Featured Artisan: blinkingmouse

Pretty Little Love Objects sells keepsakes and love objects for those who like to give thoughtful gifts and cards. I hope to put the romance back into gift giving and beat out all the mass made, disposable gift items big card companies seem eager to flog these days. A gift made and given in haste means nothing and sits quietly on a shelf, waiting for the next charity collection while a gift crafted and bought with care and love in mind will be carried everywhere. If cards are creative it inspires those who write in them to think harder about their words, discouraging the slapdash way we often sign cards for special occasions. Romance be reignited and I plan to help it along a little. Each piece of jewellery is an individual design so customers will never have to worry about seeing someone else wearing your necklace. I use high quality materials that are both textural and eye catching. My favourite part of designing an item is playing with colour until I achieve exactly the effect I’m looking for. I also like to use unusual items like buttons and interesting pendants to add an eclectic feel to my items.In October I will be involved in a Craft Pink event for Breast Cancer Awareness month, where 50% of all items from the Craft Pink section of my shop (excluding shipping and a $0.20 listing fee) will be donated to Cancer Research UK. I will also be crafting exclusively in pink in October to show my commit to the cause. Lots of other crafters will be taking part in some way at Etsy, just search for the p4o tag to see their wonderful items.My shop is at http://www.blinkingmouse.etsy.com/ and my blog is at http://prettylittleloveobejcts.blogspot.com/ . I also write reviews and a monthly column on British books at http://estellabooks.blogspot.com/ .

Featured Artisan: QuiltSALAD

http://www.quiltsalad.etsy.com/

AND

http://www.weloveourpets.etsy.com/

Hello I'm Edna. I love to sew, applique, knit, crochet and paint fabric. If there was just only more time in a day. The feel of fabric, and yarn is one of the most pleasing touches on earth. I love to do olde fashioned needleturn applique. I often drool over appliqued projects made by others. The color combinations and the unique designs sends my mind on a wonderful experience.
I would be happy if society would return to the good olde days. (Return to nature) I remember my grannys' old foot rocking sewing machine, picking fresh fruits from our trees, and even feeding the chicken, goats, etc. Those were the good olde days. Please do enjoy my modern creations. Good day.

Featured Artisan: www.milarks.etsy.com

http://www.milarks.etsy.com

http://milarks.blogspot.com

WhenI was asked me to write an article for the church newsletter about my painting hobby, I wondered what the best approach would be. Then the thought hit me that this hobby has led to many adventures. When I bought that first little box of oil paints so many years ago, I had no idea where the Lord was leading with that and how much enjoyment would come from it. It was always a thrill seeing what putting the paint on the canvas looked like, how adding a touch of another color would change the whole effect.
As time went by, I found I liked acrylics, too. Then I went to watercolors and pastels. Along the way I took advantage of a few different classes. One I enjoyed was given by a local artist who gave lessons in oil painting and pastels. The class excursion one of the days included painting buildings on a nearby abandoned farm.
Enjoyable was a watercolor class a friend and I went to in northern Minnesota given by a well-known watercolor artist, Ed Whitney. There we met another watercolorist and arranged for her to give a two-day watercolor workshop in our town to anyone interested.
Another interesting project. A friend read poetry while I did a painting with pastels. We gave the program several times for groups. Seeing the interest in the students when I demonstrated oil painting at the local Christian school one year, was rewarding. On the scene painting with friends through the years has also been enjoyed.
Some of the paintings were displayed in several area places and were hung for a time when our local vacant school had a Gallery. A few times some paintings were entered in various fairs. Quite a few were sold.
Then there were the murals. That all began when two of us mothers of students at that time began painting scenery for Proms and Homecomings. We did a total of five Proms and two Homecomings between 1980 and 1984, usually on pieces of cardboard eight feet tall and of various widths.
Stemming from that there was the request to paint murals in the Steamboat Rock school. Two others helped with that project. We painted smaller ones in the hallways, but two covered the two walls of the study hall. On one wall was the large rock formation along the Iowa River for which the town was named. The other wall was Tower Rock, the tall rock formation near the River, too. That was in 1983, and in 1984 we painted another postcard scene of the town’s old flour mill on the City Hall wall. All these murals are still there today.
Finally, all this culminated in being asked to paint a large mural on big cardboard pieces for Kiwanis of Eldora and that was 40 feet long.
Personal murals were one for my sister in St. Paul and two in my house
Sometime during these years I decided to do an oil painting of our two churches. I wasn’t satisfied with the painting of the new church so that was never finished. I decided now is the time to get the painting of our former church out of the closet and give it to the church.
It has been a long traveled road that brought much reward and enjoyment.

Featured Artisan: www.qbranchltd.etsy.com

Q Branch Ltd. at http://qbranchltd.etsy.com is a shop that features a husband and wife who are both craft artists. The shop features a variety of work representing a small sample of the art that these two artists have been producing for over 25 years. Each works in a variety of mediums. Each with training in art and other professions, their work is displayed in galleries, museums, exhibitions, at craft shows and on the Internet.

The shop name goes back to the early 1980's when it was Q Branch and it designed and sold software for a very new home computer market. At the time the name was chosen from the gadget makers in the James Bond movies and the business had the slogan, "Let Q Branch Keep You Equipped!" Over time the software business stopped and the name evolved to a new business of selling crafts. The business incorporated and added the Ltd. corporate designation to its name.

When we started on Etsy we were listing only the main crafts that we do for sale - woodturnings - the wood turned jewelry that is still sold on the site - and small teddy bears. Sales were not as anticipated and we started to list more of a variety of items. As supplies are always the best sellers on Etsy, our neckcords and our ACEO mats were introduced and have become two of our most popular items. We are both living history reenactors and have demonstrated the lucet that we make at history events. This was introduced to our shop and has also become popular. We continue to make and sell woodturning, teddy bears, and dolls in other sales venues, aside from Etsy. The work that we sell on Etsy is as fine a quality as any that we have sold or displayed anywhere. The same attention to detail is paid to the least expensive item as is to items that we make and sell for hundreds of dollars. We both pride ourselves in providing the best customer service that we can and our shop is often complimented on our communication with our customers, our prompt shipping, and of course, the quality of what has been purchased.

Handmade is always a hard sell, many people who are not artists do not appreciate the time and effort that goes into producing craft art. Many are spoiled by mass-produced discounted items and it is difficult for them to justify the price that handmade craft must cost. We have been selling at craft shows for over 25 years and have had a number of experiences, both positive and negative. We share some of these on our site - http://qbranchltd.blogspot.com. We are also currently working on a book to help others get started in selling at craft shows which will be published at a future date. Our best advice for anyone getting started is to know that what you do is good and not allow comments at craft shows to discourage you.

Featured Artisan: www.AmberCripe.etsy.com

My mother named me Amber Dawn, which translates into Golden Morning. She was so proud of the name she chose. I love it too! When I named my children I thought long and hard before picking just any name, like my mother had done. I stay at home with my 3 children and craft when I can. Sometimes that makes for a messy house and an office that looks like a tornado hit... I'm creative, not neat!

I love to make many things.
I am currently obsessed with making baby wipes cases.
The fabrics I am currently using are
all fabrics that I have purchased from other Etsians.
I am in the process of making pillows though!
I think I have been making crafts all of my life.

I have 3 children and have wipes cases all over my house!
They look so much nicer with pretty fabrics around them!
At first I was making them for myself, then as baby gifts, and then I found Etsy.

Finding time to make things can be difficult, but then it all works out in the end.
I have to put my family first, so sometimes it takes me longer than planned to finish an item. I love it when I finish an item and my husband says "Wow, that's awesome".

Like I said, I only purchase fabric from other Etsy sellers.
I feel that in doing so, I am helping myself and helping others who love the craft as much as me.

What would you most want people to know about your work?
I put my heart into everything I make.
If it's not right, I redo it. If it's not perfect, it's not done!

The best advice I have been given on Etsy has probably been my choice of fabrics.
I was using things that I purchased at local shops, and have found that
the fabrics I purchase now are more popular and eye catching.
My advice, if it's not selling, change it up!

I try to make time at least 3 days a week to either blog, surf the net or just spread my link around. I also try to list items more often. I visit many blogs and take advice from anyone I can. Learning never ends!

Here are a few shops from Etsy that I love:
www.shezarealgem.etsy.com
www.urartist.etsy.com
www.PudledukSoapCo.etsy.com
www.TerriTaylorDesign.etsy.com
www.RKEMdesigns.etsy.com

Featured Etsy Shop: SouthernBlood

Name: Matthew Hyatt, 23

Business Name: SouthernBlood

Website: www.southernblood.etsy.com

Where are you located? kentucky!!!

How did you become an artist/craftsman? pablo picasso said, "every child is an artist. the problem's how to remain one when he grows up" i can easily said i never grew up. i still watch transformers the movie. i have been making things ever since i was small. but in high school it took off. i'd make jewelry for the girls and people would pay me to rip and patch their jeans with all kinds of vintage fabrics. then i started making t shirts and haven't stopped.

Who/ what inspires you? God inspires me in all that i do. Humanly speaking, Monet, Sisley, any aspiring photographer, all things natural and bright colors.

What type of things do you design or create? right now the shop basically only has jewelry but i'm working on a new line of t shirts soon to be posted. i'm excited. i've focused all these on our inner anger and another line on interesting, somewhat comical natural things like grizzly bears or sheep. odd, i know. that's why i'm excited. i'll do any kind of jewelry from necklaces to earrings to other pieces. i have a new line of jewelry that utilizes a tree over one hundred years old that was sadly struck by lightning and collapsed. i think it will be amazing.
so an easy answer to the question...jewelry, tees and anything else that can be recycled into things like envelopes.

What are your hobbies? i'm a painter and photographer at heart. i use mostly acrylics now, the liquitex super heavy body and heavy bodied ones. i love impressionism. i also have a nikon d40x with an 18-55mm and 70-200mm lens with a few filters. i am out for at least a half an hour each day just taking pictures. i love picture studies of things like clouds or color changes from light on the environment.

Describe your ideal workshop or workspace. ha. a quiet temple set in an asian forest with candles and kotos and flutes playing softly in the background. i try to emulate that in my studio here. sometimes there's metal playing though. lol. i am so consumed with asian culture and history so if i could move to japan that would be ideal. i want green walls, huge windows and open doors with sunlight pouring in.

What are your long term goals? my long term goals...wow...i'd love to be a recognized photographer. i am working on the painter...i'm the solo exhibit in the Zeppelin Art Gallery here in kentucky through July 31st. i really want people to enjoy and find their own idea and meaning in my photos and paintings.
otherwise, i hope to be married next year and live in a serene cabin in the woods.
i published a book of poetry called, "I Am Icarus", as well and i'd love to be an accomplished poet.
you can check it out here: www.cafepress.com/iamicarus

Please describe your favorite piece. my favorite piece on etsy? well, i'm totally digging this one: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12719332, the Midsummer's Night Necklace...i love shakespeare's writings and i feel like it truly embodies the entangling and weaving plots while still being subtle and a little colorful. i love the vine pattern which, to me, makes the piece...if it were another pattern it would have no effect.

Featured Artisan Emerald Coast Arts

Hey visit my Etsy Store and See some of the stuff i've made!



as usual lost in a wonderland of dreams!

Please visit my website or Myspace
between 0000-00-00 and 9999-99-99




Artist/Jeweler Heather Dixey



I'm a busy body, I can't sit still ya know. I have a 100 projects going at once. I love my new website and have been working very hard on it. As well as building my collection of precious and semi-precious gemstones. I spend most days in my garage/studio pounding away at something tedeious. And lately I have added a selection of jewelry making tools to my website.

I love to make jewelry of all sorts, I create fashion jewelry for the woman who wants 40 pair of earrings as well as heirloom sterling silver for the woman who wears the same thing everyday, like me. I get a real kick out of PMC. Its precious metal clay. You can get real sculptural with that stuff.

I started dragging beads to school with me in a tin as a child. I used to break them out any time I finished my work in a hurry.

My dad used to drag me kicking and screaming out to rock hunt as a child. Back then all I wanted to do was swim. I mean really who in their right mind is out in 100 degree temperatures look for ROCKS? Now looking back those were the best times of my childhood. Oh the stuff that I learned from my mom & dad.

The process of becoming what you are is the most enjoyable part of my work. And the hardest part is finding the path back to yourself.



Dixey is my name hence the Dixey Collection of Sterling Silver Hand Crafted Jewelry which is proudly on display in public as well as on my website Emerald Coast Arts.

I do what I love and I love what I do.

Keep carving out LIFE!




Alycnwonderland on Myspace

Alycnwonderland's photo's on Flickr

Emerald Coast Arts Blog

PLEASE VISIT THE OTHER ARTISTS

Amberafternoon on Etsy

Glittercritter on Etsy