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 - FLIRT BAGS

OOAK Flirty Skirt Purse in Bronze Taffeta

by Trudel

of FLIRT BAGS

(Click on the above photo to learn more about this charming purse.)

It is a real pleasure to have Trudel of FLIRT BAGS on DZFANTASY as a featured Etsy shop. Trudel just moved her fun, colorful and definitely "flirty bags" to her new shop on Etsy, which she is now calling FLIRT BAGS. If you are looking for a fun bag, purse, tote, wristlet.... just pop into FLIRT BAGS for a real treat. Trudel has a wide variety of styles and colors to choose from, but I know my favorite is the "flirt bag"! How fun and unique!

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

Well, I have always loved working with my hands, especially sewing, since I was around 6 years old. I was never the painting-drawing type, for me it had to be more tangible. Needle & thread, scissors, that sort of thing was right up my alley. I guess it runs in the family too, because my aunt was a fashion designer in Germany and another aunt is a consummate knitter. As a teen, I made pretty much most of my own clothing, including jeans and jean jackets (and it was hard to get the right jean fabric off the roll back in the 80's). I even started making a lot of my own patterns from my own ideas. Now, I've always had a major attraction to purses, handbags, totes, wallets, you name it. So one day I bought a pattern to learn some basic techniques and there's been no stopping since!

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

That was a moot point. I'm a sewer, my medium is fabric, fabric, fabric! A fabric store (even the on line ones) is like setting a sugar-deprived child loose in a candy store. I like to touch and feel; the fabric inspires me and dictates what I make from it.

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

Hmmm. That's a hard one because I really, truly enjoy all apects pretty much equally. I love dreaming about what I'm going to make, I love retreating into my sewing room, where it's quiet and organized, and begin laying out my fabrics, I love the sound and feel of the scissors cutting the fabric, I love putting all the pieces together sitting hunched over my sewing machine, and of course I love the end product. But after I've admired it for a few moments, shown my husband (he's quite a big fan!) I'm itching to start the whole thing over again!

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

Mango Mango Mango!! I'm actually not quite sure why, that was the first thing that popped into my head so there must be some deep philosophical reason behind it! Perhaps because mangos are fun and sweet, exotic but not too uncommon, they come in a variety of shapes, colors, textures and tastes. When I eat a mango I feel really good, just like my purses make me feel really good!

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

Photography. Definitely. I've loved taking pictures since I was a teen. I took some courses years ago and just really love seeing things from different perspectives. I especially love doing macro photography of flowers and plants (another passion), and am trying to work on my landscape photography skills. I do a ton of backpacking in remote areas and find myself faced with supreme mountainous landscapes that go on forever but have yet to effectively record what I see.

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

Have fun, live a little, you deserve to spoil yourself a bit! Step outside of the box, do somthing a litte different; don't take yourself too seriously!

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Just to be true to yourself. Find what you love to do most of all, and do that. You'll be the best at it, and people will see it in your work. Don't try to be someone else; what works for them won't necessarily work for you.

Maxine Turquoise and Olive Jungle Print Purse

by Trudel

(Click on the photo of the above purse to learn more about it)

THANKS, Trudel for sharing your delightful creations and thoughts with all of us.

Don't forget.....if you are looking for some great styles and colors in purses....visit FLIRT BAGS by clicking on the links below.

WINNER OF "AROUND THE WORLD TOTE" by SID'S IN STITCHES

The giveaway for this "Around the World" tote by Sid's In Stitches ended November 30, 2008 at 12:00 Midnight CDT.

The WINNER IS: MARGARET with her winning entry of

PEG42 - dated 10/30/08

CONGRATULATIONS !!

Margaret's entry was randomly drawn, by my husband, from the 120 entries submitted for this lovely giveaway! Margaret will be receiving her tote directly from Sid's In Stitches!

Sid, has a lot of lovely totes to offer in her Sid's in Stitches shop on Etsy. You just might want to stop in for a visit. See the link below.

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - ME PLUS MOLLY by Kirsty

Welcome Kirsty, a delightful artist from Oxfordshire, UK. That is what I love about Etsy....the diversity of all the different types of art/crafts, and meeting artists from all over the world!!

I just love the whimsical, magical look of these purses that Kirsty has out in her Etsy shop, ME PLUS MOLLY. You really must take a look at all the delightful creations out there. Perhaps one will catch your eye! Let's hear what Kristy has to say about herself and her creations.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

Ohoo, now there's a question! I've drawn and painted and generally been creative since I was at primary school, and its really escalated from there! I became interested in textiles at secondary school and love the idea of creating an item that is decorative and functional.

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

I'm still deciding! I first did textiles at secondary school and my interest in this medium and the myriad of avenues it can offer has continued. I love the interaction of stitch, fabrics, print, and adornment.

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

The sampling and making of items, just getting right down to the creating! There's nothing I like more than being surrounded by all my scrbblings of ideas, threads, fabrics, sequins, buttons etc ooo and beautiful flowers too!

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

Well, I was thinking strawberries and cream, very English! Or perhaps some juicy berries, but then when I thought about it a bit more I'm thinking perhaps more a shallott or red onion, because it has many layers like my individual pieces and work do. Which gives me the scope and opportunity to try out diffrent approaches...to take my work through different avenues(layers!) if I so wish.

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

I still would very much like to draw and paint more. These would be the mediums I would choose, I think I'd have to incorporate them with bits of paper, thread and collage - a more mixed media approach! I've always liked to try animation too, now there's another world to think about! another stage.........!

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

Hmmmm, I'm not sure about a message as such. I'd like people to enjoy my work and the fact that it is handmade. That items are individual and also functional yet beautiful too. And to most definitely realize that handmade equals made with care, made with love!

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Ohooo well, I still need plenty of this myself, but I think more than anything to be true to yourself, your skills and your craft/art. To constantly develop, push and challenge yourself and your knowledge. But most of all to enjoy what you are doing and to have fun!

THANKS, Kirsty for taking the time to share your delightful creations, and your ideas! I feel you have a lot more "creativity" just waiting to come out! Be sure to visit ME PLUS MOLLY, to see what other lovely designs that Kirsty has come up with!

WEB PAGE

FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - THREE KISSES XXX by .t

Welcome, Terezia also know as .t, whose shop on Etsy is called Three Kisses xxx. If you will read below you will find out from Terezia how her shop name came about, and you will also hear what she has to say about her lovely creations. The following paragraph was taken from Terezia's Profile on Etsy, and will explain why all words begin in lower case letters. OK, .t, let's learn a little bit about you!

My name is terezia and i am from slovakia. i have been living in germany and england for some years, but now i am back in my home country and that`s where i create my work. one of my friends mic christopher, great singer and songwriter, who unfortunately is not with us anymore, used to call me t. also some friends of mine in england found it difficult to pronounce terezia, my name got shortened to just t and i like to spell it with a dot in front, and because i love to write without capital letters i simply use “.t” and a short story about my label three kisses xxx: i like the way of finishing letters with kisses, but because it's not used in slovakia, i added in full words what those 3 x's mean and that`s how i created the name of my studio and simply scanned my handwriting. as you can see, i like things simple and you can see it also in my designs. i use different materials and my favourites are silver, gemstones and natural or recycled materials. i also like to add swarovski beads to my work as they add lovely sparkle and they are popular and wanted by my customers.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I have always been very creative and most of the presents I give to my friends and family have been created by me. I went through different stages. I have been creating different paper based items, like cards, posters, gift bags, gift boxes and others. Then for some time I made candles, then I decorated them with decoupage technique. I still have boxes of serviettes from those days. Every year my employer organized a big Christmas party. It always had black tie dress code, so I made a lovely long red and black dress for myself. As I needed jewellery to go with it, I had a go with wire and Swarovski beads. That’s how I made the first roses. They are the most favorite creation among my customers, and I also use them in my banners, avatars and on my business cards. They simply became my logo.

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

I will cut the story short and will write only about jewellery. I use sterling silver, Swarovski beads and gemstones. I believe in the power of gemstones, love the sparkle Swarovski cuts into the crystals and always loved the color of silver. I started with silver plated to learn the different techniques, but I believe the time I spend designing and creating my pieces worth more in sterling silver.

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

Whatever job I do, I need to learn new things every day. Creating jewellery gives me that opportunity. I read a lot, try a lot and play a lot in my studio, that’s what I enjoy the most.

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

Interesting question. I think I would say strawberry. It has got simple but perfect flowers. Its juicy, its sweet and it looks so great in the basket on top of that market stall in the sun. Stands out in between leafs that have different color…Yes, I would say strawberry.

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

If I knew how to use it, I would love to work with epoxy, would love to know how to etch silver. Epoxy gives silver that extra color and etching opens horizons when transferring images onto silver. I know, I know its still silver. Then I would like to work with wood, because its warm and has lovely deep colors. And if the project doesn’t go well, you sit in front of the fireplace and enjoy the heat coming from it.

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

We are all different. We express ourselves in different ways and should keep that in mind and try to understand others. They are not better or worth more, they are just different. We are all unique. Handmade = unique.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

I will use the words from mics song:“...why should we wait for things we want in life when we can just go out and find them and stop dreaming our lives away...”; mic christopher Don’t wait, don’t let anyone or anything stopping you. Be creative.

.t what a charming interview!! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and lovely work with all of us. Be sure to visit Three Kisses xxx, to see what else .t has to offer. You also can find out more about .t and her work by clicking on any of the links below her shop's photos.

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