Spotlight On: Debbie Di Justo of Crafty Moose

First up in our Spotlight On series is Debbie DiJusto from Crafty Moose.    Dee/Willow Glass has known Debbie for decades back from when they were following the same craft show circuit in the beautiful lower Hudson Valley region of New York.   It was pure serendipity that connected them again on Etsy (at Studio Synergy, we're big on serendipity :)  and hope you enjoy a glimpse into her creative life!

How did you get your start and when did you first become interested in your craft?

When I was young, my Mom used to take me to our local hobby store & let me pick out something to make.  She bought me my first beaded flower making kit and I have made french beaded flowers off and on (now mostly on) since then. I have tried most crafts and still enjoy most as well as painting.

Describe your work process to us.

Seed beads are strung on wire, each individual flower component is formed, and then put together to make flowers and arrangements.

What do you like best about what you do?

I never tire of seeing beads turned into works of art. I have many more ideas than there are hours in a day. I wake up early thinking of my next project.

What do you find most challenging about your work?

Forcing myself to step away from the beads occasionally so I don't "wear out" my hands! This also helps keep my ideas fresh.  I also find it very hard to promote myself or toot my own horn. It is hard for me to feel comfortable calling myself an artist.

What inspires you? How are your inspirations expressed in your work?

Mother Nature inspires me most. I try to present my flowers in fun and sometimes unusual ways.  I also love to travel & am always picking up new ideas.

What are your 3 favorite things in your studio?

My huge supply of beads, my Bose CD/Radio, and many pieces of art that were made by other artists.

Tell us 3 things that no one would ever guess about you.

A beaded creation by Debbie Di Justo

I'm basically a shy person.  I have a hard time parting with anything I make. Yes, this is going to sound like a contradiction to my last comment, but...I love thinking about all the places where my art is being enjoyed.

Where can we see your work?
 
My Etsy Shop - http://craftymoose.etsy.com
My Website -  http://craftymoose.weebly.com is just up and still a work in progress!

Debbie Di Justo AKA Crafty Moose

Debbie's Workspace

Meet the Artisans of SSNE: Dee Tilotta of Willow Glass

How did you get your start and when did you first become interested in your craft?
I've been involved in some kind of art or craft all of my adult life. I taught ceramics full-time for about 10 years and then switched over to jewelry design. Fast forward another 10 years and then in 2002 my dearest friend passed away pretty suddenly (we were friends for 30+ years) and I knew I had to shake up my life. I saw an introduction to glass fusing class at the local arts center and that was 10 years ago and I've never looked back. Funny how my re-inventions of myself go in 10 year cycles!

My latest accomplishment was creating the group Studio Synergy NE along with Colleen McWatters and you're reading our blog post now!

Describe your work process to us.
I play with glass and heat. After a design concept comes to me, I cut the glass to size from large sheets. I then stack the pieces and fire them in kilns to about 1500 degrees or so. Depending on the technique I'm using, most pieces require additional firings depending on coldworking needed, if I'm slumping into a mold, or draping over a mold, etc. You can usually guess at how a piece will come out, but I'll tell you, opening up those kilns is like a kid on Christmas morning! After almost 10 years of glasswork, I still have more than my share of uh-oh's, but the process is amazing and enthralling.

What do you like best about what you do?
I am the best boss I've ever had, however, the benefits are slim to none, ha! Seriously, I love having a studio that is very conducive to working long hours, I love that I can work at any time of the day or night, I love that I can turn the music on as loud as I want, I love that my furry girls can come down to the studio any time because I'm always ready for snack time and nose kisses, I adore that my grandkids love being down here with me and creating. My current studio faces out onto the mountains of upstate New York and Vermont and the deer and bunnies and birds and creatures are beautiful. I am grateful to be fortunate enough to do what I do.

What do you find most challenging about your work?
I am a pitiful photographer.   The necessity of paperwork is not my friend. Sometimes the isolation of where I live is .... well .... isolating.   Picking and choosing which shows to do each season is a real crap shoot.   I have a very hard time putting myself out there and prefer dogs to most people.

What inspires you? How are your inspirations expressed in your work?
Everything inspires me which is why I work a gazillion hours a month! I find inspiration from music, from nature, from relationships, from animals. I do not find inspiration from paperwork or taking photos or from a ringing telephone. I love playing with different colors and having real wow moments when I open kilns.

What are your 3 favorite things in your studio?
Oooh, this is a tough one, I have more than 3, but today we'll go with my CD player, my mini refrigerator so I always have fresh brewed cold tea (o.k., and chocolate), and a sign that says This Is Where I Should Be. After that of course is my lovely stash of glass, tools, and a framed copy of a newspaper article featuring me (yeah, I hit the big time).

Tell us 3 things that no one would ever guess about you.
I've had as many as nine (yes, 9!) dogs at one time and would do it again in a heartbeat.   I miss them.
I am a pretty damned great cook.
I am actually an introvert and way too sensitive.
One of the things on my life's bucket list is to be shot out of a cannon (I kid you not, I have fantasized about it). If Adam Levine could be with me in that cannon, life would be complete.
Oh and while I'm living that fantasy, in WillowWorld I am either Ann Wilson from Heart or Pat Benatar.   

Where can we see your work?
Website:  http://willowglass.etsy.com is my primary online presence, I'm working on my own site, but geez louise, it's hard!
You can find me in the upstate NY and southern VT region most week-ends from May through December.
You can find my work at Artcentric on River Street in downtown Troy, NY and also during the holidays at The Shop at the Arts Center also on River Street.
You can find me on Facebook under Willow Glass.
 email:   willowglass13@yahoo.com and studiosynergyne@gmail.com

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