We're back with another great, eco-friendly collaboration today! Kendra from Green Post creates beautiful recycled pulp papers and has paired up with Marnie of Crafterall to use the paper scraps left over from her art projects to create brand new, useful papers! It's a match made in eco-friendly art heaven. Read about Crafterall's experience with the collabo here, and then check out Scoutie Girl to read Green Post's side of the story!
Which came first: the idea or the partnership? Who approached whom?
Kendra and I have had a great camaraderie via Etsy for almost a year giving each other advice, feedback and support, but it was the idea that ignited the official collaboration. I was running out of “thank you” notes to send with orders from my shop, and wanted to do something “green” like plantable cards. I asked on Twitter if anyone had heard of or had a recommendation for plantable business cards. As I was typing, I thought of Kendra’s recent work with paper pulp and wondered if she’d be interested in making some for me. We started talking and the planning went quickly and easily. For me, this was instant verification of a diehard idea.
What is the nature of your collaboration? (did one of you purchase the rights to use the other’s artwork, do you both receive revenue from sales, is the artwork on-loan for a limited time or # of pieces….)
It’s a sweet deal and I still feel like I’m getting the better end of our partnership. I send Kendra the scraps from my cut paper pieces, as well as the odd bits of recyclable paper I collect over the span of about a month. Kendra works her magic and turns my scraps into functional and beautiful paper, paper pulp magnets and buttons, and, of course, plantable cards and tags with embedded flower seeds. She then sends some of the plantable cards back my way where I stow one into each order from my shop. We sing the praises of each other’s work in our own shops and our partnership strengthens the growing notion of a kind, honest, and earth-friendly handmade community.
How did you coordinate the project work and determine who will do what?
Basically, I send Kendra a box stuffed with scraps whenever it reaches a certain size, i.e. my scrap bin begins to overflow. It’s a little tough to time it out as my production varies month to month. Still, I am always impressed with how quickly Kendra works and turns around with an incoming package filled with plantable cards and other papery goodies. In the meantime, we communicate frequently with questions and ideas that keep us on the same page.
Is the collabo ongoing or was it a one-and-done deal?
I hope it’s ongoing! Everyone I meet who learns about my collaboration with GreenPost says something along the lines of, “Wow! That’s so cool that she makes those from your scraps!” And I nod my head in utter agreement, and say, “I know!” Kendra and I have talked about ways of extending the collaboration in other ways. We’re not sure where our creative minds will take us next, but based on our foundation of honesty and ease, I am confident that it will be cool, creative, and “green.”
For me, it’s less about partnering my art per se, and more about doing something crafty and productive with what I had previously sent to the giant recycling center in the city. I had always recycled my paper, but now I know exactly where it’s going, what it’s turned into, and I even get to have some it back to use again. How cool is that?! I didn’t have to think twice about going in on this deal. I knew that Kendra would be able to make something usable and fun from my scraps, and she has far exceeded my expectations.
Do you work with other artists to create collaborative pieces?
Not yet. As much as I’d like to do more collaborative works, I’m a full-time Mom to two young girls and I don’t spend a lot of time sticking my neck out in search of collaborations. If they were all as easy and as awesome as my partnership with GreenPost, I’d say yes in a heartbeat.
Do you have any suggestions for other artists who are considering a collaborative project?
I agree with what many of the other guest collaborators have said here: know your partner, trust your partner, admire your partner, talk openly, honestly, and often with your partner, and be open for inspiration! I think that working with another person raises your own standards and pushes you to try harder at what you do. With Kendra, I feel a strong symbiosis wherein we feed off of each other’s energy and our output is mutually engaging. I love Kendra’s work and she’s kind enough to label herself one of my biggest fans. There are a ton of people out there, and more often than not, they’re more like you then you might expect. If you’re lucky enough to meet, share your ideas, and launch some potential collaborations, then go for it!
In terms of partnering with someone to work on my current themes of layering and topography, I think I’d look for anyone who excels in a different medium. It wouldn’t have to be someone famous, just someone who liked my ideas and was willing to work them in different ways. I’d like to see what a giant “Topo” piece made out of mdf would look like. Or, maybe I’d design a piece for a sculptor to render from layers of packing foam. Or perhaps a painter could recreate one of my fictitious topographies in vivid colors, mural-size on the side of an enormous building. Hey, Kendra’s a painter. Oh, Kendraaaa...
Be sure to check out all the goooorgeous collages that create all those scraps in the Crafterall shop! And thank you Marnie! It's so awesome to hear about the great relationship you and Kendra have formed, and thru twitter of all things!
