Bluesblossom Designs Coasters and Switch Plates

Friday Finds... Bluesblossom

Happy Friday! Today I have a great interview for you all from a team of two wonderful ladies known as Beccah and Sara for their business "Blueblossom Designs". Their work consists of handmade coasters and decorative switch plates, full of colorful designs to appeal to anyone be it young or old, or male or female looking for just the right gift for themselves or for someone they know. Some of their seasonal designs are really pretty, which comes at great timing for Valentines Day and unique gifting :) Enjoy their interview and don't forget to check out their store! Also for any potential buyers they are very generously offering my readers a discount using a coupon code which you can find below, when reading through their interview to get a discount on your order! :) Awesome!

Interview # 56

(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.) We are Sara and Beccah, the co-founders of Bluesblossom Designs. Sara is 26 and Beccah is 27. We are located in Indianapolis, Indiana but both like to travel. Sara lived in San Jose, California for a few years and Beccah has spent summers in Jackson, Wyoming and Strausburg, France.




-- What is your business about then? Our business is focused on creating fun and unique functional items for your home.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I found Etsy a couple of years ago when I was looking for projects to make on my own. Since then, we've talked about starting our own Etsy business but didn't take the leap until the first of this year.




-- Are you working a day job too? Sara is a Licensed Dental Hygienist and is going to school to receive her Bachelor of Science in Public Health Dental Hygiene. Beccah is a Legal Assistant at a law firm that focuses on environmental law. She also serves on the Benton House Association Board (a historic house in Indianapolis) and the Advisory Board of the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library. We're both very busy people!


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? Our senior year of high school we took a Fiber Design art class and fell in love with creating things. I had never been very good at drawing or painting, heck I'm not even good at coloring. I assumed that I just wasn't any good at art. My creativity was unleashed when I realized that there are so many different artistic mediums.



-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? I had a huge supply of scrapbook paper but had tired of scrapbooking so started looking for a way to use that paper. That's when I decided to try decoupage. It's so fun to pick out the paper and turn it into something functional.


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Fun, unique, functional


-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? Well, typically we split up the duties. Beccah uses manages their Etsy page while Sara manages the finances. We usually get together to have big crafting sessions about two or three times a month. We also have a monthly business meeting to set goals, talk about what we've accomplished, and what we can do better.




-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? We love scrapbook paper and Mod Podge but also enjoy working with fabric and wood. We love power tools! We'll be introducing some new products in the future that utilizes these materials.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? We would like to get involved in a craft fair, introduce more items, and possibly start doing custom items for our customers. We've discussed making custom coasters with photographs and possibly working with brides to create custom coasters for wedding favors.


-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? We like to hang out with friends, have dinner, and listen to live music.



-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? There are so many wonderful shops on Etsy. I like searching for purses, cards, and gifts for friends and family.

-- Any last words? Please check out our facebook and blog pages - www.facebook.com/bluesblossom
www.bluesblossom.etsy.com

We would like to offer your readers a coupon for 15% off their purchase. The coupon code is MOONANGEL and expires March 1.

Wedding Bags by BelleJouJou

Friday Finds... BelleJouJou

Wow it's been a while but Friday Finds is BACK after a holiday of it's own, and to kick off 2011 I have a beautiful store and brilliant crafter behind the work to share with you! BelleJouJou specializes in custom wedding and special event bags, and they are just absolutely stunning! If you are planning something special, especially those ladies looking to accessorize for their big day or for unique gifts then you'll find BelleJouJou is full of luxurious elegant treats to feast your eyes upon. I contacted Cynthia, the lady behind the work to find out more about what she does! I hope you enjoy her interview!

Interview # 55

(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.) I’m Cynthia Duke-Birowski, age 57. I live in Dallas, Texas and have for 36 years, except for the 5 years I escaped to California. I call myself an ADD artist. I can’t do just one thing!




-- What is your business about then? My business is about making beautiful clutches and purses for the discriminating woman to match her wardrobe and her style.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I’m in an artist ring with a group of wonderful women who support each other in art, life and mentor each other. My associates kept telling me to check out etsy and I finally did!



-- Are you working a day job too? No, I’m not working a day job. I call myself semi-retired, since I will never ever stop doing and creating SOMEthing.


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? I’ve been an artist since I could hold a crayon. I used to design new clothes on my paper dolls at 5 and 6 years of age.



-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? I was a fashion designer for 15 years in the Dallas area, and retired from that very stressful arena. But, I had bought about 10 yards of a faux leopard print fabric a few years ago (for drapes that I never made) and decided to do something with it. The bags seemed the best thing to make with it. It kind of exploded from that into doing silk bags for brides and bridesmaids.


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Beautiful, luxurious, elegant


-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? I get up around 8, then get a cup of Good Earth tea, get on the computer for about 1 ½ hours, doing research, answering emails. Then I cut out some bags or do a planning session for the flowers and embellishments. If I have a custom order, I may have to go shop for fabric in that color if I don’t have enough. I come back home around 3-4 and sew or cut more bags, then go to the gym around 5:30 and have dinner later. If I have a pressing order, I may continue working until around 10:30 at night to complete the order.




-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? I love working with silks and brocades. I also love planning the flowers which I make myself out of satins, organzas and chiffons and find just the perfect rhinestone button or color of feathers for embellishments.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? I would love to work with more brides who come to me for their very special bag that would be a family heirloom or paint someones dream bag for their special event.


-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? I love to read at night to put me to sleep. Usually a fantasy book. I also love just getting together with friends in my women’s group. On the weekends, I relax at the lake with my husband on our boat if there’s not an art show going on somewhere, that is!



-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? I usually search for rhinestone buttons, feathers, flowers and other clutch accessories, and check out my competition to see what the latest trends are.

-- Any last words? Yes, I love this quote from Mark Twain:
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." –

I’ve decided that this is my motto – and to be true to yourself at all times!

ChristineSherriffs Crafts

Friday Finds... ChristineSherriffs


Interview # 54
Here is this Friday's interview! Today I have interviewed Christine of ChristineSherriffs on Etsy who makes gorgeous jewelry and signs. I particularly love her Russian beaded bracelets. They are beautiful, chunky and intricate and speak volumes about her talent. Her handpainted signs are wonderful and have a very homely lived in look which I think makes them versatile enough to fit into any home. She has other items in her store too like ornaments etc. You can find some of her work in this interview and they link directly to her store but if you wish to visit the store directly, just click on her shop name or banner :)

(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.) Christine Sherriffs Frohloff
54 (almost ~ yeesh)
Hudson, Quebec in Canada
My hands need to be busy




-- What is your business about then? My business on Etsy right now is painting signs. I have received two custom orders. I have been doing jewellery lately and have now added a jewellery line.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I wanted to get my signs and jewellery out to more people. So looked into Etsy, and I liked that everything has to be homemade.



-- Are you working a day job too? I do work at a day job. Have been there for 30 years and enjoy it (can you tell) I work four days a week for 24 hours a week. The perfect situation for bringing up a family,


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? For 16 years



-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? Actually, a friend, whom I met a few years ago on the Craft Show Market who I consider to be very successful at what he does, he suggested to me that I pick one thing that I enjoy painting and concentrate on that one thing and focus on it, and try and make a business with that one thing. After many months, I decided that I really LOVE painting signs.


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Meaningful ~ enjoyment ~ happy


-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? Out for a powerwalk at 5:30 a.m., for 40 minutes check in with emails, and Etsy till 7:30 a.m., day job from 9:00 till 3:00. 4:00 to 5:00 check up on emails again, 5:00 to 7:00 sit with hubby and catch up on the day-to-day life things. Paint from 7:00 to 9:00 or make jewellery during this time.




-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? Love to cut out the wood and prepare the wood for Custom order signs with customer’s sayings that mean so much to them. Also love working on Russian Rope bracelets.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? *Sigh* Ideally, I would love to be able to give up my day job and actually work on my signs and jewellery all day long.


-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? Well, since my daughter now lives 900 miles away from me, my fun and winding down time is now dedicated to my signs and jewellery. As I said in the opening, my hands need to be busy!



-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? Different things that you cannot find in stores


-- Any last words? Do what makes you happy.

ykaihori

Friday Finds... ykaihori


Interview # 53
Today I want to introduce you to the beautiful landscape paintings of a very talented Japanese artist known as Yukari, from ykaihori on Etsy! A long while ago when I posted in the Etsy forums about interview, I didn't look back for a bit as I had a lot to do here are home and also I had a non Friday Finds feature that I wanted to post on one of the weeks, of which I did last week. I checked back however a few days ago and one of the sellers that had asked for a feature was Yukari and I'm really glad to be featuring their work here today as I just love discovering Artists that are to become new intrigues of mine :) I'm loving loads of the paintings designed by Yukari, especially the urban landscapes. I never would have guessed that these paintings were done in oils as the technique looks similar to watercolor paintings! Amazing! Yukari's busy life has made a fascinating read for me, and a true journey that I am excited to share today. Here is Yukari's 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 Yukari Kaihori. I am a Japanese painter (age. 30) currently in Kyoto, Japan. I love being outdoors and in the mountains! Also, I cannot live without good dark chocolate.




-- What is your business about then? Original oil paintings and prints. Because of the technique I use with oil, the paintings look like watercolor. I work on abstract landscape with oil on paper.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I was reading American Designer’s blog “Artist's who Blog” by Stephanie Levy one day when I was in London, thinking to start up a Blog to promote my works. Her blog had a small Etsy showcase windows on the side. I was like "what is this little thing?" And the link led me to Etsy.
I created my shop right away.



-- Are you working a day job too? Yes, but not now since I am in transition from London - Japan - and hopefully back to London sometimes next year.

After graduating school in Oregon with BA in Studio Art, I came back to Japan and started working as an English teacher. It was a full time job but gave me enough time to paint on the side. Then I changed my job and worked for a corporate. Working hours became so hectic that I had no time to do anything else.
After 5 years, I saved some money and quit my job, decided to do what I been wanted to do for the recent years when I was in the office.
I traveled to New Zealand and Australia hiking for about 3 months spending a lot of time in the mountains and camping. Then, I flied to London took some art courses, got my studio and I have painting for the past 6 months.

Meanwhile, I set up my shop on Etsy. It's been a year since I departed on this journey.


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? As a child, I always liked putting my hands on material like clay, cookie dough, or anything. I just get sucked into making things and forget how time flies when I enjoy the process of creation.

Years later, I chose to go to University in the USA because I wanted to study International Affair (since I wanted to make the world better place) up until the last minute during the 3rd year in Uni. I then changed it to Studio Art (I guess I followed my heart).



-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? I have noticed that many people buy original fine art works on the internet. I believe a marketplace like Etsy that connect people from all over the world would change/save the small art business!

For more fine artists like me, it gives a great space online to share works. During the 6 months of staying London, I tried to find a gallery but I had no luck.
The majority of galleries in Japan require fees for artists to rent space. Instead of having an exhibition once or twice a year, I can always show people what I am making on Etsy and website.


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Joyful, translucent, contemporary


-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? For now, my day to day schedule is very different.
9am: I check my e-mails. Update blogs/ edit some imagings.
10-Noon: Stretch papers (for under coating) and let them dry ( takes a whole day)
1pm-3pm Helping friends' small online shop by taking photos, editing images on the web, shipping them and some administrative work.
4pm or 5pm- when I paint in the studio, I spend 3-8 hours there.




-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? Since 6 month ago, I started working with oil painting on paper and it's been a great change from acrylics.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? I have tons of exciting ideas for painting.
I started working on bigger, more abstract, mix media pieces. Ideally, I would like to secure a gallery for exhibition in Japan and hopefully overseas (fingers crossed!) for annual show. (I will move anywhere if I can put my work out!)

In addition to that, wherever I would be, I would like to keep putting some of my original works on Etsy. I like to make small original paintings on paper for so it is more purchasable.

I like to have original fine art works to become more accessible for everyone (meaning price is reasonable and sizing is small enough to handle overseas).
Ideal vision is -- one can buy a small painting for friend's birthday (not a wedding) and everyone to have original paintings at home!!

I also would like to do more studying and looking into programs.



-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? I love to go for a run. I run for races sometimes. Running by the river, or sometimes I try a different street and I discover some shops or places I have never seen in the neighborhood. Also I like to go for a days hiking or longer in the warmer season! I guess winter is the best time to concentrate in the studio.
Besides from that, I love baking yummy treats.




-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? “Ykaihori”
This is my shop name. I didn't think much at all and created random words when I made it and later notice I cannot change this!


-- Any last words? Thank you for reading! Please come visit my shop and let me know what you think.
Website : http://www.yukarikaihori.com/
Blog: http://mossydays.blogspot.com/
Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ykaihori

iDesignDreams Custom Photo Cards

Friday Finds... iDesignDreams


Interview # 52
With Christmas now just around the corner, you may be considering the perfect greeting to send to your loved ones that has that little bit something extra. I have featured some brilliant cardmakers on my blog before and today is no exception, iDesignDreams offers fantastic designs throughout the store and offers a great personal quality to the cards for the ability to customize each step in the process of ordering. Not only do you have the option to have your card file available to print at home, but you can ask to have the design professionally printed which you can be invoiced for. I mentioned the Christmas holiday approaching of course, yet there are other options available to you such as birth announcements, and save the date. I think if you want to find the perfect digital printable cards this year that use your images then a visit to iDesignDreams is a must. Check out their interview for today!

(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 Jamie Dennis (age 24) and I live in Greeley, CO (about an hour north of Denver, CO). I also happen to be a vegetarian of two years!




-- What is your business about then? As of now, I make custom holiday photo cards that are modern and fresh. Because I just opened up shop and it so happened to be right around the holidays, that was my main focus. Soon, I will be designing photo baby announcements, save the date cards, birthday party invitations and more! You won't find any generic photo cards here!


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I discovered Etsy awhile ago when doing some personal shopping. I never thought I would actually become a seller. When I decided to start designing custom photo cards to sell, I remembered Etsy and thought it matched well with my personality and style.



-- Are you working a day job too? Yup! I work as a full-time Graphic Designer in the corporate world and have been for almost 5 years now, even during the time I was still in college getting my Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design.


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? Corporately, quite some time as I've mentioned. I've always done wedding invitations, my own holiday cards, logo design, etc on the side. It wasn't until a couple months ago that I decided I might actually be able to design photo cards to fit other people's personalities and styles as well. So, I started designing some cards here and there, as I continued and ideas came easy to me, I decided that maybe I had a "nack" for designing photo cards and then I just went for it, listing them on Etsy!



-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? Never being able to find anything online that fit what I was looking for. Being a designer, it's hard to buy a photo card someone else has created without NOT wanting to change something about it. It's just engrained in us designers. :) I also find it freeing to be able to design outside the corporate world, without having limitations or rules to follow or someone else to have final say. Now, that final says is ME!


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Beautiful. Modern. Fresh.


-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? Stroll into office at my full-time day job at 8:00pm and get off at 5:00pm. Go to CrossFit (gym) right after work, get home around 7:00pm. Cook dinner for the hubs and I. Shower. At 8:00, if I'm lucky and the hubs isn't using the computer, design a couple photo cards and list on Etsy. Then, it's time to "take care" of my social networking accounts on Facebook and Twitter and try to maintain a marketing presence. Crash around say 11:30pm, any later and I'm worthless the next day. :)




-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? I absolutely love paper and printed "things." However, because I only design and sell digital photo cards, the only material I use is my computer. I design in Illustrator and edit photos in Photoshop.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? I'd like to have a full line of holiday cards, baby announcements, save the date cards, birthday party invitations and possibly even creating some "frameable" artwork as a spin-off of the card designs. For instance, creating baby announcement posters for a baby room using the baby's name, date of birth, weight, height, etc that can either match the announcement card or the room decor. Same thing for the save the date cards, etc. So many ideas and only so much time; it's good that the possibilities are literally endless. I'd like to have a consistent customer base, creating a "hub" if you will for all things photo cards that customers look at first before going anywhere else.


-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? My husband and I are addicted to CrossFit. You can find us there most nights after work and on the weekends. We also love to play outdoors; snowboard, bike, run and hike. We do live in Colorado after all. We attend a lot of concerts and movies and are always trying out new Vegetarian places in Colorado. We love to travel (or should I say I love to travel and take the hubs with me) and are into modern home decor (go figure, right)? :) We are blessed to have great families, friends and a wonderful life!




-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? Unique clothing, design inspiration, modern wall art and the next new thing!


-- Any last words? Of course, I have a Facebook and Twitter account that I'm on regularly. Like me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greeley-CO/I-Design-Dreams/140885742625843 Follow me on Twitter @i_Design_Dreams You can find me on there promoting my products, keeping you up to date with the newest designs and interacting with my followers. I try to keep the self-promotion contained and help promote other unique finds on Etsy as well.

And of course, check out my Etsy shop. www.iDesignDreams.etsy.com

PolClary

Friday Finds... PolClary


Interview # 51
I'm telling ya, its blooming freezing in the UK at the moment, after we had just gone through what the media is describing as one of the mildest November's in how ever long! Mother nature has had a change of heart and is currently battering the garden with gale force winds which should look pretty interesting in the morning I'm guessing. For me being a bit of a wimp in the cold (i just love my yarn warmth way too much... ahem), it's been wonderful to enjoy some of the early winter warmers appearing all over Etsy. Today I have a fab seller called Clary who makes some really cool crochet items and other textile decor items. They are warming me up just through sight, I can only imagine how snuggly they would be in reality! The shop is just gorgeous and homely. I especially like the arm warmers which is something I have a bit of a thing for as it's normally my arms and hands that need warmth the most! I hope you enjoy the interview and make sure you stop by Clary's store for your winter accessories :)

(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 Clary van Rijswijck and I run the Etsy shop PolClary. I live in a small town in the Netherlands. I'm 51 years old (quite an old lady, I know!). I have a degree in teaching crafts to children.

I have a husband and two kids. My daughter, who calls me Pol (hence the shop name), is the one that does all the internet things and helps me with my English.




-- What is your business about then? I love making original, handmade items, from clothing and accessories to bags and home decor. I get bored if I have to make the same thing over and over, so I try to make my products diverse. Generally, when I am making something, my mind is already reeling with ideas for a new product, an improvement, a matching hat, or all of the above!.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? My daughter had shown me this great website where you can buy all these cool handmade things a few times. She got me a beautiful card for Mother’s Day off Etsy. When I started to get back into crafts and I ran out of people to give my handmade things to (my family and co-workers can only use so many scarves and hats), my daughter suggested that I start an Etsy shop.



-- Are you working a day job too? Yes. I used to work at an arts and crafts store. When my children were born, I stopped working to spend more time with them. When they were old enough, I started working again. These days, I work in a clothing shop. I love helping the customers and giving fashion advice. It’s like shopping with someone else’s money!


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? I can’t remember when I first started crafting. My mother was always busy making things and expected us kids to help, so I’ve been learning how to knit, sew and crochet since I was very young.

I really started actively getting into crafts when I was ten. I started making things for myself, such as knitting my own scarf. When I was a teenager, I’d babysit for people during holidays and weekends and save up all my money so I could buy new yarn. Friends and family always knew how long I’d be visiting. If I didn’t take out my knitting things, they knew I’d only stay a moment.

When my kids were born, I started making things for them. I knit matching sweaters for my husband and my son, sewed dresses for my daughter. Then, I started helping at school during arts and crafts. When they got older, there weren’t many arts and crafts lessons anymore.

I got back into crafting when my then eighteen year old daughter realized ‘hey, my mother could totally help me make that patchwork blanket I’ve been dreaming about’. We made it together during the holidays. I knit and sewed, she printed fabric. Then, my son started asking if I could knit him a hat… and then the ball started rolling.



-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? After making the patchwork blanket, I really wanted to get back into crafts. I had so many ideas, my fingers were itching to start again. It’s great to have a creative outlet and to be able to share my work with other people around the world.

These days, I’m inspired by lots of things. My children will get ideas for a product and ask if I could make it, or I’ll see something in a shop or a magazine and think: I could make a better version of that, for less money. Like the knit vases and tea light lanterns in my shop. My daughter showed me one in a design magazine and said: ‘Can you believe they’re asking ninety euro for a vase with a knit cozy? You could make a prettier one!’


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Diverse, original, happy



-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? It depends on if I am working that day. I do all the boring household stuff as well. I get up, have coffee, read the paper. I usually have a list of things to do, such as grocery shopping or ironing. When I have work, I shower and get dressed and head off to work.

Any spare time I have, I’ll put into crafting. I usually have two projects at the same time: an easy one to do in the evening while watching television, and a harder one that needs more focus and daylight. I also try to switch between crafts, so I give my hands a break. Some knitting, some needlepoint, some crocheting.




-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? I love working with reclaimed materials. I like using old denim jeans to make bags and pillows. It’s a great material, sturdy and cool. Everyone I know now comes to bring me their old jeans.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? Right now, my daughter and I are joking that once we get the shop up and running and start making a profit, we’ll buy some tickets to Ireland and go on holiday there. Every time I sell something, she’ll say ‘now we’ve earned three-fourths of a ticket to Dublin!’.

Ideally, I’d like to be able to make such a profit on my Etsy shop that I can quit my job and work my own hours. But for now, I’d be happy with being able to keep making new things... and sometimes even selling them.


-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? Knitting and crocheting is what I do to wind down. I love sitting in my chair in front of the television and knitting while my husband and kids discuss who the killer is or if some contestant is going to make it to the next round.

I also like to read... and shop!




-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? I love seeing what other people make on Etsy. I like looking through the Time Machine feature a lot, or browsing through the treasuries and categories. I almost never specifically search for something, I’ll just see what I run into.


-- Any last words? For anyone out there who wants to start crafting, just follow your dream. Even if you’re over fifty! ... Especially if you’re over fifty!

And please... visit my Etsy shop at http://polclary.etsy.com

Steufel Chunky Beaded Sari Jewelry

Friday Finds... steufel


Interview # 50
What a great way to celebrate Bonfire night by bringing you a tremendously gorgeous burst of color and flair for one of my favourite newbie jewelry artists on Etsy. Stefanie of steufel makes jewelry using a combination of copper, lampwork beads and sari fabrics that look so cool together in the way she styles each piece. The rings and bracelets are my favourites as they seem to come alive with movement and versatility and for this reason I'm sure that each piece is always going to be OOAK and therefore never replicated. I love the idea of wearing jewelry that's unique and unlike anything seen before, and I think anyone purchasing from Stefanies store would be proud to own her work. I hope you enjoy her 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.) My name is Stefanie, I’m 41 years old and live in Cologne, Germany. About the random fact – actually my last name is Teufel, which means devil in English, so you can imagine I had a fun time in school




-- What is your business about then? I love to create and express myself. For me it’s really relaxing to work with all those beautiful beads and fiber after returning home from work. And all the vibrant colors I tend to work with lighten up my mood.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? When I started beading I soon realized that the choices in Germany are limited. Then someone pointed out that there is this great place called etsy. I was hooked the minute I went there for the first time. And I like the idea to support individuals so I try to get all my supplies there. It’s so much more rewarding to buy stuff from people who are committed to their work. And I think everyone on etsy is committed.



-- Are you working a day job too? Yes, I do. I’m responsible for the marketing at a local newspaper.


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? I ‘ve always loved to create. My first love was writing. Actually I wrote some books about the computer system “linux” – kind of funny for a jewelry artist, isn’t it ?, but then I felt the need to do something with my hands, create pieces and see the hopefully beautiful results right in front of me. Making jewelry was a natural consequence because I collected costume jewelry for a long time.



-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? As I write in my shop - I've been born with a magpie gen - so when I come across beads or fabric I feel the urgent need to collect them. But to be honest - how many beads and how much fabric can you pile up? That was the moment I decided to share some of my treasures to make room for new items that need a home:-)



-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Vibrant, whimsical and funny – I guess.



-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? Well, I have to work till six o’clock, sometimes later and I have a fiancé who wants to spent time with me (and vice versa) so there isn’t too much time left for making jewelry. I try to get things done on the weekend. I love to sit down with my stash and come up with a new bracelet or necklace.




-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? Sari ribbon and copper. That’s for sure. All my pieces tend to end up with some fiber in it. And I love metalwork and wire wrapping.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? To have more time for my jewelry making and finding people who like my stuff as much as I do.



-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? Cooking and reading. I’m mad about crime novels.





-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? Jewelry supplies


-- Any last words? A big thank you! It’s very generous to give us etsy-newbies a place to shine and a chance to get the word about our work out there.

And when people are interested in seeing more of my work or reading more about my inspiration I’d like to invite them over to my blog : http://stefaniessammelsurium.blogspot.com/ or to my Facebookpage: http://www.facebook.com/Stefanies.Sammelsurium

Jarg0n Knitting and Crochet Geekery

Friday Finds... jarg0n


Interview # 49
I absolutely love to knit and crochet as you've probably guessed before and am totally besotted with anything that is remotely cute and geeky. I have always been like that in many ways, and was pretty well known in my teenage years for being the one that still thought cartoons were cool (still do.... ahem). Nowadays I am very much inspired by my kids, amigurumi styling and my inner "girl" (I'm a bit of a tomboy nowadays).

Jarg0n on Etsy is an artist that I feel an affinity with in this respect as their work reminds me of a child-like mentality, and the ability to enjoy creations without formality! The work is super cute, fun and bright and I am really pleased that I can share this fab interview with you today :)

(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 Dawn or D4wn1e, I'm 41 years old and live in Rotherham UK with my partner Mick, son Jack and two cats Beta and Pixel. I grew up in a deprived area of England and was heavily into the punk scene while I was growing up. I spent much of my free time back then going to jumble sales and charity shops to buy clothing that I could redesign. I once stole the cricket net and Blackout curtains from school to make a skirt.




-- What is your business about then? Revisiting old skills that I've had an absolute passion for when I was younger. Arts and crafts were always my thing but before I knew it years had flown by and I had spent the time fitting in and being a responsible member of society (House, job, child, relationship). My son often tells me I should do more things that I really enjoy, so I guess my business is about that, rekindling old passions :)


-- How did Etsy come into your life? I had started creating craft items to sell for a charity and raised a decent sum of money. Mick told me about etsy and suggested I should open a shop and see what happens. I was suprised how cheap etsy was to list so thought what the hell.



-- Are you working a day job too? Not a conventional job but for the last two years I have been home educating my son who has Asperger's syndrome and social anxiety disorder due to extreme bullying at school. Although I don't work a regular 9 till 5 job I do put in a lot more hours but it means I can be flexible which works perfectly for the running of my etsy store.


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? The artist me has always been there, she's just been hiding while the other me's were doing the regular stuff. I was taught knitting, embroidery and lots of other crafts from a very early age by my mother who coincidently creates all the crochet items in my shop. My shop has been open for two months now and the artistic me is back with a vengeance!



-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? Mick and Jack are the inspiration for my business. As an artist I find myself very critical of my own work as I imagine a lot of other artists are. The boys give me the confidence to say "Hey my work's good enough to be out there!"



-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Unique, cute and geeky.



-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? Sometimes I get up with Mick when he's getting up for work about 5am, after a cup of tea and a check of my shop I can get a couple of hours crafting in before I wake Jack. The rest of the day is cooking meals, sorting Jack with school work, cleaning, washing, making lots of phone calls and arranging meetings for Jacks ongoing therapy and education. When Mick gets home from work and school, dinner and washing up are done I catch up with my shop and blog, taking and editing photographs, writing item descriptions and gaining publicity on various internet forums, this takes me to 9pm when I will wind down for the evening in front of the tv with a glass of wine but even then I will be crafting.




-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? I really love knitting and have recently tried hand felting for the first time which I absolutely love, I'm really proud of my traditional shrunken head bag as I have never seen the technique of tacking in the features pre felting done before and then hand felting the bag and having the features appear in 3D just as I imagined they would look. I should probably point out here for those that don't felt that the pre felted item is a lot bigger than the felted item and so getting the features to appear as they should is kind of tricky.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? My ideal vision for my work is that People enjoy my creations and hopefully I build up a customer base so that my sales increase, I would love for Mick to go part time and be able to spend more time at home.



-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? I love to game, especially co-op gaming, Micks the family techie so we have a big gaming network at home . We like to kill virtual zombies together (left 4 Dead). We also love to cook and experiment with recipes, we hot and cold smoke food and make our own cheese and of course tv and a glass of wine :)





-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? Unique one of a kind items with possibly a gothic/horror twist.


-- Any last words? Do what you have a passion for, do it well but most of all enjoy it.

Elissanolan Encaustic Works

Friday Finds... Elissanolan


Interview # 48
I called out to Etsy sellers in the forums a few days ago to see if anyone would be interested in having interviews which is something I havent done in AGES. I normally stumble across people through finding them on my own accord. I thought it would be nice to ask for a change as I know so many of the newer or established sellers are actively searching for ways to promote their work. The first items that I fell in love with are the beautiful accessories from Etsy artist Elissa Nolan. Besides tile jewelry she offers artworks, bags and other jewelry accessories which in a collective look so feminine and bright on her shop homepage. I adore her product photos and I'm so pleased she responded to the interview call as I think she really has a wonderful talent and I'm excited to offer my readers an opportunity to learn more about her and her work :)

(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 Ellissa Nolan, I’ve just turned forty and I live in Brisbane in Australia. I have a six-year-old son and an amazing husband who supports every aspect of my creativity.




-- What is your business about then? Encaustic Works is about celebrating being an artist in every respect. I want to explore and make and create and scare myself by discovering things I can do that I never imagined possible before. I love to watch people’s reactions to my work and how they love to wear the pieces, or talk about the paintings, and find a bit more about their own subjective taste through this process.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? After moving to Queensland two years ago I started to create necklaces as a hobby to ‘de-stress’ after work. I wondered if people would be interested to buy them so I started to sell them at the Southbank Designer Markets in Brisbane. My friend suggested I also set up an online store on Etsy as an efficient way to handle payments for people that wanted to purchase them online. I got excited about that and set up an Etsy store. I didn’t really focus on putting work up there until May this year, and have slowly started to create a showcase of work. Now that is at a level I feel comfortable with I’m really interested in finding out more about the Etsy community.


-- Are you working a day job too? Yes, I work for QUT Creative Industries as a digital communications officer. I work on the social networks, Faculty website, create videos, take photographs and write news stories. I’ve just finished working with a great team to develop a new mobile website too.



-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? I worked in Australian media and communications for a long time as my profession after leaving school at 16. When I was 25 I developed blood clots in my legs and lungs and had to take anti-coagulants for a year after that. During the aftermath I really had to assess what would make me happy as an individual before my inevitable permanent demise. So I thought if I could play classical guitar on a mountain in Spain by myself then that would be a life achievement that I would be content with. But at the time I didn’t know how to play guitar at all! So in around 1999 my friend kindly offered to help me start learning - I then hired a teacher and studied two hours a day for two years. I travelled to Spain and walked across the old Pilgrims trail to Santiago de Compostela. After developing tendonitis in my ankle I bought a guitar in Burgos and found a place to rest for a few days called Villafranca del Bierzo. I climbed to the top of a hill there, overlooking a vineyard and sat under a pear tree and played every Spanish piece I knew by heart. I knew my dream had been realized in that moment.

After that I had the confidence to enrol in University and do a Visual Arts degree. I started when I was four months pregnant. After completing two years of a Bachelors degree the Head of School invited me to undertake a Masters degree in Visual Arts. So I ended up managing a Summer School attracting over 500 people to create their own art in 8 days in the city of Launceston in Tasmania (Tasmanian Creative Arts Summer School). After doing that successfully I was awarded my Masters degree in Contemporary Art and moved to sunny Queensland for new challenges!


-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? During my undergraduate degree I found that my favorite work was creating encaustic abstract paintings. I would love that I could create visual stories with melted beeswax that didn’t have to replicate realism and they could communicate how I was feeling through textures and colours, format and by embedding objects. The business name is derived from that. The work is created by a desire to find and express my own interpretation of a ‘beautiful aesthetic’.



-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Colour, texture, emotion



-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? My usual day starts at around 5.30am. Either my husband or I make each other breakfast in bed with a really strong cup of coffee. I’ll check all of my messages on my phone and check out what’s happening with my friends on facebook. I read the news online on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). I’ll have a shower, get my son ready for school and drop him off. I then go into my office with another big cup of coffee and work on either writing stories, editing photos, concetualising projects, meeting people, writing emails, briefing agencies, editing videos or finding out interesting contemporary developments in the creative economy to share on our social networks. At lunchtime I go to the gym to try and keep healthy. During exercise I visualize which direction to take my projects and stay determined to be a productive creative person in society.

After work I pick up my son, head home for working on homework, bath time, dinner and family time. After dinner I’ll usually spend an hour or so working on my own creative projects. On the weekends I dedicate my time to my family and making my own creative work.




-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? At the moment I’m exploring using fabric to make bags, and also working with glass and resin. They are all new materials to me since graduating so I am enjoying the discovery of each one. However, at the end of the day I’ll always be drawn back to the desire to paint.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? I’m happy to create and to keep creating as long as I can, in as many ways as possible. I’m having a very fortunate time in that many of my dreams have been, and are being realized. To be able to continue to learn, grow and share creativity with likeminded people keeps me inspired!



-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? Well I still like to play my guitar to really wind down. When I play it’s one of the few times that I feel my communication is uninhibited by the limits of language and words. There are sounds that match my feelings that I can’t explain in words. I’m certainly no virtuoso, but enjoy playing simple pieces as well as I can.

I also love to go to the beach with my husband and son. I find the sound of the ocean relaxing and the warm sun on my back makes me feel happy.





-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? I’m likely to look for gifts for friends and family for birthdays and Christmas. At the moment I’m looking for paintings that I like too. The majority of my suppliers are people I have found on Etsy.


-- Any last words? Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you! Life is short – live your dream!