Hows things with Qustom Queen, are you keepin busy?

Things are going great for Qustom Queen right now, after a very busy Pre-Christmas rush I had a much needed few weeks off and am back with a bang ready for 2010. I am working on the website which is going to go live before the end of Feb so watch this space.

How did you discover the 'Scratch n Sniff paint'?

As followers of my work may have picked up by now, I'm really in to my 80's themes with the Heat Sensitive customs and designs such as the BTTF Hoverboards, ET customs etc, and the scratch n sniff is another 80's aspect that I wanted to cover. I initially thought about using food flavourings but most are oil based which wouldnt work in the paint, I eventually sourced a substance that is used in the production of Scratch n Sniff merchandise today - although usually for the purpose of perfume samples in magazines etc, so it was a bit of a strange request for the supplier!

So you opted for the mint, are there any other fragrances?

There are so many fragrances - when I went through the available list, I had idea after idea of what I could use each scent for. I bought 5 or 6 to try them out, when the website goes live you will get to see some of the other pairs I have done so far, and information on what is available.

Are you finding it harder to develop new ideas?

Nope! I still produce what I would call 'normal' customs, and as any customizer will tell you, the ideas come from everywhere so there is no end to the subject matter you base your work on. My specialised finish paints just add another dimension to the design so if anything it expands the scope for designs that you may not have seen before, or a different aspect of a design you may have seen.

Have any of the major brands been knocking on your door for a collab yet?

As yet I have not been approached by any of the major brands, but have got first hand word of a certain large company who recognised a pair of my Hunter V Hunteds on the feet of one of my customers and got a first hand view of them changing colour - apparently they were well impressed, and "thats that girl from England, right?" was close enough for me! Luckily my customer filled in the blanks for me and was kind enought to be my walking business card.

Which brand would you enjoy working with?

I think the standard answer here is Nike or Adidas, but I would also love to work with New Balance, being the only global training shoe company still manufacturing in the UK that would be a great experience. I'd even love the opportunity of using their machinery and putting together a pair on the factory floor. Ofcourse the opportunity of working with any of the brands that I have used in the past would be an amazing experience for me. Also, collabs with other customizers is something I would like to do more of this year, I have a big one lined up with two customizing powerhouses in the States, but cant say more than that at this stage.

Which pair of custom's holds the fondest memories for you?

Actually, my practice pair - well, its not a pair, its one shoe. I used a panel at a time to test out different effects before trying them on fresh sneaks when I first started expanding my ideas. They have sections which have been engraved with a burning tool, sand, a missing swoosh, swarovski crystals on the toe box holes to see how the glue would hold up, a section or two of heat sensitive try outs, and no sole!

What is your most wanted sneaker right now?

The most wanted sneaker, I am pretty surprised about, is my 'Change' customs which I have not even put images of up yet! I have had so many messages asking for sneak previews and pre order info just from one update on myspace and twitter. The design is based around the old saying 'A Leopard Cant Change Its Spots' the design is heat sensitive, I dont need to say anything further than that I dont think, lets just say Leopards can change when I'm painting. They will be released on my website when it goes live.