Featured Artist: Art 2 the Extreme

I am an elementary art teacher from Indianapolis, Indiana. I graduated from college with a Visual Arts Education degree and a Ceramics concentration.

Travel is a HUGE part of my inspiration to create art. I have been to England, Scotland, Mexico, and lived in Italy for a short period of time to study art.

I love working with ceramics, printmaking, and fibers most of all! In my free time, I create art to share and sell, as well as scrapbook.

Art is all around us. It is everywhere and in everything.
My art is my world and I guarantee that my work is 100% original and of the highest quality. Buyer satisfaction is of extreme importance to me.

Please enjoy and feel free to provide feedback or receive further information about myself or my products by contacting me at art2theextreme@yahoo.com.

Etsy Shop: http://art2theextreme.etsy.com
Blog: http://art2theextreme.blogspot.com/
Squidoo: http://www.squidoo.com/art2theextreme
Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/art2theextreme/

Featured Artist: Banana Showcase

1. Tell me a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, personal stuff).

I am Kelly Van Voltenburg. I have been sewing since I received a refurbished sewing machine for my 14th birthday. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas suburbs and have lived in Texas most of my life. I live with my husband, my 20 year old daughter and her 3 month old daughter. I babysit my granddaughter during the day while her mom works so that means that a good portion of my sewing gets done after everyone else is in bed. Oh and I am a VERY young grandmother! LOL

2. What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?

When I was about 4 or 5 my mom would make homemade dough for me. I would create little dolls and pets for them out of the dough. After that my mom would bake the dough so the dolls, cats, dogs, and bunnies would get hard. I would play with all of them until they broke into pieces and then the cycle would start all over again.

3. What is the best thing about your products?

I feel like I make a quality product that is both stylish and durable.

4. Why should people buy your product?

I design all of my own patterns so you will not see anything just like it anywhere else. Also I don't purchase a ton of each fabric that I get and I don't usually purchase the same fabric again. So there will be a limited amount of each item I make. And let's face it, buying handmade just rocks!

5. Who is your dream buyer?

I know lots of people dream of seeing their products being used by celebrities. I would rather tons of just everyday folks buy my products so that they become something recognizeable at a glance. I would love for someone to see me walking down the street and say "Oh I love that Banana Showcase purse that you are carrying."

Etsy Shop: http://BananaShowcase.etsy.com
Blog: http://kellyvanvoltenburg.typepad.com/bananashowcase/