Featured Artist: GilBea

I used to be a watercolors painter, but a few years ago I discovered silk painting, and now I'm hooked to it!!!

For a few years I have been seriously working on silk fabrics, making all kind of different stuff, from silk paintings that hang from the walls to silk scarves or brooches and t-shirts.

Right now I'm experimenting with new things for this next season: Spring/Summer 2008. Silk bags, shirts, headbands, and a big etcetera. Come back again in a few months to see my new creations!

For more information visit my website:
www.gilbea.com

Etsy Shop:http://gilbea.etsy.com
Blog: http://gilbea.blogspot.com
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gilbea

Featured Artist: little brown bird

My name is Mary Ryan. I am an Interior Design Consultant by day and a Jewelry Artist every other waking moment.

My art is not limited to any one medium. I love photography, writing, painting, singing, acting...I could go on and on. Still, my love for all things shiny keeps me happily engrossed in jewelry design. Every piece created is a product of a restless imagination.

I prefer to use semiprecious stones or interesting glass beads in my work and love to pair them with sterling and .999 Fine Silver, yet I will not overlook the aesthetic value of a beautiful bead or found object simply because it is a base metal. My style is ever changing and evolving. As a result, you will find a little bit of everything in my work. I don't believe in stifling my creative energy and will try my hand at just about anything.

I am an adventure seeker and traveler and always hungry to discover new things. I have been greatly influenced by my travels and the amazing people I have met along the way. Having zip-lined through the cloud forest canopies of Costa Rica, jumped off of a bridge into the Urubamba River in Peru, hiked the Andes to Machu Picchu, traveled Death Road in Bolivia, and driven the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago...I have learned that life is something to be embraced with all senses. I believe life and art hold the same truths...that it must not only be viewed, but heard, touched, smelled, and tasted with an open heart, an open mind, and always with an open-mouthed hearty guffaw.

I have a variety of collections to complement any style and price point for young girls to women. I will happily accept orders for custom sizing or a change in clasp or ear post/wire on any of my pieces.

My work has been featured on-line and at local boutiques. I welcome inquiries for wholesale opportunities at boutiques and galleries. Please contact me for details.

Etsy Shop: http://littlebrownbird.etsy.com
Etsy Shop: http://intheraw.etsy.com
Blog: http://thelittlebrownbird.blogspot.com

Featured Artist: Thumbelina Creations

Jonquil Thiessen is a stay-at-home mom of three boys who loves to be creative in many different ways. She loves to sing, knit, crochet, draw, scrapbook, write music, and make jewelry. She would feel lost if she wasn't able to be creative.

She started young, singing in church and at weddings at three years old. Music and art have always been her passion.

She has tried to pass on that passion to her boys, but as you may know, little boys do not have a long attention span. Some of the boys are off to school now, so she has a little more time to focus on her art.

Her main priority is her family. Etsy has become a valuable method of continuing with her art and still being able to love and take care of her family.

Member of: etsyBEAD, ETSYMOM, and ETSYAlberta

Etsy Shop: http://thumbelinacreations.etsy.com/
Blog: http://thumbelinacreations.spaces.live.com/

Featured Artist: Lucky Girl Trading Company

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

In the spring of 2001 I was overwhelmed by sadness and huge piles of clutter. My marriage was in the midst of a very ugly ending, and he had left tons of his stuff behind. I suddenly realized that I was a very lucky girl to be rid of him, and Lucky Girl Trading Company was born. I began listing his stuff for sale on eBay, clearing away both the clutter and the sadness. A few years later I met my lucky guy--who was selling a bit of jewelry--and married him in a hot air balloon ceremony in 2006. We've worked together to build Lucky Girl Trading into a fun and fulfilling enterprise. I've also discovered working with glass--one of my all-time favorite creative outlets. I've also discovered two ancient arts: Kumihimo and Temari. Both are centuries-old crafts, and both give me a zen-like tranquility while working.

I truly am a Lucky Girl! Every day I gather pretty, sparkly things and send them to people. I imagine a person opening their mail and taking out their new pendant or chain or Temari ball. It's perfect--they have a huge smile on their face--and so do I.

Be my friend on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/luckygirltrading

Make Every Day Your Lucky Day (my blog): http://luckygirltrading.blogspot.com/

Visit me on eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/Lucky-Girl-Trading-Company

Visit me on Etsy: http://luckygirltrading.etsy.com

2. What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?

I never know what's going to inspire me until it happens. It could be something one of my children does, a "science project" I discover in the fridge, or a beautiful piece of art I see. Often my ideas come from picking up bits of glass and rearranging them--glass fascinates me and I could play with it for hours without ever doing anything productive.

3. What is the best thing about your products?

Every piece of glass, Temari ball, and Kumihimo braid is unique, so you're guaranteed to have a one-of-a-kind item. I can try to duplicate them, but it's never an exact match.

4. Why should people buy your product?

I want my customers to be completely happy with their purchase. It's difficult to shop when you can't actually pick an item up and feel it, turn it around, hold it up to the light. I'm happy to take returns and/or exchanges--it's more important to me that the customer is pleased with their purchase. I have a large number of repeat customers, and I think this policy plays a big part.

5. What is the best homemade item you have ever bought?

I can't pick just one! I think anything that inspires my family--whether it's one of my grown children or younger stepchildren--to be creative. I bought a chainmaille keychain that intrigued them so much that my 12-year-old asked where she can find a list of all possible arts and crafts so that she could try each one. I don't think it gets any better than that!

Etsy Shop: http://luckygirltrading.etsy.com
Blog: http://luckygirltrading.blogspot.com/

Featured Artist: made by Railyuh

While I like to experiment with a variety of crafts, photography has always been one of my first artistic loves (the other is writing). I especially enjoy landscape photography and I think the beauty I see in the natural world inspires me to fill my home with natural handmade items. I hope sharing my images will bring a little beauty into the lives of each person that views them.

Some people have asked where the name "railyuh" comes from so I thought I'd share. My first name is Aurelia (pronounced uh-rail-yuh), but I grew up going by my middle name because Aurelia was hard to spell and pronounce. By the time I was in high school a shortened version, "railyuh," became my nickname with a few close friends. It soon became my online screen name, hence my shop with items "made by Railyuh"!

Feel free to visit my blog to learn more about me and to see sneak previews and updates for my shop. I'll also be featuring some of my favorite Etsy shops, artists, and items there: http://etsyfind.blogspot.com/

If you are interested in a custom order, I would love to arrange a series of prints or cards in sizes and images chosen by you.

If you are looking for something different, perhaps a series of magnets or a gallery wrapped canvas featuring my photos, please convo me. If you have an idea in mind, we can figure out a way to make it happen.

*Proud Member of the Etsymom and Etsy Bloggers street teams*

Etsy Shop: http://railyuh.etsy.com
Blog: http://etsyfind.blogspot.com

Featured Artist: Purrfectlydevine

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

Donna....York, PA.....etsyBEAD, BBEST (Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team)....Married with a 27 year old daughter. I am a special education teacher and alsso work part-time in a deli and make jewelry and am thinking about expanding by adding small crochet items like ponytail holders.

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

The first thing I made was a crocheted granny square large enough to be a baby blanket. I'd graduated from college and had only a part-time job and time on my hands. My late grandmother had crocheted, so I bought a hook, yarn, and a 35 cent book and taught myself how to crochet.

3. What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?

Everywhere and anywhere. Bead books, bead magazines, and the beads themselves. Often I will take an element from one piece and an element from another piece and yet add something not in either piece to come up with a unique piece. My Crystals and Swirls Necklace http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7441288 is one such piece. Purple and Teal Sensation http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6566661 is a piece where the focal bead seemed to speak to me.

4. Why should people buy handmade?

Uniqueness is one reason. You can purchase inexpensive jewelry from a company that sells make-up etc. nationwide. In the course of a week you might see 15 women wearing the exact same piece. Even if handmade items are not OOAK [one of a kind], it is unlikely that you will see too many people wearing the same piece. Most people who make items to sell care about their reputation and take care to make a quality item.

5. Creatively where do you think you'll be in five years?

I hope that I'll have increased to number of skills that I will be proficient in, therefore my creativity will take off because I won't be as limited by my skill set.

Etsy Shop: http://purrfectlydevine.etsy.com
Blog: http://purrfectlydevine.blogspot.com/

Featured Artist: A Passion For Fashion

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

Jennifer Meyers..Phoenix Arizona..Jewish

I am a stay at home Mom and I take care of my 2 kids..Both Under 6 years old. I started making jewelry about 7 years ago after my Dad bought me some books on the subject. I have always been creative and and I started calling myself an artist at age 5. I got my degree in Art from ASU where I did more painting and photography. My career includes more than 15 years as a professional artist, designer and consultant.

I have been on two local television morning shows, channel 3 and 12. My work has also been featured in the Arizona Republic Newspaper (in Arizona, USA). I have also been in many juried art shows, and high end retail shops. And now I am addicted to Etsy.

My Husband wrote two great stories for me in the Storque..one of those on Etsy addiction... http://www.etsy.com/storque/author/aPassionForFashion/

2. What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?

I am inspired by everything... I look at everything and try and think how I could use that. I tease my kids that I will turn their toys into jewelry and sell it on Etsy if they don't clean their rooms. Most of my idea come to me when I am working on a project... or hunting for something different on the Internet... I am always looking for that next big thing.

3. What is your favourite thing in your shop and why?

This is my favorite right now [Field of Flowers...Glass and Japanese Chiyogami Paper Pendant Necklace]... It is my newest design and very classy with my unique stamp on it. Plus I had a great time shopping for the supplies for this... It took 5 different venues to put this piece together... 2 brick and mortar stores and 3 online stores.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8838095

4. What is the best thing you have ever created?

The best thing I ever created first I'd have to say the relationship with my Mom... My Marriage... and My children... but I had help in those...

My best creation with my hand was when I built a 30 ft redwood trellis across our pool area in our former house. I had more time on my hands before kids and I love to construct things. I even designed and planned it all myself... Jewelry wise I am really tickled by a wholesale order I had... 33 pieces that went to Saudi Arabia.

5. What is the best homemade item you have ever bought?

I love my Cheetos Change Purse... I love Cheetos... I always have... so when I saw it I had to own it! Made by MoJo on Etsy. I also love aBreathofFrenchair shop on Etsy... I bought some grape-seed lotion with the smell of carnations... I bought some for my Mom as well... I just love it! I won't buy store lotion again...

Etsy Shop: http://apassionforfashion.etsy.com
Blog: http://jewelsbyjennifer.blogspot.com

Featured Artist: Citrus Tree Designs

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

Name: Stacy Beck
Location: Delray Beach, FL

My Black & White Abstract print is currently on exhibit during the winter show at:

D'Art Gallery
116 Pleasant Street
East Hampton, MA

My cards have been blogged here:

http://Kiddlins.com
http://Kopahetsy.blogspot.com
http://hauteinnovations.com/?p=47.

I have also exhibited at All Florida Fine Arts Show -

Cornell Museum of Art and History,
Delray Beach Florida

My Flickr Account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/citrustreedesigns/

My Blog: http://citrustreedesigns.blogspot.com/

My sister & I have an infant and toddler line of clothing: MakristaBaby.com This is where we earn our living.

2. What is your favourite thing in your shop and why?

My favorite item in the CitrusTree.etsy.com shop will have to be the Photomontage's I am currently playing around with. They allow me to express my creativity more fully than my photography alone. And...they are just plain fun to create!

3. Why should people buy your product?

I would like to have people purchase my items because they are unique and of course HANDMADE.

4. Where would be the best location for showing off your product (the Louvre, Buckingham Palace)

Any gallery would do as far as showing my work...I would be thrilled to exhibit in New York, as that is a city close to my heart.

5. What is the best homemade item you have ever bought?

The best handmade item I have ever purchased, it a Spiritual Bracelet from BlueMango.etsy.com The bracelet has one of my favorite Emerson quotes: "Stand in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air"

Etsy Shop: http://citrustree.etsy.com
Blog: http://citrustreedesigns.blogspot.com

Featured Artist: Katrin Lerman Jewelry

I come from a family of makers and have been doing jewelry since I was a little girl (if making friendship bracelets is considered jewelry ; ) Originally from Germany, I settled in Massachusetts, US almost ten years ago. I can’t believe it has been such a long time already! Nonetheless, I draw inspiration from my German childhood as well as from the time spent here and from every little moment I can remember happening in between. Sometimes, photographs of finished jewelry pop into my mind and I have to quickly run to jot them down before they are gone. Other times, I have an idea in mind and it takes a lot of drawings until I have figured out how to best do what I was thinking about. Of course, those sketches are not written in stone and I often change a design while I am making the piece to arrive at the best end result possible.

All of my pieces are entirely hand made by me using sterling silver wire and high quality genuine gemstones. First, I create the desired shape/shell for a piece out of thick sterling silver wire. Then I string on the gemstones and wrap the entire piece with feet upon feet of thin sterling silver wire to give it a finished look. I add tiny sterling silver beads to the frame during wrapping to give it more dimension.

Every piece is different so if you see something and you like it you better grab it fast!

I also LOVE to work on custom designs. So if you have a certain gemstone or color in mind, please contact me. I can also incorporate keepsakes, such as beads, shells or charms into a beautiful pendant.

I graduated from the New England School of Art and Design at Suffolk University in Boston with a Degree of Fine Arts in Interior Design. Interior Design is all about color, form, and texture – and that’s what I’m integrating in my jewelry designs.

Now that I have a beautiful baby girl, I try to spend every free minute (and those of you who have a baby know that there are few) creating jewelry. Naturally, I have lots more time thinking than creating and so my sketch book is filling up with ideas for years to come. I can’t wait to get working on all those ideas and designs!!!

Etsy Shop: http://KatrinLermanJewelry.etsy.com
Blog: http://katrinlermanjewelry.blogspot.com/

Featured Artist: Autumn Leah Designs

I absolutely love making jewelry and come up with new ideas every day so my pieces are always fresh and unique!

I am a stay-home mom and I love being able to see my daughter grow everyday... with that said I also need something to keep me sane. So I make stuff! I just recently started making jewelry so it is my habit right now but I also love making anything on my computer. I do all of my scrapbooking digitally. I create Christmas cards, birth announcements, birthday invitations etc. I have a degree in graphic design so that is my passion. I would never actually work in the advertising world (too much pressure) but I love using those skills for personal use or for friends, etc. I love to look at a craft and figure out how to make it myself. That is why my shop is kind of eclectic.

I am also willing to do custom pieces if you need something specific for an outfit and I also customize my prints.

Etsy Shop: http://autumnleah.etsy.com
Blog: http://autumnleahdesigns.blogspot.com