Eleen, aka “Mouse”

Eleen Hsu Agustin is an Alameda resident, maker of bags and overall craft enthusiast who opened Modern Mouse in November 2009 and hasn’t looked back since. Prior to opening the store, Eleen ran a self-titled online business selling handmade bags, pouches and pillows at http://eleen.etsy.com, as well as in local Bay Area craft fairs.

She now focuses her time and energy on making Modern Mouse a fun and welcoming place for customers to shop and artists to sell; as well as managing the website for Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s recently released Delivering Happiness book! read more about Eleen »

Reagan, aka “Reags”

Reagan Jones is an Alameda native who graces Modern Mouse with sunshine and smiles whenever she’s around. She’s got the enviable ability to chat it up with—and be genuinely interested in!—just about any visitor to the store, making all feel oh-so-welcomed and well attended to.

While away from Modern Mouse, you’re most likely to find Reagan either in bed, at the movies, reading a good book, chillin’ with her friends at Santa Cruz, at a music festival, or dining out with dad!

Reagan’s favorite Modern Mouse artists: fiftyseven-thirtythree, heidiroland, Yeah Hello

Kayla

Kayla Taron is a Pacific Northwest native and a country girl at heart. She majored in Fine Art at Western Washington University in 2009 and has a dream of someday writing/illustrating kids’ books. Kayla spent the past year volunteering in the community in Oakland and practicing living minimally. Some of her favorite pastimes are eating grilled cheese sandwiches, reciting her dreams as soon as she wakes up, going for meandering walks in the woods, and making up fantastical stories about strangers she sees in the city. Now she spends her time biking around the Bay Area, looking for some inspiration, and of course, being a Mouse.

When she is not at MM, she is most likely to be found curled up with a novel (typically YA Action/Adventure), chilling with a good friend, heading to the waterfront, or messing around with paint and paper!

Kayla’s favorite Modern Mouse Artists: 3 Fish Studios (the Bear prints!!), Unicorn Crafts (the teeny earrings in bottles), & Yeah Hello (roses, flowers, colors!)

Matt, aka “Kuro Same”

Matt Ortega is an Oakland “loakal” turned Alameda islander since middle school. As a musician and artist of many trades, the East Bay art scene has always been his inspiration. His eclectic demeanor adds “fun sparks” to wherever he decides to be, including his newest home at Modern Mouse. Outside of MM, you’ll find Matt making his way through college while still finding time for music making and ceramic/reuse sculpting. Regular adventures/outings are also a must, and you may spot him wandering about the island carting around some sort of instrument or random street oddity with his girlfriend, or feeding his book/CD frenzy at a reuse store.

Matt’s favorite Modern Mouse Artists: fiftyseven-thirtythree, Botodesigns, Cyberoptix

Polly, aka “Pcon”

Polly Conway is a creative dilettante with a love for anything handmade! Since graduating from California College of the Arts in 2007, she’s been turning temping into a grand adventure, working at over 20 Bay Area companies, including Oracle, Genentech, an office with a beer vending machine and one wild night playing bouncer at the Carnelian Room for a bunch of urologists. Polly’s all ready to settle down at Modern Mouse, recommending the best in Bay Area handmade items, and pursuing her passions, writing and making awesome stuff!

When not at Modern Mouse, Polly might be found gettin’ cozy with a good book or her favorite crafty blogs, putting together daily posts for ReadyMade Magazine’s website, sipping blackcurrant tea, or putting together a Pollyannacowgirl charm necklace serenaded by the sweet sounds of Law & Order in the background. You can follow her activities on Twitter or at The Firefly Express.

Polly’s favorite Modern Mouse Artists: Lemonade Handmade, Papaver Vert, Crooked Sister

Genevieve, aka “G-san”

Genevieve Santos is an artist turned animator turned graphic designer turned back to artist and now…a fellow modern mouse! She’s a wanderluster at heart, whose restlessness drives her to travel frequently and sporadically. She has a personal goal of visiting 30 countries by 30 (at 27, she’s only got 9 more to go!), picking up fabrics and inspiration along the way for her small business of artwork and crafts, Le Petit Elefant.

If you were to track Gen down outside of MM, you’d likely find her sewing plush elephants, sketching forts and treehouses, and eating ice cream. She’s usually off on some small adventure or business trip, vending at a craft fair or riding her bike through Los Angeles with a bike brigade. She also makes a mean homemade ice cream sandwich cookie. You can join her adventures on twitter and her blog!

Genevieve’s favorite Modern Mouse Artists: Hello! Lucky, R&L Goods, Yes & Yes