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Kustom Krafts |
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Designer's Name: Dyan Allaire |
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Location: Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada
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Thank you so much for participating in our Friday Feature Dyan! Would you begin by telling us your cross-stitch background and how Kustom Krafts got its start?
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It seems as if you have to wear many hats once you get to work! How do you manage the designing, the artwork licensing, the publishing, and marketing and do you have anyone to help you?
I can’t do this alone. In summer 2000 we decided to expand and start kitting our own designs. Some our our bigger clients only purchased kits. We encountered many problems along the way with quality and reliability of service with having our kits produced by other companies. We decided the only way to assure the high quality we wanted for our kits was to start manufacturing our own. My little sister Liane who is an organizational wizard came to work for me as the manager. She now manages a staff of 5 employees for the publishing and kitting division plus Ralph ( my husband) who is in charge of cutting the fabrics for the kits. He has also for the last few years relieved me of many of my duties and now maintains the website and does the catalogs. I work from my home office and rarely go to the main work building. I am in charge of deciding what artworks go into each production run, the designing and the marketing of the designs. I also still do all the graphic work and all our covers because I LOVE it. My days are busy.
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Could you explain how the process works of converting artwork into cross-stitch? I was fortunate that I had a lot of experience with graphics softwares and that I was an artist. I also work with a few great cross-stitch programs that allow me to import my digitally modified versions of the artwork under the grid. I think my airbrush background is also a great help with the shading of colors. The fact that I hate to backstitch has also influenced my designs. You will not very often find backstitching in our designs. Only when absolutely necessary. I use color instead to create separation. It took me many years to find a great combination of techniques that work very well for us. I think we managed to create our own unique individual style. We are always experimenting to improve and grow even more. Life is a long learning curve. We are fortunate to work directly with many great artists. We hired a lawyer that specialized in licensing and copyrights to help us fine tune our own licensing contract for the artists.
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New From Kustom Krafts... Celestial Prince is one of three new designs from Dyan Allaire and Kustom Krafts. As you'll read below, Kustom Krafts has a wide range of design themes but fantasy is Dyan's favorite. This beautiful unicorn is a perfect example of the quality and vibrant color you'll find in all of Kustom Kraft's designs. The stitch count is 196 x 196 and the suggested retail price is $10.50. |
You have a wide array of different designs but the main themes seem to be fantasy or wildlife. Are these two areas of interest to you outside of cross-stitch as well? The fantasy will always be my first love but I also have a passion for wildlife, florals, spiritual and works from the Old Masters. I think a designer has to do what she does best. In order to do that I think you must truly be working with designs that touch your heart or move you in some way. I only include designs in our line that I feel are right for Kustom Krafts. We are slowly expanding in some special occasion designs but the bulk of our line will always be fantasy and wildlife.
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Do you remember the first design you created and, if so, would you share it with us? Dragon Tamer # DAF-001. Although now when I look at that design it makes me realize how much my designing skills have grown over the years. I was actually thinking of doing a remake of that same design. Your questions bring back some great memories of my first design work…
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When you’re not stitching or designing, what are some of your favorite hobbies? For many years I had no time for hobbies. I worked almost all my waking hours. In the last few years things have finally settled to a manageable workload. I actually do cross-stitch for pleasure at night when I watch (or listen as my husband puts it) to TV. I have also started painting again. I am working with watercolors now. I am painting fantasy. You will be seeing more of my fantasy artwork being added to the line in the spring.
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Where are you originally from and would you tell us about your hometown? I still live in the same small town I was born in. Sturgeon Falls, Ontario Canada. Population 6000 including cats and dogs. A bilingual community nestled on the side of a beautiful lake. Great fishing and hunting country out here. I have no desire to live anywhere else but then again you never know what life is going to throw at you. The warm winters of Southern USA often sing to me. Especially when it’s 40 below zero here.
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What are a few things you love about being a part of the cross-stitch industry? This is a small industry and in my opinion it holds some of the most amazing talented people I know. From designers who’s work I admire (and there are lots) to the business associates we deal with every day. I am where I want to be. I love what I do each day! I am truly blessed to be in the company of such wonderful people.
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Would you share a little about your family? My family. We are VERY close. I have 2 great kids and 2 beautiful grandkids. I live with my wonderful husband Ralph. I am the oldest of three girls. My parents and younger sister and I live one block apart from each other. My little sister Liane manages the business so she is in the building next door to the old family homestead which is now my home. Liane and I are extremely close. She comes over to my house for lunch almost everyday. I laugh every time I hear someone say that “Family shouldn’t work together” It works for us and it worked for my Grandfather and his 4 sons. My grandfather worked till he was 92 years young. He could still call people by their name when they walked into the shop. They ran a plumbing and electrical shop which my grandfather started by getting to the jobs by pedal bike. Our family history is rich with heartwarming stories and love. When I started this business my mom and husband especially, believed in my dream to earn a living as a needlework designer and make a go of this company. Without my families love and support I would not be where I am today.
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I know there’s a good recipe somewhere in your kitchen drawers…do you have a crowd pleaser you could share with us? Spaghetti Sauce - My favorite concoction so far! 1 big can diced tomatoes 1 big can tomato paste 1 medium can tomato juice 1 can Heinz tomato soup 4 lbs extra lean ground beef 1 lb fresh mushrooms ½ a red onion 3 celery stalks ½ a red, orange and green peppers 20 soda crackers into very fine cracker crumbs 1 egg 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated really fine Salt and pepper 1 tsp white sugar (or Splenda) ½ tsp Basil ½ tsp Rosemary ½ tsp Garlic powder for both meatballs and sauce ½ tsp Oregano 4 Bay leaves Olive oil Start by making the meatballs. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a big mixing bowl take half your ground beef (2 lbs), add an egg and your cracker crumbs. Add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Get husband to mix and make nice medium sized meatballs and place them in a 9 x 12” or so cake pan to cook for 25 minutes. Let him go back to his video game. Chop celery, peppers, mushrooms, onion. In a big pot drizzle olive oil, add your chopped ingredients and sautee for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of your ground beef and brown. Drain any fat. Add your tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato soup, bay leaves, ½ teaspoon of each basil, rosemary, garlic powder. Salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining parmesan cheese. Add the meatballs. Gently stir them into the sauce as to not break them up. Let simmer on low heat with closed lid for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Taste. Add more salt and pepper to taste if required. You can also add more garlic, oregano, rosemary or basil if you feel it needs it. I now add my tomato paste and sugar. Let simmer for another 2 hours with the lip slightly open to let steam escape. Stir occasionally your sauce. Cook your spaghetti or spaghettini (my favorite) and cover with sauce. UMMM UMMM UMMMM! ENJOY!. This is my FAVORITE MEAL.
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