Here at Dear Handmade Life, we’re big fans of food. Add cuteness to food and the kitchen, and we’re over the moon–so much that we’re nearly chomping at the bit in anticipation of our first Edible Patchwork Show on October 5 and 6! So it’s only fitting that we take time to chat with Angie Diersman of Collisionware, who makes the cutest aprons and oven mitts you ever did see (I have one of her printed oven mitts hanging on my kitchen wall, always ready for action!). Get ready, because you might just fall in love with her fun pieces, and never leave the kitchen again!

–Aurora

please introduce yourself.

Hi, i’m Angie Diersman, the “oven mitt girl”. I grew up in Ogden, Utah but moved to Los Angeles almost 15 years ago. As much as I love my beautiful hometown, I wanted a new adventure and life experience. Now that i’m self employed, I get the best of both worlds. To live with my husband in LA and travel back home every few months.

what do you make or do?

I mostly make kitchenware which includes aprons and oven mitts, but I also have a line of vinyl wallets. My collection is a little mismatched but I really just love designing and creating new pieces. One of the questions I get asked the most is where my company name came from. If you take kitchenware and throw it together with carryware, you have a collision of wares–giving you Collisionware. Makes total sense in a crazy way.

where can we find your creations?

I have an Etsy shop as well as my own website. Balancing the two can be a little tricky, but I love the ease of Etsy and the extra creativity I can put into my own website.

how long have you been creating and is it your full-time job?

I started Collisionware in 2008 and was able to quit my 9-5 in June of 2011. It took a lot of planning, saving and sacrifice. I don’t know if anything can prepare you to be your own boss. It’s fun, stressful and rewarding all at once. I think you just need to dive in and learn along the way. The best thing is never getting the Sunday night blues 🙂

when you’re not making things, what do you do?

This is a hard one because I’m a bit of a workaholic. I love beer tasting, road trips and spending time with family. We’ve also decided to get a dog after the holidays so i’m obsessively looking on Craigslist for possibilities.

did someone in your family, a friend, or teacher introduce you to your creative side or have they helped you along the way?

My dad is an artist and my mom is creative in just about every way. She sells on Etsy too so it’s easy for us to talk shop and share ideas. My brother is a web designer who designed my website for free (thank you!). My husband, Brent, is super supportive. He helps me cut out fabric, goes to craft shows with me, and listens to all my stories. He’s an artist and musician himself so he understands how this way of life works.

if money wasn’t an issue how would your life change with regards to your art?

My dream is to have a real workspace outside of my home. I want to hire a small group of awesome people to help me grow. I love that all my stuff is handmade and i’m not ever going to change that.