Get to know Dapper Fox with us!
What inspired you to start creating/selling your craft?
I would see wreaths look so artificial, I wanted to make them look realistic, flow like nature.
Describe your creative process. How do you get into the ‘zone’ when working on your craft?
I start by choosing flowers & foliage that would actually be growing at the time I am making the wreath or swag
Do you have a favorite or most meaningful piece that you’ve created? What’s the story behind it?
My favorites are the ones that a customer asked me to make. They tell me what they want, the feeling they want and I let the piece start to grow as I put it together
Who or what influences your work the most?
The time of the season, what is actually happening outside, what is starting to bloom& grow.
Share an interesting or funny story related to your craft or selling experiences.
I had a customer want a Halloween Cemetery Vase for his mother, because Halloween was her favorite season. I had never made a Cemetery piece for Halloween before. We talked about it and I had a idea. When he came to pick it up at my workshop, he was dressed as Freddy Krueger and it wasn’t Halloween yet, I looked up & there he was at my workshop window waving.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a vendor for Steel Goat Marketplace?
Seeing my customer either find something in my booth, that has sentimental value, sparkles a memory or it incisions just what they were searching for or had asked for. This is especially so in pieces for a loved one
How do you stay inspired and motivated, especially during challenging times?
Nature is always amazing, even in the darkest & coldest of a winter season, you can find something that moves you.
Are there any new techniques or materials you’re excited to explore in your craft?
I have found that I like to look for old discarded items, whether it be a floral that is old & faded, a figurine that needs work or a plush decoration that was discarded, you can take it and give it new life, new purposes
If your craft could talk, what do you think it would say about you?
Thank you for giving me life
Outside of your craft, what are your other passions or hobbies?
I have been in the garden nursery field, including being a Penn State Master Gardener for over 26 years, so I continue to love gardening and teaching people how to garden
If your craft had a superpower, what would it be and why?
Making ideas & thoughts come to life
What’s the weirdest request or custom order you’ve ever received?
I would say the Halloween Cemetery Bouquet
Share a memorable moment with a customer that made you smile or laugh.
Every time I make something for a customer for a remembrance for a cemetery. The look on their face when they pick it up, that it reminds them of theat loved one and it would make their loved one happy
“I love doing special orders for customers and becoming friends because of the connection” – Deb Fox of Dapper Fox
