EnlightenedPlatypus

Friday Finds... EnlightenedPlatypus


This is my 32nd interview of the amazing not-so-well-known artists of Etsy!

I am grateful to Etsy seller EnlightenedPlatypus for taking part in todays interview considering I was rather last minute approaching her! I had such a nostalgic trip visiting her store i wanted to go back in time to the days i lived surrounded by my fine art, local music and my circle of friends. The clothing has a kind of vibrant magic that makes me think of folk music and dancing free amongst nature. Where I am now with my photography, or should I say the inspiration behind it is derived from this past I am reminded of :) I was once a right old modern day hippy and if I'd have discovered Lisa Marie's amazing elven-like coats back in the day (if her business was about then), I'd have a huge collection by now already!
Take the time to visit her store!


(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 Lisa Marie Correia and I am the creator of Enlightened Platypus coats. I just turned 28 a few days ago. I'm formerly from Los Angeles, CA but just recently moved to beautiful, green Denver, Colorado. I'm also a wife and the proud new mommy of an 8 month old baby girl.


-- What is your business about then? Enlightened Platypus is all about creating one of a kind clothing, mostly coats. I use 90% recycled sweaters in the softest materials I can find. I have a passion for making the old new again. It's good for the earth and because I use vintage fabrics, each piece is guaranteed to be completely unique, never to be reproduced. When I'm designing a new coat I take great care to ensure that the finished piece is going to flatter a variety of body types. I adore an hourglass silhouette, so I make sure the waist can be cinched in nice and tight. Then I patch together a giant twirly skirt that is just perfect for dancing. I take my time to ensure that every piece is of the highest quality. I like to imagine that I'm making a gift for one of my best friends.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I've been a longtime Etsy customer and have always wanted to open my own little shop. One day I was at the fabric shop gathering materials to make my daughter a dress when I met a girl who had her own Etsy store. Talking to her inspired me to take the leap, and see if anyone else would like my unique sense of style. One week later Enlightened Platypus was up and running.



-- Are you working a day job too? Does being a mommy count? LoL! I was an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles for 7 years, and loved every minute of it. Now I am taking some time off to be the best mommy I can be...and to make some wonderful coats while I'm at it. ;)


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? I've always loved to create art. As a teen I made quilts and clothing with my mom. While I was teaching I fell in love with painting, which helped me hone my sense of color. For the past year I've been rediscovering my seamstress skills by creating my own patterns and sewing clothes for my daughter and myself.


-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? So many things! Froud's fairy artwork, steampunk culture, Victorian Goth culture, Wild Burning Man costumes, Renaissance Festivals. And of course the fabrics themselves. Colors placed together in just the right way create a feeling and tell a story. When I see the perfect color palette, the call to create just can't be ignored.


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Ooooh, that's tough. I'd describe my coats as Gypsy Fairy Couture.


-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? During the day I'm busy taking care of my little cutiepie. When her daddy comes home in the evening he takes over and I go straight to my sewing machine. I might start around 5 PM with choosing sweaters to go into a new creation. By 6 o'clock I've settled on my selections and will begin to cut out my pattern. Then its straight sewing until I drop. I've been known to stay up until 3 AM, though I try to be in bed by 1 o'clock on most nights.


-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? I love to shop the thrift stores for soft sweaters I n bright colors. I've used every type of material you can possibly make a sweater out of, from cashmere to cotton. I'll also throw in the odd bit of velvet or faux fur to spice things up a bit.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? I would love to grow my business on Etsy. In the very near future a portion of each sale will go toward helping clean up the oil spill in the Gulf. I'd like to expand that program to include other charities as well, that way my customers can choose where their donation goes. I think I have a unique message to share. I want to help people see how fulfilling it can be to wear a unique handmade piece of clothing that not only looks and feels lovely, but is also helping make our planet a better place.


-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? At the moment my favorite thing to do is take my daughter out someplace she's never been before and see her reactions to things. I love to be in nature, so hiking and letterboxing with my husband is always fun. I also love to dress up and show off my unique sense of style, so I'll take just about any opportunity to do so. I love to go to Renaissance Festivals, Burning man regional events, Goth clubs (pre-baby), or just out for a nice dinner.


-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? For me, Etsy is all about the clothes. So I'm nearly always looking at clothing and searching terms like retro, gothic, steampunk, or fairy. I also look for little additions I can add to my coats, such as hand made clasps or vintage buttons.


-- Any last words? Be Daring, Be Unique, Be Enlightened!

Friday Finds... OnGossamerWings

Friday Finds... OnGossamerWings



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

I had a good weekend on my search for this weeks features. As you will notice with Monday Magic, a lot of people are already introducing fabulous Fall / Autumn shades. It's getting harder than ever to make choices for the features as they are getting popular pretty quick, and already I'm building rollover lists for sellers that may have missed out on a feature (I think everyone should get a chance!). The choice that was most difficult was choosing between three amazing potential interviewees for today. I had their names infront of me from Satuday to Wednesday, and only then did I make a choice! I'm grateful for their enthusiasm and will to fill in my questions at short notice (I normally get the questions out by Monday). I really have been quite rubbish this week! Well I haven't as I have been actively attempting to do the whole balance "work/home" thing!!! But a lot of things have been delayed so midweek I had a big old catch up!
Anyway, my interview today focuses on the magical fairy world of OnGossamerWings. A fabulous designer of really unique fairy wings! I just love them! You all know how I am by now lol!!! Angelia's work is just wonderful, and her interview really did brighten up my evening when I got it back. Just love her sense of humor! I'm really pleased to announce that it's the Angelia's Birthday today too! Happy Birthday!



(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 Angelia, and I the creative force behind On Gossamer Wings. I’m a 41-year old artist living in Central Texas. Random fact – I absolutely adore stripey socks!

-- What is your business about then? I love smiles! Your’s, mine, the child who is sitting on your lap, and your dog’s! There’s an intangible, magical quality to fairy wings that just creates smiles, and I want to share that with as many people as I can.

-- How did Etsy come into your life?A friend mentioned that she had opened a shop on Etsy, so I had to check it out! I fell in love with the site immediately. The beautiful art and the feeling of community are amazing!

-- Are you working a day job too? LOL! Well, that depends upon your definition of “day job!” I’m a full-time mom to a very active 8-month old (we’ll call him The Boychild) who keeps me on my toes!

-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t creating art of some sort. It runs in my family, so art is as natural as breathing. My mom, grandmothers, and an aunt all paint(ed), my father draws, and a distant cousin worked for Disney studios in their animation department back in the golden age of hand-drawn feature length films.

-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? I have always loved everything to do with costuming! The fabrics, the colors, the textures…just dressing differently and seeing how a person is uplifted by the experience. When I stumbled upon fairies, something really clicked for me, and I had a sense of “being home.” Once I started creating fairy wings for people, I saw how changed they became when they dressed as a fairy, and how emotional baggage and inhibitions could be melted away.

-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Creative, distinctive, vibrant

-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? 7:30am – Wake with the son (that’s not a typo…The Boychild is a very reliable alarm clock!)

7:45am – Feed The Boychild, feed the dog, check and answer email, Etsy, and the various online social sites I use to promote my work

9:00am – Greet my mom. She visits us on most days, and she is always such a great help with watching The Boychild.

9:15am – Household errands!

10:00am - Avoid the traffic jam on my way to work (Ok, really, all I have to do is step over the dog in the hallway, but you know…)

10:01am – Time to sit down and work! Go through standing orders to determine what will need to be included in the current production run, and begin creating! I usually have three to four pairs of wings being assembled a time, so on any given day, I could be working on frames, designs, decorating, construction, or photographs of the wings.

Sidenote: Every 15 – 20 minutes I bend down to pick up The Boychild. I’m fortunate enough to have a studio that’s large enough to double as his playroom, so he’s always nearby. Counterproductive? Could be. Satisfying? Without a doubt!

12:00pm – Lunch!

1:00pm – Back to work

3:30pm – Time for my mom to go home, and time for me to stop working for a bit and just hang out with The Boychild.

6:30pm – Dinner as a family.

7:30pm – Feed the dog.

7:45pm – Back to work while hubby does schoolwork and The Boychild sleeps.

11:00pm – Time to sleep!

-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? I love working with color! The dyes, the paint, and the glitter! I also love the conceptual process of creating new designs. It’s the practice of drawing out different fantastical creations and then trying to figure out how to engineer them that intrigues me.

-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? I’d like to grow my business to where I am able to vend at faires and art events on a regular basis. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone’s face when they first try on a pair of wings!

-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? My husband and I love to participate at renaissance faires. Again with the costuming! Also, we enjoy spending time with our family particularly over a meal or just kicking back to watch a good movie.

-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? Anything to do with costuming or fantasy! Of course I love all things fairy, but, with two guys in the house, pirates are also a favorite theme! Oh! And all things bright and sparkly which means I’m always on the prowl for beautiful jewelry. Lastly, I love the brightly colored monster dolls that are sold on Etsy as well. The striped ones are usually my favorites! Go figure!

-- Any last words? I love working with custom orders, so if you have a set of wings in mind, please feel free to contact me. Also, weddings are a specialty of mine! I’ve put wings on brides, bride’s maids, flower girls, and entire wedding parties. If you’re getting married and you want a fantasy or garden theme, I’d be happy to work with you!