Jenna Blazevich didn’t wait for her dream job. She built it.
Since launching Vichcraft in 2015, she has evolved from a freelance letterer into a multidisciplinary force of nature. While she’s famous for doing her own production work, she’s been trusting Busy Beaver with her custom buttons and stickers for a decade.
This month, we’re sharing a piece of that history with you. Read on to learn how Jenna balances client work with her own personal mission to "Protect Each Other."
Busy Beaver: You were offered a dream job after graduating from UIC, and turned it down because “your dream situation is pretty much nonexistent unless you make it yourself.” Was it always your dream to start your own studio of some kind?
Jenna Blazevich: It certainly wasn’t always my dream to start my own studio, partly because I didn’t have any examples around me of what that might look like. While I was completing my undergrad, I worked at 5 different internships/junior design positions, while also doing freelance design and calligraphy work. Once I realized that dream job wasn’t actually for me, I started to realize that all of my job experiences and freelance experience could be what potentially made me into an ideal candidate for self-employment. I started small when I launched in 2015, and have added more offerings and facets to my business since then.
BB: When you first started Vichcraft in 2015, did you always know it would become such a multidisciplinary studio, or did the art just evolve naturally?
JB: In hindsight, it makes a lot of sense that I work in a lot of mediums at the same time because that’s what I’ve always done with my personal art practice. But when I started Vichcraft, I was working almost exclusively as a service-based designer, making branding and editorial work. Over time, I wove more of the types of mediums I was interested in exploring, but only if using that medium added meaning to the finished piece.
BB: Like many creatives out there, you’re taking on both client work and making your own designs. How do you balance these two?
JB: Honestly, balancing them has become quite easy. As the years go on, the type of client projects that Vichcraft is a good fit for become more and more specific (in a good way) so I find myself being able to be more selective and intentional with what I take on. My other time is spent exploring new mediums, making work for my physical shop or gallery shows, and I very much enjoy getting to oscillate between those two different headspaces throughout the week.
BB: You’ve worked with some of the most iconic brands out there. Tell us about one of your favorite projects.
JB: Honestly, I loved working with Elizabeth Cronin of Asrai Garden (Chicago legend) on her latest branding design before she closed the shop some years later. It felt like the perfect culmination of what I had learned as a designer & letterer up until that point, while also challenging me to try styles and techniques I hadn’t gotten to yet.
BB: Chicago is literally woven into your work. How does the history of Chicago’s makers fuel your creative process?
JB: Chicago’s rich art & design world contributions, Chicago’s history of contributions to the labor movement, are a few things I’m constantly inspired by when I’m making work. There’s no end to potential rabbit holes to go down when wanting to learn about Chicago makers & creatives that have come before us.
BB: You’ve never been shy about using your platform for social-driven issues, from "Girls to the Front" banners to supporting local non-profits. Why is it important for you that Vichcraft functions as both a design studio and a vehicle for activism?
JB: Since before even starting Vichcraft, it has been extremely important to me to use my business as a vehicle for pushing ideas and messaging forward that support social issues that I care about as a person. I couldn’t imagine not having that type of reflection of my values in my portfolio of work, and I’m grateful to my past self for being steadfast in that effort.
BB: We love watching your sister on Instagram. Not really, a question, sorry! It just looks like you two have a lot of fun together!
JB: This is so sweet of you! We feel extremely silly making them, so I’m glad people enjoy the end result, lol.
BB: You’re a maker who is very hands-on with every stitch and glass shard. What made you decide to team up with Busy Beaver to handle your custom stickers and buttons? What do you look for in a local collaborator?
JB: I do love doing as much of my production work myself as possible: I risograph print my packaging & business cards, I screen print and sew my stitchable felt banners, etc. When I want to make things I don’t have the capacity to produce myself, it’s super important to me to hire local, small companies like Busy Beaver to work on those things with me. I’ve been hiring you all for 10 years for my button and sticker needs!
BB: Is there a weird and wonderful concept in your sketchbook right now that hasn't made it onto a banner or stained glass piece just yet?
JB: These questions are so fun! I have a lot that I’m very excited about. The last two times that I showed work in galleries, I was exploring ways to combine stained glass with chainstitching, but I’ve only brought a couple of those ideas to fruition. I’ve been testing out ways to include embroidery work in the actual glass panels, and I’m looking forward to show some of those projects soon ?
Ready to Make Your Statement
Jenna uses buttons and stickers to share messages that matter. What do you have to say?
Start Your Custom Button Order!
Place order at Busy Beaver to snag your own piece of Vichcraft art! We’ll tuck a "Protect Each Other" button into your package. To see more of Jenna's work, visit vichcraft.com and follow her on Instagram @vichcraft.
