New Halloween items at my etsy shop!!

I just took these pics of my new Halloween and Day of the Dead items...I hope you enjoy them. They are okay but at least the lighting is spooky!

Presenting..AmorandStitch!!

Another wonderful etsyian! Her work reminds me of the tradition of needlework and yet it is definately modern. She blends the bold and the feminine...I hope you will enjoy her work.
1) How long have you been selling on etsy?

Since mid June 2009

2) Do you have advice for etsy newbies?

Do all you can to promote yourself and take a visit to chat as I have met some wonderful people there who have been very helpful. Believe in yourself, the sales will happen!!

3) What are your fave etsy shops and why?
I love ComestibleKid's Shop, as it's got some really funky retro items. I love nearnu, vintagebarcelona because I love vintage wear I own lots of vintage myself and you can never have enough : ) and I love the thinking about who owned it before me, where its been e.t.c


4) What are your fave pieces in your shop and why?

I love my pendants, as they are so unique and I am going to start to create interchangeable art pieces for people to purchase so they can change the look of the pendant. I like the Geisha girl, as she is so beautiful and it took me a long time to create this piece so I don't think I will do another, and Finally I love 'A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child' cushion as it is a lovely way to capture a memory of your newborn or child.

5) What plans do you have for your shop?

I am really enjoying etsy and I plan to continue making and listing, but I also want to create some prints of my art to make cards and art canvas's for the wall. I have also just launched my own website www.amorandstitch.com check it out!

6) How long have you been creating art?

I have been creating art since I was a child, I went from school to college onto university I then worked as an art psychotherapist for 8 years. In that time I discovered the magically link between emotions and art on a much deeper level. I am noe enjoying being a mum of two little people and creating my art.

7) Who are your art heroes?

I love Gustav Klimt,Tretchikoff,Andy Goldsworthy,Jean Micheal Basquit are just a few of art heroes.

8) Where do your ideas come from?

I get inspiration from lots of different areas, but I mostly sit in my garden watching my children playing and make sketches of possible art pieces, so I guess from life.

9) What do you do when you have a creative block?

Read a book, the one I am reading at the moment is 'Angels in my Hair' by Lorna Byrne, is wonderful.

10) What other interests do you have that feed into your art?

I guess my love for vintage, as I like to use vintage images and materials in my work, i am starting a new collection of embroidered postcards next week.

An Interview with Papermockingbird...

I am excited to present this interview with etsy jewellery artist Papermockingbird. I have admired her unique pieces for some time and have wanted to know the story behind her work.

1) How long have you been selling on etsy?
Since March 2009

2) Do you have advice for etsy newbies?
Take some time to really initiate yourself with the Etsy site - It's so easy to think that once you've set up your shop that all you have to do is sit back and wait for the sales!
Chat with other etsians and get them to critique your shop for you - they will pick up on all the things you missed. It's good to get an objective point of view - your own view point is too emotionally attached.... oh and last thing - good clean photos! (it's taken me a while to get minimal but I'm getting there)

3) What are 3 fave etsy stores and why?
AAAAAAAGGHHHH!!!! How can I only pick 3????!!! there are hundreds which I absolutely love! ok well these are just from skimming through the favourites I have hearted but at the risk of spending days trying to decide - there are others which I love equally as much!! So:

Copperinc - because his/her work is so adorable and appeals to my dreamy and sentimental side.

Yellena - because her drawings STUN me and INSPIRE me! I WISH i was this talented!

Katwise - because when I saw her shop and read her blog it reminded me to add a bit of impulsive craziness back into my everyday life and everything I do. An amazing and memorable woman. I'd like to meet her!

4) What are your fave pieces in your shop and why?

I love my "Hundertwasser" necklace. Its sort of my signature piece and I will be sad to see it go if I ever sell it. It reminds me of drawings and buildings by Friedrich Hunderwasser and I thing it is just a beautiful object which I am proud to have made. I also love wearing the "wish it was summer" bracelet because it's so dainty and cheerful and I remember it putting me in a good mood when I finished it!

5) What plans do you have for your shop?

I make hats and other objects using crochet. They're kind of a little different from your regular crochet hats - I use a lot of textures and colours which you wouldn't expect to see. I need to get a good sizing system right though - so far I've been using my own head as a template but I've realised my head is way too big and the hats dont fit anyone else!!!
So anyway, come this winter I'll hopefully have some ready to sell.

6) How long have you been creating art?
All my life. I loved art at school, I went to art college when I finished school, I studied design at university... I love to paint and draw and sketch. Jewellery making is only a recent thing which started last year when I found myself living in france with no job and in need of some money - so I set myself up a little market stall and my small taste of success gave me the confidence to enter the Etsy world where, so far, I haven't experienced the same luck. I write poetry too but thats not something I share with many people. I find it extremely therapeutic though.

7) Who are your art heroes?
In no particular order: Freidrich Hundertwasser, Egon Scheile, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Picasso, the Fauves...I'm easily enticed by colour!

8) Where do your ideas come from?
I have boxes and boxes of broken jewellery, beads, shells, buttons and other treasures. I spend hours rummaging through them and finding bits n bobs which look interesting and go together...I never start out with an idea - they emmerge while I'm creating something. Sometimes I start with 1 button or bead as the central focal point and then work around it.

9) What do you do when you have a creative block?
Go for walks in the countryside, see some large open space, meditate, cycle, sing. I find that a "block" of any sort boils down to needing to release some pent-up energy - bad thoughts, stress, anxiety, worries etc so anything that helps me shed those things helps me out of my block. (if that makes sense)

10) What other interests do you have that feed into your art?
I am passionate about music of all kinds...I like learning about unusual musical instruments from all over the world and the origins and evolutions of different types of music...for example: traditional african music to blues and jazz; and indian nomad music to djano reinhardt and gypsy jazz...everything links together. I like discovering lyrics to hundred year-old folk songs and trying to understand what inspired someone to write them.

Presenting the wonderful jeweler AmongTheRuins

I am happy to have Kim's interview and pictures. I haven't interviewed a jeweler yet and am curious to see what she has to say. Her work is very original and beautifully made which is what drew me to her pieces. There are a few jewelers that are artists as well and she is definitely one of them.

1) How long have you been selling on etsy? I have been on Etsy four months now.

2) Do you have advice for etsy newbies? Go to the chat rooms, read the forums, visit the virtual labs. The people on Etsy are so incredibly helpful and generous with their knowledge. Take advantage of that! Also get on as many networking services as you can handle - Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc. I have had sales directly from those places. It is how you get your name out there and let people find you.

Be patient! It takes time to build a business and especially an internet business. You may have a terrific product and a great looking shop, but it will still take time to get your name out there where people will find you.

Do everything you can to get better at your craft. Learn new techniques and skills. Constantly hone the ones you have. Take classes or find artists who are willing to mentor you. You can learn just about anything from the internet. There are tutorials in almost every subject and craft! I have learned so much just by Googling different techniques I wanted to learn.

3) What are 3 fave etsy stores and why? RiverOtterWidget is one of my favorites. He makes incredible steampunk art lamps and wood carvings. He encouraged me so much when I first started out.

BlueNostalgia is a favorite of mine because she makes simply beautiful jewelry! Every piece in her shop is just eye candy to me!! Plus she's a great chatter.

beadifulbaublesSC is another jewelry maker who is a favorite. Her designs are exquisite! Her use of color is wonderful! And she is the sweetest lady!!

4) What are your fave pieces in your shop and why? My favorite pieces in my shop are the necklaces made from steel wire. Those include Rhapsody, Clara's Necklace, Forever Chained, and Key To The Dungeon. I have the most fun making those. It is really hard work and I get lots of ouchies, but I love hammering the wire and bending it and forming it. I love to see the final result because I don't have a picture in my mind while I'm creating them, I just "go with the flow" and see what happens as I go! So it's always a bit of surprise for me.


5) What plans do you have for your shop? I plan to keep growing my shop and expanding my inventory. I'm in the very beginning of my business now, so I plan to just keep working and finding new ways to get my name out there.

6) How long have you been creating art? I've been creating art for most of my life, but in such small ways until this last year or so. I always liked to draw, but only played around with it occasionally. I dabbled in jewelry making many years ago, but never really found my passion in it. It's only in the past 12 months that I really have found a passion for art.

7) Who are your art heroes? I'm afraid I don't have any art heroes yet!

8) Where do your ideas come from? Sometimes I see things in nature that inspire me. Sometimes it's other peoples' designs that give me a new idea. Sometimes an idea just pops into my head. Those are the really cool ones. Most of the ideas are more like feelings, and not visual ideas, per se. I'll have a feeling for what I want a piece to evoke emotionally and work from that, with only very vague ideas of the physical shapes involved and colors.

9) What do you do when you have a creative block? I find the best remedy for creative block is to stop trying to create. Go away from my work area and so something completely different. I'll know when the creative flow is back again and when to return to the studio. It is hard to do because I feel such a drive to produce new items. But pushing directly against creative blocks, for me, just does not work. I have to shut it down completely and redirect my mind. I may do some housework, or walk the dog, or play a game. Just anything to occupy my mind in a different direction. That always loosens things up again eventually.

10) What other interests do you have that feed into your art? I love to look at urban ruins, especially those of old psychiatric hospitals and asylums. I know that sounds a bit dark, but the architecture on those places was so incredible! And the stories that those walls hold are stories that I want to listen to. So much humanity was lost behind those walls and it's the only thing I can do, is to listen to their stories.

I have been a musician since I was very young. I love music. I love to listen to it and I love to play it. I am a violinist and pianist. I am very inspired by music in my jewelry art. Many times when I feel a bit dull, I put on some music and that dullness vanishes. I am especially partial to classical music. The choices are absolutely endless in the classical genre, for what mood, what color, what shape you want to hear. It seems infinite! It is so rich!

Sarahahaha!!!: I got bored and it's 80 degrees ...

Sarahahaha!!!: I got bored and it's 80 degrees ...

Cool photographs by Giovanni Tosta

Dance pictures for inspiration...

I have been asked to show my work at a gallery in a dance studio and these are some of the pictures I found just looking around on the web. I've been doodling and I needed some photos to work from.I've always been inspired by dance since I love to draw the human body and I like to dance too. I often use my own image to draw from when I have no model ( which is most of the time!) but to get unposed motion, nothing beats a photo of dance. I've tried to draw dancers as they dance but I can capture their poses! Its too hard! So these images are a start...I may have to keep looking.