My Christmas List......

Not that I think anyone from my family will actually read this... this will be more like my "treasury" of favorite goodies from my three favorite venues: Artfire, Etsy and 1000 Markets.


Now that I've found a favorite produce market (local produce at excellent prices!) I would love to have a few of these bags from QwertyO to make shopping easier on me and the environment. Simple and inexpensive, these would make great stocking stuffers ... and comes in a fabulous set of FIVE bags for one low price!


This mug from Chat's Pots is HUGE! I love the color, and I love the shape of it. Most of all, I love the size. Sure, I already have two nice size mugs for my tea, but I could use another one... hey, I drink a lot of tea!


I'm a bit of a fiber freak. Now that I have my awesome sewing table and my awesome sewing machine... I do plan on exploring fiber art more. I love this "rag yarn" from Confections -- it reminds me of my gramma, who had the coolest rag rug... whenever I see rag yarn like this, it evokes fond memories of her.


I just love this Starry Night Palm Frond from The Palm Frond Artist. A fabulous, earth friendly interpretation of my favorite painting from my favorite artist... AWESOME!

I have been amazed by this artist's work for quite some time now, and truth be told, I love everything inside Jen Maestre's shop, but I think that this pendant is my favorite. She used to have ACEOs (aka ATCs) ... I'm sad that I never purchased one now that there are none in her shop!


I have a serious thing for cupcakes. I'm not sure why, exactly, but I have fallen completely in love with just about anything cupcake. And this cupcake from Bud and Lucy's Kid is no exception... it's absolutely beautiful.



And... speaking of cupcakes... I absolutely adore this cupcake cookie jar from Fruit fly Pie's shop! I already have a cookie jar which doesn't make this the most practical of gifts, but, it will give me more room to put *more* cookies.

I absolutely love this clock. There are several styles and designs available from Pragmatic Effects, this is my favorite size and style from this shop, however, I would prefer the tan crackle color... and since it's made to order......

So, I think I'll stop there for now. Believe me, I'm sure there's lots more I'd like to have.

Whatcha think of my list?

~Anne

An Artistic Moment with Meghann from Little Studio Jewels

Greetings!

Not long ago, I had the unique opportunity to conduct a transaction with Meghann from Little Studio Jewels. This is the ring I received, isn't it a beauty?



I just love it, it is so delicate and it sparkles so beautifully. By the way, if you'd like one for yourself, just click on the photo, and it will take you directly to the listing!

I was so enchanted by her jewelry, that I wanted to get to know Meghann a little better. The following is an interview that I conducted with her. I hope you enjoy it!

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How long have you been an artist and At what point did you decide to start making jewelry?

I’ve always been fascinated by photography, and started when I was a teen. I caught the bug pretty badly and continued on my own until I was hired by a photographer as his assistant. I have always wanted to have my own studio, especially after working in a few portrait studios over the years. I like doing portraits, but I live in a very small area and the business just isn’t there. However, I LOVE doing nature and landscape photography. I feature these in limited prints and in gift cards in my stores.

The jewelry aspect started at about the same time as the photography…I wanted to have nice jewelry that was stylish and high quality, but the only pieces I could find that I liked were WAY out of my price range. The jewelry that I could afford was cheap – in price and quality! I turned my wrist green once from a piece of cheap jewelry and that was it – I started making my own.

Three years ago, I had just started my photography business part time (I was working full time and going to school part time) when I got sick with fibromyalgia. After 2 years I was so sick that I couldn’t work and I knew I needed to find a source of income that I could make from my home. I rediscovered my jewelry making after a few years of it being put on the back burner and found that I could do it anywhere in my house: at my workbench, on my couch, even in bed – it was perfect! I took photographs when I was well enough to travel and then found that I had a stack of photos and a box full of jewelry…with no one to buy it. Enter the world of online selling! I found Etsy, ArtFire and iCraft and haven’t looked back. Although I don’t make a full time income yet, I have found a fabulous community of online sellers just like me – people who are interested in producing quality handmade items.

How long does it generally take you to create each piece?

Pieces can range from half an hour to weeks, depending on the complexity. Some simple wire earrings can be made fairly quickly, while a few of my newer, bead woven pieces are taking days at a time to complete due to their intricate structure. Still, no matter how long it takes to make a piece, I love every second of it and put that love into all of my pieces.

I've noticed that you seem to be active in helping charity with your sales. Would you like to tell me about some of the causes, and why this is important to you?

Each month I give 10% of my total sales before tax and shipping to a different charity. Sometimes it is an animal charity, sometimes it is a charity for people, but always they are dear to my heart. I give to the National Wildlife Federation, Epic Farms, The Canadian Cancer Society, The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, and many more. I have been helped by so many people in my life time that I want to be able to help others in my turn. I can’t describe how good I feel to be able to donate even $10 to a cause I believe in and know that it is going to help in some small way – whether to symbolically adopt an animal through the National Wildlife Federation, or help fund research for Fibromyalgia. Every little bit helps, especially when the causes are dear to your heart like these are to mine!

What is your favorite piece that you've created, and why?

I always get asked what my favorite pieces are and I always have such a hard time answering! I love all of my pieces, as each reflects my personality, mood or thought process on a given day. Each piece has special meaning, as I love what I do and feel so incredibly blessed to be able to do this full time! Right now I am loving my NeoAmour Collections, specifically these: NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Rainfall Earrings:

Marie Antoinette Rainfall Earrings

NeoAmour Victoria’s Bangle Bracelet:

Victoria's Bangle Bracelet

NeoAmour Boudicca’s Celtic Silver Ring in Sapphire (it’s my birthstone!)

Boudicca’s Celtic Silver Ring in Sapphire

Any sales going on?

If people reading this bio wish to purchase from my shops, they’ll get 20% off an order of $25 or more by entering “I Love Tea” during checkout. Thank you!

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So there you have it! Thank you, Meghann, for your time in answering these questions... and if you've been enticed by any of these beautiful pieces, you should make your way to Meghann's Etsy Shop and take advantage of her 20% off sale! Just in time for the holidays, and take it from me... these pieces would make a beautiful gift!

~Anne

Check out this Etsy Artist!

Greetings!

I was just browsing some Etsy shops (yeah, I do that on occasion), and I found this amazing polymer clay artist! Check out this totally awesome, miniature food jewelry!

Salty Pretzels with Spicy Cheese Dip Earrings

The Etsy store is called The Mouse Market and I find the detail in these pieces to be absolutely mesmerizing!

Custom Made Party Cake Pendant

How cool are these? Imagine getting a customized slice of cake, made to look just like your own birthday cake!

Lemon Cupcake Charm

I think that the cupcakes are my favorite... I do LOVE cupcakes!

If you're looking for something truly unique and special for someone for the upcoming holiday season... shop Etsy or Artfire or 1000Markets for something handmade.

~Anne

It's been a while!

Greetings!

It's been a while since I've posted on my blog! I've been dealing with some pretty stressful stuff, and haven't really had much time to focus on other things outside of my personal realm.

But, I'm back, and hopefully, I'll be able to get back to posting more often.

I'd like to start with a spotlight featuring some of the artists that I've missed on the crazy train promotion over the course of the last four weeks or so... I'll call this one "Shades of Green"



And here is a list of the artfire shops featured in this spotlight... please take a moment and visit them... you won't be disappointed in what you find there!

Creative Cove Designs

CatFluff Studio
Bijoux Designs Studio
Wooley Creek Studios
LaDeDa Creations
Janelson Arts Studio
Jewelry by Janzia
Suzbax Studio
Absolutely Amy Studio

Thanks for checking out these studios... and thanks for reading along!

~Anne

I'm a Mommaprenuer!

Hello Everyone...

I know that some of you also read my Tea Journal, and already know that I'm the Mommaprenuer at Cafe Handmade... but, just in case you missed it... well... I'm the Mommaprenuer at Cafe Handmade! You can check out my interview and story by clicking here!

And that is all for now!

Hope everyone is having an exceptionally creative day!

~Anne

Shine Your Hiney!

I really had fun selecting items from this shop to share with you... Shine Your Hiney's Artfire Studio is filled with bathtime items that are fun, whimsical, and all about ... well, Shining your Hiney!

Sugar Scrub from Shine Your Hiney!

I have been using handmade soaps exclusively now for about 3 years (possibly more?), and I can say that there is a significant difference between handmade soap and commercially manufactured soaps. Handmade soap pampers your skin, and most (like the soaps found at Shine Your Hiney) are made with only the highest quality ingredients... no fillers!

And Shine your Hiney makes bathtime fun with whimsical shapes and other handmade items, all available at Shine Your Hiney's Artfire Studio.... isn't it time you gave your hiney a good shining?




Shop handmade!
~Anne

Some Pretties from Alisuns!

Hello Everyone!

Today, I'd like to share with you some of the gorgeous handcrafted jewelry that can be found at Alisuns on Artfire. Check this out!

photo from Alisun's Studio on Artfire

I love it! Makes me wish I still had pierced ears! What I love most about Alisun's jewelry is that Ali is not afraid of color, as evidenced in my latest spotlight that I call "Rainbow of Colors"...

Perfect Spring Colors! Visit Alisun's studio today, and pick yourself up something to celebrate Spring!

Meet Teri from The Beaded Branch

Hello everyone!

It's been a pretty eventful week for me, I came down with a pretty nasty cold! At first, I thought it was just my allergies kicked into overdrive, but, when the Allergi-TEA wasn't as effective as it usually is, and when resorting to OTC options didn't help, I realized that I had a cold virus. Fortunately, I was able to knock it out pretty quickly with a secret weapon (I'll share the secret weapon with you on my other blog).

But on to more interesting topics... such as the artwork of one Teri Landow of The Beaded Branch.

Photo from The Beaded Branch on Etsy

Recently, I was able to interview Teri about her amazing jewelry, as well as her thoughts on art and selling online. I hope that you'll find her interview as enlightening as I did! Enjoy!

How long have you been creating your art?

I've been crafting and creating pretty much one way or another for my entire life. With a mother who sews and crafts, and a father who does woodwork and basket weaving, I've always been surrounded by people who were creative and creating, so it was natural that I took up crafting too. It was about 10 years ago after taking one or two classes in beading that I really caught the jewelry bug, and feel as if I truly found my niche in the art world.

Where do you sell your art?

I started off at one local craft show which I still do, Fluvanna County Old Farm Day. I also do one or two other very small local craft shows, as time permits. After starting to sell at craft shows, I started selling online, at http://www.thebeadedbranch.com. Over the last year, I finally decided to start slowly moving all my stock over to my store on Etsy: http://TheBeadedBranch.etsy.com I also sell on consignment at a small local store, the Palmyra Country Store.

How do you market/advertise your store?

Marketing and advertising is something I'm still learning a lot about. Right now, I concentrate only on free advertising. I have pages on http://byhand.me, http://www.indiepublic.com, http://www.merchantcircle.com, http://www.talentdatabase.com and facebook. I also participate in IndieSpotting, where I can submit one piece a week to be on their spotlight page. Plurk and Twitter have also been helpful, along with the old standby, business cards. Right now my business cards have only my main web address on them, but when I order more, I will also include my etsy shop address. I leave them on any community bulletin board I can and my husband hands them out when he's at work, to coworkers and other people who might be interested.

At what point did you decide to sell your art?

It was around eight years ago that I decided to start selling my jewelry. I had been making jewelry on my breaks at work, and people kept asking me, "How much is that one worth?" After my jewelry stash started to fill up several plastic shoeboxes, I decided I was never going to be able to wear it all, and so I had better get my business license and start selling. If for no other reason, than to recap some of the losses I had from trying to buy every bead I could get my hands on.

Photo from The Beaded Branch on Etsy

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out?

I have several pieces of advice:

1. Learn time management skills. They will be invaluable to you as your business grows.
   
2. Figure out how big you want your business to grow. How much time do you have to put in to this?
3. Figure out what you want to sell. If you are only in it to make money, then don't do it. If you truly love your art, and want others to be able to enjoy it, then by all means, sell.
4. Stay organized. Organize your finished stock by where you want to sell it. Keep your supplies organized. Keep your paper work up to date and organized. Do whatever it takes. Disorganization takes time away from creating, listing, and promoting.

[Good advice. I definitely can learn from the disorganization tip... I so badly need to get organized!]

What inspires you?

Everything. Books I read, nature, architecture, photography, art, friends, family, magazines, and movies. I try to glean inspiration from wherever I can get it. People inspire me the most. I'll pick a person I know, and create a bunch of jewelry that I believe they would like. I think about the colors they wear, or should wear, what styles they like to wear, how they carry themselves, everything. I believe that if one person in the world likes it, then there's a pretty good chance that there is one other person in the world who will like it.

Every artist experiences "creative block" -- a creative dry spell -- how do you deal with creative block?

Walk away. I get away from it for a while. I try working in a new or different medium. I color with my kids; I cook a new dish that I have never tried before. I listen to new music. I just see if I can experience something new and different, or re-experience something I haven't done in a while. And most importantly, I don't let it bother me.

How did you choose the medium you work with?

I have to admit, I kind of giggled at this question. Yes, I work in jewelry, and yes, I basically work with beads. But there are so many other mediums I use at this point that I start to lose count. But it all ends up as jewelry. I love the versatility of jewelry. There are a million different mediums that can be used to make it, and it seems like more are coming out every day. I love to try different things, experiment and play with my supplies with only a basic knowledge of how they work and what they are supposed to do. I'm less afraid to to try something new if I haven't taken a class in it, because then I don't have a bunch of "can't do's" or "won't works" hanging over my head. ("You can't do that." "Well, you can try it, but it probably won't work.") More or less the actual medium I use pretty much choose me. I get an idea, and then have to figure out what medium will be best to create the pendant, earrings, necklace, or whatever it is I'm trying to envision.

Photo from The Beaded Branch at Etsy

How do you wish to be remembered?

First off, as a good mommy and wife. Of course, that goes without saying, probably. Second, as a jewelry artist who might not have pushed everything to its very limit, but did step enough outside the box once in awhile to create something beautiful and unique.

Who are your favorite artists (living and deceased)?

Salvador Dali, MC Escher, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rene Jules Lalique, and my mom and dad.

What blogs do you visit on a regular basis?

http://3zArt.blogspot.com

http://dropofsunshinedesign.blogspot.com

http://hairtiesgaloreandmore.blogspot.com

http://handmadeshopaholic.blogspot.com

http://juliadarling.blogspot.com

http://rainwolf.blogspot.com

http://timothyadamdesigns.blogspot.com

and

http://bishopmadison.blogspot.com (which is my brother's very conservative blog, but he's my brother and I love him anyway!)

For anyone who might be reading, what shops would you recommend that they visit right now?

http://andreabaker.etsy.com

http://juliadarling.etsy.com and http://juliadarling.artfire.com

http://rainwolf.artfire.com

http://3zart.artfire.com

http://dropofsunshine.etsy.com

and of course:

http://liberteas.artfire.com (Thanks Anne!)

Any final thoughts?

Go ahead and play. Get your hands dirty. Color in a coloring book, but color outside the lines. When life gives you lemons, make grape juice and make people wonder how you did it? ;-)

Thanks for the great interview, Teri! Very informative!

Meet Kristen from Kristen's Custom Creations!

Happy Saturday Everyone!

Today, we have a unique opportunity to get to know Kristen from Kristen's Custom Creations! Kristen creates beautiful silver jewelry ... and if you have a something special that you'd like to express, Kristen can help you and create a custom piece for you that's just for you... and you alone! Here is an example of what you'll find at Kristen's Etsy shop:

This is probably my favorite piece in Kristen's shop, because it makes me smile! My youngest daughter and I often "argue" about who loves who more! Such a sweet little piece... I just might have to get this for her upcoming birthday! I recently interviewed Kristen... please read on to learn a little bit more about this artist!

How long have you been creating your art?

I have been making jewelry for 12 years but metalwork for just over 2 years.

Where do you sell your art?

http://klacustomcreations.etsy.com - Kristen's Custom Creations

How do you market/advertise your store?

Most of my business is from referrals but I do market my business on my two blogs http://kristenandrewsonline.blogspot.com and http://ladulcevitaandfriends.blogspot.com I really do not spend much on advertising and don't feel you need to.

At what point did you decide to sell your art?

I started giving my handstamped jewelry as gifts and then by word of mouth had people contact me to purchase items and when I kept being asked if I had a website I decided it was time to open up a shop on Etsy.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting out?

Don't expect the business to just come to you, you have to market your business and even if you only blog that is enough to get you started. Don't under price your items, I see many artists really under price their items. Regardless of what your competition is doing price your items so that you feel you are making a fair amount. Always under promise but over deliver to your customers and they will come back.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by so much around me but my biggest inspiration is my son, many of my pieces are sayings that we say to each other or from books we love. I like to create pieces that hold special meaning.


Every artist experiences "creative block" -- a creative dry spell -- how do you deal with creative block?

Here's how I handle this, I keep a sketch book of designs, so when it pops in my head I draw it and save it for a time when I'm ready to create. So when I get in a dry spell I just pull out my sketch book and I'm refreshed, some days I have 3 - 4 ideas for new pieces and I am just too busy to create new items.

How did you choose the medium you work with?

I really prefer to work with sterling silver since I love sterling but I am starting to work with some other metals. At heart, I am a Silver Girl!

How do you wish to be remembered?

The best part about creating custom pieces is the keepsake pieces that hold special meaning and when a customer tells me that the piece I created touched someone, that is how I want to be remembered, as an artist that made an impact through a piece of jewelry.

Who are your favorite artists (living and deceased)?

I love Monet and many of the artists in the impressionist period.

What blogs do you visit on a regular basis?

I actually have a few favorites and they aren't fellow artists, http://www.jiggetyjigg.com/ and http://a-nut-in-a-nutshell.blogspot.com/ they both make me laugh and are so real.

For anyone who might be reading, what shops would you recommend that they visit right now?

http://www.bebesniklefritz.com/ has fab headbands, I personally own 6 custom headbands and I love http://mudhutt.etsy.com for really adorable little pottery pieces that are stamped, love them! I also love your tea, it is my daily afternoon treat when I am working on orders.

Thank you Kristen, for this opportunity to get to know you a little better!