Cards by Creativitybugs!

Today I have the work of Creativitybugs!

BESTeam Mosaic
All items are clickable and will take you directly to Creativitybugs' listings...

Sandy and Sue are the busy hands behind the handmade card business they have affectionately named creativitybugs, and they are both sisters from Wauconda, Illinois! They are driven by that which is held dear to one's heart and work with the purpose of creating items that are meaningful and will be cherished in this way. It's lovely that they pour so much love into their cards and work by their company ethos, as it shows the spirit of the special vibe that is felt with gifting something that is handmade. Namely knowing exactly that love has played it's part in the creation of your card, and had inspired someone close to give to you with an artistic expression of love. They say that their company motto is "lovingly creating items for others to love & cherish". We guarantee quality workmanship as nothing leaves our "shop" unless it has been crafted with 100% craftmanship mixed in with creativity and a pinch of kindness & love", which I feel shows that they are very passionate about not only what they do, but about good customer service aswell. They currently stock various handmade cards and some very cute flower tealight favors, yet looking at their profile I believe they hope to achieve a lot more with the variety held in the store, namely having things like dolls clothing, paper craft kits and accessories, so this is one to keep an eye on for lots more to come!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/creativitybugs
http://creativitybug.blogspot.com/

For those of you with a passion for handmade, and you have a blog that is in need of a consistant weekly post to drive your traffic and help fellow artisans by doing the same. Come and join the BESTeam!

MarlinaVera

Friday Finds... MarlinaVera


Interview # 42
I am quite the fan of abstract art, and seeing Marlina Vera's work on Etsy filled me with much admiration for I think her cubism work is just outstanding. From the vibrant colors, to the modern atmosphere in the pieces, I am absolutely in love with her style! There is a certain magic to her work that seems to light that creative spark in me, and being an painter primarily myself (just not on Etsy!) I can truely appreciate her original work. I'm inviting my readers to visit her store to browse her beautiful oils and acrylic paintings, and to enjoy hearing more about Marlina in this wonderful interview :)

(Just click the images to go direct to the listings)

-- Tell me a bit about you! (Name, Age, Location, and give us a random fact whilst you're at it.) Hi, My name is Marlina Vera. I am 45 years old, I live in the sunshine state Florida with my husband and my two boys.



-- What is your business about then? Painting has always been the passion of my life. Creating is a need for me… for my spirit… I like to create art inspired in simple things. I use bright/ bold colors and my paintings are mainly in the style that I like most, cubist abstract.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I found Etsy last year looking for original handmade items.


-- Are you working a day job too? Well, besides painting as much as I can during the day and night… I am a full time mom....



-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? I have always been fascinated by art! Ever since I was a child I new I wanted to be an artist. Creating art as well as writing poetry has always been part of me.


-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? The inspiration behind is to create something unique. To reach deep inside the viewers and to inspire others. What could be more rewarding for an artist than to be told that your art brings happiness into somebody else’s life?


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? I Soulful, romantic, peaceful.

-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? First I take care of my kids in the morning… then it is time for me, my art, and my soul… sometimes I paint until very late at night.


-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? I use both oils and acrylics. But my favorite medium is oil…I love to paint with oils, but since they require more patience and time to dry, I use acrylics in the meantime to alternate … It helps a lot when I am very inspired and I have the need to start and finish a piece in few days.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? I wish one day not too far in the future to use my art as a venue to help others in needs specially kids and to promote peace in the world as well.



-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? I enjoy a lot gardening! I grow few fruit trees, herbs and flowers in my garden.. I love to harvest fruits even if there is just a little… I can feel mother nature in my hands when I pick a fruit from the tree or when I cut fresh flowers for my home… I also enjoy the beach, riding bike with my son, taking a walk with my husband and of course contemplating the sunset!


-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? I like to search for original art. For me it is like visiting a gallery without leaving home. There are so many talented people out there.



-- Any last words? Yes, Enjoy life everyday! Value simple things .. that is what makes life beautiful… Be thankful for everything you have… there are so many people out there less fortunate…
Be creative, be free and be yourself. We all are unique individuals holding in our hands the most beautiful gift we have…life!

Thank you very much for inviting me.

Marlina Vera
www.marlinavera.com

Paperie Blooms Handmade Paper Items

Friday Finds... PaperieBlooms


Interview # 41
I think it's absolutely wonderful that our thoughts for the one's dear to us can be expressed in writing in little notes, greetings cards and tags, yet in the handmade world it's an expression of love that has been taken one step further. Teresa of PaperieBlooms cards and other paper goods are far beyond what is the standard of commercial paper greetings, and are infact a gift in themselves that exude the loving consideration that has been put into them. There is no better way to express oneself than to offer loving thoughts and appreciation, and Teresa's work I feel is a beautiful way of displaying and containing your special notes, that could easily remain as lasting keepsakes in the home as part of your decor. They really are something :)

(Just click the images to go direct to the listings)

-- Tell me a bit about you! (Name, Age, Location, and give us a random fact whilst you're at it.) Hi, I am Teresa Kline, age 43 living in the state of Virginia in the USA. I try to always do the right thing and make the most of each day!


-- What is your business about then? I like to refer to it as a passion, I enjoy making paper creations. I love the patterns, textures, and the 3D embellishments. The most pleasure I get from my paper creating is sending my cards to others. I want to encourage other people.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I discovered Etsy through other paper crafters and thought it would be a great way to share my love of cards and creating with others.


-- Are you working a day job too? Yes, I have worked at the same place for 21 years, I work is a chocolate factory...yummy!



-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? Really, all of me life. I have always played with paper, I use love back to school time when I was a kid. I have taken it more serious in the last five years.


-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? Reaching out to others, our lives really are about other people, I want to be an inspiration to others whether it is through creating or encouraging.


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? I would say that my work is beautiful, detailed, and uplifting.


-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? wow, I am a busy gal, I am up at 4:45am off to my day job by 6:00am, home from my day job by 3:00pm. Reading, devotions, house chores, and supper all over by 6:00pm. Then from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm or 10:00 pm I work in my studio creating. It is also during that time that I make time for business on the computer.


-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? I love working with paper, ribbon, glitter, buttons, rubber stamps and ink. I really like making my creations pop....stand out.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? wow, I would love to be able to stay at home at work. There are so many avenues to the paper creating world, I would love to work with magazines, paper companies, or stamp companies. I dream of my passion for paper while I am at my day job..lol.



-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? My husband and I enjoying riding motorcycles, travel, photography, and we have a Boxer dog. She is also a big part of my life.


-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? I love looking at jewelry, clothing, purses, totes, and anything unusual or unique. There is a ton of things on Etsy that make my jaw drop, such talent.


-- Any last words? Do what you love and what you have a passion for...send a card today to brighten someones day or to express love, it will put a smile on your face and on the face of the recipient!

Art of Amy

Friday Finds... ArtofAmy


This is my 27th interview of the amazing not-so-well-known artists of Etsy!

Good morning! I am glad to have this wonderful interview for you today!
Amy of ArtofAmy on Etsy is a wonderful fairy tale artist that loves to focus her designs on all things from your imagination considered whimsical, especially inspired by the well known tale of Alice in Wonderland! I find her work is gorgeous and inspiring and hope that you enjoy reading a bit about her, her business and of course to give her store a visit to see more!


(Just click the images to go direct to the listings)




-- Tell me a bit about you! (Name, Age, Location, and give us a random fact whilst you're at it.) My name is Amy, I am 24 in July and live all the way in little old New Zealand. I was born in New Zealand but I am half polish from my father side! I’m living with my fiancé Phil, we have been together just over 5 years and I treasure everyday with him! We also have a little (fat) pussycat called Miss Fatikins! She has the biggest personality in the world!


-- What is your business about then? My business is about putting a smile on someone’s face. Making and creating artwork and items which are unique and joyful. I love to make others smile and I like to think my artwork does that. I create Art Prints of my Original Paintings, Postcards, Greeting cards and other handmade paper crafts which all feature my own Artwork!


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I discovered Etsy randomly one day, I just stumbled upon it and was amazed at all the wonderful items available and even more wonderfully, they are all handmade! I thought, wow this is great! I want to be a part of this to! And now here I am, giving it my all!


-- Are you working a day job too? I am currently Studying full time for a Diploma in Arts and Creativity which can be quite time consuming. I am also part of the NZ Art Guild, a great art community created by a lovely lady named Sophia Elise, and through this I have had the chance to be involved in quite a few Exhibitions throughout New Zealand so when I am not studying I am preparing pieces to be exhibited.


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? Ever since I can remember! I have always been an artist at heart but only just started painting “full time” over the last few years. I always stopped and started, but always came back to it and now I know it’s what I want to do in life.


-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? Fairytales and Nonsense! I adore imagination and curiosity drives me! There is so much enigma out there it wonderful! My other source of inspiration is Partner Phil. He has always supported me without question. He is my Support, my motivation and my Inspiration. He lifts me up when I am down and always encourager’s me to keep on going. If it wasn’t for him I’m not sure where, or who, I would be!

-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? I would say my products are Happiness and Sunshine! I think they would brighten up anyone’s day and when you look at them, you cant help but smile. They are just full of fun and whimsy, for all ages! And they made with love, I put everything I am into them.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? My dream is to be able to paint/create as a career. Its such a hard market to make a full time job from so it will be, and is, something I am working really hard towards. Art is my Hobby, my passion and my dream… now I just need to make some income from it and ill be on my way!


-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? Fairytales! I love to see how other people have interpreted them! Majority of the time I don’t search Etsy I stumbled across great finds via the forums or treasuries!


-- Any last words? I love new ideas, so if there is anything at all you would like to see in my store or an idea for an artwork feel free to stop by my blog and leave a comment! www.artofamy.blogspot.com Thanks to all for taking the time to read about me and my artwork! And thank you Naomi for all your help and kind words!

Sew Dandee on Etsy

Tuesday - BESTeam Mosaic
weekly shoutout to the dedicated workers that like to help other handmade artists...

Dandee on Etsy... Today I am bringing to your attention a fab featurer of other artists known as Dandee on Etsy. Her store is a delightful collection of handmade occasion cards (some rather cheeky! lol!) and lightswitch covers, although her talents don't just lie there. Self described as procducing "...smart ass all occassion cards to duct tape wallets, upcycled bags to silk screened baby onesies to reworked clothing and jewelry of all kinds...", 12 years working with fabrics as inspired by her mother have fashioned her inspiration and drive into what she does, which certainly shows even though this side of her is more focused inside her blog :) IT doesn't stop there! Those of you in Winnipeg, Canada can find lots more by visiting SewDandee direct! (see her blog for more details).
I have included 6 of my favourites from her store in the mosaic below but i must insist that there is so much that I would have loved to have included, so it's well worth visiting this store to see what else is available!

And Dandee's Blog... Like I said focuses on her love for sewing and of course other features she includes on a regular basis. You can find her musings here... SewDandee's blog. Definitely worth visiting when you have a moment!

All items are clickable and will take you directly to Dandee's listings...

FRIDAY - Friday Finds... Hell0Z0mbie

Friday Finds... HellOZOmbie

This is my ninth interview of the amazing not-so-well-known artists of Etsy.

After posting this week's Monday Magic, I was contacted by a fellow Etsy artist known by the shop name HellOZOmbie with a request to check out an item of hers that may have been suitable for next Monday. Well, I was so impressed when visiting her store I had to ask for an interview, I was absolutely enthralled by her paper arts! The colors springing out at me! My particular favorites being the origami cards. I think they're beautiful and was so pleased when she wanted to do the interview, so I'd like to introduce Emma of HellOZOmbie!


(Just click the images to go direct to the listings)







- Tell me a bit about you! (Name, Age, Location, and give us a random fact whilst you're at it.) My name is Emma, I go by Firheruwen and Hell0z0mbie around the interwebs. I am 23 years old, I grew up in Boise Idaho but escaped to Phoenix Arizona right after high school! I love Arizona! A random fact? I have been vegetarian for about 16 years!

-- What is your business about then? I love crafting and trying new things! Arts and crafts have always been a bit of a passion for me, although I don't think I am good enough at them to make a decent living at it alone. There is no better feeling than someone buying something handmade from me though! It makes me so happy!

-- How did Etsy come into your life? I have been an Etsy shopper for a few years, and this spring I finally got motivated enough to list some of my stuff. I started out with mostly bracelets and am branching out.

-- Are you working a day job too? I am, it takes up way too much of my arts and crafts time! I work for an economic consulting / expert witness company in Phoenix. I only recently graduated/started so my job can be a little boring sometimes (copying and data entry - barf!) but on good days I get to do cool things with MS Excel, I love spreadsheets at least as much as I love arts and crafts!

-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? I have been into art since forever! I was never super good at any one thing, but I like to try everything. Having my artistic side repressed at work during the day makes it come out harder on my off time.

-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? The happiness I feel when someone wants something I made enough to purchase it motivates and inspires me. It is vindication, approval and acceptance, the money is fairly secondary!

-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Random, Girly, Colorful

-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? Get up at six, fart around on the internet and shower and all that until I go to work at around 8.
Work all day at the office, leave anywhere from 5:30 to 9!
Have dinner with the boyfriend, maybe watch TV or a movie or work on my arts and crafts, do some Etsy and blogging stuff and go to bed. So exciting!

-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? I love paper, decoupage is awesome as is Origami, collage, scrapbooking...

-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? I would love to find a niche, something creative that I do really well that I could market and sell. I have no idea what this would be, at the moment. I always want to do art and keep trying new things.

-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? I love to read, I mostly read fantasy and science fiction but also some non fiction. My favorite authors are Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, C.S. Friedman, Richard Dawkins, Max Brooks.

-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? Purses! I am seriously obsessed with buying purses. I search that all the time, sometimes to blog about it and sometimes just to buy. I also like searching for pretty jewelry.

-- Any last words? Live Long, and Prosper!

SUNDAY... Coffee and Cake

Sunday - Coffee and Cake

I'm Back!!!

After an astonishingly awkward few weeks, I can hope that this is the beginning of a most definite return without disruption!

Wow things have been hectic. Infact that is a slight understatement really, so much has happened it's any wonder I haven't lost the plot yet but to my relief I think things surrounding our life at home will return to normal fairly soon.

Unfortunately my other half's very poorly dad passed away about a week ago, so in amongst everything that has been the saddest part of our busy few weeks. However it's good to know that he is no longer suffering. I commend Elric for being as strong as he is being about it. He has had such a difficult time lately, I am really glad that he's now ready to move forward.

As for me and my pregnancy, things are going well of which I am glad about. No scans booked yet but I shall be seeing a midwife for the first appointment in a week or two so hopefully I'll know more about what's to come then, including which hospital is willing to take me! I'm excited as unlike my first two pregnancies with my first ending prematurely, this one minus the morning sickness seems to be going pretty well to our relief! I only hope that things continue this way, minus the morning sickness LOL!

So let me inform you of my plans... I intend to bring back Monday Magic tomorrow, and my Friday finds interview this week also. As for Sunday Coffee and Cake, I will be continuing the post however because of time and planning that is involved with the articles, I will be intergrating normal posts like todays as an example into the updates each week. So Sundays may not necessarily bring an article, but sometimes just a normal blog post about whatever may inspire me at the time! It means I can be an organised lady and reserve just the 3 days I usually use for the blog instead of 7 days which was what I had to do before (mainly for the Sunday posts... planning and writing!). With a busy family life and busier one to come, I think this is a fair deal on everyone at home, and still allows me to help new sellers on Etsy without any changes in how I do things on both Mondays and Fridays. I look forward to doing this again :)

I'd like to announce that I now offer flat rate FREE POSTAGE worldwide on all photography in my store. I am due to make some new price changes too, to make the process of understanding how much different sized print costs more easy to understand as I know at the moment my prices can be one of two things depending on the work put into the photograph during editing. I intend to make this cost flat rate for the size, without taking the time of working nor the type of paper into account. This will make my work more affordable and a lot more straightforward when it comes to choosing what you would like me to create for you. This change should come into effect shortly!

I also have lots of new prints coming into the store that I have been diligently been working on lately. They are perfect for the halloween and colder seasons as they are very mystical and gothic in ways. My work always seems to reflect my moods so understandably you'll know where the inspiration is derived from considering recent events, when you get to see them.

All in all I think that is all I wanted to say. I am off now to search for my Monday Magic peeps for tomorrow! If you're a new seller with 0-19 sales, then get in touch and I'll be straight over to your store for a peek :)

All the Best everyone and thanks to those who have left such lovely supportive messages lately, my love to you all.

moonangelnay x x x

SUNDAY... Coffee and Cake

New Prints On Etsy - Click Images to Visit Listing




Sunday - Coffee and Cake



Hello!

I'm a bit rushed today, as so far my week has been a mixture of battling through a never ending crashing PC, new ideas for my Etsy store, and tasks unrelated to the stuff I do online. So being VERY behind is an understatement. In the long run however I'm hoping that I shall achieve peace with my computer and digital files on my Etsy store. For now my focus is today's article which I know is a week late! Apologies!

For today this is more of an opinion than anything that is of the record, but I hope that my little insight is worthy of consideration. I'm certain that what I am going to write about has been said before as with most things everyone has their own way of taking on board information and then displaying it for others to see. So this is just my take on things.

Objective Thinking : I am one of those people who have a firm belief in what is known as "The Secret", although I have been well aware of the Law Of Attraction for many years having being blessed with the freedom to find my own way through my mind. My mum is a very Spiritual person so naturally for me I was left open to think objectively about the world, without too much influence of my mums ideas but having the freedom to choose to take them on board if i wanted to.

Without thinking about it consciously, I always found myself taking on board new ideas without taking them on board, if that makes any sense? I think in order to have a point of view that is unhindered by bias or immediate belief, you must have a strong sense of self. Not necessarily eradicating self consciousness which in New Age society is the "thing" to do in order to be completely "self aware", but to have love for your ideas is actually part of the journey to loving yourself. The thing that is most important about having "your own" ideas is that any incoming ideas trigger conscious thinking on your part, and not any sort of immediate lemming response "without" conscious thought. Not to say that everyone is a lemming, but in a lot of instances when you think about it no-one really has an idea that is their own as we are born into a world that likes to impose itself on us from birth, and we have to rely on our teachers and elders to show us the path to making the right choices in our lives. In order to do that, we also have to be able to 'identify' with these people in order for their ideas/ways etc to have that sort of impact on us. Even if you're the most lonesome person in the world that doesn't really talk to anyone that maybe does form ideas of your own, the place that you're in didnt happen by mistake and more than likely your life events, choices and surrounding entourage from the earliest of your days will have lead you to that point of existance (or non existance if you find yourself completely absent from any social interaction.)
It's not something we think about either, as we all know babies are like sponges, and you too were once a squidgy porous little thing that literally sucked up everything that displayed itself infront of you. So I guess the first thing to realise when trying to work out the beginnings of where you may pick up things from is truely within yourself. Unfortunately as a baby you can't really stand up and know who you are to the point where your ideas can really do great things, but 'Knowing' who you are and having confidence in that is where you can say that maybe more than a person that follows the crowd, you have more potential to be a dream weaver and know that your ideas are influential to others. Until you can think for yourself you are not really able to think objectively. Without being able to think objectively you will more than likely always have finality, bias and judgment ready to leap out and do the talking, when in reality being able to embrace both polarities from a neutral perspective without being clouded by immediate responses will lead you one step closer to freeing your mind and helping you feel more confident in your descisions. Ultimately without a mindful attitude, how can you be sure of anything?