FEATURED ETSY SHOP - WHIMSICAL CREATIONS

WELCOME....WHIMSICAL CREATIONS as a featured Etsy shop....! At Whimsical Creations you will find different colored snowflake ornaments, like the one shown above, whimsical children's necklaces, tiny character ornaments, which you can have personalized, and more. Be sure to pay a visit to WHIMSICAL CREATIONS. Christmas will be here sooner than we think. Let's find out a little bit more about Melanie, the creator behind Whimsical Creations.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

My mother and her love of crafts. I made salt dough ornaments as a child with my mom.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I love to do many types of art, but I kept coming back to polymer clay. I love Christmas, and each year I like to create something new for family and friends. I have just started branching out by making beads and pendants.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

Right now, I am finding my son's reactions to my creations fantastic. He loves to watch me work, and just recently I gave him some clay and let him create something. He wants one of everything I make.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

I would have to choose fruit to describe my art. I find most of my creations sweet.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

I would have to pick painting. I hadn't painted in years and just recently started painting some things for my kids bedrooms and a friend's nursery.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

Being fun and whimsical.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

I have been doing this for years, but have only selling my creations for a few months. The only advice I can give is always to remember to have fun being creative.

Thanks, Melanie, for taking the time to share your fun whimsical creations with us. The personalization you offer with your creations is sure to make them keepsakes to be cherished through the years. You can also find out more about Melanie and her Wimsical Creations by visiting her blog.

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FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - KARIN LORENC

Love the color of this mug!! Karin told me this delightful mug has been sold, but if you visit her shop on Etsy - KARIN LORENC, I'm sure you will find another one that you'd just love! Here Karin tells us in her own words about how she feels about creating her wonderful, useful, creations. Don't forget to pay a visit to Karin's shop after reading her interview!

I've been addicted to creating for as long as I can remember. I make something almost everyday. Most of my work serves an everyday purpose. I make things you WILL use. I love making pottery because it is such a natural process. It's pretty rewarding to turn a chunk of the earth into a beautiful and useful cup or bowl.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I've loved making pottery ever since I took a community art class as a kid. When I found an ad for a used kick wheel in the newspaper I jumped on it and started to take my pottery making more seriously.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I love working with clay. It's natural. It's REALLY messy. I love the way it smells. What more could you want?

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

Well I already said I like to get messy... My favorite part of the ceramic process is definitely wheel throwing. It can be so calming when it all goes right. It's like meditating.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

Hmm... this is a tricky one. How about a hard shell gourd? It's beautiful to look at but it can also be extremely useful.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

Just one? Well I went to school for painting. But I also like to make musical instruments, and jewelry. So I guess I'll have to go with weaving.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

Art can be functional. It doesn't have to be kept in a case or hung on the wall to be admired. Use it! Make everyday moments special. Your morning coffee can be a sacred experience. Then there's cereal time....and sandwich time...!

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Make what YOU love. Let your likes and dislikes rule what you make. It'll turn out better that way. Try not too keep too many of the highly awesome things you make because then you won't make any money!

Karin, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and work with us! I definitely agree with your "make what you love". That seems to be the feelings of most of the artists who I have featured out here on DZFANTASY.

Now don't forget to visit KARIN LORENC by clicking on either the photos below or the link to her shop.

Featured Etsy Artist - BLOSSOMS by Debashri

I was totally amazed when I realized that these flowers were made of clay!! How fantastic is that!! I thought they were real! What a talent this artist has! The details and shapes are so exquisite. Flowers that will last forever! Read below to hear what Debashri has to say about her work, and how she got started on this wonderful adventure of creating flowers. Below is a closeup of the "Fall Colored Wedding Bouquet" shown above.

What led you to start creating your art?

I have always loved flowers. When I was a kid, I used to get my mom wild flowers. When I started working, I got her flowers on every payday. My favorite gifts to people have always been flowers. My only complaint against real flowers has been that they dry up. So, I had tried to create long lasting blooms using paper and satin in India. When I came here and was without a job, I decided to take up making flowers again and came across a DECO Clay book. When I looked at the real-looking clay flowers, I knew at once that this was what I wanted to do.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I did not choose the medium. The medium chose me, I'd say. I just wanted to create flowers. Having made flowers from satin and paper back in India, I wanted to keep making flowers. When I came across DECO Clay and realized how real the flowers looked, I couldn't resist the medium. It pulled me to it.

What aspect of creating your art do you find the most enjoyable?

To be able to make people happy - I love the way children's faces light up when I give them a flower. They protect it like it is a piece of precious jewelry! Personally, it relaxes me - unlike my previous corporate jobs, what I do now is not stressful. Its a stress buster really, and I love that aspect of it. Also, having my own hours allows me to spend more time with my husband.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art, what would you choose, and why?

I would say Tomato - Weird as it may sound, I think my craft is 'juicy'. Its got a lot of spunk, like a raw tomato. And when my flowers dry, they become all the more irresistible.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art?

I always wanted to spread the message of love and equality through anything that I did. My art allows me to do that effectively. Flowers are great equalizers. Everybody loves them! They break down barriers between people.

What advice do you have for other artists?

Don't let anyone or anything stop you from doing what you love to do!

Debashri, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and fantastic flowers with us! If you'd like to see more of Debashri's work, be sure to visit her Etsy shop below.