Featured spot for Etsy creative people - 1 part

When I decided to open a blog I knew I would like to help out to other creative folks. After being in art buisness so long I knew how tough it can be to get through and how important it is for us...So I will be featuring fellow Etsy members every weekend..

You know what I enjoyed the most? Reading the short bios that members are sent me. It is so wonderful to know the real person behind the beautiful creation.

Please dont forget to post about this feature in your blogs. Lets help each other and share the invitation to special shops of very creative people.

.....cutting the red ribbon....

SIMPLE WHIMSEY

http://simplewhimsey.etsy.com

Wonderful custom fabric banners that gave me such a cozy feeling!





Kristen writes about herself:

"I grew up in San Francisco, CA and now live in the Sierra Foothills with my husband and two boys (ages 9 and 11) who keep me incredibly busy.

I've always liked crafting and grew up in a home with sewers. Oddly I never learned to sew until after my son was born. My sister who has taught pattern making and worked for Nike and Addidas said, "I'm teaching you how to sew, we'll make a pillow." Then it went to quilting and now I'm making fun little fabric banners with sayings. I have got several requests for personalized banners and even fun events.

I bet my sister never guessed 10 years later I would have a collections of fabric that is billowing out of the closet were it is all color coded in piles. I love looking at my fabric it makes me smile and inspires me. Fabric stores are a dangerous place for me ~ to many choices I want it all ♥

Now I just need to find more time in the day for everything."

DANALAYMON

http://DanaLaymon.etsy.com

Dana has a gorgeous photography. I was wondering through her shop and feeling such a range of emotions...each of them was speacing a special story...





Dana writes about herself:

"Well I live in Wilmington, NC with my husband. I have a full time job at a pharmaceutical company but do weddings and portraits on the side. I really want to do photography full time- that is my dream! I'm hoping Etsy will give me some exposure and extra money but we'll see :) I have taken some photo classes mostly for darkroom development and everthing else i learned on my own. I'm working on my own website at the moment and can't wait to get the word out that it's done! It will hopefully drive a lot of people to etsy too. I have a lot of different photographic styles. I like to use digital and film and love abstracts and landscapes and people! I hope people feel like my shop is cohessive because I just post the things i love :)

I'm on twitter: and my website is thanks!"

BLUE BOX STUDIO

http://BlueBoxStudio.etsy.com

I never imagined that sea glass can be so incredibly beautiful. Jewelry made by Sue is almost glowing from inside and it is so incredibly special.





Sue writes about herself:

"I’m Sue Harris and I work from my garden studio, selling my work as ‘Blue Box Studio’. I live in the beautiful Victorian seaside town of Clevedon in North Somerset, England, famous for having oldest purpose-built, continually operating cinema in the world. The Curzon’s original building opened in 1912 and films have been presented on this site ever since. We also have a wonderful Victorian pier that was, I believe, made from some spare bits of metal from one of Brunel's projects, but don't quote me on that.

I work in several disciples, working with textiles and making jewellery.

My jewellery is made predominantly from sea, or beach, glass – most of which my husband and I collect from beaches found on our travels – and sterling silver. Using the beauty of the found material, smooth and frosted by the movement of the waves and sand and unaltered except for drilling and mounting, I make necklaces and earrings, cuff links, mirrors, and bottle stoppers. I also collect far more sea glass than I can use or store, so offer this for sale to other collectors in order to fund purchase of more unusual colours that I can’t find in my part of the UK.

When I’m not working with sea glass I’m busy with textiles. I have always loved beautiful fabrics and a chance purchase of a book on Shibori dyeing at a particularly quiet craft fair led to me developing my interest further. I now use this ancient Japanese technique to make silk and velvet scarves as well as linings for the range of framed bags I am currently developing. I also make scarves and tote bags from velvet and designer fabrics, colouring and texturing these with devoré, batik, hand and screen printed techniques. I am always experimenting for ways to make something a little different.

I had so many requests from customers wanting to make their own scarves that I now sell a kit to make a Shibori dyed scarf and run workshops in Shibori dyeing from my garden studio. A kit to make a devoré scarf will be released later this year, in time for North Somerset Arts Week open studio event from 1 – 10 May.

My work is available from a few galleries around the UK and direct from me at craft fairs, my Etsy, Folksy and Misi shops. I also hope to have my own shop on my website www.blueboxstudio.co.uk in the next few months. Watch my blog, http://blue-box-studio.blogspot.com for developments.

When I’m not in my workshop, I enjoy spending time in my newly formed garden, wandering along beautiful beaches looking for sea glass (it is addictive) and exploring both in the UK and abroad."