Entries from March 2007 ↓

Today’s featured Etsy shop is Jenna Lou Designs.

Jenna Lou Designs is all about handmade wallets, purses, and accessories especially for the eccentric girl. All of my designs are original and created by me. I’m especially well known for my wallets which range from a large Girls Best Friend to a small Pocket Pal. My accessories are an ever evolving project…. I do things from hair pony tails to Patchwork Pincushions and Needle books.

What inspires you in your work?
I am most inspired by the fabrics I use. The bold colors and shapes are an endless source of joy and really it is the fabrics that keep me interested.

What other types of art do you make for fun?
I have been a knitter for quite some time and recently I picked up crocheting as well…. I really prefer crochet now because it’s so simple and easy to get lost in the project. All the repetitive steps make for a very relaxing and calm afternoon. Before I started to sew I was very much into colored pencil drawings and painting.

What advice would you give someone thinking of starting a craft business?
Make what you love. If you are then your passion for it will show through in the quality and people will see and feel this. Also I always say that it is important to remember the basics or your trade. If you first perfect the basics then you can build upon that to make something truly amazing.

Jenna Lou Designs can be purchased at http://jennalou06.etsy.com, http://jennalou.com, and at online consignors listed in her blog at http://jennaloudesigns.blogspot.com.

Today’s featured Etsy shop is TheEclecticStudio, a shop that features an eclectic assortment of handbeaded jewelry, handmade dichroic glass, hand knits and photo notecards.

“In my shop people will find a bit of funky, classic and artistic pieces.”

Tell me about yourself.
My name is Sandra and I currently live in King, NC. I’ve only been here about a year – I’m originally from Long Island (born and raised). I’ve been married for almost 14 years and we have a 5 yo son – who shares my birthday!! I’ve had my business for about 4 years and I absolutely love it! As hectic and tiring it can be at times, it is truly what I love doing!

What inspires you in your work?
I get a lot of my inspiration from my son. Mostly from his artwork – the colors he uses really get the wheels turning for me! I also get inspiration from nature – especially with my photography. And, I’m so inspired by other artists….I am amazed how talented and creative people are – that in itself is an endless amount of inspiration.

What is your day job?
I’m a stay-at-home mommy! When I was young people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I would say “I want to be a mommy”. I must have known something then….it’s the best job in the world. Yes, it is hard…extremely hard…but the rewards are so overwhelmingly worth it!!

TheEclecticStudio’s work can be found at theEclecticstudio.etsy.com and at local craft shows.

TheEclecticStudio is a member of Photographers of Etsy (PoE).

Today’s featured Etsy shop is gochemoche, a shop featuring hair accessories, bags, and jewelry.

What inspires you in your work?
Turkish and Japanese crafts. I am Turkish so it is I guess natural for me to be interested in my own culture There is so many handwork that is unique to certain cities even villages in Turkey. But they are not known world wide, I would like to introduce them. As for the Japanese arts, simply I am obsessed I do not know why but there is very strong connection between me and Japan. I guess the serenity and elegance of Japanese arts inspires me to create. It feels very relaxing like meditation.

What other types of art do you make for fun?
I like all kinds of arts but the ones I can make at home are of course only a few. I love drawing, computer graphics, sewing clothes, origami, making dolls, playing with polymer clay, pottery, amigurumi, sumi-e and the list goes on

What other jobs have you worked?
I had been a student for a long long time. So I worked as a teaching assistant and research assistant. After I graduated from the PhD program I worked as a Postdoc for a while, but right now I dont have a day job.

Gochemoche can be found exlusively at http://gochemoche.etsy.com.

Today’s featured Etsy shop is Cloudburst Choctaw Trading, a shop that features sterling silver and semi-precious stone jewelry and miniature sterling silver sculptures that incorporate american indian design.

I am an American Indian enrolled in the Choctaw tribe, in which I am very much involved in our government upon being voted into office on the tribal council . I no longer live on a reservation. I bought a new cabin and a few acres in a rural area but I miss seeing my friends from the reservation on a daily basis. I really enjoy powwow dancing and love going to visit friends in other states on their reservations.

When I’m not silversmithing, I love browsing bookstores, hanging at a coffeehouse drinking frozen mocha cappucino ,listening to NPR and hiking in the woods by my house.

I got started silversmithing after I had seen two silver jewelry items I wanted , but cost over $550.00. So instead of buying them, I bought tools and silver. I made many of my own tools, like stamping dies and a doming block. My main inspiration for my jewelry is my dreams. I’m shocked that I remember them the next day, so I quickly draw them in my sketchbook. I am also deeply influenced by my ceremonies in our culture, the ever-present wild animals here and just simple everyday conversation will often be a design catalyst.

I have had no training of any kind in silversmithing. It was all trial and error many moons ago when I was still a pup. Fortunately, I have found out what works. I work at my own retail silversmith shop full time and do a fair amount of custom order work. My Etsy stock is a fraction of what’s available here locally. In the past, I have worked as a marketing director for a soul-less national corporation and once owned a large ornamental iron company where we crafted old New Orleans style wrought iron balconies fence and railings.

Three things most people don’t know about me:
I love museums. I would spend my last dollar on beautiful art work. I play the native american cedar flute.

For fun, I make welded structural steel sculpture, I also really enjoy carving walking canes and doing leather braiding.

My shop name, Cloudburst, is part of my surname. My username on Etsy, Choctaw, is my tribal affiliation.

Artists who inspire me are : Tony Abeyta, painter, Oreland Joe, sculptor, Rodney John, potter, R.Carlos Nakai, native flute player, Kenneth Gill, pipestone carver, Marcus Amerman, beadworker.

My favorite medium is silver. I really love stamping , etching or engraving native designs on it. My new favorite stone is spectrolite, the rarest form of labradorite from Finland. I love the rich blues and metallic greens that fire across its surface.

The best advice I can offer to artists starting their own business is 1) know your particular art form extremely well; buy books, manuals, dvds on your art. 2) Use the best materials possible. Learn on the cheap stuff, but sell only the finest. 3) build up a fair amount of stock before you launch your business. I went to a craft show recently where a young lady had only five beaded bracelets to sell at morning opening. 4) Don’t limit your sales to only one venue. Sell online, out of your home, to retail shops, galleries, art markets, etc. 5) Price your art sensibly. 6) Keep the day job until your art pays the bills. Stress kills creativity.

I have a silversmith shop here in Louisiana where customers can purchase from available stock or place a custom order. I also sell at powwows and art shows. My work can be purchased online at www.choctaw.etsy.com.

Yes, indeed, the Lava Jewelry web site is once again open for business!

Come by and check out all the changes!

I have grand plans for that little web site of mine.

Question of the Day: What kind of camera do you own? Would you recommend it? What are the good features and drawbacks of your camera?

Today’s featured Etsy shop is livefunky, a shop featuring original abstract act. Most of her paintings are in acrylic, but she also works with ink, watercolor, and collage.

What inspires you in your work?

Inspiration is such a curiously wonderful thing. I marvel at the power and mystique of it as I do the universe, and my questions about both go on and on. Are these ideas mine or am I drawing from a collective pool? Where is the source? What is out there or right here that we can’t see?

My process is all about blindfolding my brain and allowing intuition to guide me. I layer colors and arrange forms making one choice after another. The feeling of “no, do THIS” is what is so fascinating to me. What in me says “go green over red”, and why? It’s a gut reaction every step of the way until another feeling says “stop now”, and I know I am finished.

I am so comfortable with the idea that my paintings can be just a pretty arrangement of colors that would look good in someone’s living room. That is beyond fine with me. They can be anything anyone wants them to be – I set my work free to experience diverse interpretations. To me, they will always be my record of connecting to the universe in a particular way at each stage of my life.

What other jobs have you worked?

My high school art teacher helped get me my first real job picture framing, and I stuck with that trade for about ten years, on and off.

I was a pre-school teacher’s assistant for a while for 3 and 4 year olds. That was a lot of fun, but I wasn’t really cut out for it. I had favorites and couldn’t hide it.

I worked for a florist in NH watering and caring for plants at motels in Hampton Beach, businesses throughout Seacoast NH, and even private clubs and homes in the ritzy North Hampton area. I was in a mansion filling my watering can in this lady’s kitchen when she said to her visitors in a conversation, “That’s why I think it’s a sin to be poor..” without any concern for me overhearing it. I was just part of a huge community of people that came in and out of her estate called “the help”. I never went back to that house. It just worked out that she had canceled her service at the same time, otherwise I would have lost my job over it. Divine intervention, I thank you.

I worked for a great fabric store that got all vintage and rare finds fabrics. I loved that job, and when I worked in the warehouse, I could fit a lobster roll and a few good waves at the beach in during my hour long lunch break.

I worked in a comedy club as a cocktail waitress. You can only imagine… I quit when I realized I had been smacked in the ass by a bar towel one too many times. It was still worth experiencing, the other girls were a blast, and it was great to laugh and work at the same time.

I’ve taught art lessons to adults and kids, and I am definitely better working with kids. I am a kid myself, so they understand me and vice versa.

My last job was working for the art and craft chain store, Michael’s, as the frame shop manager. It was a time when everything seemed to fit as far as the real life plan. Benefits, steady pay, a sure thing as long as you show up. I was at home in a frame shop, and I got discounts on art supplies, so it made sense. But the settled feeling I had there began to scare me. It was now or never to go for an art career and I could feel myself settling into another path for life that I didn’t want. I started thinking about going to grad school for art, then it all became clear that I just wanted to do it NOW, and that was exactly what I needed to do. I got the store through the holidays and quit January first in 2005. With my husbands support, I was able to dive into making and selling art full time, and I feel blessed to be living my dream. Pinch me, please.

What advice would you give someone thinking of starting a craft business?

1. Love what you do and stick with it. Create exactly what you enjoy creating in your own, unique style and voice. Copying another style because you think it will sell is a recipe for disaster. The most successful artists and crafters “make it” by being 100% themselves every step of the way.

2. Believe in yourself. Hold your head high, shake hands with confidence and look people in the eye. If you don’t believe in your products, who else will? Learn to get over shyness (this is a hard one for me) to be a good communicator about what you do. It’s your business, you need to speak it’s language comfortably.

3. Research pricing and figure out a system for yourself. Find out where you belong in the market and set your prices with the expectation that they will only go up.

4. Don’t take on more than you can handle. If you stretch yourself too thin, you can end up sending a poor message to your buyers. A commission that takes twice as long as it should, a package that never got shipped, spaced out at a show because of lack of sleep. Manage your time to fit in what you want to be doing, and learn to say no to the things that can be left out. Honesty is the best policy, and others will respect that your time has value and is limited.

5. Make connections. Reach out to the community you are a part of, if it’s painters, or potters, or knitters, and make friends. Be available if someone comes to you with a question. Be giving of what you know rather than hoarding it as a trade secret. The secrets are all out there already, and there is so much to gain from giving.

6. Get the word out! Have business cards with you at all times, and ship them with anything you sell. Be active in art and craft websites, and advertise in local shops and stores that sell what you make.

7. Don’t give up. It takes a while to get going, and it’s an up and down adventure. If sales aren’t great at the moment, focus on advertising and production. Keep yourself forward moving all the time, so that no little bump can bring you down.

8. Have fun. If it isn’t fun anymore, take a break. Do something else to refresh your spirit. The paperwork part of this business can be groaned about as a job, but once you start doing that about the creative element, something isn’t right. Maybe you are overworking yourself. Or maybe you picked something that isn’t exactly what you’d like most to be doing. Make it fun again.

9. Presentation is everything. At shows, have a well organized booth, designed for a good flow of traffic, with prices clearly labeled. If something doesn’t have a price, people will assume it’s out of their range and not ask. When selling online, photographs can make or break a sale, and a clear, well written description is necessary because, once again, most people won’t ask if they have a question. Anticipate every question and answer it in your description.

10. To end on an optimistic note, if your business gets bigger than you, don’t fear – consider hiring an apprentice to help you. There is a young person in your community that would be thrilled to have a part time job helping you out by running errands, packaging, or other odds and ends of things that need to get done. Even just one day a week would be a relief. I look forward to that day…

It’s impossible to show the scope of livefunky’s work in only two images, so come to her shop at http://livefunky.etsy.com and check it out for yourself!

Today’s featured Etsy shop is Vicki Leigh, a shop featuring stained glass window panels, sun catchers, fused glass jewelry, and decorative fused glass pieces.

What inspires you in your art?
Most of my inspiration comes from nature and the outdoors. Although I live within the city of Scottsdale, the desert is all around me with beautiful cacti, flowers, mountains and and desert trees.

What other types of art do you do for fun?
The other art work I do is photography. Again, the desert, flowers, trees, gardens and mountains within our city is a constant source of creative inspiration and photographic moments.

What are your favorite materials to use?
My favorite materials to use are colored glass and copper. The colors of stained glass combined with the natural patina of copper give beautiful results.

I am a member of Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) which is a group of glass artists on esty.com who love working with glass and strongly promote each other in their work. Etsy Glass Artists’ web site can be seen at http://etsyglass.com/blog.

Vicki Leigh’s work is available for sale at http://vickileigh.etsy.com. More of her work can be viewed on her web site at http://www.vickileigh.net.

Today’s featured Etsy shop is Wound Around Jewelry, a shop featuring jewelry made of sterling silver and copper wire.

Tell me about yourself.
I’m a married stay at home mom of a 5 and 8 year old girls, but I couldn’t even do that in the traditional way. I turned 50 last fall. My formal design training came from three years in interior design/architecture school. Jobs I’ve gotten paid for include a medical transcriptionist, secretary, bookkeeper, auditor, retail merchandiser, gym manager, and musician. Things I do because I love them include mural artist, volunteer firefighter and medical first responder, potter, and gardener. As Heinlein says –specialization is for insects.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Everywhere!! My celtic heritage certainly shows through in my work. I see designs in my minds eye. I sometimes ask the wire what it would like to be. I draw on the work of others jumping to the next step in the process and making the design my own. I take classes and share information with fellow artists. I surround myself with creative people in all mediums from fine art to music. I surround myself with things and people that make me happy .

How did you name your shop?
When you look at my designs you can see that Wound Around Jewelry was the only name for my shop.

What are your favorite materials to use?
I love copper and natural gemstones. I’m a red head and am just drawn to copper. It has such a wonderful depth of color. (As a firefighter I can also tell you that when copper water pipes burn they have the most beautiful green flame. Yes, I know I was suppose to be putting the fire out not watching copper burn.) Natural gemstones are such a joy to hold in your hand. Call it in serendipity. Call it being in the moment. Call it the beauty of God’s creation. Realizing that there is nothing else in the world exactly like what you are holding in your hand and reveling in the beauty of that moment.

What advice would you give someone thinking of starting a craft business?
Find a mentor and be willing to learn from others’ mistakes. Then become a mentor.

Wound Around Jewelry can be found for sale at http://woundaroundjewelry.etsy.com, at Moon Beads in Oak Ridge, TN, at Artisans in Knoxville, TN, and at fine craft shows around the southeast.

Okay, with the new Etsy constitution out, I think it’s time to out myself. Yes, I have two Etsy shops. I just started listing in my second shop about two or three weeks ago. I own Caelynn Creations, and I currently offer photographic prints. I plan to offer some of my artwork there in the future – paintings and drawings. Watercolor and pen-and-ink.

I currently have nature photography listed in my shop. I love spending time outdoors, hiking and camping, so nature photography has long been a passion of mine. I have photos from all over the US. I like seeing what is unique in a particular place, and trying to capture it in a photograph – I try to learn about the personality of every locale I visit. I tend to produce a lot of brightly-colored photographs. In my everyday life, I wear very muted colors, and I tend to design jewelry in muted tones as well. My photography is a way for me to experiment with colors I don’t normally use.

I’m offering my own photography as archival matte prints in a variety of sizes. Feel free to contact me if you’d like one of my photos in a particular size, or as a card, etc.

All Caelynn Creations photos are protected by copyright. If you would like to copy or use any of my photos, please contact me for permission first.

Question of the Day: Do you have any interview questions for Caelynn Creations?

Today’s featured Etsy shop is Castle Fibers, a shop that features beautiful fiber in all its forms – hand spun yarn, hand dyed yarn, knitting, and crocheting.

Tell me about yourself.
I am an almost 40-year-old who still feels about 20ish.

How did you get started making your art?
I took a class at a medieval reenactment weekend.

What inspires you in your work?
gorgeous colors, nature, art

Do you have any formal training?
not a lick as a spinner and way too much as a singer

What is your day job?
I am a sometime musician, music teacher, and librarian.

What other jobs have you worked?
You name it; I’ve sold men’s suits and waitressed; I’ve been a nanny and a dishwasher.

What other types of art do you make for fun?
I do rubber stamping some, I write music, and I spin. I love to spin. It is still fun and fabulous. Dyeing is also fun… watching the colors come together… I love it.

How did you name your shop?
Bad choices. My husband’s user name on eBay was castleman; I wasn’t thinking at the time it mattered. Some of the silly things you do when you don’t read the fine print!

Which artists or works of art inspire you?
Truly? God or whatever artist it was that created this world. I love to try to dye wool the color of the sunset, or silk the color of a winter day. I have done 4 seasons yarn, dyed and spun yarn to look like the moon over the mountains. I love nature and all it brings.

What are your favorite materials to use?
fiber…any fiber, lovely, soft, gorgeous fiber

What advice would you give someone thinking of starting a craft business?
Do what you love. When you do that, your love shows in every bit of what you create and if it won’t sell….you’ll still love it!

Castle Fibers can be found at http://castleman.etsy.com. Her love for fiber and spinning really shows through in her beautiful yarns; come check it out!