FEATURED ETSY SHOP - 1mADwoman

Mustard Yellow Clutch

by

Erin of 1mADwoman

(to learn more about this beautiful clutch, click on the item's title above)

It has been a while since I've had the time to put featured Etsy artists here on my blog, and am happy to have Erin and her Etsy shop 1mADwoman here today.

Erin designs and creates lovely handmade purses, bags and clutches, so be sure to visit "1mADwoman" on Etsy to find your perfect accessory.

First, take a moment to read about Erin and how she came to be creating these lovely accessories.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I have an obscene amount of fabric leftover from other projects and from inheriting fabric from my grandma and her best friend when they decided to get rid of their stuff. Some of it was stuff I was never going to wear, so I started making purses and clutches out of it. It turned out to be a hugely fun and fantastic decision!

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

I've been sewing for twelve years - I wanted to learn to make my own clothes because it's much easier to find what you want to wear that way! I also started quilting a couple of years later. Almost every baby born in my personal vicinity has received a baby blanket from me in the last ten years. Learning to design the purses was actually pretty easy - no curved seams or body parts to fit!

Black and White Clutch

(click on item's title above to learn more about this stunning clutch)



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

The total freedom it gives me. I can choose what I want to do and how I want to do it. I really don't do well in traditional office settings - I get bored way to easily!

Cream Corduroy Purse

(click on item's title above to learn more about it)

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

Pumpkin - I'm as full of ideas and want-to's as a pumpkin is full of seeds!

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

I've always wanted to learn how to draw properly - I can't draw anything but basic stuff with any regularity!

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

That this is FUN and that I really love what I do!

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Do what you love and enjoy it! If you don't love it, you won't enjoy it, and you won't be any good at it. And believe in yourself - even if no one else does, you MUST believe that you can do what you set out to do.



Thanks, Erin for a delightful interview and for sharing your lovely creations with all of us.  Erin also designs jewelry and sells it in her other Etsy shop called "Heartsabustin".  Be sure to visit Erin's links below.

HEARTSABUSTIN

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - PAINTING PAM AND PAPER TOO

Here's Your Stimulus Package Paper Money Note Cards

by PAINTING PAM

These Paper Money Note Cards are perfect to enclose real money for graduation, anniversaries, birthdays and for those special people in your life.

Measuring 5 3/4" X 8 1/2", the card is formed with beaten abaca fibers and genuine shredded US Currency. The Currency has been hand stirred into the pulp.

WELCOME, Pam and her Etsy shop, PAINTING PAM AND PAPER TOO.  When you pay a visit to Pam's shop you will find delightful offerings of handmade "paper wear jewelry", "frameable paper wall art", "note cards" and more....so be sure to pay a visit.  

First let's learn a little bit more about Pam and how she got started creating her homemade paper items.
 
What led you to start creating your art/craft?
 
I took a hand papermaking course in 1990 at Penland School in NC.

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

This course inspired me to return home and set up my own papermaking studio with a vacuum table to create large paper sculptures.

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

In papermaking, there are many actions which I do which creates a rhythm or dance. There is the noise of the blender, the quietness of the water, the coolness of the water and pulp as I dip my hands and mould/deckle frame in, the pressing new paper on blankets and finally moving my 12 ton hydraulic press out into the driveway. I love all of these.

Ferns Embedded in Hand Made Paper

Framable handmade paper in 8 x 10 matting for easy framing

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

I'm a fruit smoothie, any flavor because I use a blender to chop up the pulp, use many colors of pulp and it's liquidy!!

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

I would be a collage artist because using different types of paper, one glues and pastes all kinds of paper to create an art piece.

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

Hand papermaking is over 300 years old with the origins starting back in China. The process I go through is labor intensive, but buyers will purchase an original note card or stationery with real leaves and/or flowers.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

My advice for artists--Do what you love and love what you do. As an artist, this is my escape from the modern world.

Pam, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and original handmade paper items.

To learn more about PAINTING PAM AND PAPER TOO, be sure to visit the links below.

BLOG

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

ARTFIRE SHOP

"BEHIND THE SCENES" - A glimpse into artists/crafters workspaces!!

Come join me on a fun, fascinating peek at the "workspaces" of some of the artists and crafters who sell on Etsy.

You will also be able to click on their shop's links and photos to see the end results!   You might even get a glimpse of several of the artist themselves. Some will have little comments, others will not.

MY DZFANTASY WORKSPACES

Here are several photos of my "spaces" throughout my house!

My dining room where I do all my "finishing" work..the faces, adding the hairdos, and accents, etc.

Bedroom used for storage and sewing

 My husband says, "no wonder you can't ever find anthing!" I guess it's time to straighten it up a bit, and start all over to mess it up!

LIVING GLASS ART

Anna says..."I have yet to brush my hair, and I'm working in my pajamas.

Now that's one of the benefits of being an artist!  We get to work in our PJ's.  To see Anna's finished art, click on her links below!

BEADED JEWELRY BY SUSAN

I love to work in my studio when the sun is shining through the windows, music is filtering in from the living room where my husband sits reading, and our six cats are wandering in and out (but no messing with the beads!)

I have a horrendous number of beads after 18 years of collecting them, so I really have to keep organized -- by using a lot of storage compartments that are labeled and arranged by groups, having different types of storage for seed beads and delicas and donuts, and by always keeping my tools and supplies in the same place.
 

Here I am in my studio using my high-tech photography equipment: a sketch pad and two lamps.

PURPLE CLOUD STUDIO

Michele says..."Oh, Yeah, love that mess!"

Michele's workspace

and her greyhound helper!

PURPLE PEONY'S WORKSPACE

To see what creativity comes forth from this "workspace", click on the links below.

LAVE ME SOAP CO.

Here you are seeing several photos from Angela's workspaces.  The photo on the right is where Angela said she makes most of her soap. The photo on the left is where she said she is "sitting right now".

Supply Cabinet

To see all the wonderful soaps in Angela's shop, be sure to click on her links below.

STUDIO M.M.E.

Megan says, "I'm very spoiled in that I get to work in a printmaking studio at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo. Don't worry, my home studio is much smaller and messier."

SUSANA DUARTE - Handmade Contemporary Silver Jewlery

I'm Susana and I live in a quiet village near Lisbon, Portugal and I since my childhood I have always loved crafts. I began working in jewelry in 2006 mostly because handcrafting objects makes me a happier person.

My beautiful and humble workshop

MGHJ

Mary says....."I have been on the move so much the last six months that I have gotten to the point where my "workspace" is my clipboard, a bag of supplies, and whatever location I happen to be in at the time."

TIMES AND CHIMES

TIMES AND CHIMES...is a mother/daughter team in the Ozarks

MIA SOPHIA

This is what I received for my anniversary last year. My husband built this room onto the garage for me.

CAROL BRADLEY DESIGNS

I could call it a studio, but it's more like a room taken over by beads. It tends to be a bit of a mess. It's probably an obstacle course to the uninitiated. There are two work tables, in theory. One is usually storage. This one is the real work table and here's what it looks like now.

ICING ON THE MOON

Icing on the Moon says,  "The room's a bit messy, but I know where everything is...."

JULE'S ARTWEAR

A GALLERY OF CATS IN CLAY

Gracie, says, "If it looks like a mess, I guess it is.  I'm moving my studio in November and don't even want to think about it.

FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOMOBOB

Bob says, "Here's me multi-tasking in my studio.  No cameras were harmed in the making of this photo"

COTTON RIDGE EMPORIUM

Cotton Ridge Emporium says, "I'm always straightening up, but it's still always a mess!"

I hope you enjoyed this first segment of "BEHIND THE SCENES" of artists and crafters workspaces. More will be coming in my next segment, so be sure to stop back for a visit.  If you don't see an artist's thumbnail photos or shop's link, it may most likely means they have their shop in "vacation" mode.

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - CAPRICE CREATIONS

Home Wall Decor - handpainted wall hanging

by Janet

If you pay a visit to Janet's Etsy shop, CAPRICE CREATIONS, you will find a variety of handcrafted items. While Janet's main focus is home decor items and hand-stamped stationery, you will also find journals, photography, and more.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

When I was 9, my grandmother taught me how to embroider. After that, she taught me how to cross stitch. My fascination with all things crafty bloomed from there.

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

I never look at an object in a normal way. I am always thinking of ways I could use common everyday items in my crafting. Some of my favorite items are old cabinet doors and hardware.

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

I love the creative process - from planning, to creating, to viewing that final product. It's all so relaxing!

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

Definitely a fruit! Lots of colors and usually pretty sweet!

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

I would love to be able to crochet. It was the one craft that my grandmother tried to teach me that I just couldn't "get".

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

Live life to the fullest! Never have a dull moment!

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

No matter what, don't give up on your dreams! One day, they will come true!

THANKS, Janet, for taking the time to share your thoughts and creativity with everyone! You can learn more about Janet and her creations by visiting her links below. Stop in and visit CAPRICE CREATIONS...you just don't know what this busy crafter might have come up with next.

CAPRICE CREATIONS BLOG

TWITTER

A GREAT ART SHOW....GOOD SALES...GREAT WEATHER....WHAT ELSE COULD YOU WANT!

Site of the 2008 Waukesha Art Fest in Cutler Park

Waukesha, Wisconsin

This past Saturday, September 6th, I was an exhibitor in the Waukesha Art Fest, which has been held in Cutler Park for the past 19 years. I must admit I wasn't very enthusiastic about doing this show after being in a show three weeks ago, which barely covered my entry fees, etc. In fact, out of the 5 shows I have already done this season....only one went beyond my expectations as far as sales were concerned.

The Waukesha Art Fest proved to me that one should never atry to predict what show will be good, and which one will be bad!! The sales at this show turned out to be the very best in all ways...GREAT SALES, WONDERFUL WEATHER, LOTS OF FUN PEOPLE! It was a very "magical" day!

While I always try to have enough of my "fairy face" pins at shows, to have "affordable art" for people to purchase in these slow economic times, I actually had the pleasure of selling more of my other larger pieces of work. So, any of you artists or crafters out there who haven't had the good sales, at some shows, that you had hoped for....don't give up....the next show could be the very best one yet!

I've been doing the same art shows as this fine artist, Charlotte Fung Miller, for several years now. Her work is very detailed and exquisite!

Proceeds from the Silient Auction held by the Art Fest go towards art scholarships for Waukesha High School Students and Carroll University students majoring in the visual arts. I always enjoy donating a piece of my work to "silient auctions" as the proceeds are always given to worthy causes.

I'm now looking forward to my last art show of the season which will be held in Madison, Wisconsin at the Monona Terrace Convention Center on November 15 & 16th.

ART/CRAFT SHOWS IN A SLOW ECONOMY

Some of my mermaids enjoying the breeze at an art show this past weekend!

This past weekend I did my 5th art show of the season at the STONEWOOD VILLAGE ART FAIR in Brookfield, Wisconsin. I have been doing this lovely show for 4 years now, and this weekend really brought home just how much the slow economy is affecting sales for artists and crafters!

It is a very well run show, and takes place in a delightful New England style setting of shops and restaurants, winding paths, and a central plaza. It is a juried art show, and each year the quality of the artwork being exhibited gets better and better. The show offers jewelry, garden art, glass, photography, painting, ceramics, fiber and a lot more.

It seems that the slow economy is not only affecting the sales of exhibiting artists, but also the number of people attending the show. Saturday started out a bit "drizzly" weather wise, but by noon it turned out to be a gorgeous sunny, not too hot day! I was amazed at the very low number of people attending the show. Sunday we had another gorgeous day for the weather, and while there was a bit bigger crowd, there definitely weren't that many people carrying packages....unless, of course, they had a tiny purchase tucked into a purse or pocket!

I talked to many of the artists at the show and they all were saying the same thing.....sales were "way down", not only at this show, but at others they had already done this season. It seems this is a trend that has been going on for about two years now. Will it get better.....?? We as artists and crafters certainly hope it does. My creating is a passion with me, as I know it is with many other artists, so I'm not about to "throw in the towel", and stop creating....anytime soon!! I've had one fantastic show out of the five I've done so far....so everyone just needs to keep on doing what they love!

Several suggestions for taking some of the cost and risk out of doing shows in these slow times are:

Limit the number of shows you do.

Do shows in your immediate or close surrounding areas. Saves on gas and overnight lodging expenses.

Do shows that have been good for sales for you in the past.

If possible, pick one day shows instead of two.

Stay positive and cheerful at all times!

It would be fun and interesting to hear from artists in other states and areas, to hear how the "slow economy" is affecting your art/craft shows sales and experiences, if any!

Be sure to leave a comment!

FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - KELLY OF BOXING DAY

"Shabby Chic" rose pin

(recycled from an old sweatshirt)

Welcome, Kelly and her Esty shop BOXING DAY, as another of my featured Etsy artists! This artist has some very clever and unique items you'll be sure to want to check out. Her shop's theme is "the art of recycling. Before you check out Kelly's shop read below to hear what Kelly has to say about her work, and what motivates her.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I've been painting seriously since I was 15, and making crafts since pre-school! After college, I worked in the fields of advertising and marketing but I was always doing something on the side related to my love of paint! This "something on the side" thing took its form in having gallery shows for my paintings or selling my jewelry at local craft shows or teaching kids at an art school! As I am dealing with being diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder, I found it impossible to keep working in my field due to the stress and long hours. To keep my busy body from going crazy, I started making things. And while I've always been into recycling, it became an intrical part of what I am doing now as I needed to spend money on food and not art supplies! Necessity is the mother of creative problem solving. (Or something like that!)

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

Painting has always felt right to me. Brush and canvas are where I am at home, but I enjoy learning and the challenge of figuring things out as well, so it seemed natural for me to create projects from what I had around me. Friends know to give me their cast off clothing and old jewelry and anything else that might be good for a project. My aunt sent me a box full of goodies that I have made into bunches of different objects d'art!

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

I love getting lost in what I am doing and then looking at the clock or hearing the phone ring and realize that I am still on planet Earth! For the recycled items, I love to get people's old stuff and then solve the problem of what I can make from it! I love color and creative problem solving and working things out and still being surprised that I can make beautiful works. And sometimes other people think things I make are beautiful too!

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

The first thing that comes to mind is a rutebaga, but I think an orange is better. My art is so colorful and bright on the outside and the inside (or the meaning behind my work) is usually juicy and sweet and joyful. (And it doesn't hurt that my favorite color is orange.)

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

Pencil. I like to draw in pencil and color pencil too. It's good for my subtle moods!

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

My tagline is "The Art of Recycling" and my mission is "Saving the world, one art project at a time!" My method of art is to make beautiful things out of stuff that would go into the landfill, but my message is one of play and bold color, and (sometimes) of order out of the chaos!

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Hmmm... depends on what the question is! I guess it would be one of my favorite things to say: "Always have the courage to be happy!"

Kelly, what a great insight you gave us, as to what makes you "tick" not only as an artist, but you, as a unique person!! THANKS AGAIN, for taking the time to share your thoughts and work with us. Be sure to visit Kelly's shop BOXING DAY by clicking on the links below.

KELLY'S BLOG