Twinkie Chan

This week I'm making a paper doll necklace for my favourite crochet designer, author and yucky stuff eater, Twinkie Chan and teaching you how-to make your own, featuring all your favourite accessories.

When I first came up with the idea of making a paper doll necklace, I knew I'd need to find a star with an awesome wardrobe. Twinkie Chan was the perfect candidate with her awesome line of crocheted accessories Yummy You. It's not every day that you get to dress someone up in a sushi scarf, fried egg brooch and put a blob of ice cream on their head!

"This paper doll necklace is so cute and fun and has so many possibilities for customization and personalization of your own! This would make a great gift. You could make a paper doll necklace of your friend's celeb crush! I also really loved that Cat included a "closet." What an adorable detail! Thank you so much!"

Can you tell my readers who you are and what you do?

Hi, I'm Twinkie Chan! I'm a crochet designer in San Francisco specializing in fun, unique, food-themed accessories like cupcake scarves and cheeseburger fingerless mitts. I have an Etsy shop for my handmade items as well as a licensed brand called "Yummy You! by Twinkie Chan" that I created to make my handmade designs more affordable and accessible.

When you were a kid - what did you want to be when you were older?

I actually wrote out a little timeline recently!! Mermaid (but a boy in my school told me I couldn't be one because they have BLUE blood) --> waitress (I thought their outfits were cute) --> veterinarian --> farmer (my BFF's father had inherited a farm in Iowa at the time, and we were obsessed). Then later in highschool, I wanted to go into biotech/genetic engineering, as I loved science. But in college, I wanted to be a fiction writer, since my major ended up being English with a creative writing emphasis!

What are your best and worst habits?

Best: I'm a very self-motivated worker, and I love to take on challenges! Maybe too many! Worst: I have terrible eating habits and don't exercise! I just love cookies and brownies so much!

How would you describe your style and who are you ultimate style icons?

Everyday at home, I'm honestly a real t-shirt and jeans kind of girl. But if I'm going somewhere, I'm all about bright colors, cute pastels, ruffles, peter pan collars, bows, polka dots, hearts, super girlie stuff with influences from Japanese street fashion and the girls department at Target! I don't think that age should determine what colors we are supposed to wear. As far as style icons, I'm gonna go there and say Zooey Deschanel. That's right, I said it! I think she is super cute, classic, and always looks put together with a quirky/vintage twist!

If you could be anyone else for a day, who would you choose and, if you could join any band which would it be?

For one day, I'd want to be someone with a farm, who subsists off the land! If I lived on a sheep farm, I could spin my own wool from scratch!

Can I go back in time and be a Spice Girl? Twinkie Spice?

Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

In my head, I love Fiji, even though I've never been there. I love the idea of the tropics and nature and bright colors and strange creatures. But I also don't like hot climates, and I'm also very allergic to bug bites, so I think perhaps it's best that I never really go! :P At the end of the day, I just really love being at home, snuggling with my doggies!

Do you do any crafts and what do you like to make?

I love crocheting, but I would love to learn how to sew and make clothes. I also like to hand-paint on t-shirts and tote bags, make jewelry sometimes, decoupage on journals and storage containers, and generally like to glue stuff to other stuff.

Where do you find inspiration?

I just think inspiration is everywhere! I don't have one particular place. This is going to sound hippiedippie, but I think maybe inspiration is a state of your own mind, and not a place you go or something you have to find. I think you just need to be open, and you'll always see neat, beautiful things in your everyday life.

What would your dream day look like?

It would probably have to start with having more than 24 hours. I wanna eat lots of junky, yummy food with all my friends and loved ones, go to Disneyland with perfect weather, watch a drive-in movie in our pajamas, make s'mores around a fire, watch movies from the 80s in our sleeping bags, and fall asleep at sunrise in a big pile of puppies.

Finally, if you could have three wishes, what would they be?

Health and happiness for everyone. And one silly one for me: the ability to stop and start time, like Evie from "Out of This World"!

Check out Twinkie Chan's blog or pick up some of these accessories she's modelling from Yummy You!