The Big Move

We're moving.  It's been 5 years in the same apartment (which is pretty unusual in the city of Chicago) and we decided it was time for a bigger place.  So we're leaving.

We're moving to the unit NEXT DOOR.

LOL - not a big leap, but it'll be nice to have some more space and AC! :)  We figured we'll just buy a case of PBR and have people come over to help us walk everything 5 feet away.

I will probably be laying low until after the move so I can focus on clearing up my life clutter, but I'll back soon.  Don't cry.

KnitPICKS: EmbellishJewelry

This week, I interviewed Ashley from Embellish Jewelry Design.  I was in awe of her innovative style and creative sense of fashion.  I made sure to include photos of her pieces that are *my* favorites in case anyone is looking to buy me a gift anytime soon. ;-)  Read on to learn all about what it takes to create these amazing pieces!

Name: Ashley Tigert
Age: (real or mental is fine) I’m 27
Location: Pocatello, Idaho
Shop: Embellish Jewelry Design 


First tell me a little bit about how you got started. When did you make the move to Etsy with your products?
I have been making jewelry since I was a kid. I would disassemble the stuff I had in my jewelry box and create something new with the pieces. My love for creating jewelry only grew when I decided to major in art in college and took my first metalsmithing class. From the moment I picked up the torch I was hooked, and knew that I wanted to design and create jewelry for the rest of my life!
I’ve been in love with etsy for a long time now, so once I graduated it was a natural progression to start selling my work on their site.

What inspires you most?
I find inspiration in so many places! Simply observing the world around me gives me so many ideas for my jewelry. I find a lot of inspiration in nature. Whether I’m walking on the beach, or hiking in the mountains, the beauty of the natural world continues to amaze and inspire me.I am also greatly influenced by fashion. I could watch runway shows all day, the clothes are like walking pieces of art! I have a very eclectic style and I love how you can change your clothes (and jewelry) to match your mood. What you wear on the outside can be such a strong reflection of what’s going on inside, which is so intriguing to me.


Share a funny and/or scary crafting story! (I tend to injure myself a lot when crafting so I welcome these types of stories!)
A metals studio can be a dangerous place if you’re not paying attention! I tend to get excited while soldering and have caught a few things on fire, including my own bangs!

What is your favorite item currently in your shop and why?
My favorite piece in my shop right now is my “Petals” necklace. It’s really fun to wear!


What is your “day job” if you are not a full-time seller? Do you ever take inspiration from your “day job”?
I work as a substitute teacher a couple of days a week. Children are so imaginative and creative, so they definitely inspire me. Eventually, I would like to start an after school program teaching art to kids.

If you could pick up a new craft, what would it be?
I would love to learn how to sew.


Tell me 3 interesting things about you.

~As a child I wanted to be an astronaut. I wanted to go to the moon…

~I am a total goofball once you get to know me. My boyfriend and I are always singing and dancing around the house, I’m sure our cats think we’re crazy! 

~I would love to play the guitar and sing in a band someday.

Favorites:
What is your favorite:
Thing to order at Starbucks? Soy Latte with a sprinkle of cinnamon
Song from the 90s? Oh, how do I choose? My first real love was Boyz II Men, so I’ll go with Motownphilly.
Toy you had as a child? My cabbage patch doll Libby

Making Your Way in the World Today...

...Takes everything you've got.

Well... I finally did it. There's no more talk of "someday". I finally enrolled in college to pursue my lifelong dream of working the world of medicine.

I'm only taking one class for the summer, but it's a three hour lecture/lab class Monday thru Thursday nights and in conjunction with my hefty work schedule, this should be interesting.

I should probably brush up on my anatomy and physiology before I start this! I should also get as much crafting done before I have NO TIME!! Haha!

Anyhow... I hope I don't die.

KnitPICKS: Birdhouseaccents

This week I've picked BirdhouseAccents to feature. This is one of the more unique shops I've seen on Etsy and I LOVE it! With so many interesting designs and bright colors, the birdies in Connecticut have it MADE! Read on to find out more about BirdhouseAccents!

Name: FredAge: 50+
Location: Canton, CT
Shop: Birdhouse Accents

First tell me a little bit about how you got started. When did you make the move to Etsy with your products?

We were told to check out etsy so in January 2008 we set up our etsy shop and added

 our first birdhouse to our shop. We did not see too many birdhouse shops at that time and decided to try it. It has turned out to be very rewarding. We were selected to be a featured seller in May 2008 and just found out we have been added to the Spring Equinox item poll on the Storque. There are 60 etsy artisans to choose from. Check it out and please vote for us. We have been very happy with our relationship with Etsy.

What inspires you most?
The beautiful song birds that frequent our area, and I really enjoy what I do.

Share a funny and/or scary crafting story! (I tend to injure myself a lot when crafting so I welcome these types of stories!)
I have a new respect for my table saw. I was precision cutting small pieces for my birdhouses and was not being as careful as I should have been. The next thing I knew, my finger was a little too close to the blade. I cut the tip of my finger and, am so thankful it was not worse.

What is your favorite item currently in your shop and why?
We still like the beach bungalow to this day. The idea came to us while we were vacationing in Maine many years ago. We will walk the beaches each year and pick up shells, sand, sand dollars, driftwood and anything else we think may work in desiging one of our beach bunaglows. We have had good luck selling them up there and just looking at one evokes a sense of summer and being back on the beach.


What is your “day job” if you are not a full-time seller? Do you ever take inspiration from your “day job”?
Full time birdhouse maker. I hope I am given the chance to do this for the rest of my life.


If you ARE a full-time Etsy seller, how did you make that transition? What took you to the level where you felt comfortable earning your living off your craft?
I enjoy making birdhouses and am passionate about it.. I consider myself very lucky. We sell our birdhouses at craft fairs and have wholesale accounts with a few garden centers/stores in our area as well. Having people be so appreciative of the time I spend making a birdhouse is very rewarding.


If you could pick up a new craft, what would it be?
I am happy with what I am doing, why look for something else.

Tell me 3 interesting things about you.
For the last ten years I have worn shorts no matter how cold the weather is, and believe me, it is very cold in New England.
I have been growing my hair long again and am turning into a hippy.
I enjoy listening to smooth jazz while working.


Favorites:

What is your favorite:
Animal? Song Birds
Cookie? Peanut Butter
Day of the Week? The weekend so, I can relax with a couple of beers.

Gina Marie's Body Bakery

Here I go again!!

I'm off on a new adventure, but this time I'm taking a back seat. I'm helping a good friend of mine start up a little side business of selling her handmade bath products! She started making these amazing sugar scrubs and after enough of us tried them, we convinced her to set up an Etsy shop.

I'm going to be helping her set up the shop and making some product (I've been experimenting with face masks!)

Everything she makes is basically out of stuff you can find in the kitchen and it all smells like you're making cookies. YUUUUM!

So... keep an eye out for Gina Marie's Body Bakery coming soon to Etsy!

KnitPICKS: PresentsforPirates

Ahoy, Matey!  This week I picked piratical paper queen, presentsforpirates!  This crafty swashbuckler has the sweetest line of handmade notecards you will ever sea! I mean...see!  Keep reading to learn more about this awesome chick!  YAR!

Name: Amanda McKay, though you will commonly find me referring to myself as "man"
Age: 26, same as my wii fit age!
Location: wheat ridge, colorado
Shop: presentsforpirates.etsy.com


First tell me a little bit about how you got started. When did youmake the move to Etsy with your products? 

i guess it was october of 2007, and i can't honestly remember the aha moment when i decided to make the move. i know i had heard about etsy through people's blogs, and it just seemed to fall into place.

What inspires you most?

 i would have to say advertising. i find color and pattern trends that i like and am inspired to make something 

using that as a basic idea.

Share a funny and/or scary crafting story! 

mostly my days are filled with paper cuts or burns from embossing stamps, but the best i have would probably be the moment right after i was using a handheld paper rotary cutter to 

cut paper on a cutting mat on something else on my lap. the second i finished i realized the blade was about two inches from carving my legs up, and i thought, "that was maybe not your best idea!"
What is your favorite item currently in your shop and why? 

probably my handmade recycled envelope/pirate ship treasure map note card set. i think handmade envelopes are totally fun and love themed sets!
What is your “day job” if you are not a full-time seller? Do you ever
take inspiration from your “day job”? 

my day job is that of a "loan coordinator" for a mortgage company. the title doesn't quite cover every hat i wear there. i don't generally take any inspiration from my day job; they are so night and day sometimes it's har

d to describe.
If you could pick up a new craft, what would it be? 

um, i would have to say probably screenprinting. i like the idea of expressing one's self with clothing.

Tell me 3 interesting things about you. 

A.) i played competitive softball for about 8 years. i was a pitcher and clean up hitter. 

2.) i once lost 100 pounds. 

D.) i am a colorado native and have never been skiing. and that's totally cool with me. 

Favorites:

What is your favorite:
Movie? amelie 

Plant? any one i can keep alive
Vacation Spot? buena vista, colorado

KnitPICKS: ablemabel

This week I picked multimedia artist, ablemabel.  I was really drawn to her super unique fabric covered lightswitch covers, but searching her shop, I discovered really great baby items and gorgeous jewelry!  This gal has many talents!  Continue reading to find out more about ablemabel!

Name: Leann
Age: (real or mental is fine) Living the good life at 29 ;)
Location: Western Colorado
Shop: able mabel

First tell me a little bit about how you got started. When did you
make the move to Etsy with your products?

My older sister and I were in charge of our Church Holiday Craft Sale in 2007. We went gangbusters and ended up with way too much product. We started looking around for a place to sell it. I heard about Etsy thru a scrapbooking site I was involved with at the time. It's been a great site for me! I love Etsy!

What inspires you most? 

There's nothing like seeing a fun piece of paper or fabric to get those creative juices flowing!
Share a funny and/or scary crafting story! I'll give you the edited version. Here is the link to the full version.

One morning, I had decided to leave all my housework and cleaning until after lunch when I got my kids down for their naps. My house was a disaster (no joke here!) and I was working on a new sign for my shop when the doorbell rang. It was some Medical Insurance salespeople. They asked if they could come and sit at my kitchen table and talk to me. I very timidly let them in and they wove their way thru the mess to the table. The lady did all the talking while the man just stared at the chaos around him. After I got them shooed out the door, I went back to finish my sign. Imagine my surprise when I saw that my almost two year old daughter had taken my brown pen and "improved" my sign for me. At that point, all I could do was laugh!

What is your favorite item currently in your shop and why?
I would say this sign.

I love the quote and I think it's very true "The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child."

What is your “day job” if you are not a full-time seller? Do you ever
take inspiration from your “day job”? 

A full time mom, does that count as a "day job"? Thankfully my kids all sleep thru the night, so most days, it's only a "day job". I do get quite a bit of inspiration from my kids. They say the funniest things and I have a houseful of models to 

use!

I don't think I'll be able to do Etsy full-time for a long time. My kids are small and raising them is my first priority. able mabel is sort of a "hobby that supports itself". I wouldn't mind growing it a bit more but I don't have the time to spend doing it 10 hours a day. All of my items are one-of-a-kinds so it's tough for me to produce a lot of product in a short amount of time. It's an awesome way for me to get a break from the rat race of everyday life.


Tell me 3 interesting things about you.

I am a "coffee snob". I only like to drink good coffee.
My mother is a dollmaker (www.sarahniemela.com) and I used to help her make the wigs for her dolls.
I come from a family of 14 (I was number 4) and love the fact that I grew up with so many siblings! It was the best thing ever!!

If you could pick up a new craft, what would it be?

Ceramics! I am so enthralled with all the pottery I find on Etsy. Sigh! Someday I'll learn that one.

Favorites:

What is your favorite:
Band? I don't have one.
Holiday? Christmas
Style of shoe? Wedge