Sponsor Meetin’ Time!
Meet Jen Leheny of RED INSTEAD handmade
Name: Jen Leheny
Business Name: RED INSTEAD handmade www.redinstead.com.au
Where are you located?
Canberra, Australia
What is it that you design and create?
I make a range of things, such as handbags, accessories, paper mobiles, collage pieces, mini quilts, women’s and children’s decorated tees, greeting cards, jewelry, handpainted ceramics, gocco and lino prints and whatever else takes my fancy!
I love sewing, papercraft, ceramic painting, beading and making art. It gives me a great creative outlet and of course it feels good when people buy something I have made.
RED INSTEAD handmade is the place that I can put up all of my many varied creations and hope that people want to buy them - the items on offer depend on what my latest craze may be, along with some tried and true favourites.
What is your favorite part of the design process?
I love the “research” part of things a lot – drooling over magazines, Japanese and vintage crafting books, and of course looking at blogs. I love that I can write this lovely time-wasting off as research! Seriously though, I love to go through my fabrics and match colours and prints to ideas that I have in my head. I love to design and customise patterns and I really love seeing things come to fruition.
How did you come up with your business name?
I wanted a name that was snappy and a bit modern sounding, and something that didn’t really define what I did, as I knew that I would be doing a bit of everything! Being an Aries, Red is my color so I wanted that in the name. I came up with loads of ideas for “Red …… something” but nothing was exactly right until one day I said “Red Instead” and I knew that it was the one. I added “handmade” to the title recently to celebrate the handcrafted nature of my business even more.
Where/How did this all begin?
When I was pregnant with my second child (she is almost 4 now) I knew that I wanted to do something creative while I was being an at-home mother. I had sewed a lot growing up and made a ton of career clothes for myself in my early 20s but I hadn’t gotten my sewing machine out for quite a while. When I moved to a larger more permanent house, I unpacked all my sewing stuff and realised how much I had missed it.
I started off making children’s clothing and selling at a local market (as well as online) but after lots of hard work and not a whole lot to show for it, I realised that I was trying to go after a market that was pretty well covered by the much lower priced Target and Kmarts of the world.
After a couple of years, I expanded to making handbags which was a lot better creatively and financially. I was also exploring a lot of other art and crafts and realised that I ought to be making these to sell as well, so I greatly expanded my range and embraced the “handmade” and unique qualities of the things I made.
Who or what inspires you?
Colour and print can be found everywhere and I am always noticing them. The same with graphic images and typography. I am influenced by so many things – graffiti, t-shirt designs, wonderful bloggers, flickr, magazines and books and of course fabric.
What advice would you give other independent artists who are just starting out?
Do your market research, know your tax (etc) requirements, start small (so any mistakes are only on a small scale) and be realistic. Never give up. Remember that if your things aren’t selling so well, it probably isn’t that they are no good – it’s much more likely that people just don’t know you exist. Get your products out there and try to get noticed. Believe in yourself. Never lose the fun.
What is your favorite indie purchase or trade?
I don’t actually participate in that many trades these days. It can get out of hand I think, especially the cost of postage for a package when you live in Australia as I do and most other people are in the US. I have loved all the indie purchases and trades I have been lucky enough to have received though.
What’s on your iPod/music player right now?
The soundtrack from Run Lola Run. One of my favourite movies ever and a brilliant soundtrack.
What t.v. shows are you currently hooked on?
So many! NCIS, Numbers, Lost, and Heroes would be my favorites. I also find myself watching almost all the CSIs and Law and Orders.
What was the last movie you watched?
I took my kids to see Meet the Robinsons in 3D the other day and it was actually pretty good. Better than I expected and 3D is always lots of fun.
What’s your favorite food?
I love Mexican food. And anything on the dessert menu.
What’s your favorite candy?
Anything chocolate.
Coffee or Tea?
I hate both. In winter I occasionally drink hot chocolate - I love Mexican hot chocolate.
What store could you walk around in for hours and be happy?
Fabric and book stores. We don’t have an Ikea where I live but when I go to Sydney or Melbourne I love to spend hours walking through the store and dreaming.
Any pets?
We have a very fluffy white cat called Nene (pronounced “nay-nay”) who was named after a character in a Japanese anime – my oldest son is hooked on them. I like them too!
Favorite place to visit or place you’d like to visit?
With young kids, we don’t get to go away too often but I do love to visit my best friend Yvette and her partner Dan in Melbourne as often as I can – they have a great bunch of friends that I have gotten to know as well.
If you could be a superhero, what would your name be and what would be your superpowers?
I would love to bend time so that I could fit more in.
Any celebrity crushes?
I used to run a Drew Barrymore fan site many years ago but I am over that crush now. I do love Gibbs from NCIS (and Abby!) and Don Epps from Numbers is pretty cute too.
Favorite Holiday?
Going to Melbourne sans kids to huge dance parties with my Melbourne friends - going out all night and the next day, and maybe the next night…
If you were a shoe, what shoe would you be?
I am all about comfort so probably a warm and cosy pair of well loved (but stylish) slippers.
What do you secretly wish you could do/be?
I don’t know, I am pretty happy doing what I am doing and being who I am right now.
Favorite piece of clothing?
Jeans!
Do you speak any other languages? If not, would you like to learn one?
No I don’t and I don’t really have any burning desire to learn one either.
It’s already April! Any exciting plans for the rest of the year?
Keep doing what I am doing, continue getting the work/kids balance right, get the RED INSTEAD handmade name out there some more.
Thanks so much Jen! Here are some goodies from the shop:
Sewing Machine Lino Print; Dots Slouch Bag; Butterfly 5 Greeting Card:
Pig on Lime T Shirt; Travel Tissue Cozy 1; Blue Salt and Pepper Shakers;
