Meet Erin of Underroos. Let's see what she had to tell us:Where were you born & raised?
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia but moved to Gulf Breeze, Florida when I was five or so. We lived in Gulf Breeze for about ten years, hanging out on the beach and generally getting awesome, until my dad took a job in Tempe, Arizona in the middle of July. At which point my entire family contemplated mass suicide.
Where are you now & what led you there?
Yeah, I'm still in Tempe. My initial outrage and hatred "cooled," so to speak, and now I love it here in the desert.
What types of creations do you sell in your Etsy shop(s)?
I'm a one-trick Etsy pony: I make and sell Sock Zombies. Zombie dolls lovingly made from socks. That's it. That's the whole show. Although the zombies themselves do vary quite a bit from one another. I've recently started creating character zombies; people seem to love the Pirate Zombies (zombies dressed in little felt pirate vests with eye patches and booty bags) and I think my favorite so far has to be my Samurai Zombie. I'm really proud of that guy.
What's your educational background, as it relates to your work?
I have absolutely no formal sock zombie education. I have a bachelor's degree in English, and if I'd defend this stupid thesis looming here on my desktop already I'd have a master's degree, as well. Everything else I know is through self-taught trial and error.
How'd you get started creating?
I've always been INTERESTED in creating -- I've just never been very good at it. I've spent twenty-five years trying to crochet a decent afghan but I'm fouled at every turn. The sock zombies came about last year when I was trying to learn to make sock monkeys. I was using white socks, right, which seemed sort of ghostly to me, and once I figured out how to make the arms stick straight out they just screamed "zombie". I added the blood drool and some other zombie touches and there you go.
Do you belong to any Street Teams? If so, which ones and why? If not, why not?
I do, I belong to the Arizona Crafty Burrito Collective. Fabulous team full of fabulous and supportive people. If you're not a member of a street team, I can't recommend it enough. It brings an entirely new level of support and enthusiasm to your craft.
What's your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?
The broad range of people and art I come in contact with on a daily basis. Etsy provides this amazing interface in which art and artists can collide and come together. I can think of no better source of inspiration and enthusiasm than Etsy.
Show us three of your favorite pieces from your own shop:
~Samurai Zombie
~Gourmet Pink Flowers Toehorn Zombie
~Three-Horned Zombie Sock Puppet
Recommend your five favorite shops on Etsy.
This is tough because there are SO MANY amazing shops out there, so I'm not going to overthink it. Here are the first fantastic five that came into my head:
dancesippydance
scotiamade
piddies
southernvtsoap
bicycleocean
Thanks, Erin!
Amber aka bluescarab
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