Welcome to Muggles Market Monday Spotlight! (Yay, it’s Monday!) Today, we are spotlighting one of the artisans scheduled to appear at our brand new Muggles’ Market at this year’s Geek Gala. Today’s featured artisan is Rachael the Snow Queen! Rachael Allman took a few minutes to answer some questions about her business and general geekery.
- What kind of items will you be selling at this year’s Muggles Market?
This year I will be selling my handcrafted snowflake creations featuring all kinds of geeky themes (Harry Potter, LOTR, Pokemon, Firefly, Doctor Who, and more!), greeting cards featuring my unique snowflake artwork, and handmade crowns so you can be as fancy as Rachael the Snow Queen!
- How did you first get started making these things?
I first started making paper snowflakes, as most people do, when I was a little kid. My love for it, however, was rekindled in college, during music school. I had practiced all I could for my singing juries (exams), studied all I could for my other exams, but couldn’t shake my nervous energy and needed something to distract me. I happened to have paper and scissors with me, so I just started making paper snowflakes. I made so many while sitting in my college’s cafe that they eventually let me decorate their front window with my creations. Later in university, I was able to do something similar, and my skills were sharpened even more when I was stuck inside one summer recovering from a spine surgery. Since then, paper snowflakes have become as much a love for creating art as a coping mechanism for overcoming the various stresses of life.
- What has been one of your favorite projects to work on?
My favorite projects to work on are those for other people, particularly those snowflakes that will be given as gifts. One in particular that stands out was something my sister-in-law commissioned for her cousin, as a wedding gift. He and his now husband are huge fans of Days of Our Lives, so I created a snowflake with an hourglass and rose design, cut from a red and gold mercury glass-textured paper, and in the center was the name of the couple, their wedding date, and the message “Together all the days of our lives.”
- What else can you tell us about yourself?
I am a doer of many things. Right now I’m going to graduate school to get my Masters in Business Administration, working part-time, and volunteer for a local humanist organization. I also help organize a local annual conference and host/edit my own podcast. And along with all of that I love to sing, act, write, create art, and more!
- So this year’s Geek Gala is about space travel – if you could join any TV/Movie space crew – who would it be and why?
As you can probably tell by the profile photo I submitted, I am a HUGE fan of Doctor Who. In fact, before we even met in person, the first time my *now* husband ever saw me was a photo of when I dressed as Tom Baker for Halloween! So I would join the Doctor Who crew for an adventure through all of space and time! Which Doctor, you may ask? Well, if I were in the mood for Jelly Babies and a good laugh, I’d go for Tom Baker, but there’s a small place in my heart just for the bad-boy, guitar-playing, sunglasses-wearing, anti-war speech nailing, Peter Capaldi. (But truly I’d rather travel with River Song than anybody else!)
- Check out their website at: Rachael the Snow Queen
And make plans to come visit them on Saturday, October 22nd at this year’s Geek Gala!