http://hogret.deviantart.com/

"Japanese Steampunk" by Hogret

As always, I love seeing what people make with the supplies they buy from my shop! I really love the steampunk edge to this washi pendant. I also love what Margaret had to say about her work:

"I always adored art, but was not allowed to take it as a subject at school. My headmistress insisted I took Latin, instead. "One day, when you go to Oxford," she said, "You will be required to have a suitably serious academic record." Art, she implied, was somehow frivolous and trivial. And it was not like I was ever going to be van Gogh or Georgia O’Keefe, now, was it? Well, I never went to Oxford, and my Latin has rusted away. But for years and years I harbored a secret nostalgia for art, and a resentment against the sour old bat of a headmistress who had doomed me, I thought, to an artless life. And then I started training as a life-coach, and suddenly woke up (30 years later!) to the realization that nothing was stopping me from living the life I wanted, and giving expression to the parts of myself that I cherished.

And now my dining room table is perpetually covered in paints and papers and all kinds of gloriously messy stuff. I work mostly in collage, and a recent obsession is altered art pendants – dominoes, glass scrabble tiles, bottlecaps. My "jewelry" pieces are sometimes "just pretty" but often I'm trying to capture a feeling or an idea. I love taking trouble with how I photograph the pieces, and enjoy writing extensive reflections / explanations on them in my gallery on DeviantArt. Many of the pieces are inspired by insights and metaphors that happen in coaching sessions with my clients, but some are just serendipitous accidents."

Click on the photo above to visit her work on DeviantArt.com.

http://Arialmages.etsy.com

"A Bit of Diva"--Jumbo Japanese Washi Chiyogami Yuzen Paper Ring by Prettified/AriaImages

Like most of my customers, I met Melody through a purchase of ring blanks that she made from me on Etsy, and a series of convos after that. Cruising through her shop, AriaImages, I fell in love with her photography. I also found out that she has a 2nd Etsy shop, Prettified, in which she sells fabulous pendants, rings and more made from washi paper and other great images behind glass.

How long have you known you are an artist? What is the first project you remember making?
I think I always knew. For me photography has been apart of me for as long as I can remember. That desire to want to capture that moment. Its always been there. One of the first project I remember making was this reconstruction of a space station I made with my mom for my school's science fair. Believe it or not we made it out of hubcaps and aluminum foil. I had such a fun time making it with her and she seemed to thoroughly enjoy it too. I got third place! :) Making things with my hands turned into a business later in life but its still very fun.

What is your inspiration for your work?
My inspiration for my photography stems from two things. The desire as mentioned before to capture that exact moment in time. Its almost an obsession. Also my love of architecture, sculptures, nature and history. For my jewelry and other items in my Prettified shop, I really really love history and vintage prints. I also love the Asian cultures. So all those loves combined made me decide to start working with glass tile and combining it all.

What made you decide to split your items into two different shops? Does it work well for you?
I just realized there was no way they would jive together. I have a lot of ideas but I really think its best to keep it cohesive. Photography for me is what it is. I dont mind adding items featuring my photography but I'm quite organized and for me and my little OCD brain two shops just worked better than one. I think it works really well. It helps me to stay more organized and feeds into the different parts of who I am.

Do you sell on Etsy full time, or part time?
Full time for now. :) Its very fun but its super time consuming. I know when we move I will have to look for part time work but Im really enjoying the full time Etsy ride while it lasts.

~~
Be sure to visit both of her shops for all kinds of beautiful treasures!

http://Ketzelphotography.etsy.com

Eiffel Tower Pendant by Ketzelphotography. All Rights Reserved.

While searching for my next blog feature, I was happily surprised to stumble upon the stunning photography of Gayle Ketzel. As I looked through each of her photos, I found this charming scrabble-tile pendant, embellished with a gorgeous photo of the Eiffel Tower, packaged in a lovely slide-top tin. Just looking at it makes me wish I was sipping coffee in Paris.... Gayle described her process to me:

"My desire is to share images that bring as much joy to the viewer as to the photographer! Whatever the method of display (print, encaustic, or wearable art), the basis of my art is my photography. My Eiffel Tower pendant is actually my original photograph (made teeny-tiny) mounted on a scrabble tile and all wrapped up in a slide-top tin (from SupplyRiot) which has been similarly dressed with a photographic image of LOVE YOU typewriter keys. Photographs are mounted and then sealed with non-toxic glaze for a glossy surface. The charming little cases are similarly constructed with photographs mounted and sealed. The pendants and tins are really fun to make...and to receive! Thanks for looking."

http://creationsbynik.etsy.com

This week's feature is the fabulous Nicole of http://creationsbynik.etsy.com! She has bought several of my washi papers (and received some as a gift too!), and turned them into stunning covers for some of her beautifully hand-bound books. I will let you see for yourself, from her own words, what a sweet and multi-talented crafty lady she is:

"Let's see... My name is Nicole, but to friends, I go by Nik. I call my etsy business "Creations by Nik" because I think it sounds catchier than "Creations by Nicole." One of my very best friends started binding journals at college, and she inspired me to learn the trade myself. So, as of January 2008, I have been book-making in my free time!

I love making books. I really love using a plethora of paper designs and styles, my latest favorite is the Japanese Washi paper. It has SUCH a glorious texture. I found SupplyRiot while searching for papers on etsy, seeing as how I wanted to support people on the community as opposed to a larger retail supply chain. My favorite kind of books to make are address books, or smaller, hand-held/purse-sized notebooks.

I also do photography, and have a small business with my husband "Weber Photography." I have sold a few of my works on my etsy shop as well! I love to crochet, write, paint, draw, take photographs, bind books, and many other types of art! Art and crafting are my strongest hobbies.

I came upon etsy by way of my aforementioned friend, who has a shop here as well! I purchased some of her works, and eventually started my own shop. I then happened upon Lisa, Savor, and became her friend, too! Because of those two ladies, and some of my other favorite shops, I'm around on a very regular basis! If I had one goal for etsy, it would be that someday, someone would find something I have made that they love, and I'd see my work on the front page! Here's to hoping!

I work full-time at a non-profit organization that aims to "eliminate poverty by involving community." I live in a fairly rural area that has many pockets of poverty. I'm currently starting two brand-new initiatives, one for the larger population, and one geared specificially at girls aged 13-19. I ADORE both of my jobs!"

Be sure to check her shop for all of her gorgeous hand-crafted items!

http://savor.etsy.com

What is this? Some kind of delectable fudge? Super-yummy chocolate chip cookies?!? Are you drooling yet? Well, cut it out because this is no cookie...it's soap! Lisa, the creator of this treat-for-your-skin, is just as sweet. Last week she scoped out the items that one of her Etsy friends had "favorited" and found one of my washi papers, then had me send it to her friend as a surprise. What a doll!

Here is what Lisa, who has been a featured seller on Etsy, had to say about her amazing soaps:

"My name is Lisa -- I live just outside of San Francisco, but I'm a NY native. I'm married to an amazing guy named Mike -- the love of my life. For work, I'm a computer technician and soapstress -- two full time jobs that take a lot of dedication.

I grew up in an Italian American household, where creating things for others -- specifically cooking for others -- was a way to show love and caring. I use that approach to my crafting. I start with a recipe. I sit down at my computer, with my cookbooks and take a look at what makes a delicious dish. Then I consider, how can I translate that to soap? What kinds of spices, petals, colorings, scents should I use -- what kind of texture, design, feeling, can I evoke with a bar of soap?"

http://evermore.etsy.com

"Marie Antionette Ring" by Lauren B. All rights reserved.

I don't remember the details of most transactions (thankfully most of them go off without a hitch!), but I remember Lauren's order. She had just moved, so I sent her package to the new address and it was returned "address not found." Weirdness. So I confirmed the address with her, (it was the right one!) and sent it again. This time it made it there, no problem. Lauren was a complete doll through the whole thing. Whew!

During that time I checked out her shop and found....total awesomeness! After informally interviewing her, I found out that she is a tattoo artist by day and a seriously busy and creative lady. Besides her day job (how rad that tattooing is her "day job"?), she is starting a podcast with her boyfriend who is in a band (The Livers), and she is "Ana Warpath" when she plays roller derby with the Arch Rival Roller Girls of St. Louis. Here is what she has to say about her crafty side:

"So, in the spare time I don't have I paint, illustrate, sew, & craft. I'm obsessed with all things vintage so when I found out I could make my own resin jewelry it changed my world & I've been experimenting in my lab since February. I've also used resin in projects for sealing surfaces, making 45rpm record bowls [they can even hold liquid!]. I've been playing around with making my own molds as well as trying to make bigger pieces (coming soon: Disco Jesus & Disco Buddha!).
I also paint tattoo designs on housewares & accessories (which is fun because the only client I have to answer to is me). I like the idea of having an affordable one-of-a-kind work of art that isn't going to rot in storage but gets used all the time. I also came up with the "your face here" photo frames, as far as I know I invented this particular kind anyway because I've never seen them anywhere before. I like the tattoo themes I use because the possibilities are endless.
I try to work with as many recycled items as I can because conservation (and being a very, very poor art student) was how I got serious about crafting in the first place. Problem solving is always a big part of the fun of a finished product.
Lately, I've been making puppets, sock and otherwise. I plan to get back into painting & resin soon."

maoiliosa.etsy.com

Custom washi fortune cookies by Maoiliosa. All Rights Reserved.

Melissa of maoiliosa.etsy.com is one of those amazing people who somehow reaches out through the internet and becomes more than just a customer, but a really good friend. Through a series of events including an order of washi paper from me that usps took way too long to deliver to her, to reading eachother's blogs, and a series of convos and comments, we just connected in a way that wouldn't have been possible without the internet. Yay for Etsy!

Beyond that, she makes a whole line of gorgeous things--jewelry, magnets, gift boxes, and more--out of beautiful Japanese washi chiyogami paper. When looking through her shop, I was especially intrigued by her custom washi fortune cookies. Original, elegant, and fully customizable--it just doesn't get much better than that! I asked her what her inspiration was for them:

"i was thinking up cute ideas for wedding favours for my upcoming wedding, and as i deal with washi paper all day, the idea kind of came naturally! i once saw actual fortune cookies with wedding messages in them for sale at a wedding supply shop, so i borrowed from that, and i noticed no one on etsy was doing the same thing as me, so i did a happy dance because i had come up with an original idea that i thought would be a big hit, especially with wedding season, graduations, and spring/summer in the air (as the paper has warm colours).

really, you can use them for any event. i might branch out to other designs in the future, but so far, people are really liking this specific paper :). i really get excited making things that people will love, so i love the personalized aspect of these fortune cookies. i type whatever text the customer wants on little slips of 100% ivory cotton paper and encase them in the cookies. so far, i've made cookies for weddings, graduation parties, and birthday bashes."