Augusta Handmade Fair

Our Fall Event is on Nov 1st 5-9pm + Nov 2nd from 12-4pm.

COSMIC FLOWER

vintage-inspired classics in the form of wearable art

Meet The Artist

WHO ARE YOU, WHERE ARE YOU FROM, & WHAT DO YOU DO?
My name is Kimber! I am the owner and artist behind Cosmic Flower, a handmade + vintage shop out of Lexington, SC. I create wearables and wares inspired by the midcentury collectibles in my shop. You can find Merry Mushroom canister earrings, tattooed Kewpie pins, Kit Cat clock earrings, and other vintage icons in our shop.

DESCRIBE YOUR PROCESS.
My studio is filled with every medium you can imagine; though, I gravitate to making polymer clay earrings, rings, and pins. The wonderful thing about owning a creative based business is having the ability to explore new mediums and diversify your art. There are no rules in art!

I keep sketchbooks and notes for new design ideas, which have opened a door to new upcoming products like stickers, greeting cards, and pocket mirrors.

Each season I create a limited collection of art dolls or wall hangings, like my Skele-Kewpie dolls and framed Monster Kewpies. I admittedly use Kewpie as my subject often since my love for them has been strong since 1986! These handmade items vary according to supplies I have on-hand, such as vintage Kewpie dolls to mod.

My home studio is filled with color swatches, pattern references, vintage items, prototypes, and curiosities that all lend themselves to my finished products.

Most designs take several days from start to finish to make. For example, my best selling Merry Mushroom canister earrings take a week to complete. I start by conditioning the clay, cutting my shapes, and baking the pieces. Once they are cooled, I sand each piece, paint my outlines and remove the excess, then I hand-paint all the details. Once dried, I give a final cleaning, drill my holes, and assemble hardware. The cleaning and detail work is pain-staking, but I take great enjoyment out of it. Some designs require more detail work and attention than others. It gives me such joy to see my hard work appreciated by customers!

Typically, I work on each stage en masse until I have 12 baking trays filled. One week will be pre-bake, the next week will be cleaning, the following will be outline work, etc. The painting stage usually takes two weeks. My products tend to sell quickly so my production time creates a larger quantity to keep up with supply.

I would stay in my studio 24 hours a day if it were allowed and possible, lol.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
My process usually starts with a spark of inspiration from something I see in my day-to-day; it can be a fun colorway I see in a fashion magazine, a vintage toy on my shelf, or a funky 1970s flower pattern on a bedspread.

Most of my inspiration comes from things that bring me joy, feel tongue-in-cheek silly, or have a playful aspect to them. A goal of mine is to bring a bit of colorful, lightheartedness the lives of others. It can be incredibly moving to see people respond to something you made with a bright smile on their face or giggle out loud. Life can be so rubbish at times, so finding things to spark joy are so important…even if they’re silly as can be.

Cosmic Flower’s motto is “Vintage Style for Modern Folks” which is inspired by wanting to celebrate midcentury design while keeping modern ideals like inclusivity at the forefront. I find inspiration by the people around me, the causes I support, and the future I hope for. That inspiration takes form in small but important details like offering skin tone options in Kewpies and pin-up girl designs and using LGBTQ+ colors. Representation matters and knowing ALL my beautiful customers feel seen is a massive inspiration to me.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU.
+ I used to be a caregiver at a chimpanzee sanctuary. Dirtiest and most fulfilling job I’ve ever had!

+ I have a huge collection of vintage squeak toys, rubber face plushes, and other toys from the 1930s-1960s. I am a sucker for midcentury anthropomorphic collectables!

+ Our little farm is full of dogs, cats, sheep, chickens, and ducks! They keep life interesting for sure!

+ My life as a photographer paved the way to adventures like tour photography, brand work for major companies, documentarian work, and a bit of fame for my street art portraits. I feel like I’ve lived many lives, and all through the lens of a camera.

FAVORITE THING ABOUT DOWNTOWN AUGUSTA.
I think the murals and street art have to be my favorite thing about downtown Augusta. Through art you can tell the story of a city. The colorful scenes sprinkled throughout the historic district is such a charming way to marry modern times with the past.

Each visit to downtown I discover it a little more. I can’t wait to see what downtown Augusta shows me during my next visit!

WHY DO YOU LOVE TO DESIGN, CREATE + MAKE?
For the joy.

Cosmic Flower was born from a rather dark time in my life. It was a moment I didn’t know if art would help, but it ended up healing me.

From that point on I wanted to focus on creating things that brought joy into the world. Life is so short and precious, take the time to soak it up. Wear the silly Kewpie earrings, gift a silly pin to a friend that needs a smile, make the design that is so cheesy you’re almost embarrassed to share it with the world…the joy is worth it.

WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD SHARE WITH OTHER ARTISTS + MAKERS?
Find your voice!

There are no shortage of artists and makers. Each medium is flooded with talent. But none of them are YOU. Don’t try to do what everyone else is doing, carve your own path. Keep your ear to the ground, but don’t follow trends to the point you are sacrificing your own style. Be the artist that is recognizable by their work, not just their branding. There are so many polymer clay earring artists, but none of them could be confused for Cosmic Flower. I found my niche and nestled myself into it. Cosmic Flower is me, to a T.  

Your voice is your most important tool. Don’t be afraid to use it.

I’m incredibly grateful to be part of the Augusta Handmade Fair alumni!  Feel free to come to AHF bearing hugs, photos of your dog to show me, and prepared for long, silly chats at the Cosmic Flower booth! See ya there!