We Make Portland Awesome: Mercy Grey Design Co.

"We make Portland awesome" is a twice-monthly series. I’m interested building our community of artists by helping us all find out more about each other.

This week: Charity of Mercy Grey Design Co.

Who are you?
My name is Charity  West. I'm a born and raised Portland Girl.

What do you make?
I design and sew purses and clutches using local Pendleton Wool and leather from Oregon Leather.  I love working with the beautiful wool patterns and fringe on anything is just  fun.  I also use vintage belts to make each purse and bag unique.

Besides making things, what do you do?

I love being outdoors.  I have 3 kids which keep me busy and active.

I have always loved running.  Its my stress relief and favorite way to keep in shape.  I feel so much more grounded and sane after a good hard run no matter if its in the sun or pouring rain.  Bring it on.

Where can your work be found?

Etsy, Scoutmob.com, Spendship (a new app that was launched in January), bourbonandboots.com and soon to be found on BRIKA.

What do you love about Portland?

I love so much about Portland.  I love the open feeling when it comes to thinking.  I love the location, beach/mountain/desert all just hours away.  I love the food!  We have the best food options.  The city is gorgeous and every neighborhood has a very unique feel to it. 

Make sure you check out Mercy Grey Design Co.'s Etsy shop. Thanks for sharing, Charity!
And if you'd like to read more We Make Portland Awesome interviews, you can check out the full collection HERE. 

  

New in the Shop: Seedlings in Gold Pots!

Brand-new for 2014: Felted wool seedlings in GOLD pots! The same sweet little 1-inch-tall terracotta pots I've been making for a while are now available with a fresh coat of gold paint, a cheery update on a sweet springtime staple. I can't help but smile seeing these sitting in a row on my windowsill in the sun!

Chickens Are Back in the Shop!

Chickens are available in my Etsy shop again, just in time for Spring! Available in Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, and White Leghorn, which are all types my family used to keep when I was growing up!

We Make Portland Awesome: MarshMueller

"We make Portland awesome" is a twice-monthly series. I’m interested building our community of artists by helping us all find out more about each other.

This week: Holly of MarshMueller

Who are you?
My name is Holly Marsh, but I go by MarshMueller. Marsh is my married name, Mueller is my maiden name. Together, they form an awesomeness that sounds like marshmallow. My husband and I didn't realize the power of our last names combined until we were already two years into our marriage...and too cheap to go through with a name change. So it became my business name.

What do you make?
I make pretty + practical items for mamas + babies. My biz name may sound like marshmallow, but my products are anything but fluffy. When preparing for the arrival of our baby, my husband and I bought everything on "The List," only to find the cutest items were not used, and the ugliest items were used a TON. I wanted my most-used items to be cute, dammit! So here we are.

Besides making things, what do you do?

Besides being the Jill-of-all-trades to all things MarshMueller, I have an adorable 2.5-year old son, an amazingly supportive and hilarious husband, and a full-time job as the Buyer for Cotton Fabric at Fabric Depot. Also two Pomeranians and a cat. And a crapton of lint rollers.

What inspires you?

I'm inspired by just about everything- but my son and husband tend to spark the idea. I develop and test my own patterns until they're just right, and then choosing fabric is the next best thing. Most of my items have been driven by the fact that items I needed were ugly or nonexistent. Case in point: my son is potty trained now and carrying around the oh-so chic clear plastic case for his fold-up potty seat whilst at Timbers matches was not gonna fly. So I developed a waterproof case that is more discreet and is something my husband doesn't mind carrying around.

Where can your work be found?

My work can be found on Etsy, at Crafty Wonderland, Hooray Haroo (Sellwood), and The Crafty Fox (Forest Grove).

What do you love about Portland?
As a (*cough* transplant *cough*) resident of Portland, I take pride in where I live, work, and love, and many people here have the same mentality. It's special; there's not a lot of places where people wear their love for their city on their sleeve like we do. I just hope the media finds another "cool" place to write top ten lists about before everyone  really discovers just how awesome Portland is and decides to...jump ship and move here...like I...did. Ah, crap.

Make sure you check out MarshMueller's Etsy shop and website. Thanks for sharing, Holly!
And if you'd like to read more We Make Portland Awesome interviews, you can check out the full collection HERE.

   

Discounts for the Month of March!

It's the first day of March! Have you noticed that basically everything in my shop is green? :) Well, in honor of one of my favorite colors and the month that celebrates it, I would like to offer you a discount!

Visit my Etsy shop and enter the coupon code GREEN15 at checkout to get 15% off your order all month!

This discount applies to all items, not just green ones. :)

Happy March, Happy St. Patrick's Day, Happy Mardi Gras, Happy Pi Day, Happy Spring Equinox, Happy Birthday to my brother, and Happy Anniversary to my parents! It's going to be a good month.