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.

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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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FEATURED ETSY SHOP - GWYNN'S GIFTS

I was looking through Gwynn's Gifts before I started to put them out here as a "featured Etsy" shop, and as I always love to learn more about people, I am drawn to the profile section of each shop. Here is a portion of the profile to give you even a bit more information as, Heather tells us how GWYNN'S GIFTS came about. Then, be sure to read the following interview that Heather so kindly took the time to complete.

We are a mother- daughter team that has a passion for all things creative. My mother has been teaching me new crafts since I can remember. We have had so much fun learning new techniques and trying things out together. We love to work with all kinds of mediums. We enjoy doing tiny things all the way up to trying to build our own furniture. The sky is the limit for us when it comes to creating new things. My mom is very good at following instructions and learning things to the tee. I on the other hand just like to look at new things and go my own way from there. We have very different approaches to our creating, but we both get the same pleasure out of it

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I originally started making jewelry to keep my hands busy. I had quit smoking and needed something to do (still a non smoker after 2 years). My mom had started making jewelry so she had all the supplies, so I just went to town. In the first 2 weeks, I had made over a 100 pairs of earrings and I had nothing to do with them. My mom also has a love of beautiful paper and textures so she started making cards and the two just seemed to merge together. It was something we could both create and Gwynn’s Gifts was born. We both have the middle name Gwynn so that is how the name came about.

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

I still haven’t decided what I want to work with because I love everything. So I tend to do a little of this and a little of that.

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

I find it very rewarding to have what is in my mind come out with my creations. I feel so proud when something turns out just right and I love it when people are so happy to receive it.

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

I think I would choose an apple because the cores are all the same, but they come in all different shapes and colors.

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

I love to sculpt with clay. If I could I would have my own space with a wheel and a kiln, that might just be pure bliss.

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

I hope when people receive our cards that they feel special.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Just do what feels good. If you love it, then that is all there needs to be. Art is personal, and we are all lucky when it is shared.

Heather, what a wonderful thing for you and your mom to be able to co-create together. Thanks, again for taking the time to share your thoughts and work with all of us. I really love the idea of the cards and earrings, and other items as a gift set!! The "trout fly" is also great! Very unique and lovely ideas! Be sure to visit GWYNN'S GIFTS to see all the beautiful cards and gift sets available.

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