Art by Heather

"I've been making messes since the day I was born," says Heather, proprietor of Art by Heather. "I love to create but the process is slightly disrupting! At the moment, I am intrigued with altered art and random creativity."

This stay-at-home mom, a self-described Pollyanna who always looked at the bright side, has always "dabbled in artsy-fartsy, crafty stuff." The offerings in her Etsy shop are only the latest in a long line of creative endeavors. She tries to reflect her positive outlook in her art, and likes to make things that make her laugh. "Hopefully you'll chuckle a bit as well," she says. The cards and dominoes in her shop were born as she looked through her collection of old photographs one day. "Chuck and Barb wanted to share their love...then Mildred gave me a dirty look and just to spite her I put her on a card. The others soon followed...and there are lots more to come!"

Heather is inspired by people...all kinds of people. "Preferably fun, quirky, ODD people. The kind most of us can relate to! My primary goal is always to make people smile...preferably to break out into a full-on knee-slapping laugh!"

National Letter Writing Week Jan. 8-15

Katydiddy of Etsy fame has posted about National Letter Writing Week, which is coming up Jan. 8-15. Make plans now to get out your best paper and pen -- and if you need a card -- stop by my shop, or by one of the many other Etsy Greetings shops.

Shell Mitchell

Shell Mitchell has always loved to make pretty things. "When I was five I begged my mother to let me use her sewing machine so I could make a fluffy pink skirt - the ones in the store were just not fluffy enough! Under her supervision, and many yards of tulle later, I had my very first one-of-a-kind creation."

Today, the joy of making and wearing unique, one-of-a-kind items is still with her. "As someone who gets cold when temperatures dip below 70, having a good pair of gloves suited for wearing indoors is really important to me, and I need them to be fingerless so I can still get my work done." Shell started altering her own gloves 10 years ago after not being able to find any fingerless gloves that were cute enough to wear to the very stylish office she was working in at the time. A decade later, she is still making and selling them as a part-time job. She is, in fact, in the middle of a long love affair with gloves. "Taking something basic and turning it into something beautiful and functional has been tremendously satisfying for me." Shell also likes to recreate vintage dresses into modern, wearable pieces.

Shell is inspired by people, travel, life, nature, art - you name it! The whimsy of Japanese street style fascinates her and she strives to incorporate that into her life. She makes an annual pilgrimage to the Burning Man art festival, "The creativity there is always amazing. Somehow that week of craziness always gets me back on track with my priorities in order."

Basically, however, she finds inspiration most often in small ways every day. "Sometimes it is a flower blooming in the yard, a girl walking down the street... anything that makes my heart smile will find it's way into my work sooner or later." Find out more about her work at her blog.

Sew Much Detail

Sandee of SewMuchDetail has been sewing since she was 14. She decided to turn her passion into a new business, featuring vintage and vintage inspired cottage fabrics from designers like Rachell Ashwell and Laura Ashley which you are likely to find among her designs, which include some of everything -- totes for Mom and baby, the little princess, table linens, stockings, sachets, towels and a special teachers section. She specializes in affordable, handmade pretties for every gift occasion -- especially a gift for yourself! She'll be happy to add monograms or other details to your specifications, and is happy to do other kinds of custom work as well.

TEMNO

Teresa of TEMNO is an Italian architecture student who has a fondness for high-quality paper and functional yet aesthetically pleasing notebooks and sketchbooks. "That is what I often indulge myself with, and what I am offering in this little corner of Etsy," she says. Each of her journals, sketchbooks or albums is unique and handmade, so it might not be perfect as an industrial product, but that's what she likes most.

She's also a photographer, and often her papercrafts feature some her photographs. Sometimes, you'll also find a small selection of Italian beads and copper in her shop as well. You can see more of her work on Flickr and read more about her on her blog.

Front page for a little while

I got a huge surprise today when friends let me know that this card made it into the Etsy Valentine Gift Guides as well as making an appearance on the front page. Go figure!

Sea Glass Designs

"I have always gathered sea glass."

So says Rita, a nurse, wife, mother and crafter who grew up on beautiful Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. "My father was a lobster fisherman and we lived just a few feet from the sea -- close enough that we sometimes had seaweed on the doorstep after a storm!" As a child, she and her brother and sister made crafts with beach rocks and sold them to the tourists who visited their fishing village. She pauses a moment to wonder how many of those glued together contraptions are still out there.

Collecting treasures from the sea remains a family affair. Her partner and children help with collecting the sea glass. "None of us can stroll along a beach, just enjoying the day. We can't help but walk with our heads down, eyes peeled for that little piece of colour hiding in the sand and rocks." Because their beaches are snow and ice covered from December to the end of March, the hunt is over for this year; she uses the winter hours to work with the beautiful pieces -- ranging from vibrant reds to turquoise -- that they have found through the summer and fall months. "There is history behind some of the pieces- there are books such as Richard LaMotte's 'Pure Sea Glass' which help to identify the age of certain pieces of glass, and where they may have come from. Its thrilling to find a piece that is particularly old or rare."

Rita started making jewelry with my glass collection about 5 years ago. "I took silver smithing and jewelry courses at our local art college, loved everything about it, and decided to incorporate some of our glass into the pieces. The designs are inspired by the glass itself. Sea glass, also know as beach glass or mermaid's tears, is nature's answer to bottles, china and pottery carelessly thrown into the sea many years ago. The glass is tumbled on the ocean floor, smoothed by the waves and sand until it washes up on shore, waiting to be found by a lucky passerby. Because every piece of sea glass is different, no two pieces of jewelry are exactly alike, which keeps it interesting," she says. Her work can be found in her Etsy shop as well as at craft fairs and a boutique in Halifax called Love, Me, which carries Canadian handmade goods from several Etsy shops.

Subu

subu was created in loving memory of two amazing women: Sue (aka subu) and Rose, says Emily, the proprietor. She explains that the company was started as a way to indulge her crafting and artistic adventures, as well as to be in wonderful and supportive community of like-minded individuals. Emily's primary modality is paper - using it to create books and notepads. She is fascinated with bookmaking and the variations that it allows. In it she finds the amazing range of materials and the technical detail that combine the gifts of my mother's creativity with my father's scientific inclinations. Her father Rich, who is a potter, has in fact recently joined Emily on Etsy.

The two developed their crafts from very different experiences. Rich began to learn how to be a wheel potter when he was a third year medical student and needed a way to relax and do something non-medical. "I was fortunate that there was a ceramics studio near where I was living and the owners were very kind and patient. Over the next year or so they taught me the basics." Over 30 years later, he still enjoys throwing on the wheel and developing new shapes and decorative approaches for his work. In general, he wants his work to be affordable and for people to use his ceramics on a daily basis. He hopes that people will also appreciate the hand-made nature of a wheel thrown pot and the beauty and variation of the form and glaze that make the piece unique.

Emily started bookmaking about a year and a half ago and fell in love with the craft. "I love the detail and the variability that bookmaking allows. i have always been creative and used many different outlets to channel it." Although she enjoys all of her bookmaking, her favorite work is her recycled notebooks. "They are super fun to make and satisfy my need for instant gratification." By contrast, she finds the handbound books satisfying in a different way. "They take a lot longer to make, but seeing the end product makes the wait worth it in the end," she says. She draws inspiration from numerous sources: paper and fabrics, stamps and inks, buttons, and color; by seeing other people's creativity; by reading Martha Stewart Magazine and real simple; by listening to good music; through hearing other people's ideas for books. "They all make my fingers tingle and get me excited to make things."

Emily is a member of the Pittsburgh Craft Mafia and also the Bookbinding Etsy Street Team (BEST). She invites you to check out her blog.

Sheeps Clothing

It's a common story, she says.

"When my boys were babies I looked and looked for high quality, stylish knitwear for them. Sure there was some nice looking stuff out there, but some nasty acrylic fabrics. No way was I putting man-made fibres on their tiny little heads," Stacey exclaims.

So coming as she does from a long line of knitters, ("I was taught by my Mum at a young age and she in turn was taught by her Mum"), she experimented with a few different styles and types of beanies and scarves. The kind comments she and her sons received convinced her that she was on to something and Sheeps Clothing was born.

That experimenting allows her to make up a pattern as she goes along, inspired by the yarn itself. Growing up in rural Victoria (Australia) we were surrounded by sheep and I have always been interested in the transformation from raw wool to finished, ready to use yarn. Every item in the Sheeps Clothing range of hats, scarves and hair accessories is lovingly hand knitted using 100% Australian pure wool. "As is the beauty of hand crafted creations, each article of Sheeps Clothing is subtly different: a unique designer piece for each owner. However, one attribute they all share is stylish yet functional design and quality to last," promises Stacey.

You can learn more about her work on her blog.

Featured by Craftymoose Crafts and Lazy Cat Gifts today

You can read a nice feature about my shop in this blog or at this one today.

Kiley's Handmade Books

"I have always been a crafty kind of girl," says Kiley. "I grew up in my Dad's studio classes as he worked towards his BFA, and I learned to make all kinds of items." A love of all kinds of arts and crafts was instilled in her from a young age -- she was in a 4-H sewing group, had a beading loom on which she made bracelets, made macramé bracelets, "the list could go on forever," she says.

Bookbinding came later, however, when she worked in a library while working on her undergraduate degree. "I knew I loved working in libraries and started to look for the area of specialization that would fit me. After an extensive amount of research I found a specialization that I thought I would love; I wanted to be a conservationist." She began by taking a series of book binding classes to get her feet wet and see if it was something she could do. She started with a basic class on small books and took another class on larger book making as well as a class on making protective boxes. "As long as I have known about handbound books I have loved them. Books have really become my passion."

From there I took off on my own, bought some books, and joined a local book arts group and have learned a lot of really unique and fun book structures. She began to build a a 3-D portfolio for graduate school admission. "I had a blast in the classes and it was something that came very naturally to me. I fell in love with the craft and have never looked back. I now spend most of my free time folding, sewing, cutting, gluing, and whatever else I can think of to do to paper with the end goal of a book in mind," she says.

Right now her two favorite structures are the Celtic Weave and her Origami books. "I just got a great deal on some larger paper and am going to start offering my origami books in a 6" square size. I love the Celtic Weave because it opens flat like a Coptic stitching but I think it is a much more eye-catching sewing," she says.

Kiley gets most of her inspiration from her paper stash. "When I start a new project I almost never start with a color, pattern, or style of book in mind. I start looking for the paper, or fabric, that stands out that day. From there I pick a structure and a size and start working."

She also get great rushes of inspiration from custom orders, trying to create the perfect book for someone she's only communicated with for short time spans. "It's always a challenge, but it's also very rewarding. I love the feedback I get from the custom books I have made that also drives me to create more wonderful books."

If you see a book in her shop that you like but don't love, she invites you to send her a message so she can do a custom order for you. Similarly if you see something in her sold listings you love, but she doesn't have any currently in stock, she'd love to make one for you. "I love doing custom orders and would love to create a book just for you!" You can keep up with Kiley's Etsy activities on her blog.

Raydel Photography

You'd never know it, but Raydel Photography is a Florida-based, self-taught photographer. "I really have always had a love of photography. I have only been shooting for about 6 months. I have always had a camera but I never though of using it as a professional." But it's a little more complex than it seems on the surface. "I have had the training and nurturing of two wonderful and professional photographers. My sister (a photographer and illustrator) and brother have taken me under wing to help me grow with my love of the photographic arts and fine tune her skills." She is in love with creating vintage style images and finding beauty in things often overlooked -- small trinkets often overlooked. "I like to find items in thrift stores that people often toss aside and make them my own little unique works of art.

She also finds inspiration in her children and in her surroundings. "Florida has so many images -- especially sunsets -- just waiting to be photographed," she says, "and I hope to someday capture them all."

From My Brush

From My Brush is a Florida artist who loves to paint in acrylics, water color, and pen and ink with watercolor wash. "I got started as an artist when I retired from my second career, my husband had passed away and my daughter was through college and well on her way to a bright future.I always had a little artistic creative flair so I decided I wanted to learn to paint.I entered the school of Folk Art in Daytona Beach," she says.

For 11 years she has enjoyed painting with the same intructor and same group of friends. She paints two hours daily. Everything around her is inspirational. "I love the trees, birds, ocean but oh, epescially the flowers. Somewhere I read that flowers were God's artwork, and I use that as my slogan. I found Etsy (where she is known as glory2727) and now I can enjoy my art and share it with others."

Her canvases are large 16x20 art renderings, candles, glass bud vases, wine glasses,wood, note cards and bookmarks. She also hand-paints designs on small letters for name boards. Visit her web site and her blog.

Pampering Beki

Beki H. of Pampering Beki, began making custom, handmade jewelry in 2003. Since that time, she has been featured in such online publications as Journal Modiste and has sold items to local upscale boutiques and internationally.

Her designs feature the best of timeless elegance and trendy looks, with the end result being quality jewelry that will look as new and fresh years from now as it does today. Each piece is made on professional grade beading wire and always finished with a sterling silver clasp.

Beki employs a lot of natural stones in her designs. The use of such stones gives each piece a totally unique look, as nature never repeats itself. Thus, each piece with natural stones is truly one of a kind.

Beki lives in Kansas with her husband, and her three children, a daughter, aged 7, and two sons ages 6 and 1. A former flight attendant, Beki is truly enjoying being home with her children. Making beautiful jewelry is, she says, the best way for her to remain home with her family and still have a creative outlet. Stop by to visit her blog, too.

Featured by that's Headley

What a nice idea -- a New Year's Resolution to ban e-cards. That's what that's Headley suggested as an entree to a feature on her blog about my cards. Greatly appreciated.

Lazy Cat Gifts

Lazy Cat Gifts was created by three friends, Kelly, Stasia, and Allison, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Two of them were in medical school at the University of Michigan and the third worked in a laboratory there. All of them had grandmothers who crocheted.

They started making scarves, etc. from unusual yarns, and from there moved into wire and beads, because they like to push what they can do with crochet.

The three create pieces that they would like to wear. "That means a lot of our inspiriation comes from current fashions that we see in stores and magazines. We combine crochet with modern styles. Additionally, we have really mastered the art of crocheting with wire and beads in a way that is unique."

After honing their skills for several years making many gifts for many family members and friends, they decided to try to sell some of their creations! We had a good start at a local craft show and found Etsy.com while searching for a gentle way to beginning selling online. ("Plus, they say, Etsy comes with the bonus of a great community of artists!") Etsy is also great for them because Kelly has moved to Philadelphia, while Allison and Stasia still live in Ann Arbor. However, they keep in touch daily!

The team enjoys using the skills from their grandmothers to create wonderfully hip and modern pieces. They crochet in both yarn and wire, creating artisan crochet bead jewelry, scarves, hats, etc. They are constantly looking for ways to expand crochet, and they love making custom items!

They are updating their store all the time, so please check back often to see what new goodies have appeared!

Additionally, our Boutique line of jewelry is currently available at Suwanee Springs at 306 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor, MI. They invite you to stop in to see these exclusive pieces! And make it a point to visit their blog, too.

Purple Hug

Nadine started PurpleHug because of the bibs she makes that have a waterproof/breathable liner inside -- "I wanted to help other mommies who have big droolers," she says. A a mother of two, it makes her happy to think she's creating beautiful things for others to enjoy while doing her part to help support my family.

She chose the name of her shop knowing that she would be selling a little bit of everything. "I also wanted a name that would stick out in people's minds when they heard it. My favorite color is purple and my son is always giving me hugs. So PurpleHug popped into my mind," she says.

A charity close to her heart is New Hope Community Life Ministry, a local charity providing counseling/social services to the local community from a Christian perspective. She serves on the board and donates time and funds to this organization. Your purchase from her shop helps her to continue to do so.

Peg Grady Art

Peg Grady likes to make stuff. She loves searching out witty quotes, which she often uses in her art. She enjoys the whole creative process (except the cleaning up afterwards part).

Born in 1950, she grew up in Queens, New York. "I was the typical city kid," she says. "I travelled on the subways into Manhattan, went to the museums, although when was a kid I appreciated the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History much more than the Renoirs at the Metropolitan. Went to the New York City public schools, hung out in Greenwich Village, dropped in and out of NYU and City University of NY, taking classes I wanted and skipping (and flunking) required courses"

When she was 25, she left New York for California, where she held some very interesting jobs: "I've been a secretary, written horoscopes, sold advertising, waited tables, written commercials, typed police reports and been a prison guard. And all the while, I dabbled in art."

Like many of us, at age 40 Peg decided it was time to stop messing around and do what she wanted to do. "I dropped back into college and finally got it together. I painted. An artist friend advised me to 'paint as if it was your last gig.' And that's what I do when I'm making something...experimenting, revising, testing out different ideas, exploring color, shape and textures, playing with my materials until I'm either satisfied that I've got a good piece, or so disgusted with the whole mess I throw it out, leave the studio and go home."

Peg lives with her partner, Don. They have a tiny house on 13 acres, covered with oaks and pines, two seasonal ponds, inhabited by blue jays and herons and woodpeckers, eight cats, deer, bobcats and wild turkeys that will eat out of her hand. "Sometimes I walk outside and wonder how a girl from New York City ended up here. I paint. I embroider. I sew. Life is good."

You can see more of her work at peggradyart.com.

CD Childs

CDChilds does stained glass by trade, but currently has been into recycling and re-purposing vintage items, as well as working with fused glass, mixed media, and gemstones to create fashion jewelry. "I get a sense of satisfaction of taking something old and giving it new meaning," she says. Etsy is a family affair for her, since her daughter also has an Etsy shop.

Childs' motto? "I live to create. If I'm not creating then I'm not living".

Creative Sundries

Sarah and Carol of Creative Sundries are a mother-daughter/friend-friend team. They find inspiration for their note cards and paper items in many places -- foreign texts, Mexican loteria game cards, vintage game pieces, and children's book illustrations. "Sometimes it's hard to part with some of those images," they say, "but we do!"

The shop also offers jewelry, and here, some of their favorite materials are sterling silver and silver plate; old school plastic charms; antiqued brass; opalite; sea glass; amethyst; citrine; peridot, and repurposed items like old fuses!

Sarah and Carol love Etsy. "Everyone we've met is so awesome. Being involved with Etsy and all things handmade has also changed our thinking a lot. We've always been supportive of the arts, but now we're even more aware of buying handmade things whenever possible -- from tea towels to journals and everything in between!

The team has some fun new projects in the works for their Etsy shop. "We're going to be adding more of our glycerine soaps in cool shapes, as well as needle-felted items such as tiny purses (we have one in our shop now), coin purses, and little critters; and more of our collage work and assemblages. We love coming up with new ideas, so stay tuned!" And be sure to visit their blog.

DeLavande

DeLevande hails from Tennessee. She began making necklaces as a way of getting away from stress -- she would simply sit back on the couch, pop in a movie and bead necklaces. "To me this was heaven," she says. In the beginning, most of the necklaces were for her and her mom, but friends began to ask if she would make them something special for them. "Thats when it started -- so many people, some I didn't know -- were asking if I had any necklaces they could buy for a gift for a loved one."

Each necklace takes three to four hours to finish, and she has recently begun to make bracelets and earrings as well. The process involves design as well as beading itself -- going through all her beads to find the perfect ones. "I take my time and great care so that the necklace is a one of a kind with all the finest beads. I love working with lampwork beads and with natural stone and tend to keep with an earthy touch. I look out the window and in my own way try to recreate my favorite things from nature -- woods, lakes, caves, and gardens."

Stop by and visit her Etsy shop as well as her web site and her blog.

Deckled Edge Bindery

Jen of Deckled Edge Bindery can't remember a time when she was not busy creating something. "As a child I always had papers, markers, glitter, etc. -- my love of creating has grown from there, she says.

"My obsession with beautiful papers first lead me to try book binding and I fell in love with it. I have been creating books for about a year now and the ideas keep coming so I keep creating. I am inspired everyday by the things I see and by my children who, without knowing it, bring me wonderful new ideas. My books are made with great care to be beautiful to look at and to touch. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy making them. Their uses are limitless. Enjoy," she encourages her customers.

On the personal side, Jen grew up in Chicago and then lived in Saudi Arabia for two years. When she came back to the States her family moved to St. Louis where she lived before going to college in Columbia, Missouri. There, she majored in art history, which only furthered her love of "all thing art." She worked in an art museum for five years putting together exhibitions ("I actually got to touch the art. It was great," she says.)

Jen is a stay-at-home mom with two daughters -- her partners in crime. "Life is at its best when the three of us are all working together in the art room." She is happy to do custom orders, including guest books for weddings and scrapbooks for special events, and will work with you to develop a book to your liking

Etsy has permitted her to do something more public with her creativity -- "it's a perfect fit," she says."It has been one of the best things I have ever done. It does get a bit overwhelming at times but I enjoy it even at those times. It has been a real challenge and I'm thrilled to be here."

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forensic by amy v.

Amy of forensic does work that we think you'll agree is absolutely inspired. She has sold her bags in eight stores in California. "For a awhile I was a bag-making crazy person. I love working with fabric and am constantly trying to find new cool things to make. No absolute favorite yet," she reports.

She has always loved creating, which, she says, "kinda includes a lot of things. "I love to venture into places that allow me to be creative and to use my imagination. i don't really think that i have one craft -- I enjoy doing alot of things and am always looking for new things to learn."

What inspires her? When she's painting, it's music: "I can paint stories to the music, and will never paint without music on." If, on the other hand, you're talking about crafty sewing-type things, she's inspired by the fabric that she's working with.
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Grafik Expressions

Lori of Grafik Expressions finds her inspiration in life, a loving family, treasured friends, loyal companions, beautiful thoughts, special memories, nature and color. Her designs are expressions of art from her heart and reflect her vision of the world as it should be. The Grafik Expressions product line offers imaginative photographic and digital designs reflecting the joys and true meaning of life, designed to tug at your heartstrings and melt your heart.

Lori believes that letters and notes, written lovingly by hand, create an intimacy between the writer and the recipient. "Your written sentiments and priceless words truly become treasures to be preserved and read over and over and over again. The handwritten word is a simple yet amazingly timeless gift to be passed on from generation to generation," she says. Her blog features her latest designs as well as those of other wonderful indie artists.

Ten percent of the sale of any of her animal-related cards will be donated to a local animal shelter. She will also donate a portion of the sale of her baby-related items to Safe Passage, a local organization established to assist victims of domestic violence. Both are organizations very near and dear to her heart. Lori is a member of Etsy for Animals (EFA) Street Team: Artists Helping Animals, and she donates her products to them as well.

Lori welcomes and encourages custom orders for personal or corporate use. If you are a not-for-profit organization, contact her to find out how to sell her cards as a fundraiser. Almost any of her cards can be personalized with your favorite photo, or she'll create a design just for you. You can reach her by email at grafik-expressions@hvc.rr.com.

Featured by Creative Sundries

Creative Sundries did a lovely write-up about my shop in their blog today.

Featured by Oh the Craftiness of Me

Oh the Craftiness of Me, did a very nice feature of my shop on Dec. 10 that I just discovered.

Mudd

Detroit-based Mud sells skateboard decks and t-shirts featuring original, one-of-a-kind handpainted artwork. "I have always drawn pictures of kinda weird stuff and I have loved skateboarding since before I was in my teens," he said. "It seemed like a good idea to take the two things and bring them together." You can see more of the results, most of which are sold internationally and in the U.S.,, at his flickr site. Keep an eye on his shop for new boards in 2008.

That's Headley

That's Headley! Jewelry Designs is about a journey in wearable art in semiprecious gemstones, wire, and glass. Color, texture, balance, and richness are her design goals. She has been "beading" since junior high, and over the last couple of years has expanded her use of wire wrapping. She's also added silversmithing to her techniques.

This San Antonio-based artist rarely make two pieces alike, although sometimes, when something comes out especially wonderful, she might make just a few to share the fun. She loves to do custom work, too, so if you have something inspirational you would like to have a custom piece to wear with or to, send her a picture or description of what you would like.

Visit her blog, where she puts her newest creations and comments on life, the creative process, and other fabulous Etsy artists. She is a self-representing artist jewelry designer (SRAJD) #231, and a member of Art Jewelry Collective and Etsy Texas Crafters.

Featured by Backwoods Creations

My shop was featured on the blog of Backwoods Creations, who did a lovely write-up. Please visit them at their Etsy shop.

Rio Oso Designs

Rio Oso Designs specializes in graphic design -- banners and promotional materials for other Etsy sellers.
She lives with her family in the Bay Area of California. "Although we live in the city, we are truly country folk at heart," she says. "We love to fish, camp, swim in the lake, just be outdoors in general. She runs her two etsy shops, rioosodesigns and ambrosiadelights as a way to be able to stay at home and "take care of my family."

Featured shop on Magic Stones blog today

Blogging is an amazing thing -- once you start, you become connected to an amazing number of other people. I'm still new enough that it still surprises me. Today my shop was featured by the Magic Stones blog. It's a beautifully designed blog, and a really nice feature. Hope you'll go by and visit, and also visit her shop, CryztalVisions.

Macaroni and Glitter

Steven James inspires students, clients and the occassional stranger with a unique approach to creative living, "Always nurture the creative spirit, it's existed in each of us since birth, but goes MIA as our lives fill with rules and responsibilities."

He educates the masses on the D.I.Y. approach to living with his appearances on the HGTV and the DIY networks. Each class is designed to nurture the creative spirit and spark the imagination of students. He provides most tools for classes and all classes include informational handouts, thoughtful demonstrations, hands-on experience and the completion of a project students can be proud of. For more information about classes, including formal proposals and class fees contact Steven at stevenjames@macaroniandglitter.com.

He also works as freelance project designer for Lark Books and his independent work has appeared in several publications including ReadyMade, BeadStyle, BeadUnique and Budget Living, as well as various newspapers and websites around the country.

A former university educator, Steven has a B.A. in Art and Public Relations, as well as an M.A. in Organizational Leadership. He resides in San Francisco where he operates macaroni & glitter, a website devoted to creative living.

Right now, he is working to help stamp out hunger through semi-postal stamps. see his Etsy store announcement or click here for more details.

Front page

Yippee! A card that I made ended up on the front page today. Thanks to Lusitania for her beautiful black and white treasury! She has beautiful, really beautiful and functional, items in her shop. Go visit!

BittyStarr

Bitty Starr makes beautiful and original papercuttings. She's a new Etsian who opened her shop in November.

BittyStarr discovers the fabrics used for her paper cuttings in second-hand stores and garage sales, as well as, following Hurricane Katrina, from the streets of New Orleans. She particularly enjoys creating personalized items. All of her pieces are unique and cut freehand. Explore her shop for some amazing finds.

Dharma Designs

DharmaDesigns derives her creations from a profound love and respect for the beauty and cultures of Asia. She loves trying her hand at all sorts of mediums -- "anything to express my creative side," she says. The art in her shop is made with love and respect, and she hopes that it will help promote global peace, acceptance, and understanding of all cultures and faiths.

She's a busy woman who, like me, has fibromyalgia, but she continues to hold a full time job, and is also working on a novel about a medical evacuation helicopter crew in the Vietnam War and a pencil portrait series of the dedicated U.S. servicemen and women of that era.

Please visit her blog where she profiles fellow Etsy artists.

Featured by DharmaDesigns

Wendy Balis of Dharma Designs was kind enough to feature my shop in her blog today, also. She did a very nice interview. This is really fun, you guys. You should join the blogging party!

Featured by A Rose by Name

Featured by this lovely blog today a rosebyname

Featured on CocoanutPalmDesigns

CocoanutPalmDesigns has my shop featured on her blog today. Stop by and give it some love!

Gilbea

"I'm the family's crazy artist," says Gilbea, who began her career by painting watercolors before reading about silk painting and and falling in love with the results of her experiments. Most of her work is silk scarves, including mini-scarves, headbands and shawl size. For her fall/winter collection, she has added silk brooches and bookmarks, and is developing a summer line that will include silk tees and bags.

Gilbea also frames her original silk paintings and has placed them in art galleries. She gets her inspiration from what's around her. She began by painting landscapes, cats and butterflies, but her technique has become more abstract as her work has evolved. "Lately I get inspiration in jewelry, nature, classics like Miro, and from lots of amazing etsy artists!" she says.

You can see more of her work at her flickr site.

This is it! Creations

Jodi and Dan are a husband and wife team who had dreams of creating together while working from their northern California home that came true in 2005. This Is It! Creations makes and sells unique handmade gifts, including jewelry and environmentally friendly photo albums, journals, sketchbooks, and greeting cards, and all paper products are environmentally friendly.

Their motto, “freedom from the ordinary ~ freedom for the animals,” applies to their creations and to their lives. To make a difference while doing something they love, they currently donate 5% of profits to animal welfare groups such as Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, The Jane Goodall Institute, The Humane Farming Association, and The National Anti-Vivisection Society. As their business grows, the percentage will also grow.

They have been on Etsy since September.

Designed by Lucinda

Lucinda has been designing jewelry for over 25 years. "It never stops pleasing me to come up with new designs," she says. Sterling and stones are one of her passions, but she has also started to use Swarovski Crystals (with or without semi precious stones). She invites you to visit either her Flickr album or her Etsy shop.

My Fairy Babies

My Fairy Babies is full of the cutest little fabric fairies you can imagine. "I started making fairy items for kids, because I couldnt find any when I was pregnant with my daughter," she says. "I get inspiration for the different dolls from nature, my dreams and my kids. Also if I see fabric it can influence the creation of a doll."

This one is named Gwendolyn, the fairy witch. Each one is made with loving attention to detail by this mom of three, who is also a blogger So far, she's made nearly 20 other dolls. She also makes glass ornament, fingerless gloves, dragon and unicorn T-shirts, and fantasy tote bags. In addition to her shop on Etsy, she also sells some of work at a shop called 7 Rays located in Syracuse, NY.

beckababe

Becka hails from British Columbia, Canada, and is an avid crafter, getting her start by making mini-purses when she was little. "I have always had a passion for making things, and for fashion." Now she makes a selection of wide headbands, makeup bags, coffee cozys, magnets, and other fashion and home accessories. Her shop offers a large assortment of styles ranging from classic and formal, to trendy, retro, and vintage inspired. She takes pride in her attention to detail and in using only the very best quality fabrics and supplies that last longer through washings and produce a better quality product overall.

recycled ideas

Love the earth? So does recycled ideas. "My passion for primates led me to study them and in doing so, I learned of their precarious position on earth. So many are endangered because their habitat is being destroyed everyday. That's why I make green gifts."

This Etsy shop specializes in two things: monkeys & handmade paper made from junk mail, cereal boxes, and newspaper inserts with flower petals, leaves, glitter, and post-consumer yarn thrown in -- which is turned into cards, boxes, and bookmarks. Purchasing one of these charming monkeys helps fund organizations like the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Jane Goodall Institute. When you buy from recycledideas, you are supporting a sustainable planet.

((Proud member of the EcoEtsy & Etsy for Animals Street Teams))

5 little monkeys

"We are a bit of an eclectic shop," says the shop owner of 5 little monkeys." A bit of jewelry, some things for baby, and some surprises." She welcomes custom orders.

Featured in the Art Life News blog by Giftbearer

I got a lovely write up in the Art Life News blog today. It's a great suprise -- go by and visit! Giftbearer makes handcrafted Contemporary Tribal Style jewelry.

Lucky Duck Designs

LuckyDuckDesigns is the organizer behind our EtsyGreetings Street Team and runs our blog. I thought it was her turn to be in the spotlight. Besides that, she makes exquisitely lovely cards and charming gifts. As she puts it, "Love simplicity? You've come to the right place. Thoughtful cards and charming gifts are our specialty."

Elektra Jewelry

This is so much fun! I just got featured on Elektra Jewelry's blog today. She picked one of my favorite cards to show you, along with something for the holiday season.

Beautiful bookmark

Thought I'd just share a recent find -- I couldn't resist this bookmark by Susarto.

Pretty Cheap Jewelry

"Nothing Here is Cheap Except the Price" broadcasts the shop of Pretty Cheap Jewelry, a.k.a. prettycheap. “Customers either love or cringe at the name,” says Nina Danza, sole proprietor of the company, “Ever since I opened, I have to explain my products have high quality and exceptional value.”

For example, her Turquoise Hoop Earrings are priced at $5.00. Nina gives the classic style a unique imprint by facing the hoops forward for more visual impact. She uses top notch materials, such as genuine turquoise and sterling silver flattened French wires.

So why are the prices so low? “I design as a creative outlet to balance an otherwise technical day job,” explains Nina, “and am perfectly satisfied that customers find the work delightful and affordable.” She is a bargain lover herself and blogs inside a money savers website full of tips for any size income. See the handmade category on her blog.

Classic styling and clever design characterize the jewelry at prettycheap. Freshwater pearl spray earrings suit any age, but the glass heart charm in her Cherish Red Earrings speak volumes of love. “A customer once described my jewelry as 'delicate and feminine' at a craft fair,” she reports.

You don’t have to spend a lot to GET a lot at Pretty Cheap Jewelry. In fact, have some free fun by trying your luck in the trivia contest open to all shop visitors. Just go to her Etsy shop and give it your best guess! A free prize awaits the correct answer. No shipping. No strings. No kidding.

Tealtown

Samantha and Mark are husband and wife, college students in Oxford, Ohio, by day, video gamers at night. Their creative forces have been paired since 2002. Custom orders? "Love 'em!" they say. "Send any of your ideas our way and we'll work with you to make your item a reality. We enjoy a challenge."

This shirt: It's a virtual crib sheet for a Bird Anatomy 101 exam. Each of the shirts made in their shop is a hand pulled screen print. The shirts are a nice 100% cotton, available in men's and women's sizes, and in a variety of colors.

If you're interested in the life and methods of Samantha and Mark, check out Mark's blog about their life and how they craft their items.

ArtisanImpact and the Etsy shops catalog

ArtisanImpact, an Etsy shop which makes gorgeous jewelry, is starting a catalog. Here's what they have to say about it.

"We have decided to endeavour the option of organizing and putting together a project of a catalogue production which centers on handcrafted work by which international artisans (on-line sellers), from etsy and others participate in. The catalogue will include an opening article on the topic of on-line trade as well as handcraft art work and will be divided to categories." Ads are offered in quarter-page, half-page, and full-page sizes. Coop ads are also offered. Visit their shop to learn more. They're great, friendly folks.

Arttoweardiva

Arttoweardiva has been on Etsy since September, but she had been selling her unique, original, handmade bags and jewelry in Southern California before joining. The beautiful piece that you see featured here is hand-beaded in black, white, and deep pigeon blood red glass beads. Stop by and visit her shop.

Diva is the sole designer and creator of the items in her shop. Her background is in graphic arts and art history, and she has been designing clothing, hats and jewelry for several years now. " I love what i do," she says. "Most of my ideas come from my dreamscapes. I'll wake up in the middle of the night and stumble around fumbling for a sketch pad to catch a vision before it slips back down the ol' rabbit hole ...you wait for it -- like a slow train comin' and then Halleluah Beullah! The adrenalin starts surging and sparking and you're on fire. For me that creative adrenalin rush is like nothing else on the menu. ...It still amazes me how one can take an image from one nonphysical reality and breathe life into it, giving it form and matter in another reality. I call that magic."

The story of how Diva became a beader is in itself magical:
I was a Political Science student at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo in my senior year when my department head started giving out government internships for the summer break. I was excited because people I knew were getting internships to the governor's office, state congressmen, the mayor's office, etc. When he handed me a letter of introduction to a small band of intertribal Native Americans and a map showing how to find their camp deep in the Los Padres National forest, I was stunned!

The tribes needed someone to articulate and set up a hue and cry about their wells being poisoned by uranium by a corporation who had not even bothered to cap their drilling sites and had broken through the aquifers and contaminated the tribe's drinking water, causing the death of their animals and high rates of miscarriages.

It took me three tries to find them, travelling down unmarked dirt roads and crossing a running stream with my old VW van.

My husband and young son were taken in as family from the first moment by the most amazing, kind, and giving people I have ever met. They were living totally off the grid. no electricity, no phones, wood fires only for heat and cooking. And yet every day was spent in joy and bliss. We would all start the day by meeting at the fire circle to sing and dance to greet the sunrise and then fix the morning meal together.

This was over twenty-five years ago but it was a pivotal experience for my family. I am a child of the Sixties and was used to alternative realities but nothing like this. It was there that I learned to bead, dance, pray, really open my heart, build sweat-lodges, adobe bread ovens and become grounded and centered in the spiritual life I was meant to live.

CCCOE November challenge - Time to vote!

The California Crafters Club of Etsy had 23 entries in this month's challenge - birds. You can view all the entries on shellmitchell's blog and you can vote here to win a fantastic pair of her gorgeous fingerless gloves, pictured here on SevenBridgesStudio's blog. Voting ends at midnight Saturday, December 8.

Featured by MommyandMeBoutique

Another Etsy shop, mommyandmeboutique featured me as their artist of the day today, complete with lots of pictures of my cards. You can visit her blog here. This is part of the 90-in-90 project.

DesignsinFloral

Today begins a series of posts about Etsy shops I've discovered and want to share with you, This card is made by DesignsinFlorals, and I think it is charming. She says, "Everything you see here has been made with real pressed flowers! I press flowers from my own yard and wherever life takes me so I can make very fun creations for you!" She's been pressing flowers for about six years now, and loves taking something so beautiful and delicate as a flower, and preserving that beauty so it can be enjoyed for years to come. Read all about her shop at DesignsinFloral

Face to face

Today, Karabu and ShellMitchell and I met face to face at Fatapple's. It was our first get together, and only the second in CCCOE history. We shoulda taken pictures, but of course hindsight is better than foresight, and in this case there's no sight at all.

Dear family and friends -- an Etsy wishlist

Found this on Etsy today. Thought it was brilliant:

FunkyChicDesigns says:
I wanted to share an email I created to introduce (and in many cases, re-introduce) Etsy to my friends and family during this upcoming holiday buying season. I encourage you to use this same one - let's bring more people into the handmade movement!

Dear Family and Friends,

With the holidays coming up, we will soon be doing the usual wracking our brains, trying to think of what to get people. This year, I won't be heading to the jam-packed, stress filled mall to buy mass-produced goods. I am going to do all my shopping at home using Etsy!

Etsy is an online marketplace for artists and crafters. You have probably all seen my site:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5224858

But did you know that if you are trying to shop for me, I have already made it easy for you? From my site, look to the right hand side of the screen, under my icon, and you will see a link that says, "My Favorites." This will take you to links of items that I have already selected as being something I love. You can also look at a list of sellers I like. You can't go wrong!

Etsy will ask you to create an account before you buy anything, but it's quick and easy and don't worry, they will never send you emails or share your account info. Even better, once you have an account, YOU can start making a list of favorite items too, because I know you are going to find wonderful, amazing things you would like. To do some shopping for yourself, just click on the link at the top of the screen that says "Buy" and you will be taken to a list of categories you can search. Feel free to send me, and others, the links of things you like!

I think you will all love Etsy and find it to be a great way to do not just your holiday shopping, but all your shopping - birthdays, weddings - anything!

Thanks for checking it out!

Front page or bust!

Fellow CCCOErs just sent me messages that a treasury my poinsettia card is in made it onto the front page of Etsy! Hurray!

Pretty in pink

I'm enjoying making two things in particular right now -- all sorts of origami boxes and iris-fold cards. I need to make a listing for my Etsy site for the origami boxes since I'm getting quite a pile of them made now.

Trading and Craigslist

I'm so excited. I just made my first post to my Etsy shop on Craigslist. Here it is: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/art/417931687.html. I hope it brings a lot of buyers to my shop.

Also, I traded lots of my pet cards (here's an example) to people who make dog treats. Rosie the Wonder Dog is going to be so delighted with the wonderful treats she's going be getting in the mail from vegan propamanda, chambers, kellies delites, dragon's den, vegan honey and shallakar's peanut butter bites. I can hardly wait to open my mailbox these days.