Treehouse is lucky to have a great crew to keep everything running smoothly. We chatted with Ciara, Kristen’s righthand shop woman to learn more about how she makes Treehouse one of the most crafty places in Athens. Treehouse: Hi Ciara. We’re so excited to talk with you today. We’d love to learn more about how you make Treehouse the most fun and crafty place in Athens. Can you start off by telling us how you ended up at Treehouse? Ciara: My husband and I moved here from Philadelphia by way of Gainesville, Fl. We picked Athens because my husband had toured through here a few times and we loved the city. It was close enough to home without going back to Gainesville. I was looking for a job when my friend Sara told me Treehouse was hiring. Sara and her son Tiger took me to see Treehouse one day and I was interviewed on the spot. The rest is history. Treehouse: Wow, that’s so neat. It was fate! What is your favorite part about working here? Ciara: There are so many things I love about Treehouse. I love my boss lady Kristen, the families I get to see, and the inspiration I draw from working in such a creative environment. I really enjoy every aspect of my job. I feel incredibly lucky to have such a great and rewarding work environment. Treehouse: We’re incredibly lucky to have you! We’re always happy to inspire creativity. What is the coolest project Treehouse has inspired you to make? Ciara: I take bits and pieces of inspiration from everything we do, and I continue to learn and dabble in mediums that had never tried before. I include all that in the wall hangings and weavings I make. Treehouse: Wow, that’s really neat. We know you do lots of other creative things outside of Treehouse. Can you tell us about the music and arts festival that you co-founded? Ciara: It’s called Total Bummer, and it’s not a bummer at all. It’s a collaboration between my husband JT, our dear friend James Folker and myself. Total Bummer happens every year in our home state of Florida. We are really proud of what it’s grown into. It is one of the largest and longest running DIY festivals in the country. It’s a lot of work, but I am so lucky that I get to work with my husband and best friend on a huge creative project. It brings all the things I love together for a weekend, family, friends, art, and music. Treehouse: You are so impressive. That’s not an easy feat to accomplish. We’ve also heard that you co-own a record label. We’d love to learn more about that too. Ciara: Spirit Cat is our collective that all our creative endeavors fall under. One of those endeavors is Spirit Cat Tapes. We release music in tape form of artists we love. James records everything in real time and puts a lot of love into it and I handle the website side of things. We have done really well with our tape releases. It’s a great and inexpensive way for artists to get their music out there, and it’s something physical that fans can buy without spending a ton of money. Treehouse: You’re so busy with all these successful endeavors! How do you find time to be crafty? Ciara: Mondays are dedicated to my personal work from working in my yard to weaving on a handmade loom. It’s my day to focus on what makes me personally happy. Treehouse: That’s great, it’s important to make time for your own projects. If you could pick only one color to use in your creations the rest of your life what would it be and why? Ciara: White, because it looks beautiful in any setting and on any material. It’s clean and timeless. Treehouse: Nice choice and good reason! Thank you so much again for the chat, Ciara. We feel so lucky to have you! Stop by the shop to visit Ciara and to sign up for our summer camps!
