FEATURED ETSY SHOP - SQUIDART

"SOME THINGS LAST FOREVER" - 6" X 6" Print

by SQUIDART

(CLICK on the photo's title to learn more about this print)

WELCOME, Katie and her Etsy shop SQUIDART!  You will find fine art photography and mixed media prints, in a variety of subjects, when you pay a visit to SQUIDART.

I love the colors in the above print and the title for this photo is perfect!

Let's learn a bit more about Katie by reading her interview below.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I started taking a few photography classes in high school, and I just fell in love with the dark room process. I continued to take a class or two in college, but most of what I do is self taught. After I graduated college, I put photography away for a while. Then, my husband bought me a copy of Photoshop. The love was reborn! I dove in head first and started creating again.

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

I actually really miss the dark room process. I could get lost in that room for hours playing with the developing chemicals and trying to make that shot perfect. Dark room photography takes so much time and patience, and because of that, you feel so much more rewarded when you see the final product.

Now, Photoshop is like that for me. I love to see what I can make that software do. All I have to do is imagine the final shot, and if I take enough time and am patient enough, I can get Photoshop to create that for me.

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

Kumquat – It’s a little different and a little fun.

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

Sewing… I don’t know how to do it yet, but my next big purchase will be a sewing machine. I am so excited to learn the craft and see what kind of mess I can make with it.

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

Each picture is meant to convey some type of mood, whether that be serious or lighthearted. It really is a way to show people an emotion and ask if they have ever felt that way. That is why people become so connected to art. People love your work when they can share in the emotion that it shows.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Put it out there and have some fun. Part of the reason we create is to share, and Etsy gives us such a wonderful and easy way to do that. Take a chance and share your work with the rest of the world!

MOUNTAIN FLOWERS

by SQUIDART

(CLICK on the photo's title to learn more about this beautiful print!)

Thanks, Katie, for taking the time to share you thoughts and photographic creativity with all of us. 

To learn more about Katie and SQUIDART, be sure to click on the links below.

SQUIDART BLOG

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - FREAKY KEEN

 VERONICA DOLL

by

FREAKY KEEN

WELCOME, ANNA and her Etsy shop FREAKY KEEN on Etsy.  When you pay a visit to FREAKY KEEN, you will find notebooks, dolls, jewelry, zipper charms and more.

First, let's hear what Anna has to say about how she got started in creating, by reading her interview below.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

It’s hard to say how I started. I started learning to sew from my mom when I was little. She sewed and created a lot, most of our Christmas presents were homemade. I grew up sewing and crafting, a lot of my favorite toys I made myself. I never thought much of it as a hobby or anything until after high school, that’s when I went nuts with it. I ended up with more bags than I actually use, I’ve made almost every wallet I’ve ever owned, almost all my tank tops are t-shirts I “customized” and you can’t look around my room without laying eyes on something I created. It just kept going from there.

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

I mostly work with fabric and castoff clothing because it’s what I have on hand and it’s what I am accustomed to. One of the first projects I remember doing was a quilt I started when I was about 7 using my old baby clothes. When you handle it so much, you start to develop a taste for fabrics and the many textures and prints available to you.

BLACK CAT

by FREAKY KEEN

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

I find when I’ve spent so much time on something that I’m exhausted and my fingers hurt, it’s all worth it when I can hold up my creation and go ooh and ahh.

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

My craft is like a tomato, because the word tomato refers to many different varieties of the fruit (is it a fruit or a vegetable?), but they all are still tomatoes and still delicious and versatile. Unique individually, but together the same.

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

I already use more than one medium. Sewing is my number one choice for creativity, but my number two frequently changes as my interests do. It’s like my other hobbies. Singing, anime/manga, reading, RPGs and writing will always be top. But as for number two, I was big on yoga for a while but then I got into hiking for a bit, then dance came back although it never really left, then I started doll collecting, then charm bracelets, then chick lit, mystery novels, seed collecting, yoga again, roller blading, et cetera. I usually never completely drop a hobby, just push to the back a little. The same with my craft. I haven’t made any handkerchiefs in awhile but I feel the urge to do so, and I’m thinking of ways to combine sewing with bottle caps. Bottle caps are another thing I work with on occasion. The more I try, the more creative and imaginative I become.

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

I guess when I make things, I want people to know that there is nothing wrong with liking cute things. Your pencils don’t have to be plain, wallets don’t have to be boring or “classic”, and adults can have plushies and dolls too. And what better reason for this than that it makes you and everyone around you smile. Maybe I’m just being naïve. But hey, studies do show that smiling helps increase longevity.
What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Look for special sales on craft supplies and those baggie things at thrift store full of miscellaneous supplies. These are great for jump starting your creativity. Challenge yourself to learn a new skill from a sale or to find a use for an odd looking find, it’s very rewarding when you succeed at it. Also, avoid trends in crafting, do the projects you find interesting. This applies to those you sell as well as for personal use. If you make something that you don’t completely love, and it doesn’t sell, you are going to be stuck staring at it until you find someway of unloading it. And as for personal use, your free time is too precious for you to waste on an activity you don’t care for all that much. Adding on to that, don’t quit something you like just because you stink at it. My crocheting blows, but I still whip out the hooks on occasion and get down with it.

ANNA, thanks for a delightful interview!  You have a great way of expressing yourself!

To learn more about Anna and her creations, click on the links below

BLOG

WINNER OF THE "PATCHWORK CHARMER TOTE BAG" by SID'S IN STITCHES IS......

JUDY

from

THREE RIVER, MA

Congratulations, Judy!

Judy's entry of 9/24/09 was randomly selected out of the 61 entries received for this delightful giveaway from SID'S IN STITCHES on Etsy.

Judy will be receiving the above colorful tote bag directly from Sid.

A big "thank you" to all of those who participated in this giveaway.  All of your comments were highly appreciated.

Be sure to check the right column of my DZFANTASY blog to see what other giveaways are currently running.  To enter into any giveaway post, just click on the giveaway's photo.

THE WINNER OF THE "GLASS FLOWER SUNCATCHER" from DONAHUE DESIGN GLASS is..................

CATHY H.

of

Johnson City, TN

Cathy's name was randomly selected out of the 71 entries received for this giveaway, as the winner of the above large, gold glass suncatcher shown above. The winner had the option to select any suncatcher of their choice from Bonnie's shop on Etsy - DONAHUE DESIGN GLASS.  Cathy selected the beautiful suncatcher above.

THANKS again to all those who participated in this wonderful giveaway!  All of the comments were appreciated very much.

DZFANTASY's giveaways can always be found in the upper right column of this blog.  All you need to do is "CLICK" on the giveaway's photo to get to the giveaway post.

WINNER OF DZFANTASY'S "$50.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE" IS.......

CINDI

of CLAY IT AGAIN/12 MIDNIGHT OILS

and her entry of 9/13/09

CONGRATULATIONS, CINDI!

Cindi's entry of 9/13/09 was randomly selected, by my husband, out of the 55 entries I received for this giveaway.

All entry slips were put in a covered box, shook several times and then I got my husband to pull out the winner!

Cindi had the option of spending the $50.00 gift certificate on any item/s in my DZFANTASY shop with a value up to the $50.00, or she could apply the $50.00 to any other item/s in my shop and pay the balance. 

Above you will see the lovely LILAC FAIRY, which was Cindi's choice.  This Lilac Fairy was priced at $70.00, so Cindi paid the extra $20.00, and now the fairy will be on her way to her new home with Cindi.

A big THANK YOU to all who entered the giveaway, and for your lovely comments.  It makes me wish I could have you all be WINNERS.

I currently have my BREAST CANCER AWARENESS FAIRY giveaway running until 10/31/09, so if you haven't entered, be sure to do so.  She is a sweet little pink fairy.  The link to the giveaway is in the right hand column of my blog.  Just click on the "pink fairy".