Where the boys are - Dig the Earth

I had started doing a series of interviews for website Indie Smiles on crafty men however life got the way and I have realised that I don't have time to work on articles for Indie Smiles, the Folksy Blog and my own blog while running Konnie Kapow and having a full time job!

Consequently, I still have the interviews I did with some of Folksy's finest male sellers!  It seems a shame not to use them somehow so I'll be posting one every Sunday on my blog until they run out!

So without further ado - I give you Dig the Earth!

Name: Kevin Connell
Age: 42
From: West Yorkshire, UK
Favourite colour: Probably black which goes against every piece of work I've ever designed!
Favourite animal: Anything apart from cats (I'm highly allergic to them). I'd probably have to say elephants. I washed one called Lakshmi in a river in Sri Lanka on honeymoon. Magical!
Favourite band: Radiohead. NOTHING compares - I'm such a sad fan boy!
Favourite movie: Oh way too many to have one favourite: any Tarantino, Star Wars, Shawshank Redemption, I love Withnail and I, Terry Gilliam, Fifth Element…the list gets longer!
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Absolutely stunning book!

How did you learn your craft?
I studied Graphic Design and Advertising in Leeds in the 80's, what I'm doing now is just a continuation of that.

Your eureka moment - tell us about your favourite thing you have ever made?
I really love 'Concentricity' one of my hand drawn mirror designs, it was one of the first things that I put on Folksy last year. It was incredibly time consuming, thankfully it didn't sell (!) so it now hangs at home. I know that everyone wants their work to sell, but there's usually at least one thing that you want to keep yourself!

Your "D'oh!" moment - tell us about you biggest crafting disaster
Probably getting a large-ish amount of greetings cards printed. In my 'wisdom', I decided to break from my print to order set-up and had some designs professionally printed. It was a mistake! I haven't had massive sales and my house has boxes dotted all around! You may be seeing them in my shop for quite a while to come! A lesson to all of us, don't run before you can walk!

Is crafting what you do full time or do you have a Clark Kent style alter-ego?
Like most people, I'd love to be self-sufficient and work from home. But…I have a 'proper job' in the daytime, I work for an advertising and marketing agency. I run the artwork studio (creating artwork for print) so although I work in a creative environment, I'm more of a builder than a creator if that makes sense. The work that I sell online is my creative outlet.

Where do you do your crafting?
The majority of what I do is created on an iMac, so I'm usually found at home with my head in the computer cupboard. All my trimming and packing happens at the kitchen table. I don't have a dedicated space, so unfortunately I have piles of packing materials dotted about! It's the one thing that I really need to sort out!

Tell us a bit about your crafting philosophy
I really pride myself that all my cards are eco-friendly and created using 100% recycled stock and packed in biodegradable bags – none of that nasty plastic! I'm also working towards my giclée prints being printed on recycled stock too. I want to be as green as I possibly can.

Tell us why you think there are far more female than male crafters?
I really have no idea – I hope that as the handmade movement grows, more men will discover it and join in!

Tell us something suprising about yourself (non craft related)?
I once turned round from being served at a bar and found myself face to face with Ewan McGregor (literally a foot away from his face) whereupon I said VERY loudly "F*cking hell, it's Ewan McGregor!"

I have no cool points…I'm so rubbish! LOL

What's the manliest thing you make?

I would have to say my Pop! card maybe? Maybe not!
What's the least manly thing you make?
Definitely my Butterflies print, very feminine, or maybe my Button Heart prints? Most of my work is designed with women in mind, so it's a real added bonus for me if a man likes it and buys it!

What would you say to encourage more men to craft?
Just do it. Surprise your missus by buying yourself a cross-stitch kit this weekend. LOL!