Citizen Nerd Brings Fandoms to Life at GeekCraft Expo Midwest
GeekCraft Expo Midwest's Spring Fling is just weeks away—have you RSVPed on Facebook? March 3-4, the Madison Masonic Center will be filled to the rafters with the coolest geeky crafts around, including prints and dice bags by Citizen Nerd, run by friends Julie Ferrell and Kate!
We chatted with Julie about how Citizen Nerd came about, what they like best about selling at shows, and whether the Lord of the Rings trilogy counts as one movie when you're playing Desert Island!
GeekCraft Expo: You have a wide range of cool things—from prints to plushies to dice bags. What connects them for you? Julie Ferrell: Mostly they came from us saying, "I want to try making this!" We originally started with acrylic paintings and pillows, but developed from there. Mainly, these are all items we have on display around our own homes, so everything is inspired by these geeky interests we already had.
GCE: How did you get started crafting? JF: We were both pretty crafty individually before we became friends. Then, after we graduated college and had our first apartment, I wanted to try new crafts to fill the void left by homework! And thus, Citizen Nerd grew from us missing school and staying busy. GCE: What are your most popular items? JF: Our Walking Dead "Coral" print was definitely a big one for a few years. We made it as a gag gift for a friend but decided to see how it would do on our Etsy. Then it got featured on two Buzzfeed lists and it's been pretty popular ever since. But then this past year, Kate's Game of Thrones and Harry Potter dice bags took off like wildfire! GCE: What do you do when you’re not crafting? JF: I also do handmade jewelry on Etsy, Kate is a costume and independent fashion designer, and we're both involved in our community theatre troupe. GCE: If you had to bring three geeky movies to a desert island, which would you pick and why? JF: Hellboy, Guardians of the Galaxy, and do the full extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy count as one? It's a box set, we think that still only counts as one.
GCE: What’s your favorite thing about selling at shows? JF: Meeting new people and connecting over geeky stuff and fandoms! GCE: What are you bringing to GeekCraft Expo Midwest this spring? JF: We're bringing our regular inventory, as well as some new Harry Potter and Doctor Who items! Our thanks to Julie for chatting with us. Make sure to stop by their space at GeekCraft Expo Midwest's Spring Fling March 3 and 4 to find that special something!
