Get to know Tiffany Windsor!

Friday, April 2, 2010


Last week, we told you all about the Grand opening event at A.C. Moore featuring Tiffany Windsor and this week we wanted to share with you more about Tiffany, her passion, past, and thoughts on the craft industry! We did a fun 5 question Q&A with Tiffany and she gave us her fun and interesting insights! But before we begin with the interview, brush up or learn more about Tiffany on her great bio over at Inspired at Home's site! Hope you enjoy the interview!

1. You’ve been in the craft industry for many years; for you, what has been the biggest change you’ve seen over the years that has impacted crafting and what is the one thing you’ve continually seen that remains the same? The biggest change that I have seen in crafting in the past 10 years is, of course, the internet and the millions of ideas, instructions, tutorials and videos offered to the crafting world.  What I have seen as a constant in this industry is that while we can get our instant gratification for new ideas on-line, we still love a face-to-face community. Visiting and crafting together and in person with our creative friends is something that will never change.

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Tiffany connecting live with crafters online on the Cool2Craft WebTV Show.

2. You grew up in a crafting family, are there any quirky moments from your childhood that stick with you to this day? For as far back as I can remember, I worked in the Aleene's business. I can remember being about 6 years old and having to stand on a small step ladder to reach the cash register in my mom's retail store and the customers were amazed that I could run the cash register and count out change. A typical week for me would be to go to my mom's store after school and help to open and stuff the hundreds of thousands of self-addressed stamped envelopes that she received each week (yes, each week!) from people who would see her demonstrate crafts on television. I earned .10¢ an hour. What was also cool for me was to get to test products for mom. As a young teen, I remember testing the first samples of shrink plastic and faux batik and all sorts of glue products.  To this day, my passion is still product testing and coming up with all sorts of ways to use products.

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Tiffany was a little model too! Here's Tiffany in a photo from a 1961 issue of Better Homes and Gardens! Read about the story behind the photo on Tiffany's blog.

3. How has crafting shaped who you are? There was I time when I decided I had to walk away from crafting for several years and thought that I never wanted to see or talk about another craft again. But in that space of quiet, I found that crafting is who I am! Every idea that bursts forth from me is about how to spread the word of crafting. I am passionate about spreading my love for crafting and helping others learn more about crafting!

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Tiffany shares her forged foil technique in her iLoveToCreate ad. Directions to the project can be found here: Forged Foil Jewelry.

4. How has your style evolved over the years? I've always been a more contemporary, minimalist designer in contrast to my mother Aleene or my sister Heidi who have always loved to glitter their garbage and trim their trash!  I don’t think my style has changed over the years but what has really evolved for me is the introduction of new products and tools into my crafting. I am loving all of the new products!

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One of Tiffany's "Tiffitti Graffiti Treasure Boxes".

5. How is hosting a TV show different/same from hosting an online show? I was fortunate to step into the role of producer and host of Aleene's Creative Living television after it had been running for several years so I have found that the first difference in having an on-line show is the effort that goes into building an audience. It takes a tremendous amount of daily social media interaction to let everyone know that I have a show! There is an enormous amount of time spent on the production whether TV or on-line but it's really cool to weave a show together with the right mix of guests and demos. What I most love about my Cool2Craft webTV show is that it is LIVE - that means live demos, live chat and live Q&A. When I first joined on-line social media, what it lacked for me was the face-to-face interaction so I was thrilled to find a platform for my on-line webTV show where we can see each other face-to-face! There is a really exciting dynamic that is created when you can interact live with your crafting audience.   

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Tiffany with her mom, Aleene, and sister Heidi on the set of Aleene's Creative Living.

Thanks Tiffany for sharing with us! There are many ways for you to connect with Tiffany! Here's a listing of her many sites and ways to connect via her blog!

Or meet her in person at April 17th at the new A.C. Moore in Greenville, North Carolina on April 17th!

Check back here at the iLoveToCreate blog in the next couple weeks for more crafty Aleene's inspiration, techniques and projects!