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- [00:00]
A
And I'm obsessed with pockets. I've always been obsessed with pockets. Like when I was little, I asked my mom to sew pockets into every single garment that I had because I loved. Like I would break the tips off of pussy willows and I would draw eyeballs on them and stick them in my pocket so I would always have little friends that would carry around.
- [00:19]
B
What's going on, everybody, and welcome to Collector's Gene Radio. This is all about diving into the nuances of collecting and ultimately finding out whether or not our guests have what we like to call the Collector's Gene. If you have the time, please subscribe and leave a review. It truly helps. Thanks a bunch for listening and please enjoy today's Guest On Collector's Dream Radio. Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by Coral and Tusk founder Stephanie Housley. Stephanie is someone whose work beautifully embodies the art of storytelling through collecting and creativity, and her journey is nothing short of inspiring. Growing up in the Ohio Valley, she cultivated a deep appreciation for nature and found objects, traits that became the foundation of her unique creative voice. After studying textile design at RISD, she spent 15 years as an interior textile designer in New York city. But in 2007, with a single embroidery machine in her Brooklyn apartment, Stephanie took a leap of faith and started Coral and Tusk, a brand now celebrated for its spirited embroidered textiles and home goods. What sets Coral and Tusk apart is the magic of Stephanie's process. Every single design begins as her original hand drawn illustration before being meticulously translated to cloth. Today, Stephanie calls the mountains of Wyoming home, a setting that feels perfectly align with Coral and Tusk's celebration of nature and imagination. We delve into the idea of collecting with your eyes. First, how her latest book, In Stitches, offers a window into her collections and creative process and three of my favorite designs from the book and the stories behind them. So without further ado, Stephanie Housley, founder of Coral and Tusk, for Collector's Dream Radio. Stephanie, thank you so much for coming on Collector's Dream Radio this morning.
- [02:04]
A
Oh my gosh, Cameron, thank you so much for having me. It's an absolute joy to be here.
- [02:08]
B
My pleasure. And first and foremost, I just have to thank you so much for sending a copy of your book. I know I thanked you already before we recorded here, but I have to thank you again and I'll make sure that we talk about it later on. But I just wanted to say I've enjoyed it so much and the note that you included with some of your Work on it was amazing, and the book was truly even better. And I'm not just saying that. It's something that is so different than any other coffee table book I've ever seen. And even though my newborn hasn't done developed words or anything like that yet, I've looked through it with her, and her eyes are moving back and forth, and it's. It's been really great.
- [02:42]
A
Ah, that's extremely kind of you to say. And thanks for being interested. You know, I'm. I'm so deeply grateful for every single individual person or business or anybody who's just interested in what we're doing and really value that there's a moment to reflect and be interested in something. And having a moment to sit down and look at something is, you know, to have somebody's attention at this stage in the game is a. Is an honor.
- [03:07]
B
Well, you deserve it, for sure. So Coral and Tusk is your company, and you make the most amazing embroidered items for the home, whether it's textiles or, you know, for the holidays, ornaments or pillows or all sorts of stuff. And all the ideas actually come from items that you've collected from nature and your surroundings and things that you've thought of. But what I love the most is that everything starts out as a hand drawing from you, direct from the source, and then it's transferred to cloth in some sort of fashion, but it remains your hand. Is that right?
- [03:42]
A
That's totally right, yeah. So everything is inspired by something in nature. Right. So that could be something that I find. An object, like, that would be very linear. Like, let's say I find a feather, and then I'm very interested. Like, oh, well, what birds live in this area that I found this feather in? And then really looking at, like, well, what's the environment that I found it in? What tree is it by? Is it an open field? And then identifying that feather and then creating. Coming back to my studio. Right. And then doing some research to figure out, oh, well, this is. That's so interesting. This is a rare bird, or it must have lost it during this time in migration. And then doing a drawing of that feather, depicting it again in a very linear fashion. And then with the drawing, what happens is I scan it into the computer, and then I redraw that drawing stitch by stitch. So everything starts with a pencil, and then with the software that I have, it literally is like making a hand embroidery, because you're deciding every single time that the needle goes through the cloth is the way that I've drawn that stitch. So there's a lot of investment up front to make each one of these designs, but then it's scalable with these really amazing machines that we use to make many of them that have that investment up front, but that I'm able to build a business on as well.
- [05:09]
B
It's amazing. And I think all of that, the culmination of all the things that you just said is such a trait that a collector has of being so immersed in everything that's surrounding you, whether you're at an antique store and you are crawling on the floor looking at every little thing in the store, or you're looking in nature at every little thing around you to give you the best opportunity that you can to, to go forward with whatever you're going to do with that collection or whatever you're going to do with that idea. It's such an interesting trait. And Coral and Tusk, as much as it started in New York, it really began a long time ago with your mother, who instilled this sense of wonder and as you say, resourcefulness in you for found objects, right. Like feathers and rocks and leaves and all things that really serve as the foundation of what Coral and Tusk is all about. Tell me about that.
- [06:01]
A
Yeah, so my mom, you said it exactly like she, she really celebrates the absolute joy and magic in every little thing, right? Like she, she'll stumble upon something that you, anybody else would just like, pass right by and think twice about it. And yet, like, she could find it and just find the most wonderful magical detail and just have absolute, like, awe about something that is in. Found in nature. And so without, you know, of course, I didn't realize this until much later. I was in high school and one of my best friends even to this day was like, oh, your mom really celebrates the magic and the joy in everyday foundation natural objects. And you know, it's like one of those things where you're like, oh my gosh, that, that's so true. And what, what a gift to have, you know, as a parent, show you this route. So even without thinking about it or, you know, cognizantly thinking, oh, I'm going to appreciate nature, or, oh, I'm going to value the way that the pine needles are stemming off of this branch on this particular type of conifer tree. You know, it's just a, it's a, it's a built in, hardwired celebration of the world around us.
- [07:17]
B
Yeah, it's really impressive. And I think anyone that sees what you're doing and, or someone who's Followed you, but maybe doesn't know that story when they hear that. I think it sums up everything. That coral and tusk is just in that one anecdote right there. And what I think a lot of people don't know is that your background is actually in textile design. Right. You started doing that in New York, and you did it for so many years, but then you ended up going out on your own.
- [07:45]
A
I did, yeah. So I studied textile design. Well, I was not sure what I was going to study. You know, it was like I was the first person in my whole family to go to college. And so there was a. Like, oh, my God, you're going to go to art school. Like, are you sure that this is. This is a cool idea? So, yes, I'm going to go. That's. That's what I'm good at. That's the only thing I know that I'm good at. So let's. Let's start there. And then, you know, I was like, wow, I should really study something that's, like, functional and make sense. I was going to do furniture design, but I was just so jealous and envious of all my friends that had gone into textiles. And I didn't even know that that was a field. You know, I had been very familiar with cloth and with hand embroidery as just a hobby, and I never thought of that as a discipline that would allow a career. So once I discovered that that was, in fact, a major that I could. Could focus on, I never looked back. It was like a perfect fit. So I studied textiles, and my now husband and I New York in early 1999, and then I worked as a textile designer for woven fabrics for interiors, first for an American mill, vertical mill, and then for a mill that was based in India. And during the time that I was traveling in India, you know, like, one night I had insomnia, and I was like, oh, I can't. I can't sleep. And I was going to. Did you ever have that game called Memory?
- [09:10]
B
Yeah, sure.
- [09:11]
A
Okay. I loved that game. Like, I credit having a good memory today because of that game. So all of my friends were having kids, and I thought, oh, I'm going to make an A to Z nautically themed embroidered memory game because I'd always done hand embroidery, but just as, like, as a way to pass the time. So I didn't. And I certainly didn't think of it as, like, a career path. So I started on that, and then I was, like, looking inside, I thought, well, oh, my gosh, I'm never A to Z, that's 26 letters times two. That's 52. Plus, I'm going to have to make some, like, really magical case for this game to go in. I was looking through Martha Stewart magazine, and I saw her sewing room, and I thought, there's got to be a machine that would allow me to make some of these. Right? So still very much. While I was working as a textile designer in India, I got with my friend and I was like, hey, do you think that we could find somebody to be able to do this? Because I had gotten the tabletop machine, and that was wonderful. So, like, I got the machine. It was pretty expensive, and it was like, it felt like an indulgent thing. So I was like, oh, gosh, I have to. I have to pay this off. So I started making the first rounds of. Of items that I was just exploring. Like, what am I going to do? Like, is it going to be the game? Well, what can I sell quickly? And it was the first year of the Brooklyn Flea, and so I thought, well, I can make an assortment of things, take it to the flea market, see what happens. And that's really where I got the beginning of it. It was really just trying to pay off the machine. And then it just eventually and very naturally grew into having a very, very small business. And I had it on the side as a small business for the first four years until making the plunge to focus on it full time in 2012.
- [10:57]
B
Wow. It's a great story. And I think the interesting thing about textile design is, like you said, people don't really know that it exists. And there's so much talent out there of these people that are making the fabrics that everybody's sitting on day to day in their home or at work, in their office, whatever it may be. But to be able to spin it off and do what you did is really impressive. And. And I wanted to know, because New York is such a different beast from where you're at now in Wyoming. You grew up in the Ohio Valley and was moving back to Wyoming kind of this way to get back into your nature roots and maybe get some new inspiration.
- [11:39]
A
Yeah, I mean, our move to Wyoming was, you know, so both my husband and I grew up in the Ohio Valley, and I was really fortunate to always grow up by a lot of trees and creeks and woods and, you know, a lot of farmland and stuff like that. It was just so beautiful and pastoral. And then after 18 years in New York, you know, both my husband and I were like, gosh, we, you know, we've We've had a great run, and we certainly couldn't have the flexibility and the privilege and the ability to have built our own businesses and for those to, you know, have a strong foothold without being in the city. But it really had. It had run its course in the. The cons had started to outweigh the pros. And we just were like, we're missing. You know, we're not feeling totally fulfilled. And we both wanted that, like, the. The lack, the void really was access to nature. And so, you know, like, we would drive up upstate and go hiking every weekend, but that still, like, wasn't really doing the job. And so we thought about maybe buying a place upstate, but again, like, that. That totally didn't feel right. And we both had come out to Wyoming as kids. His family had the first flower mill in Driggs, just right over the pass on the other side of the mountains from Jackson in Wyoming. And I had come out. My parents brought me to the Tetons in the Yellowstone when I was 4. And then my husband and I came out again on a road trip very early in our relationship, when we were 17 and 18. And then we. We visited again in 2012. And for some reason, we've been really, really blessed to be able to travel a lot. Wyoming just really captivated both of us. And I think it's just because it's one of the most pristine preserved states in the lower 48, and there's just vastly open spaces. And it's like, it's. It's one of those things. You don't know exactly why you love it, but you just love, love it so much. Like, when I first moved here, or when we were first thinking about moving here, it's like, no matter which direction you look, your eyeballs are just happy. Like, you're just fulfilled with every vista, every view, every little detail is just happiness. And so when we were thinking about, like, how do we really find this balance? We thought, well, let's look for a place in Wyoming. So over the course of nine months, we came out four times, and we looked at 80 properties. So maybe. Maybe this is how. I'm a collector of, like.
- [14:16]
B
Of real estate listings.
- [14:17]
A
Yeah. We exhausted our real estate agent, but we finally found, like, the perfect place. So we thought, okay, let's go ahead and get this place. And we were like, okay, we'll be here for summers. But everybody kept saying, you know, the winter is really, really crazy. And so we thought, what does that mean? Like, it's really crazy. Let's Do a trial year. And it was also, you know, this is 2018, summer of 2018. And so people were not working remotely. And so we thought, well, how's that going to work with our businesses, like running them from the middle of nowhere, like you. The Internet was really unreliable and we're, you know, we're an hour from a jug of milk. Like we are in the middle of nowhere. So we gave it a trial year, but I mean, within two weeks of being here, we were like, we will do anything to stay forever. Like, we just love it so much.
- [15:10]
B
Oh, that's great. Yeah. Well, I'm curious to know because, you know, it's obviously a completely different change of scenery from being in Manhattan. Is it so much easier for you now, you know, to create new collections for coral and tusk, that you have all these amazing surroundings near you and you're not walking through, you know, city buildings, avenue to avenue?
- [15:32]
A
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think that, I think that the natural environment lends itself automatically to have. It's sort of like it's just by osmosis almost, you know, like if you're immersed in something, there's just a constant stream of information that's feeding your baseline in a way that you don't have to try as hard. So I will say that I have always had a fascination with the natural world. And so I would glean absolute joy from watching a squirrel or a raccoon in the park in Brooklyn. But here it's like, oh, but now from here I get to see such a vast biodiversity of both flora and fauna that it certainly helps direct and guide sometimes in a linear fashion. And sometimes it's really just about having the space, the like the mental bandwidth and being open to feeling just really fulfilled and happy by my day to day life. And so it's like one of those things that when you're just, you're in a better place, you just do better.
- [16:46]
B
Is there an object that you love to collect that just never fails to offer a source of inspiration for you? Is it leaves or plants or certain animals?
- [16:56]
A
You know what it is? It's really experiences. So like it might be, sure, it might be finding something that is a direct line of inspiration. A flower, a leaf, an animal. But then it's really about like, oh, like watching especially like watching wildlife interact in its natural habitat and then thinking like putting together the clues, like, oh, well, that's so interesting. Like why are they, why are they by those trees? Or why are they rubbing their. Like why are they scratching themselves? That Way or why is that? Like what are, what are those marks on that tree? Oh, well that's when the elk or the mule deer are going to be losing their antlers and so they're, they're rubbing against the tree. That's what those marks are. They're not bear claws, right?
- [17:44]
B
Sure.
- [17:45]
A
And so then it's really about like learning, like it's, it's about observing and then learning and then doing research or seeing something fascinating or reading, you know, like I just recently learned that birds, when they migrate, especially for a long time, that half of their brain is sleeping. So when they're on multi day journeys, one eye is open, keeping an eye out for predators and the other eye is closed, sleeping. So I mean birds are in theory. So that's unihemispherically. Well, there's a second word to it. I don't know what it is, but half their brains are on off, right. And there are other animals that are like this. And you know, it's like when you stumble upon a fact like that, like that makes me crazy with like, wow, how am I gonna capture, like what does that mean? You know, like how does that work?
- [18:36]
B
Right. And how do you emulate that in one of your drawings and Bingo.
- [18:39]
A
Exactly. So like another example would be have you ever seen like the Yellow sun special where you see the fox hunting in the snow?
- [18:49]
B
Right? Right.
- [18:50]
A
So he like leaps, he leaps straight up in the air and then plunges face first into the snow. Right. And so you're like, that's usually, that's a delight. Like it's an absolute treat to watch that. Because then all you're seeing is the hind, the back half of this fox with his little back feet and his tail in the air and you're like, oh my gosh, it's a riot, right? It's a visual treat. But then when you learn about that, you're like, oh, foxes hunt using the magnetic field, the Earth's magnetic field. Right. So they typically hunt northeasterly about 20 degrees off of Magnet north and they have a 74% success rate when they hunt in that way. Right. So there's all of these things and you're like, gosh, like not only is that fun, right. But then when you really learn about how the planet is so in sync and how these animals are using magnetic fields to get their prey, you know, under feet and feet of snow, like that's fascinating. So that's something that I can take and oh, I'm going to, I'm going to really think about that, well, how does that visually translate? And so I made a pillow, a pocket pillow, that's one of our signature products where I have the winter, winter foxes. And it's a snow scene, and there's two pockets and one is plunging directly down so his back half is out of the snow. And then the other one is. Clever little friend is popping up out of another hole holding a little mouse that he's found. So that's something that I can be like, I'm going to collect this information, I'm going to think about it, and then I'm going to figure out how can I visually communicate my wonder with this, you know, just like stunningly phenomenon.
- [20:33]
B
I love that. Have you noticed any changes in the ways that you collect from, you know, being in New York to now being back, you know, in the middle of nature, or has your practices truly just remained the same and it's all just about where you're at at that time?
- [20:48]
A
I think it's a little bit of both. So, you know, before I might have thought that all evergreens were pine trees. And now I'll be like, oh, there are like, we have five very specific type of conifers here. And so now I've learned, like, how do I know what type of conifer that is? Oh, I'm going to really pay attention to the types of pine cones that I'm finding on the ground around this tree. So then I'll start to collect maybe one of each of them, and then I'll bring them home and I'll start to draw it and sketch it and think about it. And then, then I'll teach myself, oh, this is this type of tree based on that. And then I'll collect the information about, well, how does that pine cone actually start to form on what part of the branches? Right. So I'll just all end up collecting the information about how something works. But I might not take a bunch of pine cones home. I'll use one as a study, and then I'll build my, my information bank on that study.
- [21:58]
B
Well, sometimes it's. It's better to not have too many of the same thing and maybe one of each variation so that, that, that makes sense. That checks out exactly.
- [22:08]
A
Otherwise it'll just be like a. I like, I'll be like, you know, building my own den for the winter.
- [22:14]
B
Well, then you start driving yourself crazy with like the small little nuances of the same pine cone. You're like, is this one different? Is it not exactly. Exactly a topic that is really common on this show. Is storytelling. And for you, everything that you do is about the story, right? That fox diving into the snow. It's all about the story and the reason behind that, whether it's expressed for you through words or the drawings that you make. And it's so clear to see the inspiration when you look at these. When I'm looking through your book, I can put myself in an imaginary moment of where you may have seen this bird or where you have seen this fox, whatever it may be. But I'd love to know what's most important for you. Is it the item or the inspiration that you collect or the story that comes from it?
- [23:02]
A
I think it's the. Well, okay, so. Well, it's like it's a chicken or egg, because without the. Without the source of inspiration, you don't have a story, right? So it's like, if you don't have that pine cone, if you don't have that fox, if you don't have these animals, then there's no seed, there's no starting place for any of then the stories to become. So I kind of. I can't see one without the other. And I think that for me, what's really fortunate is, you know, I'm able to have the privilege to witness any of this, like, regardless of my location, to be able to see these things, but then also to be able to have a free imagination, you know, and, like, not be so locked into rules or the black white of anything. And again, like, going back to my mom, I think just like, she really encouraged me to be a very imaginative child. And so I think that that just really provided me a level of freedom in magical thinking that maybe a lot of people didn't have or don't have or it's been squashed by becoming an adult in a way, like, fun. So, you know, I think that I couldn't. I couldn't think and develop these stories without the inspiration, but I also couldn't develop the stories without having that support and encouragement.
- [24:34]
B
A question that I get asked often, you know, off of. Off of the air here, for lack of a better term, is how can I get into collecting? How can I, you know, collect something? It feels so expensive and intimidating and all these things, and I know you're a big believer in the contrary, that. That it doesn't have to be expensive, right? You don't have to shell out a bunch of money to collect something. Has that been something that, you know, does that harken back to the philosophies and lessons that your mom taught You. Or is that something that you learned over time? Because it's really easy to get caught up in collecting things that cost a.
- [25:08]
A
Lot of money, right? Yeah, I mean, I think, like. I think because I've never had, like, a lot, like a ton of money, it was never, like, I was like, well, that's not really a temptation, like, for me. So I was just recently in New York for. For the book tour, and I was running through the park, and I was looking at all of the amazing different seed pods that fall off of the trees and the different leaves and the different barks. And I thought, like, what a magnificent treasure this place is right in the middle of Brooklyn. Right. And so I think that if you. If you do want to have access, no matter where you are, there's always a point of entry that is absolutely free to discover the wonders of nature. Not to feel like I'm on, like a PBS show, but it's true.
- [26:04]
B
I wouldn't be mad if my show is a PBS show, so let's keep it going.
- [26:11]
A
So I think the beauty in. The beauty in collecting things from nature is it's. They're there. Right. So even in a city, even in one of the biggest cities, there are moments and green spaces and opportunities to find a lot of just treasures that are just around and accessible. So I think that that's something that is translable to no matter where you are, you can get into collecting that. And then, you know, my. What I really enjoy about collecting that is then that that grows my fascination and my interest in learning more about the natural environment. So now, even if there's not a lot of really interesting natural flora and fauna in an area, there will be birds. So, like now when I go places, I love to think about, like, oh, what birds are passing through. And I might see a lot more birds in cities than I even see here. So I think that it's a very accessible thing to get into. It's probably maybe the most accessible thing to get into. Collecting is just these moments in nature.
- [27:18]
B
Yeah. And it's something that I find myself doing more and more often and something that I think is not preached more, which is kind of making something out of nothing, which is really a big philosophy of coral and tusk. Right. It's taking this leaf and turning it into something that's tangible. Right. But. But I just find myself doing that even a lot more at home, using a champagne bucket for florals instead of going out and buying a vase or a vintage cigar box to store napkins. And I Love the idea of just using things that have been collected or that you already have and displaying them differently. Does it ever occur to you, though, that people collect coral and tusk pieces and are always waiting for your next drawings and kind of sitting on the sidelines seeing what you do next?
- [28:08]
A
That's so nice. Yeah, I mean, we're extremely blessed with the people who do collect coral and tusk items. It's a great spot to have had this business now for 16, almost 17 years this December, because there are some people who still write and say, oh, I got this at the first flea market. I remember your tent. And I got this T shirt for my little one. And now he's off to college. And, you know, it's like there are these really amazing stories and people who would say, I visited your first studio in Williamsburg and I still remember your mastiff, Paco. And I loved being able to just come in and see all of the little things. And so there are these really incredible collectors that have, you know, they're day one ers, they've been there since the very beginning that do continue to support what we do. And even if that's just, you know, it's a, like, it's an interest, it's a shout out on whatever, it's them telling their friend, it's them keeping it in their kids, you know, treasure chest of, like, items that they want them to hold on to and have for a long time. So there, there are people who are interested in seeing about, you know, what, what am I working on next?
- [29:28]
B
Sure. I want to make sure that we talk about your book in Stitches. As I mentioned earlier, I have a copy that came from you and I absolutely adore it. I feel like every time I'm going to look through it, I'm going to find something new. But I'm curious to know, were there any similar processes to creating the book in comparison to how you collect things?
- [29:50]
A
Yes. And I mean, it was so fun. The entire book process was just so fun because working with Rizzoli was really fantastic. And they really gave. Gave pretty much total freedom on how to organize the book and what are the contents, what's the flow, like, how's it all going to work out? And so when doing it at first, it's like I'm going to draw on my collected memories of every single thing that I've ever loved about books. I wanted it to have every single interactive moment and way to do this and way to do that. When I just realized, well, the purpose of this is to really show and share and open up the archive of a pretty enormous collection of one of a kind designs that I've done to this point. I've made over 3,000 original drawings and then embroideries. That's a lot. And no home can have all of these items. And what a beautiful vehicle in which to display this collection of original artwork. And so it was just so exciting to think about. Okay, well, here's our focus. We're really going to, we're really going to try to share the designs themselves rather than products and really focus on like, what is the art behind each one of these things? And then what is the collection of memories and stories that support each one of these individual artworks? And so then it was like, oh, well, how, how should we share this? Well, let's, let's organize it by individual type of like regional theme, you know, so it's coastal or it's woodland or it's desert. And then honing in on what, what. Which designs really help best communicate my fascination with those individual areas of natural habitats and animals that belong in that region.
- [31:50]
B
A big part of collecting anything is how we store it or how we archive it, you know, for our person, whatever. You know, it's our personal pleasure to, you know, store it in a nice box, depending on what it is, or, you know, just store it on a, on a nice poster, whatever it may be. We all have this way that we like to store our collections or display them and yours. I find it so interesting because a lot of it is ideas or photos that you've probably taken as inspiration for your drawings. How do you archive and organize your collection?
- [32:24]
A
So we have several systems in place for that. So we have a Google spreadsheet that has a link to all of the different things. So we're pretty organized in that we have a link to the original drawing that I have as a scan in Dropbox. And then we have. I have the physical drawing that I keep in flat files here in my studio. And then we also have the inspiration photos for that also archived along with all of the product photography that we've ever taken of each of those items. And because we copyright everything that we do, and then of all of the original prototypes I keep here also in my studio, and I organize those by the products that they are. So at this point we have this. It's pretty much like a spreadsheet system in conjunction with organized bins that are weatherproof and all that kind of stuff, flat files. And then we also use a visual tool that's just Like a Google Slides, where we organize every single design by theme, but also by product category. So if we're thinking about something like, well, what are all the things that we've ever done with foxes on them? Now we have a quick visual guide to be able to go back and look at those things. So that's just a really helpful organizational tool that we have recently just developed, which is really nice.
- [33:52]
B
You describe in Stitches as this celebration of discovery and nostalgia. And sometimes when we review our collections or we start to kind of dig through them, it sparks an interest in revisiting a certain area or sector, or in your case, a certain maybe piece of nostalgia that you drew forever ago when you were making the book. Did it remind you of a collection you thought you could perhaps revisit on a larger scale at some point?
- [34:22]
A
Yeah, I mean, it's. It's sort of like being able to amass all of these things in one place was like, oh, well, it is a. Like, it's a collection of a body of work that's like, you know, years and years and years worth of collecting and doing. And then it's like, well, what are these other types of collections that I want to be building? And it did get me thinking. Well, I've focused on these certain areas. Are there other areas that I would really like to be thinking about? Or what, what have I not yet explored? Right. So some of it is just about thinking. This is a pretty fleshed out arena of thought. Like, how else can we platform this into other types of collecting? And then it gets more about like, well, thinking, you know, and then like one really fun part was like developing artwork for the book itself, like in making these collages and in making these one of a kind pieces. And then thinking, well, how can we. How can we catapult some of what we're doing into more three dimensional forms or more sculptural forms or art just for art's sake. And that's something that was so fun about doing the book too. Is that like, you're really thinking about it from an. From an art standpoint rather than a product standpoint.
- [35:51]
B
Right. I'm sure it gave you a ton of ideas that hopefully we'll see down the road.
- [35:55]
A
Yeah, exactly. I mean, it becomes this. It becomes this totally different thing because you think like, oh, a book is that. Well, just. You have plenty of content. Just throw it together. That's. That's kind of easy. Right? Like, there is plenty of content to work with, but then really learning how to be intentional and meaningful in every single thing. So, like, for example, for the chapter intro pages, with so many designs, it could have been so easy just to use something that we already had to introduce the chapter, but then thinking, well, no, the point of the chapter intro page is to really set the tone for the viewer for the rest of the content that they're going to be seeing. So be very intentional on what's the scale of the thing that I want to use on this page that's this size. So instead of working backwards, where you're using contents you already have, is really about creating new, new types of things that are specifically engineered for this purpose. And what sort of emotional response is your reader going to have by seeing it in this context versus using existing components?
- [37:06]
B
I love it. Before we wrap it up with the Collector's Dream Rundown, I picked three of my favorite moments and designs from the book, and I would love it if you could tell me something about each collection. Perhaps it's something that you collected that inspired it or the story behind it. And the first one is from page 48 and 49. I think that maybe these are perhaps some of my favorite pieces that you've done, and it's these merit badge drawings. And I love them because they could be so interesting in so many different applications. Like, I want these as patches for to put on a vintage jacket or a vintage hat. I love how you show it as a textile on a chair. And, you know, they'd be so great framed as a physical patch almost, you know, in a home library or in a kid's bedroom. Tell me about these, because it's truly, I think, my favorite piece.
- [37:55]
A
Oh, that's so nice. Oh, that's great. Yeah. So I was. I was a Brownie. You know, you're a Brownie before you're a Girl Scout. And I was obsessed with the Handbook. There's something about the color palette of the handbook when I was a Brownie that was, like, just totally satisfying. And so in the layout of it was just perfect. And so, like, in each of these pages, I mean, the first part was a little boring to me, but then it was, like, visually stunning. So each of these pages would have a badge on it and a description as to how you can earn the badge. And I was like, oh, my God, I'm obsessed. Like, I want all of these badges. I want to do whatever it takes to collect all of these badges. And that's how it started. And so I just loved the idea, like, now becoming an adult. Like, I loved the idea of being able to have something that symbolized your investment in learning about something, and that might be nothing you've ever learned about before and knowing enough. And then a lot of it's being in service of others, which I love that component. And then building your. Your skill bank in order to earn this badge and then collecting those, and then that is a symbol of your, you know, ability to do many different types of things and learn about many different types of things, which I loved. And so I thought, well, a fun way to do that is to honor each of these little animals and then build, you know, a decorative elements around each of them to help symbolize that, you know, something about the. The bear or. I love the way that there's these little stars that come off the fox, and then to put them together in this overall format of this running yardage. But we did start out in the beginning where they were just individual badges that were pins that would go on. You know, you could put it on anything.
- [39:45]
B
Yeah. Amazing. I mean, I think they would be so fun as, like, patches that you could sew on or iron on to a jacket or a hat or something fun like that. I just thought that they were such a throwback to exactly what you said. It reminded me of boy scouts, Girl scouts, type of things that you would get for doing a good job.
- [40:05]
A
Yes. Yeah, exactly. And who doesn't love that? Who doesn't want a little. Here's a really darling thing for something that you did a great job on.
- [40:15]
B
Right? Yeah, I love it. The next one is on page 66 and 67, and you show a photo that you took in Japan of this group of ferns. And I chose this because I think it's the perfect depiction of what we've kind of talked about this whole episode, and it's finding something in nature and then turning it into a collection of yours. And, you know, while there's a lot of things in the book that show that. I just thought that this one was quite interesting. Do you remember the moment that you saw that?
- [40:42]
A
Yeah, totally. We were just walking on this path, and I love ferns in general, and. Yeah. I mean, have you been to Japan?
- [40:51]
B
I've been to China a few times, but I've never been to Japan. And it's, like, on my bucket list.
- [40:56]
A
Okay. Why? I cannot. I cannot encourage a trip there enough to anybody, but you would really. You. You specifically, you would freak out and absolutely love it, I think.
- [41:07]
B
But I think so too.
- [41:08]
A
Yeah. So we were walking along this path, and, like, there's. There's just overwhelming beauty at Every turn in Japan, and there's just, like, a sense of calm. Even in really busy environments, there's a sense of calm and organization and a respect for your natural surroundings. And so you're kind of in, like, a really great mindset when you're there. And that makes it easier, I think, to recognize these really beautiful moments because you're really much more open and perceptive to these things. So it was just a simple, like, glancing over. I think I had, like, stopped to tie my shoe. I don't even remember exactly, but I just glanced over, and I saw this perfect organization of ferns that were exactly the frond. The ends of the tips of the fronds were making just in perfect circle around, leaving a little opening. And I'm obsessed with pockets. I've always been obsessed with pockets. Like, when I was little, I asked my mom to sew pockets into every single garment that I had because I loved. Like, I would break the tips off of pussy willows, and I would draw eyeballs on them and stick them in my pocket, so I would always have these little friends that would carry around. And so the way that these ferns made this pocket was just totally perfection. And so that really lent itself to thinking, like, well, what? Who would live in this, like, little pocket of ferns? And so, again, like, here's where it's fun is like, well, you know, something like, obviously a fox couldn't live in there because the scale doesn't make any sense. But how fun is it to imagine, like, this fox? Because also, in Japan, the fox is really prominent at a lot of shrines that you might visit. And there's all these really interesting depictions of these different types of fox that are there. And so I thought, well, how wonderful, because a fox is a central character in the coral and tusk collection. So I thought, well, how fun would it be to have this fox that really is prevalent in both Japan and here live in this perfect organization of these ferns?
- [43:19]
B
Yeah, no, it's great. You can easily imagine peeking through the fern and seeing a little fox face in there. It's great. The next One is page 208 and 209, and the holidays are coming up, and I felt it would be perfect to talk about the ornaments that you show in the book, because I feel as if these are something that you could gift to people or something that you can collect for yourself. And they decorate a tree so well, and they're so fun with the drawings that they have this vintage feel to them. Do you do new ornaments every year?
- [43:51]
A
We do. And here's what's funny. So your. Your question and comment earlier about collectors for a long time with coral and tusk items. You know, every year we get sent photos from people who have been collecting these ornaments since. I mean, I can't remember exactly the first year we started doing them. Maybe it was 2011 or maybe 2010. In any case, we've been doing them for a long time. So some of these trees that these customers send us photos of will have ornaments from that long ago that have been long discontinued. Because to answer your current question, yes, we introduce new ornaments every single holiday. And so by this point, we've done, like, you know, hundreds of different designs for the ornaments. So it's really fun to see what people have collected over the years and see their trees and who they've given them to and how they've grown over the, you know, as their families have grown and they're, you know, now their kids are having kids, and it's just a. It's. It's really great to share these as collectible items.
- [45:00]
B
Yeah, no, they're fantastic. All right, Stephanie, let's wrap it up with the collector's gene rundown. You can answer these questions based on any of the things that you've collected, whether it's collections you've made or whether it's ideas that you've had. So the first question is, what's the one that got away?
- [45:16]
A
So the one that got away is we went on a trek in Nepal, and we went to this really beautiful place called Tiger Tops Carnali Lodge, and it's on the periphery of the Bardia national park in Nepal. And when we got there, it was amazing. We went on an elephant, we saw this rhino and a baby rhino, and. And then we saw these tiger tracks. And so we saw these tiger tracks, and we were right behind it, and we just missed seeing the tiger itself. So that's the one that got away.
- [45:49]
B
Next time?
- [45:50]
A
Yeah, next time. Next time.
- [45:52]
B
The On Deck circle. So what's next for you in collecting? Maybe it's something that you recently saw and you're working on the next collection or what comes to mind.
- [46:02]
A
Yeah, so I'm turning 50 next year, and so I want to go to Bhutan. We've just booked a trip there, and it's somewhere I've wanted to go for many, many years. And the reason I want to go there is, you know, they have so many different things that are very specific to the country itself. And they have these blue poppies that are actually in a different class from the Other poppies, they don't produce opium and they are a national, they're the national flower of Bhutan and a national symbol because they grow in these really harsh, very, very like high altitude harsh environments. And so I'm really excited to be able to hopefully see some of these blue poppies. And then there's also animals that I've never seen before there. So they have, it's like a yak, it's like a tuckeeman. Then they have these blue sheep. And then there's a very small chance that we could see a snow leopard, but theoretically we could see a snow leopard.
- [46:59]
B
That'd be amazing. I can't wait to see what collections you come up with from that trip. The unobtainable. So this is one that, you know, I phrase as too expensive in a museum, a private collection, just complete unobtainium. So maybe this is something that you're not able to see with your eyes to really get a good enough picture to draw it or whatever comes to mind.
- [47:20]
A
Yeah. So it's funny, I started thinking about this and I was thinking, well, oh man, like maybe a woolly mammoth. But then I was listening to this podcast and there's this company called Colossal and they are really working on bringing woolly mammoths back from extinction. So I'm going to table that. I'm not going to say that because maybe that's within our lifetimes, who knows? But I will say that. So bison, they used to be in every single one of the United States except for on the coast and in the deserts of Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and parts of New England. But they were the biggest, most widespread herbivore species on the continent of the United States. And I would have loved to have been able to see so many bison roaming all around this country.
- [48:12]
B
The page one rewrite. So if you could collect anything else, whether it costs money or not, money is no object. If it does, what would it be?
- [48:21]
A
Land. And I would land for conservation, for just a preservation of habitat of wild habitats so that they would not be developed so that wildlife would have the opportunity to thrive. At this point, only 4% of the Earth's mammals are wild animals and half of those are marine mammals. So when you think about it, you know, like at the, at the jump, 100% of animals were, were wild and now it's only 4%. So I would collect as much land as possible for conservation and preservation.
- [49:03]
B
Amazing. How about the goat? Who do you look up to in the collecting world? Or who do you just think is a Great collector.
- [49:10]
A
Well, I would say Beatrice Potter. It's not exactly like she was a collector in the way that she spent a lot of time outside observing and then illustrating the natural world around her. You know, she was a really collector of. Of information. And she also got the first patent on making a stuffed toy from a fictional character in 1903.
- [49:37]
B
Oh, wow.
- [49:38]
A
Which I didn't. I didn't really realize. I knew that it was important, but in 1903. Yeah, she was the first one. And so she was really all of these things. So she was a collector of these. The ability to translate her fascination with the world into illustrations to share with, with, you know, all of us for, you know, hundreds of years.
- [49:59]
B
The hunt or the ownership? Which one do you enjoy more?
- [50:02]
A
Oh, the Hunt. I'm a real, like, I'm an extra experience. I'm an experienced maximalist. So, like, if I'm going anywhere, I do a lot of research before I go because I want to have the best of, like, I want to. If I'm going somewhere that I'm going to go to a city, I'm going to research, like the best of the type of food that I want to experience in that place, or if I'm going to a new natural place, I really want to know this is going to be a great trail run. Or I'm going to study the topo maps and figure out if there's like a walk up peak that I'd be able to hike to and stuff. So it's really about the build and the hunt and the gathering of the information first. I mean, of course the ownership is that you have these experiences that will drive and inform everything else that you do, but it's really about the build.
- [50:55]
B
Most importantly, do you feel that you were born with the collector's gene?
- [51:00]
A
I mean, I think, like, not in a traditional sense, but in the sense that we've discussed today. I feel like, oh, yeah, totally.
- [51:09]
B
I love it. Stephanie, thank you so much for coming on the show today. It's been such a pleasure to talk to you and as a thank you to everybody who listens and since you sent me a book, I'm going to pay it forward and someone needs to email me when they listen to this episode. Cameron at Collector's Genie and the first person to email me, I'm going to send you a copy of Stephanie's book because it's just fantastic and I think any collector should have this book at their home. So thank you again for coming on the show. I can't wait to see everything that you do at Coral and Tess going forward, and it's been such a pleasure to have you on today.
- [51:41]
A
Aw. Cameron, thank you so much. You're an absolute joy to speak with and so, so fun.
- [51:49]
B
All right, that does it for this episode. Thank you all for listening to Collector's Gene Radio.