Featured Artist of the Week

This week's featured artist works in Sterling Silver. Her work is beautiful!

Here is our interview with the artist:

Describe what you make?

I call myself a "maker of small things," for 2 (at least) reasons. One is, I put m.o.s.t. on my business cards. I figured one way to get letters after your name was to make it up. Another is, I like metal, I like stones, I like color and a variety of materials. This, for some odd reason has made me into a jeweler. Life is kinda weird that way, I guess. But most of the work is derived from sketches and doodles. Very object oriented.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

I carve wax and cast into silver or gold. I prefer gold but find the cost more stunning than the product. I would like to start carving other materials. I used to sculpt with plasticine and water based clay. This week I'm working on a piece with plasticine. I just like sculpting. Welding is the only thing I've found I don't care for much. Whether platinum or bronze... but it may be I haven't done enough.

How long have you been creating craft?

Forever. (I'm that old.) I have the jigsaw I used in grade school... my mother saved it for me. Didn't buy another until this past year.

How did you get started?

I haven't a clue. I know my mother allowed us kids to mess around with stuff, and gave us clay to shut us up. So she gets most of the blame. (Don't parents always do?)

Where does the name of your shop come from?

My name.

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

My work is good quality handcrafted silver. Its a blast to make and fun to wear. (IMHO)

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Life is way too short. Have fun. Do what you want. Make what interests you. Try everything. Enjoy. Oh. And marry rich.

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Come take a look at this shop
and while you are at Etsy stop by and take a look at us!

Craft Show Tip of the Week

Make a checklist! Before you go to a craft show to sell, make a checklist of everything that you will need to bring with you to the show. When you are packing for the show, use that list to check off each item as you pack it. This way you will have everything that you need and will not leave anything behind. You will be surprised how hectic packing your car or van for a craft show can be. It is easy to forget even the most important things.

Featured Artist of the Week

This week's artist makes very unusual and cute greeting cards. This week we are featuring

Here is our interview with the artist, Haley:

Describe what you make?

I mostly make poodle-themed greeting cards. I take famous and well-known paintings and recreate them with poodles as the stars.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

I like working with anything 2 dimensional. Especially paper and various drawing and printing medias.

How long have you been creating craft?

I've been doing crafts since at least high school though just as gifts and not for purchase. I recently started my own business focusing on greeting cards.

How did you get started?

After a lot of thought and planning to make sure that this would be a fruitful adventure, I draw up a few designs and opened shop on my own website. www.haleyshandmades.com I found Etsy a couple of months ago and I thought it would boost my sales.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

I wanted to make my name broad enough to add other items besides just greeting cards at some point but I wanted people to realize that everything I make is handmade and unique!

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

I love making it and I love that its theme is poodles. They are wonderful and aren't as prim and proper as everyone seems to think!

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Keep making art daily and promoting yourself to become known in your local area, however you decide what that is. Make art about what you love. There's some people out there who will love your work just as much as your love creating it. You just have to find them!

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Go over to her shop
or her website! You will find some very different cards!

And while you are at Etsy, come visit us at

Featured Artist of the Week

This week's artist of the week is a jewelry artist with a shop with an interesting and unusual name.

Here is our interview with the artist:

Describe what you make?

I make a variety of jewelry that I sell on etsy. I have a love affair with bright color and earrings in particular. I also sell supplies in a second shop.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

I love to work with just about anything. I'm always looking for something that gives me inspiration- Colors, shapes, textures. I spend my weekends quilting, and often translate inspiration from one medium to another.

How long have you been creating craft?

Since I can remember? Both my parents are crafty in their own ways and have their own workshops/studios. I always loved playing with bits and pieces of things when I was a child and reassembling them into something else.

How did you get started?

My parents and family in general were very inspirational in beginning to make things and be proud of the things I made. My grandmother was an artist and art teacher and was always willing to look at things for me. I started looking at my craft as more than a hobby when I moved to Providence a few years ago and working at a science museum wasn't paying the bills. I started working at a fabric store, and really enjoyed working with helping other people get started and making things.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

antelucandaisy means night blooming daisy and I chose it because I am a night owl at heart. I tried to choose whoops-a-daisy as a second shop name (the name of my blog) but couldn't so I chose shooting star because I'm fascinated with stars.

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

That I love it all.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

The most important things is to believe in what you do and enjoy it. I firmly believe that it shows in your work, and makes other people believe too.

_______________________

Her work is great. You must see it. Go to her shop right now! She also has a blog site that you may be interested in - http://antelucandaisy.blogspot.com

And while you are at Etsy, come by and visit with us too!

Featured Artist of the Week

Our featured artist of the week is Artangel. Artangel is a painter in the United Kingdom and does beautiful paintings.



Here is our interview with the artist, Angela.

Describe what you make.
I am an artist and the work I have on Etsy is all my original art - mostly acrylic or mixed medias paintings on canvas. I like to experiment though, and there are other artworks in my shop too; oil pastels, aceos, etc. (watch this space!)

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?
As I said I love to experiment, my favorite mediums at the moment include acrylic paints, collage (I love using found papers and bits of old artwork), colored pencils, watercolor, oil pastels.

How long have you been creating craft?
I have been painting and drawing as long as I can remember. I first sold my work at the age of 11 (on a very small scale, obviously!). I have been selling online for around a year and have been on Etsy since the end of April - it's a great site and has a lovely community.

How did you get started?
I really couldn't say how I got started painting, as I can't remember a time when I didn't. The love of color, texture and art generally is just inate in me I think. I have had a couple of really fantastic art teachers though, who certainly nourished my love of the subject. I first started considering that I may be able to sell my work online at the suggestion of a friend - thanks Julie!

Where does the name of your shop come from?
My name is Angela so I was thinking of maybe having that involved in the shop title, also I have been told that my style is quite feminine and spiritual, so I thought "angel" would fit with both.

What would you most want people to know about your work?
All my work on Etsy at the moment is original art and each piece is unique. I am always happy to create a commissioned piece to your specifications. Painting gives me such satisfaction that in many ways it is reward in itself, but when someone likes my work enough to actually hand over their hard-earned money for it, it is such a thrill!

What words of advice do you have for other artists?
Have faith in yourself and your work - you are unique and only you can produce what you produce. Be proud and keep creating - I firmly believe that art, in whatever form, enriches your life and hopefully the lives of others too.

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Take a look at Angela's paintings at her on-line shop.
While you are there come over and also visit with us -