Stoffer + Blik (‘Dustpan and Brush’), Annemarie Gorrisen’s shop filled with handmade items hasn’t been online for a long time. She’s hoping to keep it as a fun part of her life next to her regular job (even though she secretly would like it to take off ‘like mad’).
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
“I live on my own on a beautiful spot in Rotterdam, surrounded by water. I would prefer to be traveling all year long or planning my next trip. However, it’s an expensive hobby, so in the meantime I enjoy working, friends, relaxing, baking cookies and running. I work as an independent editorial designer so luckily my work is creative already.”
You know how to crochet, make stamps, draw… Where did you learn how to do all those things?
“I’ve been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. The great thing is that the more you do it, the better you get. I feel I still need a lot of practice. About a year ago my mom taught me to crochet. Highly addictive. I taught myself how to make stamps. Like anything it’s a matter of experimenting and practicing.”
When and why did you think you would start your own web shop?
“About a year ago I started drawing post cards and I came up with the name Dustpan. The seed had been sown, but then it faded into the background. Until last year when the crocheting rekindled my fire. It also got me back on track illustrating post cards and trying out all kinds of stuff I liked, like making stamps and necklaces. A lot of things failed and were thrown out. At one point I felt I had enough to start a web shop. Work was a little slow, so I could throw myself into the site. Two days after I went live I walked to the postbox with a beatific smile to post my first sold item!”
