Featuring: Judy Richardson from Catldy99.Etsy.com!

Folks, we've got one accomplished artisan here. Such gifted people are almost intimidating to write about as well as being an exciting endeavor.

Take a look at her education to start:

B.A. University of Minnesota Magna Cum Laude in Technical Theatre

Coursework in Graphic Design at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, CACoursework in lampworking - Portland, OR

Member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakersseller on ebay for 5 years - over 500-100% positive feedback!

Judy Richards resides in Portland, Oregon where it rains this time of year. A well kept secret is that it doesn't rain all year around.

Judy is a member of the Portland Bead Society, the ORBS (Oregon Regional Beadmakers Society) and the ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers).

She makes lampwork beads and designs jewelry - unique and hopefully artful jewelry. She is always striving for new ideas, new shapes in glass.

Judy is inspired by nature (flowers, birds) depicted in glass. She loves abstract lampwork most of all with layers of glass and complexity. She is always striving to that goal.

She has done the work of reasonably exact glass beads - but yearns to break out of that toward something more complex and deep in an artistic sense. She also has a sense of humor and doesn't take herself too seriously - she is the owner of 2 cats, hence the cat beads.

Judy likes to laugh and make others smile with her work. Judy's dream buyer is the Sundance catalog.

Probably the best things she has made are jewelry with her own lampwork beads and semi precious stones that have sold thare are really pushing the envelope of what we think of as jewelry and adnorment.

Life is but a dream at Dreamon.etsy.com

In her own words she shares:

"I always loved to cut, paste, paint and draw from my earliest memories. Creating art is what I do, it's built-in by my Creator, He enables me, and I love it."

She has a college degree in art. In addition and has taken workshops and classes from some fine national and regionally-known artists. Some of her most important lessons came from not so well-known, but wonderful artists who now paint in the sky, and local artists who teach the basics, as well as the artists she paints with.

She belongs to several art groups in Florida and one in Colorado.

She values the presence of a recognizable subject in my paintings. She loves it when the center of interest appears in the midst of background objects that aren’t so well-defined. She wants her watercolor to look like watercolor, and paintings to have a painterly look, not a photographic copy. Therefore she is an impressionist, because she doesn't ever want to over-control the media.

"I love to paint using a variety of techniques. Having taken an experimental art class for the last 4-5 years, I am likely to paint anything, and I'm always 'playing.'"

ABOUT PRINTS . . If you see a print you like that isn't the size you would like, please convo her and she can usually have it for you in a few days just your size!Also, if there is an original painting in her shop you would like a print of, she will be happy to have one made. She can even have something printed on canvas.

Giclee prints also available, but more expensive to have made, but she will be happy to discuss how you would like your print to come to you.

So dream on...In St Petersburg, Florida .

Crafty-By-Nature......CraftyMoose

When crafting comes so easily, why not do what you love?

Debbie has done just that. Her natural knack for crafting has earned her a store with her own, unique creations!

She has been crafting for as long as she can remember, is self-taught and has enjoyed painting, needlework, quilting, polymer clay and jewelry making.

Most recently, she's found herself drawn to beads and have returned to the art of french beaded flowers. She enjoys making original, one-of-a-kind butterflies & dragonflies.


She is also introducing a new line of one-of-a-kind beaded art dolls and suncatchers.




Custom requests are welcome. All her items are lovingly created in a smoke-free, pet-free environment.




For up to the minute craftymoose news, specials, and sales previews, check out Debbie's blog at:

http://craftymoosecrafts.blogspot.com

Visit her website at:

http://craftymoosecrafts.com

Abbie's Road To Creativity

A great way to be creative is when you love where you are and who you are.

Abbie's heart is at home with her family. It is there that she finds her inspiration- through the love of her life, Sean, and their son, Neil.

She plays Classical cello, Celtic fiddle and enjoys painting and comes from an artistic family.

Nevertheless, she is always open to suggestions, ideas and requests for projects.

Every print she produces is signed and dated. For now, they are open editions. After you see her work, that may very well change!

She creates fabulous promotional items, artwork of all kinds, butons, badges, pocket mirrors and magnets. If you need custom graphic services, she's your go-to-gal.

Email: AbbieGalie@gmail.com

Check out her blog!

Blog: http://www.blog.originalabbie.comand my art portfoliohttp://art.originalabbie.

A Lil Sumptin Sumptin For You To Consider

The only thing Eva finds challenging is staying within a budget and finding the materials to create. Everything from that point on, is easy for her.

Her bead 'addiction' is artisan Lampwork beads in particular, and it's not easy because there are so many wonderful, talented glass artists out there.

She always gets excited when she sees beautiful beads and *wants* to buy them. The expense of it all, is cost prohibitive at times. S ome of these beads can go for hundreds, even thousands of dollars. She has seen some truly amazing, jaw-dropping, record setting auctions on eBay. These beads are handcrafted and unique - some, exclusively one-of-a-kind. So when someone else snaps 'em up - they're gone.

The most challenging part of an artist trying to do business is the promotion and marketing.
Being as shy as she is doesn't help! That comes from many years of hearing "Children should be seen and not heard." As a result, she is very humble, meek ans quiet so this is a big challenge for her.

As for her creativity she says: "I use a lot of artisan made Lampwork beads in my pieces. They are exquisite little works of Art that make me really happy inside, so I try to incorporate them in my work as much as possible. I also use a lot of sterling silver, fine silver and lately have been experimenting with Argentium silver. "

What she loves most about being an artist: The process of creating a vision, a thought, a concept, and touching others with the end result. When one of my pieces brings someone else joy and lifts their spirit or makes them feel special - that to me is the best feeling in the world."

Her advice to other artists is to never lose focus or passion for your craft. When this happens to her she tries to refocus by reading favorite inspirational quotes - Martha Graham's words to Agnes de Mille, portions of Max Ehrmann's Desiderata, Ralph Waldo Emerson's writings about Success.

"I try to remember artists like Van Gogh - a great artist that only sold one painting in his lifetime. I'm certainly not comparing myself to Van Gogh's greatness as an artist. What I'm saying is he was compelled to do what he did regardless of the fact that only one of his paintings sold. His story gives me the courage to keep doing what I'm doing."

Her favorite charity is "Paws For A Cause".She has been making jewelry for 3 years after being inspired by the artisan at Ebay.

She shares: "I stumbled upon all these incredibly whimsical handcrafted Lampwork bracelets, which led me to discover the delightful, mesmerizing, highly addictive, mad mad world of artisan made Lampwork beads. I consider them to be wonderful little works of glass art. They really made me glow and happy on the inside and inspired me to want to create something with them.I'm most proud of the pieces that I put a lot of myself into. Pieces that were inspired by things I liked such as music, literature, etc and that I put a lot of time and thought into creating."

The following are examples of this:Cherry Blossom Girl http://www.flickr.com/photos/alilsumptinsumptin/314148383/in/set-72157594405529358/

Oceano

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alilsumptinsumptin/314149643/in/set-72157594405529358/

Silent Snow, Secret Snow

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alilsumptinsumptin/314149648/in/set-72157594405529358/

An American Poodle in Paris

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=5658467

Rover, Rollover

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alilsumptinsumptin/314149645/in/set-72157594405529358/

Puppy Love

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alilsumptinsumptin/314149644/in/set-72157594405529358/

My Secret Garden

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=571712

Website/Blog Bio

http://www.alilsumptinsumptin.com/bio/

Biz Name/Etsy Shop Name - ALilSumptinSumptin

http://alilsumptinsumptin.etsy.com/

Website/Blog: http://www.alilsumptinsumptin.com/

About Elements by Dawn

About Dawn:

I’ve been crafting most of my life. Most of my crafting centered on projects I could do with my children. Holiday themed crafts were at the center of our attention. However, in recent years I really immersed myself into jewelry design and metalwork. I’m primarily self-taught, though I have taken a number of workshops offered through local programs.

Her inspirations: Anything can inspire me! Sometimes a pattern in the clouds, a good movie (or even a bad one!), architecture, paint chips at the hardware store, friends, family, and occasionally other works of art can inspire me. I love the works created in the Art Deco era. I’m drawn to pattern, bold lines, elegant shapes, and interesting texture. My obsession with circles and spheres is evident in most of my designs.

How she advertises: I advertise with a blog, business cards, I participate in promo swaps, I recently had some postcards printed which will be mailed early next month. I also participate in numerous forums and other networking sites.

Her favorite item: My all time favorite piece was an Argentium tarnish-resistant bracelet I made. The bracelet was so sleek yet very bold.Advice –

Whether your craft/art is a business or hobby, never sacrifice quality workmanship! To do so reflects poorly on your character.

Websites - http://elementsbydawn.etsy.com/,

http://www.elementsbydawn.com/,

www.circlecircledotdot.com (coming soon),

http://www.indiepublic.com/,

www.elementsbydawn.blogspot.com

Featuring TiffanyTeske

About Tiffany in her own words:

The thrill of photography captured me at the age of seven when I was given a 110 camera to document a family trip. In high school, I studied art and dance but never enrolled in a photography class. Instead, a kind science teacher taught me how to process and print film in the school darkroom, so I could indulge my creativity whenever I wished, independent of a supervised class.

In 1991, at the age of 18, I left Minneapolis, Minnesota, for Tempe, Arizona, where I lived for one and a half years before continuing my travels with temporary homes on Jupiter Island, Florida and Fisher's Island, New York. In 1994, I settled down in the western mountains of Carrabassett Valley, Maine. Photography was used to record the details of my life, yet remained nothing more than a hobby.

In 1995, I moved one town south, to Kingfield, population 1,100. In 1997, at the age of 23, I decided to return to school. I enrolled in general courses at the University of Maine in Farmington, 30 minutes away, with the intension of transferring to a nursing school. My ultimate goal was to be a pediatric surgical nurse, yet my yearning to be a photographer kept me questioning my true calling. I was torn between a career in the medical field or in the arts. Long story short, after a series of unexpected detours and discoveries, I decided to jump into photography with both feet. I never looked back and before I was done, I earned two degrees from the University of Maine at Augusta, a two and a half hour round trip commute that I made up to 3 times a week. The first was an Associate of Arts in Photography (Magna cum Laude) in December of 2000, and then a Bachelor of Arts Joint BA in Art and Photography (Magna cum Laude) in May of 2002.

I have been making my living as a photographer since 1998, when I started my career at the same time I started to study photography at University. I am thankful to be able make a living doing what I love.

To indulge my spirit of wanderlust and to fuel my creative inspiration, I travel to the chosen environments of my portrait clients, whether they live down the street or halfway around the globe. Inevitably, serving my clients and exploring these new places contributes valuably to the fine art photography that I create as an artist. I have intentional chosen to balance working in both the commercial and art realms. I find that together they blend into a unique harmony that appeals not only to a bliss filled expectant mother, but also to the artist who is looking for an innovative way to market their services, and again to the art enthusiast seeking an image that moves them to want to have it grace their wall. I look forward to future opportunities put my heart and soul into my work."

It's no wonder she finds inspiration everywhere!

"Sometimes, I wish I wasn't so inspired, because I feel I will never have enough time to create all the ideas that I have. To name a few I am inspired by nature, by civilization and how it invades nature, in patterns and textures both organic and inorganic, by all things vintage and historic, by my child and my relationships with others, by animals in the wild... I see beauty not just in "beautiful" things but find immense beauty in entropy, in the process of things breaking down and decaying."

She advertises at Etsy, on her website, business cards, through word of mouth, and with Etsy resources at places like craft and art fairs.

"Emulsion lift"

"Polaroid Transfer"

Words of advice would she offers to other artists:

"Know the business side of things if you want to succeed. You don't have to have formal training in your art but you need social and business skills, or to hook up with someone who has these skills and can represent you. No one is going to hand you success on a silver platter, you have to work hard for it. And my other advice would be to hang in there. There is a dismal amount of full time artists who are older than 40....Can't think of anything else."

Her websites are:

http://www.oldesage.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyteske/

http://www.jpgmag.com/people/tteske

http://www.tiffanyteske.etsy.com/

Featuring MyFairyBabies At Etsy.com

Meet Hyla who is the artist behind MyFairyBabies.etsy.com.


She is 23 and a stay at home mom of three children ages 6yrs, 20months, and 3 months. Her children inspire her on a daily basis she gets her ideas from them. She is also inspired by fabric, architecture and nature.


Her favorite piece currently is Guinevere The Autumn Queen Fairy. Not only if she named after herdaughter but she was the winner of the Fall Fantasy Contest in the Fae Etsy group!






Guinevere has an autumn leaf crown. Her favorite smell is the leaves of fall where she likes to hide. Her favorite time of the year is Autumn and the rest of the year she sleeps. Her special pastimes are readings and watching children. She is looking for a good home.


Hyla advertises on the web through many different sites. And also by word of mouth.


Her advice to other artist and Etsy sellers is to "Never create something that you dont like, advertise your items tell your friends and family. If you feel you are stretched to thin, you probably are, so stop and relax a couple of days, the world will keep spinning while you get your mojo back!"

How To Apply Mineral Makeup

Where do I start?

Take your time when working with minerals. It takes a little time to find an application method that works great for you.

Dry Method #1

1. With lid on, softly tap or shake product upside down into lid.

2. Using your Kabuki/Powder brush, gently press the brush head into powder. (Tap off excess, or you will be wasting product and possibly end up with poor application.)

3. Start buffing powder onto your skin in a circular motion. Repeat this process until you have the coverage you like.

Wet Method #1

1. Lightly spritz face with purified water or mineral mist after you've tapped excess product from brush before you apply product to skin. Or spray some water or mist into an empty container and shake some of the mineral powders onto that. Mix thoroughly and apply with a brush or sponge.

2. If you find your product is drying out before you feel you are finished, then lightly spritz again.

Wet Method #2

1. Try mixing a few drops of your favorite moisturizer in with your powder. If you want a thin coverage like a liquid makeup use less powder. If you want a thick foundation like a pan makeup then add more powder to the moisturizer, the more powder you add the thicker the foundation. This method can be applied with a contour brush for great coverage.

MINERAL VEIL OR SETTING POWDER

Apply the mineral veil over your foundation for a finished look. Mineral veils are also used as correctors. Use the Yellow on red areas to correct the red or the Pink veil to add warmth to your complexion. Mineral veil is applied the same as the foundation only lighter.

MINERAL BLUSH

Use the blush SPARINGLY to contour the cheek. Barely dab the blush brush tip into the sifter jar and tap off the excess before applying.

MULTI-USE MINERALS (EYE SHADOW AND BLUSH)

Use any color from the Mineral Magic multi-purpose mineral collection for eye shadow, blush, liquid eyeliner, nail polish, lipstick or body shimmer. NOTE: The blues and greens are not to be used on the lips.

Eye Shadow:

Simply dip an eye shadow brush into the desired color and apply to your eyelids. Choose a lighter color as a highlighter to apply under the brow. Use a darker color in the crease as a shader. Apply dry for a lighter color and apply wet for a darker dramatic color.

Liquid Eyeliner:

Wet your Line It brush with water, dip into the desired color of mineral powder. Mix water and powder together on the back of your hand or in separate container until well blended. Apply close to lashes.

Nail Polish:

Use any nail polish. Dip your nail polish brush into the mineral powder of your choice. Apply to nails. For darker color, use more powder.

Lip Color:

Dip your lip brush into your favorite lip balm/stick/gloss and then into the mineral powder of your choice. Blend well and then apply to lips.

www.mineralmagiccosmetics.com

Featured Designer: KristieGK

I own so many pieces by Kristie, I can't keep count. She is one of the most talented, affordable designers I've met to date.









I recently sat down with her and asked her to describe 'A Day In The Life Of Kristie'. Here's what she had to say:

"My name is Kristie Klepper and I am a very fortunate SAHM to two teenage sons. They are wonderful young men and bless my soul every day of my life.







I'm married to my better half, Christian, for the past 19 years and looking ahead to forever. (mush)"

I began making jewelry as a hobby about 3 years ago. At that point in time I kept it pretty much under wraps and only shared it with my family. I am also an obsessed scrapbooker, and I also love to crochet on cold winter nights while I sip on coffee.

This past January, Kristie found Etsy.com and decided to open a shop of her own there.

"Selling on Etsy brings in a few extra dollars, whatever that means. LOL And it provides a much needed outlet for her constant desire to be creative", she states.

"I find that I have a split personality, (for lack of a better term) in that I like my home and my surroundings to be very simple and rustic, yet I like my jewelry to reflect elegance and bring out the girly girl lying within."


She gets creative vibes from people, places, textures, fragrances-everything! Some of her best pieces weren't planned at all, but rather inspired from one source or another!










"I recently had the pleasure of being contacted by Bead Trends Magazine. I am being published in their Nov./Dec. idea book, as well as the Jan./ Feb. idea book. I hope that you'll pick up a copy and check out my pieces. The books are available worldwide at locations such as Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, and all major hobby and craft stores."



You can find Kristie on Etsy. Her store name is KristieGK.etsy.com

All That Glitters: SparklyStrandz

An interview with Jamie Sparklystrandz.etsy.com:

My name is Jamie Hinson. I've been making jewelry for over 10 years, and crocheting for over 25 years.

I'm inspired by beads themselves. I love that they are rich in history, and not just shiny little things. I advertise locally via craft shows, open houses, word of mouth, referrals, and online through various mediums. One of my favorite items is the "Chelsea" necklace from my website (wire crochet necklace).

It combines my two favorite hobbies, and is named after my daughter (14 months old). As you can see from my website, most of my items are "named" after women in my family. I guess my advice would be to just create what you like, because you never know what someone's going to be looking for.

Etsy: sparklystrandz.etsy.com

Website: sparklystrandz.com

Myspace: myspace.com/sparklystrandz

Blog: sparklystrandz.blogspot.com

Member of Self-representing Jewelry Artist Designer (SRJAD#1106)

Flikr:http://flickr.com/photos/12074707@N08/

World-Class Designer: AdornmentsByBJ

CREATIVITY IN JEWELRY INVOLVES PASSION FOR THE ART

When an artist puts passion into their creativity, it often leads to striking results! Come browse and see for yourself!

Her shop, Adornments by BJ (www.adornmentsbybj.etsy.com) contains a diverse collection of handcrafted, unique, quality jewelry sets to adorn even those with the most discriminating tastes. Consider visiting her shop and browsing through the 130+ photos and descriptions of her creative style. She will custom make a design and create a one-of-a-kind piece just for you!

BJ says, "My collection contains jewelry, all quality made with the finest of materials, to fit any budget, style, or special occasion whether it be casual or formal or somewhere in-between".

"Adornments to reflect your persona. My materials of choice include semi-precious Gemstones, Pearls, Swarovski crystals, Wood, Shells, Sterling Silver, and a recent addition: silk cord for Chinese knotting. I also love discovering vintage jewelry to use in my creations. "

Her memberships include:

S.R.A.J.D. (Self-Representing Artist Jewelry Designer #0517)

AJC (Art Jewelry Collective) and JET (Jewelry on Etsy Team)

Photos of her jewelry are listed on Tribe.net, MySpace.com, Flickr.com, TalentDatabase.com, and many other sites as well. She also maintains a shop on Ruby Lane.

Her passion is to create unique, one-of-a-kind beautiful artisan jewelry. She believes jewelry is selected subconsciously on the premise that it becomes a reflection of your persona ~ your soul.

You can be drawn to a stone metaphysically and not understand the attraction. Her desire is to supply enough unique styles that you will instantly find that subconscious attraction!

"I formerly created stained glass works of art, but since moving to Tennesee have not had a place to continue in that medium ~ hopefully my wish for a studio will come to be and I can again work with stained glass and maybe sell my creations on Etsy!"

"I am a 62 year old female jewelry artisan who has three grown children. My oldest daughter and her Brit husband are presently in Viet Nam in the process of picking up their newly adopted little 7 month daughter, their only child. My second daughter has two girls (14 and 11) and a boy (7) and my youngest daughter has two boys (14 and 11)."

"I am married to a wonderful man who keeps me happy and comfortable. Although he does complain about my being on the computer too much!"

www.AdornmentsByBJ.etsy.com

Custom Woodwork Designer: CoconutPalmDesign

Joanne is a Canadian living in Belize, Central America and is a graphic designer.

Woodworking and sign design is her newest crafting passion but art has been in her blood since birth. Sign making has turned into a great outlet for her creative energies and finally she is using her graphic design training for something exciting!

CoconutPalmDesign signs are all made with Belizean hard or soft woods. All signs can be personalized if you would like. Please feel free to contact her if you have a particular sign you would like her to make for you.

Her ACEOs are done in a variety of mediums on watercolor paper. All are original art works, signed and dated on the back.

"Everything and nothing inspires me. Mostly I design based on what I am designing and/or who it's for.Please see my blog at: http://coconutpalmdesigns.blogspot.com/".

Featuring Arosebyname

Anna is a self-employed wife and mother of two teenage daughters.

She loves beading and finds that it is her therapy for stress!

She and her daughters first started beading over 10 years ago. Since then the beads have gotten smaller and the designs more intricate. Although her girls no longer bead, they enjoy wearing the pieces that she have created such as her original pieces she created to match their homecoming and/or prom dresses!

She shares:

"I find inspiration just about anywhere. Sometimes it will be a song, a story, a color or pattern and I'm off and beading. I've only had my Etsy shop since January '07 and though I did attempt my own website, it just didn't work out for me. I have been selling by word of mouth for almost as long as I've been beading."

"If you're going to sell your art, you have to learn how to promote yourself and this is the most difficult part for me. So you just have to keep creating and keep putting yourself out there and the sales will come. Be patient...that's another hard part for me"!

Featuring StudioMarcy!

Name: Marcy Lamberson

Shop: Studio Marcy

Web Address:

www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com

Marcy Lamberson is a full time lampwork glass artist and teacher whose happy and somewhat quirky view of life is often reflected in her whimsical glass sculptural beads.

It’s pretty often that her etsy shop, (www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com) will feature a combination of funny faced aliens, fish, people and animals. And you never know what they’ll be wearing.

Many times, the females wear jewelry, hats and earrings, whether they’re a gorillas, mice or humans. She also enjoys making custom order glass pet portraits.

Marcy’s other love besides making glass beads is teaching glass artists. She has taught private lessons in her Atlanta, GA home studio for the last 4 years.

"Anything that makes me smile also inspires me. I love to find the whimsy and humor in the world and I think my beads reflect it. Abundant colors, humorous or absurd situations, chubby cheeks, lots of nature, baby faces, animals wearing jewelry or even elves wearing tutus all just make me smile when making them. I also have windows on three walls of my sunroom studio, so all my birdfeeders keep the bird theme going in my shop."

Featuring ElektraJewelry

She is a newcomer to Etsy and has loved jewelry and gemstones all her life. Her travels to Greece and Greek background have influenced my love of 18k and 24k gold and my choice to work with gold vermeil.(24k over sterling silver)

She makes one of a kind jewelry pieces to accommodate many different styles and fashion trends.

Although she began working with stones over 10 years ago, the demands of a full time teaching job and childcare did not allow her the time to follow this passion. Finally, the timing seemed right and she has started creating and selling her pieces.

Now that she has started a business, she devotes most of her time and energy into creating pieces that can be worn and enjoyed for years to come.

She works primarily with gold vermeil, Bali sterling silver,semi-precious stones and vintage glass beads.

Be on the lookout for new pieces in her Murano Collection. The colors of these beautful Venetian beads are so exceptional,they add another dimension to her jewelry.

Anne Dundas Creations Featured!

She is from Sydney, Australia, and has been creating jewelry since early 2004. It quickly became a passion for her which helped fill the time while caring for her mother who has MS.

Jewelry then lead her to the wonderful world of lampwork beads. Yet another way to play with colours. It's such a thrill to play with molten glass watching it flow and form beautiful objects, she says.

She also spends her time designing business cards, etc for other jewelry designers.

If you'd like to check them out, you can find her designs at:

www.annedundas.com/graphics

Blog: www.annedundas.com/blog

Member of the Etsy Glass Artists Street Team, www.etsyglass.com

Featured Artist: BlueBaby

Websites http://bluebaby.etsy.com/

Blog http://bluebabyhomemadegifts.blogspot.com/

Inspirations:

God is my main inspiration. He creates the beauty I see in everything around me and I try not to waste the talent He has given me. I want to share my gifts with everyone thru the items I create.

Advice for Crafters:

Do something you absolutely love! If you think about it all day and dream about it all night, then you are meant to do it!! Don't waste your time on things you think will sell...if you don't love making it, don't do it!

Her favorite item:

My hats!! They are so fun to make, comfy, and unique to the customer!

Her biggest accomplishment:

A huge king size afghan which keeps me and hubby and our doggie warm at night!

Favorite materials:

Yarn, charcoal pencils for drawing.

How do you advertise?

I advertise mostly by word of mouth, and try to promote as much as possible on etsy.

How long have you been doing your craft?

Crocheting 6 yrs.

Drawing forever!! (I am thinking of posting drawings later).

Jewelry...only just began!!

Meet Pippit, The Truly Gifted GiftBearer

Pippit Carlington has been in business for over 22 years and no wonder:

During her lifetime she has worked in a variety of mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, mixed media, and jewelry, but now primarily make jewelry.

Her style falls into the category, Contemporary Tribal because it draws on design elements from a number of indigenous cultures including Native American, East Indian, Tibetan, Mexican, Mayan, African, but is not primitive and adds a more refined fine jewelry style to those core elements.

Pippit is inspired by nature and intense color and is a big fan of realism and intricacy. She also loves the look of abundance and bejeweled ornamentation as seen in the work of Eni Okun and Faberge, just to name a few.

She strives to make her jewelry as lifelike as possible, and treat each piece as a living being with its own soul. Her favorite items are Hint at Something Deeper (shown below) and Early Budding Vine Bracelet:

She currently has the piece "Hint at Something Deeper" (still available on Etsy)

This piece appeared in a full page print ad along with 23 other members of her street team, The Art Jewelry Collective in the October issue of Ornament Magazine, and there will be two more ads in the upcoming December and March issues.

Pippit also promotes her work by posting on the Etsy forum, in Bead & Button Community, Art Jewelry Magazine Forum, and Beadstyle, in Metal Clay Gallery Yahoo Group, in numerous Flickr Groups, at shows, and has submitted her work to Boingboing, and other high profile blogs..

She has 3 blogs of her own where she posts her etsy mini, and other information about pieces for sale, and has written celebrities such as Tyra Banks to give them the link to her online store.

Pippit has joined IndiPublic, MyBlogLog, and Stumbleupon, and adds as many friends as she can, and hands out her business cards at restaurants, everywhere she goes and where she runs into people.

This year, to prepare for the holiday buying season, she has developed an innovative new marketing plan called the 90 Features in 90 Days Challenge using reciprocative blogging to create an online media blitz. If you are an Etsy seller who would like to increase your sales learn more about it and sign up here; http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5251490&page=1

Stores/Galleries she has had her work in are:
Star Sapphire
Oz Gallery
Dragonfly Gallery
The Spruill Center Gallery
The Millennium Art Co-opAnna's WardrobeTopaz Gallery
Squash Blossom
The Work of Our Hands
Simpsonwood Gift Shop
Creative Spirit Gallery

She has participated in the following art shows:

The Sandy Springs Festival
Annual GA. Microenterprise Network Conference
For Sisters Only
The Spring Fling at Simpsonwood
Sweet Auburn Festival
Inman Park Festival
Arts In The Garden
Goodwill Christmas Bazaar
United Way Christmas Art Show
AutumnFest

Places her work is for sale:

Etsy
http://giftbearer.etsy.com/

SmashingDarling
http://www.smashingdarling.com/store/1882

Mindt (items available soon)
http://www.mintd.com/stores/show/148-Giftbearer

Some of her work will be available starting November 17th at:

VIX Emporium
5009 Baltimore Ave.
Philadelphia PA 19143
Phone: 215-471-7700

Her blogs are:

http://artlifenewsblog.blogspot.com/
http://giftbearer.zaadz.com/blog
http://blog.myspace.com/giftbearer

Flickr Profile and Photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/people/giftbearer/

The Art Jewelry Collective Street Team Blogs:

http://artjewelrycollective.blogspot.com/
http://artjewelrycollective.wordpress.com/

Meet Paricia, The SilverDragon

Patricia writes:

Well, I am a very talented person. I used to be shy about saying this, but as it is the truth, I am learning not to be shy about it. I was a professional ballerina when I was younger but all that starving to lose ever more weight made me ver ill and I finally had to stop dancing. That didn't stop me from continuing to be an artist, though, nor from persuing a dual degree in Math and Physics (and then a Master in Astrophysics) to assuage my innate curiosity.

As an artist I initially concentrated on two dimensional work - paintings, drawings, some photography - but I somehow found my way to delving into beadweaving. Textiles had and still have always been a fascination of mine. And when something fascinates me I want to get my hands into it.

Beadweaving is great because not only am I creating something that is three dimensional but can also be considered to be a textile (made of glass!) as well. But I will always love putting art on paper as well and am very proud of the illustrations I did for "Papa Cardinal Finds Breakfast" by Sandra Wellborn.

My favorite item is a piece that I sold a couple years ago called "Tao." it is a study of purples and violets and lavendars and AB crystal. I still have an image of it on my website despite the fact that the scan isn't as good as I'd like (and can now make). Its page is http://vener-art.com/Beads/necklace-crystal-tao.html.

I find inspiration everywhere, both internal and external. Sometimes it is the material itself that inspires me but inspiration can also come from a glint of color in the sky, an archeological image, a painting, a poem, even an equation. Sometimes just standing there minding my own business and snap! I am hit with an idea.I am still learning the ins and outs of the business aspect of being an artist who intends to make her living from her work.

I advertise first of all by handing out cards and bookmarks, (I print them at home more or less as needed), networking (I've started going to Women's Business Connection meetings), word of mouth, and by a pair of cooperative ads with other artists, (three ads in Ornament Magazine with several other Art Jewelry Collective Street Team members and a joint postcard issuance with other Etsy Beadweavers Street Team artists).

My advice is to find education where you can. For us as artists the creative aspect is much easier than the entrepenurial aspect. If you can afford help, get it. If you can't, work hard and pay attention. That's what I am doing but I know that if (better, when) I can afford it I will be getting a CPA to do my bookkeeping! Finally, write up a business plan and review it occasionally. I, myself, am a year late in doing that review!

I am on several websites. The main two are my own site http://vener-art.com/ and http://SilverDragon.etsy.com/ but I alo have a presence on Smashing Darling and Artchestra. (And there may be another but I haven't actually spent much (or even enough) time developing these.

See DestinysCreations For Fabulous Jewelry!

At http://www.destinyscreations.etsy.com/ you will find absolutely FABULOUS hand crafted jewelry.

She is my personal designer and I can't get enough of her.

Her design and artistic skill is second-to-NONE. I can't stress that enough! Find her here on Blogspot.com too, and say "Hello"!

Shop Announcement

CUSTOM PRODUCTS>>>> SAFE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

Ingredients: Mica, Zinc, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide.

No oil, talc, fragrance or bismuth oxychloride (which is kin to arsenic).

Because they are PURE minerals, bacteria cannot be supported. There is virtually NO ALLERGY RISK. No expiration date.

Due to the ZINC content, you can achieve up to 20% SPF (sun protection factor) It is highy resistant to water and sweat so you don't need to reapply often.

Surgeons and dermatologists worldwide have recommended it after chemical peels, laser resurfacing and to conceal acne, freckles, post-operative scars, rosacea, skin discoloration & veins. It does NOT clog your pores.

This is a mineral supplement for your skin. It is so safe you can sleep in it. As you would take a supplement for your body, you apply these PURE minerals outside your body & onto your skin.

We also carry airfresheners and skincare now. Aroma beads, creamy lotions, NEW glide-on lotion bars, edible massage oils, face and body scrub, smelly jelly and the list keeps growing!

ALL THE RAGE!!! Twist up lotion bars! Hands-free lotion application!!!

***Any sale over $10.00 gets a FREE Lip gloss***

See http://www.DestinysCreations.etsy.com for some AWESOME hand crafted jewelry! She is FABULOUS!!!

Did you know that you can apply mineral makeup as a creamy foundation?

You can! Sprinkle a small amount of minerals into the palm of your hand, add a dab of moisturizer, blend and apply with your fingertips or wedge sponge.

There are several ways you can use mineral makeup!

You can use mineral makeup as a foundation, eye shadow, custom lip color and even nail color!

For eyes: Use ANY color mineral and apply with a good quality bristle brush.

For Lips: Use any color that compliments your skin. Mix and match your colors if you wish. Take a lip balm and dip it into the minerals and apply it to your lips for your own custom lip color.

For nails: Mix the color of your choosing and mix well with your favorite clear top coat and apply!