Thursday, April 29, 2010

FEATURED ARTIST

Things for the little ones - so cute. Come and let me introduce you to this Canadian shop and artist -


Here is our interview with the artist, Savannah

Briefly describe what you make?

My products are geared to baby and mom accessories. My favourite items to make are sock monkeys, and I've also introduced sock cows to the mix. I make them using regular polyester socks and soft fuzzy socks (so cuddly!). I also make smaller items for babies such as bibs, personalized soother straps (my favourite is the one with the slogan "Sucker...", though I can't take credit for the idea; it was my husband's), baby hair clips and headbands, and baby legwarmers, to name a few. I have stuff for Mom too, because all Moms deserve a treat. I offer business card holders, headbands, and some crafting supplies, with new items to come. (I just made myself a bag using a pair of Old Navy pants and will be soon making these for my shop as well!)

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

I enjoy working with fabric the most. I love all the patterns and colours and textures you can work with all in the same project. You can make the same thing with 2 different fabrics and the style and attitude of the item becomes totally new and unique! I love starting out with a flat piece of fabric and ended up with a cute or stylish or sassy item that has personality. I love watching it take shape with each seam. I also love making things out of something that was totally different, like the sock animals. One minute, they're a pair of socks that albeit cute, will be worn and scuffed on the floor and become "nothing special." A few seams later, it's a cute, soft, cuddly friend for a young child and will likely be named, go on car rides, have tea parties, or explore the jungle.

How long have you been creating craft?

I always like doing arts and crafts growing up, but I've only been sewing for a couple of years. I started making baby slings when my son (now 2) was a couple of months old when my commercial baby carrier was hurting my back and shoulders. After my daughter was born (she's 10 months now), I started making the sock monkeys and other items, and that's when I opened my Etsy shop. I love thinking of new things to make, or finding patterns of something I haven't tried before. I can be pretty stubborn about what I make. A new pattern might be difficult, and I might be calling my sewing machine names the entire time, but I need to conquer what I start or I'll feel defeated. Usually, it turns out well in the end (though not always the first...or second..attempt), though sometimes it doesn't turn out as well as I'd hoped and I may not make it again. But at least I tried, right?

How did you get started?

I actually started out on a different e-store site, but after a full year and no sales, I gave that up and tried out Etsy. I was a bit hesitant because I was afraid of losing money with the fees, but after making a few sales, even small ones, I realized that Etsy had so much to offer and the fees didn't touch a lot of my profit. I've enjoyed chat rooms since college, so I immediately foudn the chat rooms and made friends, as well as sales, in the rooms. I've gotten SO many tips and pieces of advice though the other Etsy chatters; they've really helped my develop my shop and are continuing to be a great resource as well as friends. I started reading Storque articles, and going to the virtual labs, and am slowly learning how to make my shop work better.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

The name of my shop actually came from when I was making only baby slings, when I first started (hence the baby bundle part). I added in the 'Boutique" just to make it sound more complete, and to open up the possibility of having other items in my shop. I'm glad I did, since now I only sell a couple of slings a year.

What would you most want people to know about your work?

Wow, this question I had to think about the most. I want people to know that my work is made with love. Yes, it's cliche, but it's true. As I said before, I love picturing kids playing pretend with my sock animals. I love imagining babies wearing the bibs or hair clips I made. I like to imagine the comments people might get about my products. I also want people to know that my work is safe, of course. It's all made in a pet-free and smoke-free environment, and I only make things that I'd feel safe giving to my own kids. Most of my what I make in my shop, I've made for my own children too. These are difficult times, financially. I know how much work goes into earning dollars, and I want my customers to know that I value their money for what it means to them when I craft.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

My first words of advice for other artists and crafters are to believe in yourself and your work! You put your heart into what you make; don't sell yourself short! Too often I see people under pricing their work in a desperate attempt to make sales, but it comes across as just that: desperate. Pay yourself fairly! Think of what goes into your products, and think about what you would pay for such an item from someone else. If you price too low, people might think your stuff is cheaply made.

When it comes to your shop, use your tags! All 14 of them. And use relevant tags. Words that you would put in a search engine looking for the same or similar items. Go to the virtual labs and forums, you'll find great advice there and can have your shop critiqued.

Most of all, craft because you love it. If you let it become a chore, it'll reflect in your work. If it's starting to get too stressful, I think it's better to take a short vacation from your shop, then to continue something you're not enjoying anymore and letting the negativity build. This is something you love! Don't let "business" steal that from you!

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Great interview! It is always a pleasure for an artist to share so much. You must come to Savannah's Etsy shop to see these cute things!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

FEATURED ARTIST

Fine silver and gemstone jewelery always sets itself apart - come and meet our featured jeweler -



Here is our interview with the artist -

Briefly describe what you make?

I create unique pieces of jewelry using sterling silver and 14 karat gold wire and gemstones. As of now, I use various wire wrapping techniques to achieve the look and composition of my designs and wire sculpting and hammering techniques as well.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

Primarily, I use sterling silver to keep the cost as affordable as possible though some stones and designs just need the look of gold to fully bring them to life. I just love shaping and manipulating metal. What I may love more is the stones themselves! Since I was a kid, and like a lot of kids, I loved picking up cool-looking rocks and had a rock collection. My grandfather is a geologist and a lapidary and he certainly played a role in fostering my love of rocks. This interest has stayed in me and every time I see rough (or uncut) specimen or a cut and polished gem, I get a little giddy inside.

How long have you been creating jewelry?

I began seriously wire wrapping about June-July of 2009. I had played around making a piece of jewelry here and there for a long time but the art of wire wrapping beyond making loop closures was something new to me. You can really do a lot with wire, without soldering. Though I must say, in the future (hopefully near rather than far) I want to expand my skill set and start soldering, sawing, eventually grow into a real metal-smith.

How did you get started?

As I said earlier, I had made jewelry before, just for fun, probably since I was about 11 years old. I've always enjoyed crafting, whether it be jewelry, sewing/crocheting, drawing, building, I've dabbled in a lot of things and I enjoy it all. The idea to actually make jewelry as a serious endeavor (e.g. more than a hobby) was really one of those crazy things you wake up to one morning and you can't get it out of your head. I didn't begin right away but there it was: sooner or later I was going to make jewelry to sell. I started out making some beaded watch bands because they were simple and cute but then I came across some jewelry tutorials for wire wrapping and the rest is history.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

I tell you, one of the hardest things in forming a business is coming up with a name for it, at least that's what was hardest for me. I was brainstorming and I asked my husband offhandedly (for probably the fifth time over the course of two weeks) what I should call my shop. He suggested, without much thought to it, "Honoria." We had been watching "Jeeves and Wooster" episodes and there's a character named Honoria Glossop in one we'd seen recently. He thought the name sounded nice. I mulled over it and shortened the name to Noria and the name "Noria Jewelry" just had a ring to it that I liked.

What would you most want people to know about your work?

I do it all myself; the designs, the forms, the wrapping, even the findings (except for some commercially-produced chains), I make them myself. There are other fabulous wire artists out there and while I strive to one day be counted among them, I also strive to keep my aesthetic unique to my own style and artistic expression.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Keep it enjoyable. Learn new techniques, seek fresh inspirations. Don't be afraid of criticism, in fact, welcome it and then learn from it.

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Very nice - very elegant! Come see this shop - and then come back and leave a comment!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Lucet

Many years ago on a vacation we were visiting The Jamestowne Settlement, a recreation of the Jamestown Fort on the James River in Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in America. The site then was not as well developed as it is now, having just past the 4ooth Anniversary of the founding of the settlement, but it had a small museum, an Indian village, reconstructions of the ships that brought the settlers to found the colony, and a recreated fort. On the schedule that day of demonstrations, it said "cord making". I interpreted this to mean rope and was excited to see how this is done. At the specified time we headed down to the area inside the fort and I looked for the large rope making apparatus that I expected to find. Nothing like that was there. Instead, sitting on the side of a path on a small bench was a woman with a basket in her lap and a small tool in her hand. I asked where the cord making demonstration would be and she smiled and said, "right here".

What she had in her hand was a lucet. She explained that is an ancient tool used for centuries to make strong, decorative cord that would be used to embellish clothing or tie things together like lace. She proceeded to move her fingers and twirl the tool around in her and as she worked - hardly looking down, a length of cord grew from the bottom of this lucet. I watched amazed. I had never seen anything like that before, and as a student of history I was fascinated. In my head I could see so many possibilities with this and this was before I had started reenacting history.

When we got home I had to find out more. At the time there was no Internet and therefore no Google to search. I went to the library and started going through historic needlework books. I looked through many until I found one that talked about the lucet or lucette. I learned more history but did not find what I wanted - a detailed photograph of an historic artifact. References led me to other sources and I found what I was looking for.

I took the photo and the described dimensions - plus knowing what the lucet that the woman had demonstrated looked like and proceeded to recreate one that was historically accurate - though there are many historic designs of lucets. My first lucet was carved from walnut. I still have and use that lucet.

Now that I had the lucet and some basic instructions on how to work it from one of the books, I got some string and tried it. It did not take long to produce cord just as the woman at Jamestown had done. Great! But what to do with that cord? I bought some floss in various colors - variegated color floss should be great as the cord would then vary in color shades. I also found a variety of metallic cords from which I could make larger, lucet cords. I started making these cords on the lucet and they looked great. The idea came to me to make earrings from the loops of cord. Setting the ends of short lengths into finding caps and then attaching ear wires, I had earrings that looked very different and attractive. I took them to work with me and they sold right away to co-workers. I took them to craft shows and they sold there too.

As I was making cord I decided to make a second lucet out of cherrywood. That one came out great too! And I still have and use that lucet. Years past and I became involved with 18th Century Living History - and saw the lucet as a way to interact with the public and talk about history. I also decided to make a few lucets and see if they would sell. While I did not figure on interest from the general public, I focused on those with an interest in history and approached one of the larger suppliers of period items to reenactors - from all periods in history. They liked the lucets very much, placed an order, and put my lucet in their catalog - as well their as bringing it to sell at living history events. They continue to order them form me and resupply their inventory.

Some time later I decided to add the lucets to my Etsy shop to see if they would sell there to the crafting and general public. I had the first lucets for sale on Etsy. They started selling and I added lucets in different American hardwoods - each designed and hand-carved as my original, historically accurate reproduction.

The lucet is easy to use and when I started offering them for sale I wrote a small booklet with photos to show exactly how to use them. Most of my lucets come with this booklet and those that do include illustrated instructions with all of the necessary steps. Anyone can learn to use the lucet within ten or fifteen minutes of following the diagrams and the text and once you know how to do it you will always be able to do it.

The cord may be used to make jewelry - like the earrings that I made or bracelets or necklaces. Multiple cords make great belts. The cord is strong and can be used to make laces for shoes or for clothing. It is truly unique.

In the past year I decided to add another style lucet to my offerings. Some lucet have handles and while I prefer the smaller lucet that just fits in the hand, some do prefer a lucet with a handle to hold and turn while working. The handle lucet that I designed is historically correct in design but is not a reproduction of an ancient lucet. It is still appropriate for living history events. It works exactly the same way, though it is held in the hand by the handle. I make this lucet of thicker wood with a larger eye to allow much larger cords to work with this lucet - while still being perfect for the thinnest fiber. I make most of my handle lucets from poplar wood. It has a remarkable grain pattern and coloring that will vary uniquely from piece to piece.

All of my lucets are for sale and may be found here at my Etsy Shop - Q Branch Ltd. It is definitely unique. No two lucets of mine are ever exactly the same - the wood alone, plus the hand-carving makes each one of a kind. Many have never seen a lucet before. The cord that one can make has a million creative possibilities. Come over to the shop and see what great ones are there now.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

FEATURED ARTIST

This artist has talent in an ancient craft - very different, though what she creates is very modern and appealing. I am introducing to you -



Come meet the artist, Jess -

Briefly describe what you make?

I specialize in Chinese arts, specifically brush painting and knottings. The paintings have a very light and serene feel, and I mostly concentrate on scenes from nature – including landscapes, flora, and some animals. In terms of the knotting, I take traditional knotting techniques and apply them to functional usages, such as hair accessories, drawing from modern inspiration in the everyday world.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

Chinese brush painting is done on rice paper using ink and watercolors, which are applied using special brushes made of bamboo and animal hair. For knotting, I use a specific type of cord, which is perfectly round in diameter with a very smooth finish.

How long have you been creating craft?

I’ve been painting for a good number of years, since I was in my early teens. It sort of fell by the wayside during college, but I picked it back up about a year after graduation. Knotting has been more of a hobby of mine for quite awhile, and I didn’t start experimenting more with this technique until after college as well.

How did you get started?

My parents are originally from Taiwan, and they made sure that even as I grew up in America, that I retained a bit of that traditional culture. So when I saw my mother painting when I was younger, watching the sure strokes of her brush across the paper, I decided that I wanted to learn as well and began going to lessons. I picked up knotting at our local Chinese school during special culture classes. Eventually, this appreciation for the traditional art forms merged with my own modern inspiration, giving rise to the items that I now create.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

I never thought to try selling my work while I was growing up. However, a year after graduating from college, when I moved to Brooklyn and began painting and knotting with a vengeance, I realized that I couldn’t realistically keep everything I was creating. There simply wasn’t enough space in my apartment! So I began searching online, and stumbled across Etsy. Since my apartment played a large part in me selling my work online, it seemed fitting to name my shop “C Line Creations,” as my apartment is located right off of the (C) subway line in Brooklyn!

What would you most want people to know about your work?

My work is heavily influenced by Asian culture, as evidenced by the art forms I work in, but it is also inspired by the modern world in which I live. In that way, most of my creations are a melding of east with west, in the same way that I am a Chinese woman immersed in the western world.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Try to relate to your customers. One of the best parts of selling my own work is to realize that someone else out there likes it as well, and to be able to actually communication and make a connection with that person. There’s really nothing like it, and good, personable customer service really cannot be overemphasized.

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Come now to see Jess's shop at Etsy, then come back and let Jess know what you think!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

FEATURED ARTIST

We are getting back to our artist features and this is a knitter. I would like to introduce you to



Come meet the artist, Crystal -

Briefly describe what you make?

I make knitted photography props mainly for newborns. I do offer larger sizes in the hats but most of my listings are for newborn photography.
I knit beanies, Elf/Pixie hats, slings, cocoons, pods/bowls and I also offer organic dyed cheesecloth that can also be used as slings and wraps.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

I would think, by far, my favorite would be handspun merino wool. It is such a wonderful thing to use when knitting and it's so soft. Some of my best yarns have come from Etsy fiber artists.

How long have you been creating craft?

I've been knitting for a few years now. My mom taught me how to crochet when I was a little girl but I never really did anything with it. It wasn't until I started knitting that I actually got interested.

How did you get started?

I got started by coming to Etsy here and there looking for photo props of my own. I would look around but never really buy anything and then I realized that I could make the items I wanted on my own. I then started hats and cocoons for friends in my real life and also for photographers I had met online. I then realized that people actually wanted what I sold and I was urged to open up a shop on Etsy so the circle of photographers I associated with could pick and choose what they wanted and the business just branched off from there.


Where does the name of your shop come from?

Since all of my pieces are personal to me I also wanted my shop name to be personal. I wanted to incorporate my name in some way but I didn't want it to be my name.
My name is Crystal Katherine Connell
I took my initials "CKC" and came up with 'Country Knit Cocoon'. It was the first thing I came up with and it all worked so well together.
I do, indeed live out in the country (a little too far out). All of my items are knit and I make cocoons.

What would you most want people to know about your work?

I would want people to know that although it is very time consuming it is what I love to do. Every piece is different even if it looks like one I've sold before. My knitting comes with me everywhere and it's nice to know that something I knit and put so much effort into is being loved by someone else. I absolutely love when I get a convo from a buyer and attached to it they have a photo of a sweet little baby either wearing it or in it (as in the slings and cocoons).

I love that it's all handmade by me while watching a good movie or while watching my own little ones playing in the yard or just being crazy in the house.
Just knowing that every piece is personal (to me at least) is what makes it all so worth it.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

My advice would be to do what you love. If you do what you love the rest will come easy. If you do what you love the hard work does not seem so hard. That is how I look at it. Sometimes I have to step back for a minute and remember why I do this. I do it because I love it and when it comes to the point where I no longer love it I will stop doing it.

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Y9u must see the really nice work that Crystal does and it is all for sale at her online shop. Leave her a c0mment here in appreciation!