Meet the Artist - With Kirsty Southam

Today I am proud to introduce the owner of the most beautiful unknown shop in Etsy (in my opinion). Kirsty Southam is the creative mind behind Me plus Molly - a shop full of wonderful usable textile art.

Tell my readers a bit about yourself.

My name is Kirsty. Originally from the countryside and now living with my boyfriend by the sea on the Kentish coast (I've just recently moved in!). I've always loved art and craft and creating things. After years spent lost working in retail, I have thrown the proverbial towel in and just want to be happy doing what I enjoy which is my textile work.

Who is Molly?

Molly was my Nan. I was her first grandchild. She was a very stylish little lady that loved her accessories - brooches; hats; gloves; shoes; bags. She had an accessory for every occasion. It just seemed right when creating my accessories and trying to think of a name/label, that I would use her name somehow.

When and how did you begin to create textile art? Is this your only creative medium?

When I was much younger I was always a painter and drawer. It was only at secondary school that I got in to textiles. It just kind of stuck. I love the tactile quality of textiles and being able to make or create something that you are able to use too. I still love to draw and paint, and especially love mixed media and collage, which I am doing a bit more of now to use as a basis for ideas and sketches for new work.


Where do you sell your art? Is this your day job?

My work is for sale in my Etsy store and I have just set up a 'shop' page on my own website too. There are a couple of gallery and craft shops that have my work for sale in and would like to increase the places that I sell through.
I'd love this to be my day job, but it isn't at the moment as there is much needed from me in the way of self promotion and getting my work 'out there' and seen/known by people.

Blue Santa Decoration

The amount of sales on your Etsy shop is, I think, outrageous. Why do you think your wonderful shop was not discovered yet?

*blushes* bless you! That has to be one of the nicest things anyone could say to me! I think it is because I have found it hard taking good images of my work so people can have a true idea of my work. Also I need to list much more frequently than I have to be seen by people. Also again I need to get on the self promotion wagon which I am not very good at! (I'm hoping that people do like my work).

What is your favorite item of all times?

Does this have to be a piece of my own work? or someone elses? if its mine then I'm looking forward to seeing the end result to the new pieces I'm sampling and experimenting with at the moment! So no pics to see just yet! other than that I like my skinny leg birds! filled with polyfibre and lovely lavender - they smell great and make me smile!

If it's a favorite item of someone else, then it would be the beautiful print my sister bought me this Christmas - one I loved from Cathy Nichols - just gorgeous.

Print from Cathy Nichols's shop

Looking for more of Kirsty? This is her Flickr and this is her website.