What is your
business’ name?
CreativeBordersX3 and I'm Theresa Boarders!
What sort of items do
you make? I’m
a Recycle Artist, so I’m not limited to or restricted by any category, however,
I have found myself drawn to rehabbing/re-purposing furniture in creative and
useful ways. I have salvaged pianos and re-purposed them into Piano Clock tables.
I have re-purposed old sewing tables, head boards, TV’s, etc. On a smaller scale, I love to craft hanging
Wine bottle luminaries.
When and how did you
learn your craft? Growing up in a large
family of seven, and on one income, a teacher’s salary, you learn quickly how
to be creative and also how to make do with what you have. I remember ‘rescuing’ stuff from friends , or
on trash day and hauling back my ‘treasures’ and redoing these items for my bedroom. So, I guess, it started as early as when I was
large enough to drag stuff home J
Where do you get your
inspiration from? I have a skewed sense
of how things work or their original intended use. In my world most items can be used, re-purposed and then used again. We live
in a very disposable society, and I think we’re beginning to learn most items
can be used in a multitude of different ways.
I love recycling things in an unexpected or unintended way. This is the VERY best of recycling. I hate seeing anything go to a landfill that
still has some life left. That item
still retains a value or purpose. I’ll
rescue an item and have no idea what I want to do with it at the time, but I
know I’ll think of something purposeful eventually. I also love seeing what other Recycle Artists
have done, and their inspiration lights a fire under me. Recycle Artists, are always ‘Thinking Outside
of the Box’, figuratively and literally!
How did you get
started doing this as a business? I had
more stuff than our house and 2 car garage could hold. And the phrase, “just put it on the front
porch” made my husband crazy. I said it
so often, that, ‘On the Front Porch’ almost became my business name. So, my inventory had to move, just not into
our house, and rule became, nothing goes in, without something coming out J
Do you have any
advice for other crafters/artisans just starting out? You’ll need Patience,
Persistence, and lots and lots of LOVE.
You better Love what you do, because as your craft or art becomes a
business your work will evolve into a job, requiring more, and more of your
time. Finally, you’ll need Passion. If you have no Passion, it will show in your
work, in your craft, in your art. Lastly,
sometimes the items you create will be appreciated by many and sometimes by
few. Art is very discretionary. Do not be defined by negative people or
negative comments.
Anything else you
would like to share? My
Dad was a very smart & handy guy. He
would always let me watch, and sometimes help, whatever he was building or
repairing and explain the tools and the process as he went along. This happened back in a time, when father’s normally
passed this knowledge on to their sons, not their daughters. For this gift, I’m SO very thankful, and in
honor to him, I've continued this process of sharing our love of constructing
items (new & old), with my three daughters.
CreativeBordersX3 will be a featured artist at the First
Friday Indie Market on November 7, 2014. The market is located on the
corner of MLK and Elm St in Downtown Greensboro, NC and is open from 4-9 pm.
