fAveritte creations: Salutations Sunday with MoKeKuMiLei Creations

Shout out your salutations for Mohala and her Etsy shop MoKeKuMiLei Creations

A shop filled with mixed media creations handcrafted by the Johnson family sisters! They offer a wonderful array of whimsical gifts.

Now let's discover MoKeKuMiLei Creations...sister Mohala answered the questions for the feature

What is the first creative memory you have?

My dad was the store manager of “The Hobby Company” it’s not really around anymore but it’s a hobby store, with supplies and kits and what not. I was visiting him at work, probably about 3-4 years old, and he said I could pick a project to work on to be the display for that item. I picked this really simple yet colorful sand art kit. You had a picture with a bunch of numbered spots on it, like a paint by numbers thing, except you peeled off the numbers and under it was a sort of sticky thing and then you poured your colored sand on top. Needless to say I was hooked, I ended up doing those sand art things until like the fourth grade. Mixing the colors and making my own patterns. Of course I managed to get into other types of crafts, but that was probably the first one I remember.

What or whom began your creative journey on Etsy?

I tried to find a site to share my work with others. Etsy was nicely layed out and they had clean prices (seller fees). The kinds of products that were already being offered by the other stellers were things that my potential buyer would be looking for, so it really wasn’t that difficult a choice. I just came to where all the other crafty people had come.

How did you come up with your shop name?

Mokekumilei, I know it’s kind of a weird name, it’s a collection of mines and my sister’s names. There are five of us, and we decided to try and share our creativity with others.

Describe what creations you have in your shop?

Currently I have paintings in my shop, All created by me, My sisters are part of my shop and keep telling me they will “get me something to list soon” but life happens so it’s just me and my paintings. I’m really big on the whole mixed media 3d painting kick right now, and there are a few of them in my shop. I like being able to make the art more than just paint on canvas, adding 3d objects makes them seem more expressive.

What insprires you?

I find inspiration in almost everything, mostly it depends on what kind of a mood I am in. Colors and sounds are the biggest though, usually when I create something I’m either watching a movie or listening to some music.

What do you listen to or watch while creating?

Anything from a crazy action packed martial arts movie to a black and white musical. It really depends on my mood, if I’m feeling like I have ants in my pants then I will pull out the dancy booty shaking music, or watch a movie like Hairspray, something I can dance and sing along with.

Please share a favorite recipe

Haupia is a sort of custard pudding jelloy mix, well the consistency anyway, its really good and a lot of places serve it at luaus and such back home. Here is an easy to follow recipe:
Yield:1 regular baking pan
Ingredients
Coconut Milk, 2 each 16 oz cans
Water, 3 cups
Cornstarch, 16 oz
Sugar, 1 cup
Instructions
1.Mix 2 cups water with cornstarch. Set aside.
2.Bring coconut milk, sugar and remaining water to a rolling boil on high heat.
3.Pour cornstarch mixture into boiling coconut milk and cook till mixture thickens, blending with a whip.
4.When mixture is smooth and thick pour into a clean baking tray.
5.Cool to room temperature, then chill until cold.
6.Cut into 1-inch squares.

Where else can we find you?