DameonPriestly

Friday Finds... DameonPriestly


This is my 33rd interview of the amazing not-so-well-known artists of Etsy!

I want to thank Etsy seller DameonPriestly for taking part in todays interview, as it is one I have been looking forward to for a while being as I asked a while ago if he'd like to participate. It is this week that he has been able to take the time to complete my questionnaire and give us all a brief insight into his amazing world of his contemporary drawing. I love to give support to my fellow UK Etsy artists, and I found that with Dameon especially when I arrived at his store 2 weeks ago, I was blown away by the haunting and abstract nature of his fine work. His interview is short and sweet, and straight to the point which leaves plenty of time to visit the listings below in his 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.) Dameon Priestly, 44, London, There are 3 sixes in my date of birth and my name is Dameon



-- What is your business about then? I am a contemporary artist exploring subjects not normally discussed in today’s art world


-- How did Etsy come into your life? Trawling the internet



-- Are you working a day job too? No


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? Since I was 4


-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? To open up discussion and make people think about things they may not want to think about.


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Informative, researched, haunting


-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? I do not have an average day


-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? Acrylic, painting on linen canvas


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? To reach those people who need to be reached.


-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? Read and eaves drop in cafes


-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? Gifts


-- Any last words? There will be no whitewash

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!

watercolorsNmore

Friday Finds... watercolorsNmore


This is my 31st interview of the amazing not-so-well-known artists of Etsy!

Coming across Roxanne of watercolorsNmore's store last week was definitely one of my happiest handmade finds of last week! Her watercolor paintings are just exquisite! And I'm not surprised as she is an experienced painter working on her beautiful works since 1979. The thing that strikes me the most about her work is the attention to detail AND the technique she uses to achieve her individually styled water color paintings. Watercolors are not an easy medium to use, yet she makes it seem effortless as her paintings to me literally come alive on the page. I can only imagine how amazing these must look in reality over how they look on my PC screen! Besides a few originals in her store she also offers her paintings as prints, and glass tile jewelry so you're not stuck for choice what so ever :) She has become one of my favourites on Etsy, I hope you can take the time to visit her store and give her a shop heart and perhaps a purchase too :) She has an offer to my readers at the bottom of her interview so don't miss out!


(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 Roxanne Tobaison, I live in sunny, central Florida and married with 2 daughters and 60ish. Now you wouldn’t think I’d tell you exact, right.


-- What is your business about then? My business is watercolors and I have been painting since 1979.


-- How did Etsy come into your life? Having retired from the art festivals show after 30 years, I stumbled onto Etsy when purchasing from some of the fabulous craftsman and artisans. Why not give it a go??? What would I have to lose?? Didn’t actual realize the time involvement or the addiction!


-- Are you working a day job too? No day job for me…my art has kept me fairly busy all these years.


-- How long has the artist in you been 'unleashed' for? After the birth of my first daughter, I tried my hand at oil painting then watercolors. I was hooked and have never stopped since.


-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? I am a Florida native and the area is brimming over with natural wonders, treasures, beauty and so many historical landmarks. Did I mention…I love the history of our area, which the Tampa Bay area is extremely rich. I paint to preserve them and many are commissioned works.


-- If you could describe your products in three words, what would you tell me? Frameable, (not sure that’s a word, but you know what I mean.)
Wearable and Collectable.

-- What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? Each day is an adventure in itself. With my morning coffee, to jumpstart myself, I read the Bible and then off to Etsy, go exercise and back to etsy… Work around the house and errands, then back to etsy… You know, I actually DO paint too! Then back to etsy. I think you get the picture…my husband sure does. He calls me an etsy-acholic.



-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? Above all, my camera is my best friend. I take all my reference shots. My materials are watercolors, acrylics and occasionally pen and inks. Most of my works are representational and realistic; however I have enjoyed some abstracts as seen mostly in my pendants.
Recently, I added a line of glass tile pendants necklaces that showcase my original watercolor paintings. These are affordable pieces of art that can be enjoyed and worn too. I title these pieces and take pride in the little originals. Also I have started doing ACEO’s which are like baseball trading cards – artists trading cards which are collectable.


-- What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? The main thing is that I feel blessed to have this talent and that others like it. Of course we like to sell, but it’s therapeutic, fulfilling and great when someone likes what you do. Get rich doing it – I DON’T think so…but riches can be measured in many ways.


-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? Exercise workouts are a great escape and keeps you trim – yeah, right. Well, it’s fun anyway.


-- What are you likely to search for on Etsy? I really like earrings-jewelry (bought quite a few from fellow etsians). Like to search out the artsy pottery, sculptures.
I really appreciate ALL the fabulous talent that is on the etsy site!


-- Any last words? I want to express my sincere thanks for Nay finding me and allowing me to be interviewed on her ‘Friday Finds’blog.
So nice when fellow artists want to help others.

If anyone purchases from seeing this, I’ll include a set of 2 (5 x 7) note cards of any print image on my site. Just mentioned that you saw my interview on the ‘Friday Finds’ in the reference line and tell me which (2) images.
Period 6/18 – 6/25/10.

Duty Calls...

Duty Calls...

My son so lovingly has been a night owl for the past few days, keeping me up and making me a right ol' sleepy head. But he's so adorable LOL! Yesterday I had a pretty hectic day, but if it wasn't for my little boy I think I would have burnt out. A trip to the doctors, the library and my mums house, amongst keeping him entertained and working where I could really is taking it's toll on me today, but I had so much fun with him, I honestly don't mind! You hear about stuff in the news all the time about how some parents are terribly cruel to their children, and you wonder just how and why some can have no compassion and be so downright lazy and irresposible. It's not like signing your life away to have kids. To me it's only the beginning! Having children as difficult as it can be sometimes to keep your head in check, and going through the ups and downs of their moods!, it's the most fulfilling and joyful experience a person could ever have in their lifetime! I guess some people have been totally manipulated by the stealth control mechanisms in alsorts of places setting the "exemplary" standard and think they are missing out if they don't poison their bodys, have a party-like social life or god forbid switch off their TV's and computer games to spend quality time with those are supposed to mean the most to them. I feel quite fortunate actually to have the mindset that I do about my life and my son. I only wish the media had something worth sharing on a daily basis to influence people in more positive ways! I mean come on it IS the media that blatently gives people ideas of what to think about events in the world. And everyone just takes it on board. We all have choices to make, as we were born with free will and our potential is being shadowed by this MASS of influence that unfortunately in most cases takes it's toll on the most influential of people... and then you get miserable stories like the one's I'm moaning about. Not just about children but anything! It's quite depressing actually. I think there's a time and a place for things like that... I think mums that are devoted to their kids for a change should be applauded and not penalised. It's something I find an incredible read, to see that the news in the UK ACTUALLY critisises mums that do their job and do it well. Disgusting. I think mums with careers do a great job too, but in this country the media try and make out like mums who stay at home are no more than scrounging scum, when I have NEVER known anyone in my position to sit begging in my life! I guess it's the undevoted parents that give the bad name, but this is all part of the stereotype the media glorifies for all of the world's population to sit, read and believe. I'd like some good news about happy families for a change! Well I'm off to have some fun with my lil man now!

moonangelnay x

Sunday - Coffee And Cake!

New And Relisted Listings on Etsy - Click an image to visit the corresponding listing

Another late one I'm afraid! More than likely on time for most of you across the water, but here in the UK it is now 2.20pm and so far today all I have achieved is a scan of a fake wall for my other half, addictive checking of my newest Treasury and mouldy courgette clippings... Although I did get an amazing photo of a bizarre bug earlier. He's going into my queue of edits... All in all it's been a slow day of a slowing mother. Seem to be getting increasingly tireder as the minutes whip by me. Nevertheless I have an article to write! Today we'll discuss the well known social networking site, http://twitter.com/.

Networking PART 2 - Twitter If any of you have braved this leap in the world of marketing, I think I'll have a lot of nodding heads when I say my first encounter of the networking site almost floored me with fear. I'm sure my first tweets were full of clumsy related banter of the sort actually... I think the most intimidating thing about Twitter isn't so much what the hell you need to do to make it work, but the idea of whether the millions of people at your disposal would give you any consideration. I'm sure you will have discovered as a newbie, not many people will begin to follow you if you haven't mastered the new power in your hands! I have to say though it's pretty easy to work out in terms of tweeting. Once you're set up, you can visit the homepage to "tweet" to your hearts content, as long as the bites of your mind are 140 characters in length. You are able to check personalised messages layed out on the right of the page, which also have this character limitation, and you can also find out who is tweeting about you and what they've said by visiting the @"yourtwittername" link above your messages. To view only your tweets, just click on your profile at the top navigation, and to view your followers tweets, just go back to the home link. Easy as pie.

But how to make yourself known? Well the trick really isn't to find whomever you feel like in the world, but to target your audience via relevent keywords. There are loads of third party style sites that run these "myspace" - like trains for people to jump on and gain followers. This works... you get loads of followers via these methods don't get me wrong! but to be fair this isn't good if you expect all of your new follower gain to share an interest in crocheted teapot covers, or baby hats; whatever it is you're trying to give some attention... Not everyone on these trains share the same interests, and may only want to have a large follower gain, and won't necessarily follow you back if you follow them (try and keep your follower ratio between 1:1 and 1.2:1 - following to followers. It'll keep things consistant for you in terms of Twitter follows).

However, you have fabulous sites like http://twibes.com/ which connects to your Twitter account and allows you to join "target" groups for you to post your specific tweets to people that will definitely have an interest in your stuff. For example, I am part of the photography and Etsy groups and I regularly post tweets on there when i update my store, knowing that both Etsy users and photography enthusiasts will find them and more than likely look at them. Compared to just any old person. The beauty about Twibes is you can also allow your tweets to go through Twitter aswell so your tweets will blast themselves into 2 venues, which is more exposure at the end of the day. Bonus. I'd recommend everyone to join it if you're serious about using Twitter.

On Twitter itself, the best way for you to get people to notice you like I say is to make sure your tweets include relevent keywords and if you can, link to your store, or items etc. If users search for particular keywords that you've used, you can bet your tweet will pop up infront of them if the timing is right, and if you have a link they'll check it out. Baring in mind that loads of people will use your keyword too so just like Etsy, it's a case of being bumped down the pile as time goes on. If you're lucky and people like your tweets, they will more than likely "retweet" (RT) your post which means they're offering further exposure of your tweet. That is simply forwarding your tweet with RT @"yourtwittername" at the start of it (like with me - @moonangelnay would direct the tweet at me, like emailing in a way), so people know who is being retweeted and the person being retweeted will be aware of your gesture :) An example that i've used today is.

"check out the beautiful new fine #art and #abstract photo prints on my #etsy store! http://bit.ly/fyZIt"

So anyone checking out any words in my tweet will probably come across it and may or may not follow me, check my links etc... If they retweet it on their own profile it'll look like this

"RT @moonangelnay check out the beautiful new fine #art and #abstract photo prints on my #etsy store! http://bit.ly/fyZIt"

So keywords! make them relevant to what you're about! Now another great thing you'll notice on twitter are the use of # or hashtags. This is a popular way to catagorise trends to follow. You'll notice my example tweet has a few. Notice how they are very specific. #Art, #Abstract, #Etsy... if I had more room I could have included #Prints and #Photo but that's excessive. There are tonnes of hashtag trending topics. I wouldn't go overboard with it though. There is an invisible etiquette to hashtag use. I had someone complain to me once that it's only supposed to be used to promote other people, yet many people say that it can be used how you like and you see it being used in alsorts of ways all over twitter. So far I havent come across anything that suggests rules for it, considering that I don't think twitter made up the idea. I think it's a to each their own thing. But it's nothing to be afraid of. When it comes down to it, hashtags are very good at narrowing down trends to catagories that many people will use or search for and as long as you dont go nuts with it, it can work with your tweets nicely. If you don't like it, don't use them. I have noticed that regardless of the hashtag, your keywords will fall within the trending topics anyway.

Some people get infuriated at the 140 character rule when it comes to wanting to share links. It's easily overcome by sites that offer link shortening. http://bit.ly/ is my favourite as like Twibes, it can link to your Twitter directly and you can post straight from it. You can also monitor your links and post them again if you want, without having to go through the process of typing or copying and pasting the original link again. You'll notice an example of a bit.ly shortened link in my example tweet. If you follow it, it leads you straight to my Etsy store, as promised in the tweet. Perfect.

So that's all there is to it really. Other than that i'd suggest posting your twitter links around to share in the Etsy forums, link to it (even via a widget) on all of your pages, blogs, social network profiles etc, and make sure you keep your tweets interesting! Don't always go on about your work. You're artists, not machines! Just like in the blogging world you can meet great people on Twitter, and being personal and tweeting about everyday things, or interesting things you have found, debates, news etc will keep lots of people keen on what you have to say!

OK! So thats that. Wow its 3.40pm where I am now. I thought I'd spend longer on this but I'm glad I can get it out now for everyone! Don't forget to Google Connect with me, to keep updated on my blog, and if you're on twitter, come by and follow me on mine! Just search for @moonangelnay or click here http://twitter.com/moonangelnay.

I look forward to writing my next networking article. Don't forget tomorrow is my first treasury like feature for my blog! Monday Magic! Otherwise come back next Sunday for part 3 of Sunday Coffee And Cake!

moonangelnay xxx

Balloon Head

New Listing on Etsy - Click image to visit the listing

hello! Yes I know it has been a few days... man it's been a knackering two days but I have quite a bit to talk about. Next Monday and Friday as you know I am introducing my new features for Etsy sellers that are at around 20 sales or under, and had a fantastic response to requests on the Etsy forum about it! Already I have slots filled up for Monday Magic and I'm compiling an interview for a fab seller for Friday Finds! It's going to be great, I'm really excited about the introduction and hope that it does well to drive traffic into their stores. I know how hard it is to do that whether time is your enemy or lack of marketing knowledge. But next week I'll be blasting both posts around my individual communities on the web, including the likes of Twitter, Indie Public and Facebook, which should most definitely help a bit if not a lot! I have a lot of faith in Twitter for marketing and I intend to expand on the reason on my upcoming Coffee and Cake article this Sunday. So keep an eye out for that post as it's part two of my marketing series!

So yeah all in all I have achieved something for once! Lol!

Now, my fatigue... would you believe is completely about paper? LOL I have spent the ENTIRE week fussing over paper, i swear until 2am each night. As you may know already I am introducing my own line of ACEO, 5x7 and 8x12 prints to my Etsy store, in a choice of Archival Matte, 100% Cotton Rag, Satin Lustre or Premium Glossy paper. And I have my beautiful new printer to thank for that. I'm just so excited that I have not been satisfied with any old paper, as the last thing I want is for people to have my art adorning their walls or desktops, and for something bad like fade or moisture runs to damage them! So yeah... archival paper... weeeeeee!

Now another thing i want to introduce in a short while are greeting cards, note cards, calenders and gift tags. I'm quite excited about this, and doing my research today has made me even more enthusiastic at the prospect. it's going to be a fab way (as will my ACEO prints) to offer bundles of my work at lower prices, and value for money is something I think we all think about in times like the present! So this is something I think will be great for customers that want to purchase my work but would like to spend less. And despite being stationary I won't compromise on the paper! Nope, it'll still be archival and of the highest quality coupled with the pigment inks I use. BUT... As I'm still updating items in my store with new descriptions, and have a long list of ACEO's to list, plus new prints to make... it'll be a little while before I can devote time to it. But DEFINTELY in time for christmas, you can expect my high quality and stationary for yourselves or as gifts to hit my store :D

Work aside, I've also been trying to devote more time to the family. The other half is recovering from his cataract operation for the next few weeks so my son has been in his element squealing the house down with joyful noise (although I don't know if the neighbours would think that LOL). It's been none stop since mummy explained last week about daddy's trip to the hospital! He's "doctor" Yukio this week. So far he's been more of an entertainer, like getting his hairy troll puppet to do the can-can, and putting cups on his feet... oh I can't forget him prancing about in my hat and shoes the other day... I don't think we've really been able to contain the laughter since! Particularly as he dressed himself... seriously! I HAD to take photos LOL! But yes It's been hard not to want to get involved in the fun so part of me has been very easily distracted for the past week, even though I have had the opportunity to work. I have been mind you! Just with the odd distraction. But yeah... work and fun leads to a sleepy mum! So I'd better crack on! I may not get a chance to blog again until Sunday but hopefully I should do! Until then :D

moonangelnay x x x

Happy Father's Day To All The Cool Dad's In The World!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeey! Finally a day where all good men in the world can have some appreciation has arrived lol! It's not a day I'm too familiar with, and I know that sounds bizarre but up until a couple of years ago I never really knew my own. I lost contact with my dad when I was 2. Long story best saved for another time! I did grow up with a step-father but to be honest it wasn't the happiest of relationships, and he knows why that is. But as a result of that I never really felt close to him, and up until my mum decided to break away from their relationship I found out a lot that made my entire childhood make a lot of sense. All in all I think I was robbed of the father presense in my life (or at least one that I had respect for), so today for me FINALLY is a day I can be excited about! ^_^ A big up to my dad, cuz he does one hell of a job looking after all my brothers and sisters in Wales (I have 6 siblings you know). He's poorly at the mo, so the appreciation I think would make him a happy man :)

One problem... My poor other half Elric was on nights last night and is fast asleep, and my dad is unreachable via the phone! lol! He lives in Cardiff (good 180 miles from here), so being able to take a stroll to the old man's house, or a 5 minute car trip is out of the question I guess. So I'm on my own until Elric wakes up... Unless Yukio wakes up first!

I had to do the whole fathers day thing on Friday because of Elrics shifts this weekend, which is a shame really as the prospect of doing it all at the same time with other families across the world is kinda special. You know day's like this are lovely (minus the commercialism which is enough to put me off), because it's one time only a few times a year where without thinking about it consciously, we are all probably thinking along the same lines, a whole lot of love is going around and we are connected via our focus and intentions. Now that to me is what these days should be about. Besides what they are designed for, millions of people around the world for once are all sharing a common value, and it's things like that that make you wonder why it's not doable all the time. But that's the human condition for ya! At least for one day we can look at our loved ones and remember who they are.

moonangelnay xxx

Snap Happy

Survivor 8x12 Inch Print - Creative Fine Art Photography By Moonangelnay
I managed to get on playing around with some photographs of nature the other day and came up with some beautiful pictures, showing of the contrasting shades of black and white with purposely focused patches of color bursting their way out of neutrality. I'm quite proud of this photo in particular, as it really emphasises the remaining life in the plant, giving it power and highlight it's strength of spirit. I just LOVE taking photos and I have updated more in my etsy shop lately besides this one. Yes it is available as a print! just click on the link to go to the shop. If you would rather not have an 8x10 photo I do offer other sizes! Contact me and I can let you know about them and prices x