Gettin' Made: Frantically Mincing Words

A couple of my husband and I's favorite booths to visit at any given craft fair are The Frantic Meerkat and The Mincing Mockingbird. One booth features all kinds of fun clip-arty type images with hilarious sayings accompanying them--the other, poignant artworks focusing on all kinds of birds. I got to talking with Kim of Frantic Meerkat for a brief moment at this summer's Unique L.A. event, and it turns out the reason we're always seeing these booths right next to each other is they are two halves of a very artistic couple!

Kim of Frantic Meerkat and Matt of Mincing Mockingbird

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After the jump, join us as we chat with Kim and Matt, and find out how to enter a giveaway for a free art print and set of notecards.

OC Weekly: Tell us about yourself - what's your life like? What do you do when you're not making things?

Kim (Frantic Meerkat): I do have a 9-6 day job as a web administrator for an agency that works with movie studios. I like it because I love movies and we post all the photos and info for the press. I also work with a great bunch of people who make work fun. So that's what I do when I'm not making things... that, and sleeping.

Matt (Mincing Mockingbird): I'm a "full-time artist," which means I mostly pack up Kim's orders and ship them. I used to like to hike, but now all my favorite hiking spots are burned to cinders.

"Let's Get Drunk and Make Waffles" by Frantic Meerkat. (I can totally get behind that sentiment.)

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OCW: Did you guys know each other before you started your respective Etsy sites? If not, how did you meet?

FM: We're engaged, but have been living together for more years than most marriages last. Definitely next year we're going to work a wedding into our craft show schedule. We're from the same small town in Illinois, but met because I had a little indie art and lit magazine, and he was a writer/artist who had too much time on his hands.

MM: She must have thought, "Oh, a neurotic weirdo. I'm in love."

"In the Beginning We Called It Love" by Mincing Mockingbird

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OCW: Any plans to join forces under the name Mincing Meerkat or Frantic Mockingbird after the wedding?

FM: Actually, Mincy had already said that we need to change it to The Mincing Meerkat after we we're married.

OCW: Will you give me money for using the names I obviously came up with?

FM: Ha!

On the next page, some background on Kim and Matt's art supplies of choice.