My name is Jenny Bisch. I currently live in Winnipeg (and plan on staying here after years of moving across Canada) and spend every free moment I have making stuff. I sew, knit, cook, draw, paint, take photos, make films, and have even given ceramics a go. I have a Master’s degree in Anthropology, which is a discipline that values the multiplicity of people’s histories and cultures, so perhaps this explains my scattered and varied interests in the world of arts and crafts. However, all of my creative behaviour falls under one simple rule: I must make things.

I was overjoyed when I came across Etsy as an inexpensive venue for my creations and set myself up on jennymadethis. I hope to put more work into the shop over the next year because my sales are very low. But thanks to the internet, more posting within the site and promotion outside should pay off eventually! I’m also planning on doing more craft shows this holiday season. They are a great way to make you and your work relevant to the community in which you live.

Currently I can’t stop knitting. I haven’t yet sold any knitted items — everything so far has been for me to keep or to give away at Christmas. My sewing, however, has largely replaced painting as a creative outlet. I approach my bags like collages by mixing materials and assembling them geometrically. I work with the restrictions of the material (not the requirements of a pattern) to reduce waste. I use only recycled and second-hand material, which is a bit of a political and ecological statement on my part. We throw so much away in our culture. I think this tendency will be our biggest regret some day in the near future. My biggest inspiration for my work is my compulsion to turn the ugliness of our wasteful behaviour into things that are beautiful and worth keeping.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!