FEATURED ARTIST

We have a potter to present to you - or should I say "ceramics artist" - Come and meet



Here is our interview with the artist, Laurie -

Briefly describe what you make?

I make fine art, functional ceramics. Each piece is hand-crafted by me and no two are alike. I use stoneware and porcelain clay and fire in electric, gas and wood-fueled kilns depending on the surface result and color I am seeking with a particular piece.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

Clay, Clay and Clay. I had tried painting and photography, but from the moment I touched clay, I was hooked. I would someday like to combine clay with photography, but I will always work in clay. I get my need for variation by trying different firing techniques. I tried wood-firing again this last fall after many years just using an electric kiln and just loved the results. It's a lot of hard work, with unpredictable results, but so worth the effort.

How long have you been creating craft?

Prior to my first pottery class, I would call myself an arts and crafts dunce. I was never good at making things as a kid, except for mud pies. I have now been make pots for close to seven years.

How did you get started?

When I moved to D.C., I knew no one. So I started taking art classes as a way to meet people and as a creative outlet from work. I had no talent at painting. When I quit my job, I couldn't afford to keep up with photography. I was always drawn to pottery in galleries and stores, so I decided to give it a try. I took my first pottery class at a community center in 2003 and a year later moved to the Art League in Alexandria. I became an associate there last fall.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

Claytastic is a blend of clay and fantastic, which is what I think of pottery - it is just fantastic to make and use.

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

I make my pieces to be used and touched. Not only are they dishwasher, microwave and food safe, but the texture and shape is comfortable to hold and use. I have given a lot of thought into the usage of each piece. Also, my inspiration is multi-faceted. I am inspired my nature, architecture, the human figure, the colors and textured of the places I have lived and traveled. Who I am is present in each piece of work.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Get outside your current environment and expand your inspirational inputs. Travel. Go to museums of all kinds. Take pictures of everything. I have learned that sometimes things we don't even think about being our inspiration, subconsciously inspires us and finds it way into our work. The more inputs you have, the richer and more interesting your work will be.

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There are some very nice things to see in this shop! Click on over there now - and then return to leave a comment for the artist!

FEATURED ARTIST

This week we have a jewelry artist who does some very nice work. Come and meet



Here is our interview with the artist, Christina -

Briefly describe what you make?

I design and make jewelry and beaded bookmarks. Most of my earrings and necklaces are made with gemstones and semi-precious stones, as well as glass, shell, and pearl, and I mainly work with sterling silver. I use the same quality materials to embellish my silver-plated hook bookmarks.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

My favorite materials to work with are natural stones. I love the unending variety of colors and patterns in Ocean and Crazy jaspers. I love the swirls in Banded and Botswana agates. I love to take out my magnifying glass and look at each little bead I buy and admire the whirls and dots and splashes. I take photos of my jewelry with a macro lens
so buyers can see all the little fine details, and hopefully appreciate them as much as I do.

How long have you been creating craft?

I got off to a pretty slow and unsuccessful start early on. My first attempt at creativity was an 8th grade sewing class and I didn't do too well there. It was too much math/measuring for me. My freshman year in high school I tried again, taking a Home Ec. class in sewing, and I made my teacher cry. (She retired soon after so I don't think it was just me that stressed her out...) I started doing cross stitch in college and kept at it over a ten year period. And then once I had children my creative efforts went into making things that they could help me with like candles, soaps, and ornaments.

How did you get started?

A few years ago my ill father came to live with me, and I and my family cared for him until he passed away in 2007. During the year that he lived with us I spent a lot of time assessing my life, my needs, and my interests and desires. After that year of very emotionally intense care-taking, I felt a strong need to do something creative. Without any real thought I decided I wanted to try my hand at making jewelry and within a month of his passing I was in a craft store buying some beads and wire. I've been making jewelry and bookmarks now for just over two years and love everything about the creative process. I also think of my dad when I think of my jewelry business, and how happy he'd be to see me doing what makes me happy.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

I had such a difficult time choosing my shop name! Etsy was the first place I considered to start my shop in so I did quite a bit of looking around to see who was selling there. I went through so many names while trying to decide if I was a cute cottage, a serious studio, a fancy aerie. I finally decided I was a down-to-earth shop and the name Leaf and Tendril soon followed. I think the name suits me because it's natural and organic, no muss and fuss.

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

I'd like people to know that I really care about the quality of materials I choose. That I take a lot of time and thought into putting each piece together. And that even though I fret daily that I'll never sell another thing again - I thoroughly enjoy what I'm doing and hope that some of the energy and fun carries into the earring or bookmark I'm making, and then onto the person who buys and uses it.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

I'm still new to the business of being an artist so I won't give business advice. The advice I will give is this: YOU CAN do this - design, create, innovate, sell - without a degree from a fine arts school. You don't need to have started when you were a teenager, or even be a 20 something. You don't need a whole lot of money and a beautiful studio to go with it, although that would be nice. You just need to set a little of your very valuable time aside, and while doing that, listen to your inner artist. She/He will tell you what to do, and then you'll figure out how to do it.

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Great interview - nice shop. Come visit it!

FEATURED ARTIST

Hmm. Our featured artist describes their shop as "evil" - really. Well, that should get your interest about -



Come meet this "evil" artist -

Briefly describe what you make?

I make the world a brighter place with snarktastic greeting cards and paper gifts that your mother would never send. We combine beautiful design with edgy copy to create the kind of products that make smart people laugh.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

I tend to prefer working in larges. Size matters, you know. Flytrap is a paper store.

How long have you been creating craft?

My shop has been open for a little over a year. But I don't consider it a craft. It's more of a means of spreading evil pleasure.

How did you get started?

I started by making jewelry. I sold okay, maybe 35 sales in 6 months. I realized I sucked at jewelry after I made some obnoxious parking tickets in December of 2009 (my only paper item at the time). They sold like hotcakes. By mid-February, I had given all of the jewelry away and completely transformed the business into paper products.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

Venus Flytraps teeter on the edge of inappropriate plant behavior - just like Flytrap products do. They're also funny looking.

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

Someone, somewhere is going to get offended. Someone, somewhere else is going to laugh. The important thing to remember about Flytrap is that we will not skimp on quality in language, paper, design, or printing. You're going to be able to give someone a card that makes them laugh after teasing them with a warm and fuzzy graphic.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Be agile. Don't get emotionally attached to any aspect of your business - least of all your art. If something's not moving, create something that will. By the same token, realize there is a market for everything. If you're going to insist on creating a product that isn't moving, spend your time finding a market that wants it.

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Neat things from a neat artist. Come see NeatThings

FEATURED ARTIST

The first shop to be featured on this site for the New Year is Squirrelonaledgetop


Come meet the artist -

Briefly describe what you make?
I make decorative pillows!

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

I have a fabric obsession! I love to make my pillows with high quality designer fabrics and/or interesting vintage fabrics and trim. I love adding a touch of vintage to my sewing creations, even if it's only some old buttons. An item that has journeyed through time and passed through many hands is special. It is a great thing to be able to renew a vintage item, to be a part of it's history, and pass it along for more generations to enjoy.

How long have you been creating craft?

I started making pillows in 2008 so that I could beat the winter blues. I own a farm, which means working until I could fall down all spring and summer, and then lots of down time in the winter. I needed to have an outlet for my creativity and to occupy my time during the long cold winter!

How did you get started?

I love to sew and have always loved decorative pillows. A friend told me about Etsy, so I joined, and so the pillow mania started! Since I have tons of fabric stock piled, I went right to town sewing up my pillows! Now that I am making so many pillows, I have an excuse to hunt down and buy really cool fabrics for my "collection".

Where does the name of your shop come from?

The name of my farm is Ledgetop and not only do I love squirrels, but there seems to be a large population of them here. So it was natural for me to name my shop Squirrel On a Ledgetop!

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

I create my pillows with attention to detail and I LOVE creating them. I have an eclectic kind of style that influences me to create a diverse collection of beautiful pillows! I am excited to find new (or old) fabric and come up with new designs to share in my shop!

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

A good piece of advice would be to never give up! If you put in the time and have the determination you will be rewarded! It may seem slow at first, but keep creating and adding to your shop and things will pick up. Reach out to the Etsy community if you have questions. The most important thing is to stay positive!

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What a nice way to start the new year. Go now and take a look at Squirrelonaledgetop and then come back and leave a comment to let this artist know that you really appreciate the work!