Artisan of the Month Anja Vinter
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Tell us a bit about yourself (name,
location, affiliations, and personal stuff).
Anja Vinter,
I am married and mum to three kids a
son aged 7, and two daughters aged 4 and 0 years.
I have always been interested in ways to explore my creativity.
My mother inspired me to paint
and taught me how to use a sewing machine and my grandmother taught me
how to knit
and crochet. When I use these skills I am at ease, relax and feel a sense of
fulfilment.
This year I
gave birth to our third child Anna, and found many of the things that I needed
for
her were missing here in
that more people may have the same needs and branded my products AnnaPi. Anna my
daughters name is combined with Pi because the mathematical number Pi is
very unique
like her and the stuff I make and also because Pi when said out loud may sound
like pie or pea
as in Sweet Pie/Pea.
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What inspires you? Where do your
ideas come from?
My daughter Anna suffered from reflux and
cried a lot. I ended up carrying her almost all day
and night and started looking for slings to help me carry her and ease my sore
shoulders and
arms. I could not find any slings here and decided that I would make one for
myself. It was a
very convenient way of carrying her and I decided to start making slings for
other mums in
The whole way through safety and comfort for the baby and mother have been
essential to me,
so I carefully select my sling materials and only use approved and safety tested
sling rings. Now
I could not live without my slingand love to share my experiences with other
mums.
Apart from the slings I also do breastfeeding covers as well as breastfeeding
pillows. I quickly
realized after giving birth to my daughter here in Dubai, that I would need a
clever way of
covering up when breastfeeding, as I would otherwise be confined at home. I
therefore
investigated the alternatives and made a breastfeeding cover which would allow
me to keep
an eye on my baby while breastfeeding and at the same time being covered to
ensure privacy.
Having breastfed each of my children until around 1 year of age I have tried
out a variety of
different breastfeeding pillows and positions. So far I never found one pillow which
offered the
support, flexibility and functionality I was looking for, so I decided to see
if I could design one...
and after a lot of testing of different shapes and sizes, I finally ended up
with a soft and pliable
long breastfeeding pillow, which can be used for a variety of positions while
also providing
adequate support for the mother and baby. I have also had many expectant mums
buy it
for support during sleep.
Since these initial beginnings I have added to the range whenever I become
aware of a need
which I currently cant get satisfied here in
Love Doughnut toy, baby hairclips and colourful yet stylish baby bibs. I have a
long list of things
coming in the pipeline, which I will add to the range, as soon as time permits.
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Greatest claim to
fame (with respect to your craft)
To my knowledge I am
the first one to locally make and sell baby sling carriers in
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How long have you been doing your craft?
I have always as far back as I remember been sewing and working with
other crafts such
as knitting, crocheting, cross stitching,
and painting.
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How did you learn
your craft?
I owe my mother and grandmother a lot, but I have taken tailoring and
sewing courses
throughout the years, and practised over and over again.
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Favourite film of
all time?
I have two favourite filmsThe Sound of
Music and The memoirs of a Geisha.
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What was
the last CD you bought?
The last CD I bought was a full collection of
Beethovens symphonies. I like classical music,
but what prompted the buy was my kids sudden interest
in classical music and composers.
When we listen to classical music we take turns telling stories that fit the
music we are listening
to. We often end up with some great and magical adventures.
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Are you married?
Yes. See above
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How long have you
been in the UAE?
We have been in the UAE for 2.5 years and like it
here. Before UAE we lived in
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Do you belong to
any other groups?
Only ARTE
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What are your
favourite materials?
Personally
I love linen, for its natural beauty. For babies and
for myself I always prefer natural
fabrics such as linen, cotton and silk I generally dislike anything synthetic,
but sometimes have
to use them as there are no other alternatives available locally.
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What is your
favourite colour?
I love bright colours and clarity, but some bright
colours I find unsuited for babies, which is why
I always include lighter shades of rose and sky blue in my range. I try to keep
my range with clear
lines, and prefer to use fabrics, where the colours are clear and the design is
simple.
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What are you
reading right now?
Childrens books with three kids and a busy
life there is no time for me to read, so most of my
reading I do for the kids.
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Any tips on selling handmade stuff?
I think you
have to believe in your products and do your best. Dare to let your personality
shine
through.
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Apart from creating
things, what else do you do?
Being a
mother of three fills up most of my time, but apart from making and selling AnnaPi slings
etc. for mums and babies, I also have a part time job in marketing and PR.
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How can ARTE
be improved?
I think it is doing quite well although I sometimes wish the
of customers. Also thinking it would be nice to once in a while do an outdoor
market i.e. in a shaded
parking area, a park etc.
You can contact me
at contact@annapi.com or check out my
website www.annapi.com