over the next couple of weeks we are going to find out a little more about the wonderful makers featured in the 2010 whipup calendar – Our August feature artist is Maya Donenfeld from Maya*Made.

Maya Donenfeld’s website is maya*made – her etsy online store is found here, and she lives in upstate NY, USA.
Main craft of choice: printing, but sewing is a super close second
Craft hero: Without hesitation, grandfather. When he was younger he had the ability to make anything he found interesting or necessary. Although all of his crafts had a utilitarian bent, all were made with such precision and beauty.
Fave web site (whipup of course but do you have another fave?): There are so many good ones out there. I have favorites for different topics, but if I had just one to choose from it might be Amy Karol’s Angry Chicken. Her blog is filled with all the things I love: sewing, crafting, parenting, and fun little bits of this and that. There are many wonderful blogs that cover these topics, but her dry wit and sense of humor always catch me off guard. I love that.
Fave crafty materials supplier: I find a lot of supplies at thrift stores and antique shops and, of course, Etsy. My favorite place to pick up recycled burlap is at my local coffee roasters.

I asked all our participants to answer a few questions about their creative process:

1. When did you start making/crafting, and who or what inspired that first creative burst?
My family is EXTREMELY creative. My mother has always inspired me with her own work and encouraged me with mine. In fact, she made me a carpenter’s workbench from salvaged materials when I was around 5. It was in my bedroom fully stocked with supplies at all times.Talk about setting the stage for exploration. I also remember my very first sewing book… from that era. Oh, I’d love to get my hands on it for my kids!

2. What would you say was that light-bulb moment when you discovered your ’style’ and really hit your making stride?
My style has been fairly consistent (with a few deviations) for years. I’m drawn to natural color palettes and always inspired by nature. I didn’t hit my stride, though, until I opened my etsy shop in November 08. Making things on a broader scale has taught me so much.

3. Why do you make – what do you get out of it?
It feeds my need to be resourceful in a big way. On a deeper level, I seem to have this insatiable appetite for learning new skills. Problem solving and mastering something new just make me really happy. Creating beauty out of ordinary materials is exhilarating.

Find out more about how to get your hands on a copy of the 2010 whipup calendar here.