FEATURED ETSY SHOP - EVERYBODY ELSE

I love the whimsical look of this artist's drawings. What fun cards!

WELCOME, Melody and her Etsy shop, EVERYBODY ELSE. Read below to learn a bit more about Melody and her creativity!

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

All kids draw. When you're in preschool it's a given that you will spend a certain percentage of your life coloring, mostly on things other than paper. Most kids also grow out of that. I became obsessed.


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


Pencil and paper are just so darn convenient. I can draw anywhere. If I'm inspired I don't have to wait. Plus, I draw all the time so it's what I'm best at. I also use photoshop to color my cards, and I just love Photoshop because I can try out so many different ideas in such a short span of time.


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


I'm not sure I could choose! Seeing it all come together is definitely a big high though.


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


A peach, because it's so sweet!


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


Just one?! Probably photography. I love to take photos. I love the way photographing something can let us see it differently.


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


Life is fun! My drawings are almost always people, and they're almost always enjoying themselves. I've tried the angsty, soulful bit and it just doesn't work for me. Once I was in a cafe and I was upset and trying to draw something edgier than I normally do, and a girl in line peeked over my shoulder and cried, "Oh that's so dear!" What can I tell you? It was.


What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?


Have your own style. People really latch on to that and want to have more. Sometimes I try to change it up a bit. I'll copy other people's styles or try to do something different. Invariably people say, "But what about YOUR people?" On the other hand, always be growing. My style hasn't changed much since highschool, but it is a lot more polished than even a year ago.

Thanks, Melody, for taking the time to share your thoughts and delightful, whimsical work with us.

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FEATURED ETSY SHOP - MARY JAYNE CARDS

I'm happy to have Meghan of MARY JAYNE CARDS on DZFANTASY as a featured artist. Meghans' shop offers delightful, handmade cards, and gift tags. After finding out a little bit more about Meghan, by reading her interview below, be sure to stop in at MARY JAYNE CARDS!

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

A friend of mine gave me a book that taught me how to make folded cards. Eventually I just combined that book with my love for scrapbooking. I've been making cards for a long time, but I just started selling them this summer.

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

I love to work with paper! Shopping at scrapbooking stores is one of my favorite things to do. It's so much fun to find great patterns and textures. My only complaint is that paper scraps are hard to store.

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

My favorite part of cardmaking is sitting down and making three sets of cards right in a row. It is very relaxing for me. I don't know what it is, it's just such a peaceful thing for me to do. I usually just put in a good movie or CD and start working.

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

My work is like an apple. It's crisp and clear but also sweet!

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

I've tried watercolors before. It'd be fun to try making some pretty cards using that skill. I don't think I'd be able to compete with the fantastic artists on Etsy, though!

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

The message I convey with my craft is simply "hello". I love the warm fuzzy feeling I get when I send (or receive) a card. That's how I want people to feel when they get one of my cards.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

The biggest lesson I have learned so far is to keep it simple. Too often I get carried away with paper and ribbon and buttons. Many times I've had to remind myself that just because something matches perfectly doesn't mean it has to go on the card! I'm not sure if this applies to every craft, but it's certainly true for me.

Meghan, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and creativity out here on DZFANTASY.

Be sure to visit MARY JAYNE CARDS! You never know when you just might need that "special" card to send out.

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - KRISTAL from TINY BIRD ARTS

WELCOME, Kristal and her Tiny Bird Arts shop on Etsy. Tiny Bird Arts has everything from personalized greeting cards to delightful, tree ornaments, so be sure to stop by for a visit, after you learn a little bit more about Kristal, and what makes her tick as a creative person.


What led you to start creating your art/craft?


I've always enjoyed drawing funky, fun & cute things. I got tired of shopping for nice gifts for people that really fit their personalities and were unique, and ending up empty handed. So I started giving gifts made from my drawings and find that people really appreciate something extra special made just for them. Since my day job is something that I would eventually like to be out of, I decided to turn what I love doing into my way out of Cubicleville. I started selling my creations on Etsy since I stumbled upon it a few months ago, and it seems like a good home for things extra special and personal. My shop is split between cards and ornaments right now; after the holidays it will just be cards and paper products.


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


My day job is very computer oriented. As much as I like drawing things by hand, drawing them on the computer has a lot of advantages for me, given my impatience. It's easy to quickly move parts of a drawing around, change their colors, or combine them in different ways in a snap. Currently I use Fireworks MX to do my designs. As for creating cards, I think cards are a fun way to keep in touch. I love getting things in the mail that aren't bills or ads. There's a giddy excitement that I feel when I see a handwritten addressed envelope that I know is from someone I care about. I want to give people a unique way to send that excitement to the ones they love.


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


I love to give a customized set of cards to someone. Seeing their face when they immedeately recognize that the cards match their style and will be used happily to send love, hope, comfort, or joy to someone else makes the time it takes to create those things so worth it. I also really enjoy when buyers tell me they've received their purchase, and they absolutely love it.


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


If nuclear disaster hit and the world was without electricity, and I couldn't use the computer, I'd have to stick to drawing with pencil, ink, Prismacolors, and watercolor pencils.


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


The tag line for my shop is "personalized designs for the people you love." I want my creations to convey that people should take time to let others know how they feel, to comfort others, to be considerate and kind. I know I know.....big lofty goals for some little bitty cards.


What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?


I'm fairly new to selling my creations, but for me it's important to be true to myself. I have many different styles that I like to create in, and my Etsy shop reflects that. I don't think all the effort it takes to do any art is worth it if you're not doing what you love and doing it in the style that reflects you. Hopefully this translates to art that is more beautiful and strikes a chord with people, and of course makes some money along the way.


Kristal, great interview! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and creativity with us. I hope you work your way out of Cubicleville...I've been there, done that...I and was SO happy to leave it all behind! Best of luck to you!


Be sure to visit TINY BIRD ARTS by clicking on the links below. Also, here is a photo of Kristal's ornaments that she now has available in her shop.

TINY BIRD ARTS BLOG

FLICKR

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FEATURED ETSY SHOP - Nancy from goshery

If you are looking for unique, handmade paper goods...tags, greeting cards, etc....be sure to visit goshery on Etsy. Let's hear what goshery's owner, Nancy, has to say about her creations, and how she got started

What led you to start creating your art/craft

I have always loved paper and supplies – like so many other paper crafters, my favorite thing about each new school year as I was growing up was buying school supplies.. I started making cards about 20 years ago; they were so basic compared to some of the cards that you see now! There weren’t nearly as many options for paper crafters at that time, but I enjoyed it then as much as I do now. I was introduced to scrap booking 15 years ago and fell in love with that process as well.

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

I think it was my love of paper that made crafting paper goods such an easy choice for me. I have also done some sewing, but I find reading patterns to be a real challenge! Basket weaving was another endeavor and hats off to those artists; that is a real skill. I do some cross stitching too, but paper is definitely my favorite medium.

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

I definitely love color and my ideas often start with a piece of patterned paper that I find and want to use in a project. Coming up with the idea is probably both the most enjoyable and also the most frustrating! Sometimes the ideas really flow and other times I just can’t come up with an idea that works.

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

I would probably use an onion to describe my craft because I often use layers of paper on my projects. Like an onion, you can peel back the layers to see the bones of the project.

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

I would choose photography as another medium to display my creativity. I’m not an expert photographer by any means, but I love to take pictures and enjoy trying to find interesting subjects and angles. I especially enjoy nature photography and like to have my camera along as I travel because there are so many opportunities to take pictures. One of my favorite photos is a picture of a sunset that was taken one summer evening while I was out for a walk – hurray for cell phone cameras!

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

I enjoy the concept of simple living and simple times, so my items aren’t full of flair but instead tend to have a simple, clean look. My hope is that people connect with the colors and patterns that I use; I often leave the cards blank so that people can use them to send any message that they wish.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

I don’t know that I’m qualified to give anyone advice, but I encourage parents to do craft projects with their children. Kids tend to be very creative and don’t feel the need to be perfect, which lends to their creativity. It’s a great way for families to spend time together and can give kids another option besides watching TV or playing video games. For artists/crafters I would encourage them to share their skills through Community Education classes or by volunteering at local events. I think there’s a real opportunity for all of us to bond with each other through our crafts.

Nancy, thanks for a great interview and taking the time to share your thoughts and creativity with everyone! Be sure to see what paper products Nancy has to offer by visiting goshery on Etsy and her blog linke below.

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