We make Portland awesome: Mama Kopp

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

This week: Lorilee of Mama Kopp

Who are you?
My name is Lorilee Kopp. I am an avid tinkerer.

What do you make?
I make wooden toys for all ages. I make many story items so that children can act our their favorite stories and little pocket sized treasures too.

Besides making things, what do you do?
I spend most of my time home-schooling my two boys and urban farming. The rest of the time I am usually at my CrossFit box.

What inspires you?
Everything.

Where can your work be found?
I am hard to find. I am always on the go, but you can find my work at mamakopp.etsy.com

What do you love about Portland?What I love most about Portland are the plethora of amazing restaurants. I also think it is the friendliest big city I have ever been to. Portland is full of everything that excites us as human beings to an extreme. Who couldn't love that?

Birthday blackberries

Last week was Erik's birthday, and we went blackberry-picking.

Tofu curry in pictures

We make Portland awesome: 5th Season

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

This week: Akiko of 5th Season

Who are you?
My name is Akiko Oguchi – the visionary, designer and the detail oriented handcrafting elf behind 5^th Season. I find great admiration in balance between aesthetics and function, right and left brain, and creatively looking at objects beyond their originally intended purpose to give it new function and identity. Born in Tokyo, Japan, raised in San Francisco bay area, tromped around California central coast and Sierra Nevada, hugged trees in Northern California, backpacked and fell hard for South America. A year and a half ago, I transplanted myself and my two kitties to Portland, OR, where my creativity and self expression has blossomed in leaps and bounds. I am an ideas and projects generator, chocolate and kale fiend, bubbly optimist and dreamer, fascinated by human interaction, finding great happiness in nature, and believe my best contribution to others is my joyous laugh. My favorite place to be is my parents' backyard in the sunshine, surrounded in greenery and fruits of their labor. 

What do you make? 

I design and handcraft functional and fashionably versatile handbags using reclaimed material. The current line includes shoulder bags, totes, wristlets, fanny packs, coin purses, iPad/laptop sleeves and diaper bags. I am currently working on bicycle panniers/packs. For the exterior, I use reclaimed and reinforced coffee burlap sacks gathered from various Portland based coffee roasting companies. Reclaimed clothing and natural fibers are used for liners and accents. Bags are fastened with wooden buttons handmade from tree branch trimmings. The coffee burlap sacks are the perfect balance of durability, rustic and chic. It's perfect for Farmer's Market outing, knitting parties, lounging on the beach, music festivals, picnic outings, or taking it to work or school.

All of my bags are named after first customers or dear friends who have supported and inspired me along the way. In the current collection, there are LeAH totes, AcE iPad/laptop sleeves, MiNI MaGGIE zippered pouches, ALeXA fanny packs and wristlets, ALiCE pleaded shoulder bags and AbBY baskets.

I love working closely with customers to design and create custom designed bags incorporating their unused yet sentimentally valuable clothing and fabric. I've worked with customers' grandmother's old dresses, children's baby clothes, mother's handkerchiefs, grandfather's army jackets, and commemorative t-shirts. Incorporated into their own custom designed bags, great memories come alive every time they use it.

Besides making things, what do you do?
I am a cycling enthusiast. I love long distance bike rides in my sexy spandex getup ;) I love being outdoors, hiking, backpacking, camping, getting dirty and coming home smelling of campfire. I love basking in the sunshine with a good friend and a book. I enjoy pushing my mental and physical abilities, and new challenges. I am continuously searching for new experiences that evoke new sensations and emotions, and connect me with new people and their worlds. Currently, my other projects include: passing the Japanese Language Literacy Test and empowering others to learn the language for their personal and professional growth; opening up a community center/retail brick and mortar featuring Portland based upcycling designers, and starting a quarterly community networking event based on personality instead of profession. 

What inspires you?
I am inspired by my parents and brothers who pour their hearts into passionately and relentlessly achieving their full, authentic potential. I am inspired by the amazing, badass entrepreneurs, that Portland attracts like white on bread, who express themselves wholeheartedly to tenaciously pursue their dreams and unite communities. I am also inspired by a plethora of electronica, Radio Lab, This American Life, fashion, color combinations and mother nature.

Where can your work be found? 

Etsy: www.5thSeason.etsy.com 

Eco Fashion Sale: www.EcoFashionSale.com 

Etcetera – St. Johns, Portland, OR

Branch and Birdie – Montavilla, Portland, OR

Kit Kit Dizzi – Nevada City, CA

Tender Loving Empire – downtown Portland, OR
Dinosaurus – SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR

Pie Shoes – NE Alberta, Portland, OR

What do you love about Portland?
Oh, SO.MANY.THINGS. Above all, I love the interconnectedness of communities, despite Portland's eclectic genre of people. I love the juxtaposition of wholehearted, die-hard passion expressed in people's actions and the equally present uber laid-back lifestyle. I love the priority of quality of life and growth of community. I think all of this is reflected in the physical structures of Portland. There are so many neighborhoods and nooks and crannies, one is bound to identify and find embrace within at least one. Portland is that gregarious, hilarious, down-to-earth, spontaneous, open-hearted friend, reliably armed with empathetic hospitality, great food, beer, music, and big bear hugs, inviting anyone and everyone to his parties, rallies even in crappy weather, and will put a giant smile on your face in the most unexpected times. And that, folks, is what I love about Portland.

The smallest wooly-bear caterpillar

Yesterday when I was about to wash my car, I found this little guy behind the hose! I love wooly-bear caterpillars (I even make a felt version of them), but I'd never in my life seen one so tiny! Does anyone know if this is a true wooly-bear caterpillar or something else?

In other news, I've spent hours and hours this week making acorns. Several big orders have come in to be used as wedding decoration and favors, as well as orders from shops in different parts of the country to sell as fall approaches. It's kept me quite busy.

Favorite local places: Tender Loving Empire

Tender Loving Empire is on SW 10th, a couple of blocks south of Powell's Books. TLE is a handmade retail shop, record label, screenprinting studio, and all-around Portland-creative-community-hub. It was the very first boutique to sell House of Moss things, and it's very dear to my heart.

We make Portland awesome: 11 Stories

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

This week: Erica of 11 Stories

 

Who are you?
I am Erica Maggi. I am an artist and stay-at-home mom. I use the name 11 Stories, because I am totally scattered and it sounds kind of all encompassing.

What do you make?
I make messes and hope they somehow transform into something worthwhile.
Sometimes, I make small drawings of animals, mostly mammals, and sell digital prints of them on Etsy. I’m not overly successful, but I like the idea of generating goodwill. Someday I hope to donate 11% of the sales to the WILD Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to “conservation through building an active relationship between people and Nature around the world.” I took that last bit from their website...Before pledging my support, I did some investigating and support the WILD Foundation’s ideals and believe they allocate donations ethically and responsibly.
I also paint.

 

Besides making things, what do you do?
I manage a purple house, an overworked husband, 2 small children, a large dog, an affectionate cat, a community garden plot, and piles and piles of laundry. [Erica also has a wonderful blog, about walks in Portland, here.]

What inspires you?
When I notice something fabulous that someone else has made, I absolutely have to try it. At this moment, I have a flat of berries waiting for my first attempt at canning, a knit neck-tie that should be cast-off, papier mâché masks drying in the garage, an unfinished novel that lacks direction… And piles and piles of library books.

Where can your work be found?
My work can be found on Etsy. In November, I will show a collection of paintings at the Academy Theater… I also have messy piles all over my house, but they are currently unavailable to the public.

What do you love about Portland?
I love the music.