Today we’d like to introduce you to Katelyne Jones
Hi Katelyne, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Katelyne, creator of koolkatrugz. I was born in Louisiana and moved to Texas when I was 8 years old. Growing up, I have always loved different creative art forms ever since I was a kid. I have tried drawing, painting, polymer clay, oil pastels, Perler beads, or any of the cheap art kits that you can get from the dollar store. About two years ago, as I was scrolling on YouTube, I saw this video of a guy showing a rug he had just made. I thought his design was so cool and wondered how he did it. I went to his channel and binged his videos for weeks. The more I watched his videos, the more intrigued I became. I felt like I could also make rugs just as the guy I saw on YouTube. Last year I had decided that making rugs was something I wanted to do. So I buckled down, did my research, and saved my money for all the materials that were needed in order to make my vision into a reality. Last September, I had finally gathered all my materials which included a Tufting gun,(the most expensive item) a wooden frame, fabric in order to make the actual rug, and yarn. I set up shop in my backyard so I could practice how to really use the gun and make a design that is readable. I made my family members a personal rug according to that person so I could challenge myself and better my skills with each different project. I made keyboard mats for a few of my family members, made some coasters for my aunt, made a very welcoming door wreath for my cousin, made my little cousin a Sonic the Hedgehog, and made my sister a Hello Kitty rug just to name a few I have done so far. I have just recently created my social media accounts, koolkatrugz and I am trying to get my target audience to see my artwork.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When starting a business at all it is going to have its struggles. I struggled with wondering if anyone was going to appreciate my work. Once I made my family members their personal rugs and seeing their reactions to them, that most definitely encouraged me to pursue my passion in this. My other struggle is being a perfectionist especially with my rugs. I tend to take way more time on a project than I necessarily need to because I don’t want to mess something up. Another thing is the whole social media aspect of posting, gaining followers, and making sales. Even though I have a few things I’m still learning how to deal with, I know with everything takes time and patience and I will be where I want to be soon.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The art that I create is called Tufted Rugs. I hand make rugs using a Tufting gun, fabric,(such as burlap or monks cloth) a wooden frame, and yarn. I create rugs from things I specifically am fond of such as characters from tv shows or movies that I liked growing up. My style I would say is pop culture, y2k, retro kind of vibe. I also make custom design rugs meaning if you have an idea for a specific rug you want, I can work with you to make your vision into a rug. What sets me apart from others is that I make rugs for all the kool katz out in the world, hence why I named my business that name.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory is when I had stayed the summer at my great grandma’s house in Louisiana. My grandma kept my older brother, my 2 younger cousins and I that whole summer. One day we all called ourselves “being bored”. So, my grandma went to her bookshelf and pulled out a book called Childcraft. It has many different arts and crafts that you could do like paper mache, how to make your own playdough, origami figures and many more. We all started reading the book and a little while later, everybody was doing some kind of creative activity that was in the book and no one was “bored” anymore. I believe that is one of my favorite memories is because of my grandma and how we all were doing something artistic together. At anytime day or night my grandma is right there ready to do anything and everything that we need or want her to do till this day.
Pricing:
- Coasters (set of 4) – $10
- Small (less than or up to 1ft)- $25
- Medium (2 ft by 2ft)- $50
- Large (3 ft by 3ft)- $90
- Custom design- message or email me
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koolkatrugz?igsh=aG5iZDU5djhjYm9r&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1L2fBpf86r/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: Email koolkatrugz@gmail.com
