine art editions to soft sculptures, cards, art objects and things we like.

When did you start selling your crafts?
While the desire to make art our full-time job has always been there, we’ve only been able to actually do it since September. So we’re pretty new at it.

What are three craft supplies you can’t live without?
This is a tough one, since any one form of printmaking has at least five essential components. There are some things we never leave home without though; at any given moment we are at arm’s length away from tape, sharpies and scissors. You can do a lot with just these three things.

What inspires you?
We’re inspired by a lot of things. Here’s a few: Paper, printed ephemera, handcrafting traditions, fashion, interior and industrial design, packaging and merchandising, dancing, mass production, innovative installation, material potential, simulacra, DIY, music, mortality, humor, comics…

What’s your favourite thing about winter?
Winter is really not our favourite season, we often fantasize about picking up and moving to a warmer place near a beach. Having said that, there are some things that are pretty okay about winter: sweaters, apple cider, hot chocolate, pie, scarves, mittens, big fluffy snowflakes, Christmas lights, and skating.

Visit Beside Herself at: www.besideherself.ca