*bespoke* zine Giveaway - Comments Closed

There's nothing like creative eye candy for inspiration and *bespoke* zine certainly isn't lacking in this department. A tri-annual Australian zine made by and for the handmade community, the zine features stories, tutorials and recipes of a handmade crafty nature. The perfect read with a cup of tea, it's also the kind of zine that makes you want to raid your craft supplies. 

Jessica Van Den is the editor/publisher of the zine and shares a little about herself and *bespoke*'s evolution with us today. Jessica is also offering one reader the chance to find a copy of issue 6 in their letter box, just by leaving a comment below telling us one of your own crafty endeavors. Perhaps your working on a scarf, a skirt or painting Easter eggs? (Followers of this blog, please leave a second comment for an extra entry.)

How would you describe yourself? 

I'm one of those people that always needs to be busy. And I've never been satisfied to 'settle' for a job I didn't love, which is pretty typically Gen Y of me, really. Earlier in my life I never thought of myself as a creative person, but here I am now, a full-time creative entrepreneur! I think I'm a good example of not knowing what you want to do with your life until you accidentally stumble upon it. I'm a voracious reader - if I'm not working, I'll be reading a novel on my kindle, although I do find some time to hang out with my awesome husband and pat my kitty kat now and then, too. I'm an introvert by nature, but the internet allows me to be social with so many awesome people while still having quiet time to myself, which makes this country girl very happy.

Where can we find you on the web?

You can find out more about *bespoke* on our site here (bespokezine.com) and more about me on my blog (EpheriellDesigns.com). I also hang out on twitter a lot, so come say hi! I'm @JessVanDen

Tell us more about the zine?

*bespoke* is a little packet of inspiration that's perfect to read with a cup of tea or coffee. It's small enough to pop in your purse and take on the train, but long enough that it will keep you reading for hours.

*bespoke* is for those of us who live creative and crafty lives - with interviews, tutorials, stories, reviews and more, all about creative and crafty folk.

How did you find your way to *bespoke* zine?

I had been blogging on Epheriell Designs for close to 2 years, but I really wanted to create something tactile - something that took you away from the computer (because for me, computer = work) and left readers feeling inspired and empowered! So, I decided to publish a little print zine. I knew NOTHING about how to go about it, so it was a crazy learning process. However, I'm happiest when challenged to learn something new, so it was an exhilarating experience for me, and it was so amazing when the creative community just embraced *bespoke* and helped me make it a reality.

What's your background? It was a high school dream of mine to publish a zine, though I never did. Did you ever imagine yourself publishing a crafty zine?

Not at all! After school I did dual Bachelor's Degrees in Science and Arts - my original career plan was to become a research scientist. I've travelled many different paths since then (I've been a Science Communicator, teacher, and tuition center manager), and it wasn't until I was fully immersed in the creative online world that the dream to start *bespoke* appeared.

What inspires you? How do you harness your creative energy? 

Oh, that's such a tricky question to answer! I'm inspired by my surroundings, by all the fabulous work that fellow creatives make, by art, blogs, and more. Harnessing creative energy is like herding cats - it comes and goes, and you just have to accept that and learn to roll with it.

With so much going on in your life and so much inspiration, how do you balance your working and creative life, or do they cross over?

Well, I sleep in one room and work in the room next door, so I have a pretty short commute! My work is a huge part of who I am, so the two definitely cross over a lot. I suffered a bit of burnout in the early days, when all I did was work, but I'm better at taking some 'time-out' from my businesses these days, and making sure my brain gets a rest. The obsessive phase of a project is a pretty amazing time, but having a rest is equally important, in the long run. Took me a while to learn that lesson!


Thanks so much to Jessica for sharing part of her inspiring story with us! I love her take on creative energy - like "herding cats."


Make sure you leave a comment to go in the draw to win a copy of this lovely zine for your self. Giveaway will be drawn randomly on Friday, 7th April.


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Congratulations Tania! Thanks to everyone who entered and thanks again Jessica.