The featured seller on Sell on Etsy this week is Aaron from the wonderfully unique and artistic MuseTypes. I love these works of wearable art with their elements of yesteryear, exotic whimsy and bohemian art.

Sherlock Etching on Clay

Crane Etched Brass Pendant

Hand Drawn Clay Scrimshaw Portrait

Bio & Introduction

My name is Aaron R. Friedman. Making jewelry is a new endeavor for me, as of last year. I come from many years of 2D painting, drawing and printmaking.
In fact I have a MFA in Printmaking from University of Oregon and taught printmaking for a while many years ago. You can see my other non-jewelry art at www.arf-art.com.

When I’m not drawing or making jewelry, I make a living designing and drawing 3D high tech tools and products on the computer.  I also enjoy gardening, cooking and playing with my two pet ferrets, Luigi and Sophia.

How long have you sold on Etsy?

I’ve been selling on Etsy only since mid March, but my wife has had a shop there almost three years. She’s the one who encouraged me to set up shop.

What does selling on Etsy mean for you?

I’ve been a non-selling artist all my life. I’ve never really put much energy into the selling thing. My art has always been a means of personal expression and a way to feel connected to life. Ultimately, I would like to supplement my retirement with selling my arts and crafts. But if that doesn’t happen, it’s OK. Right now, it’s an adventure to see what is possible, as far as sales go and where working in a more commercial field takes my art.

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

Prior to actually creating the Etchings on Clay, I schemed for many months on how to make them. I wanted to be able to put my images into jewelry in a way that was different from everyone else. I desired to have an art piece that embraced the fine art printmaking tradition of an ‘original hand pulled print’, but mounting a paper printed etching just didn’t feel like the right approach.

Printing the etching onto polymer clay provided me with a quality finished item that exhibited the details of the images, presented a tactile porcelain like surface, and made the etching an object with substance. There was much frustration with the process. It took several months of experimentation and modification to the traditional way of printing etchings, to come up with one that worked with the clay. In the end I was very pleased with the results.

Selection of imagery for the pieces was another challenge. Naturally, I wanted images that people would be interested in buying, but I needed to also hold unto my artistic integrity. The imagery had to be detailed, challenging and hold a certain esthetic sophistication about them. It’s also here that my wife had an influence on me. She’s passionate about vintage things, particularly Victorian era. So, I spent a lot of time on-line looking at and collecting vintage posters, sheet music and photographs. I did photoshop studies, cropping them and putting them in oval frames. In the end, I came up with twenty-five different images for the Etching on Clay line.

To do the Etchings on Clay, I start by drawing the image with a sewing needle into a soft acrylic covered copper plate. After etching the exposed lines with acid and then removing the acrylic, the master plate is used to create the multiple original prints. Every etched furrow in the plate becomes an inked line on the clay pendants. Next, the image is enhanced with some selective hand painting, and then it is protected with an acrylic sealer.

I also spent a lot of time playing with patinating the brass settings and chains. I tried a lot of different things, including using garlic and even sauerkraut! I’ve pretty much have settled on just using ammonia fumes right now.

Then on my third sale, the customer asked me if I would do pieces of her grandmother and great aunt. At first I didn’t think I could do a one-off at a reasonable rate, but then I got thinking and experimented. I bypassed the making of the master etched plate and worked directly onto a blank piece of baked polymer clay. I scratched the image into the clay and filled the lines with ink, basically a Clay Scrimshaw. I did a trial piece and could not believe the results. I sent a pic to the customer and she agreed to me doing grandmother and great aunt in Clay Scrimshaw. You can see the pieces in my sold area. Pretty soon I’ll be creating a post for custom scrimshaw pieces.

Since then, I have done thirteen quick sketch Clay Scrimshaw pieces and love everyone of them. For some reason they come out with a naïve and expressive quality that I’ve been trying to achieve in my art for years.

Finally, I developed my Etched Brass line of eight pendant necklaces. I spent many months on the images and the etching process. I wanted to have a lower cost product that didn’t have polymer clay in it, for those customers who weren’t comfortable wearing clay. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on these and even a few sales.

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

I love to create new images. In fact, doing all the leg work for the shop isn’t that much fun for me. When I’m sketching out a new idea, refining a drawing, or actually scratching the actual image into copper or clay, I’m in my groove. I also really enjoy the magic that happens when, after all the processing is done, the finished image comes to life on the clay or metal. I love it when I can sit back and say, “Wow”!

Where in the world do you call home?

I live in Portland, Oregon. I grew up in Michigan and have been here over twenty-five years.

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

Being a ‘newbie’ myself, I really don’t have any sales advice, but I will say this. Create from your heart, do your passion and live your highest creative potential.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy

This week, the featured seller on Sell on Etsy is Erica from DESiGNERiCA, a shop on Etsy which carries an absolutely fantastic range of modern jewelry designs, inspired by nature, the environment, food, comic books and explosions, amongst other wonderful things.

Steel Starburst Necklace

Aerialist Necklace

Triple Moonball Ring

Bio & Introduction

My name is Erica Schwartz.  I grew up in the suburbs of New York City, the daughter of two creative parents, one of whom worked in advertising.   In our family, art and creativity were valued as much as any academic achievement. I studied religion and psychology as an undergrad at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, which in a roundabout way led me to discover that I really wanted to be a designer.  After Dartmouth I went on to get a Master of Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.  Since my grad school days I have worked as a freelance product designer mostly on jewelry and watches, but I am also obsessed with furniture, mid-century design, and technology.  Almost everything I design for my own collection is developed on the computer and created using very modern technologies, though the finishing work is all done by hand.  I live in a small building in Brooklyn called project:REDEFINE where the other residents are also environmentally-aware creative-types.  We have bee hives on our roof and chickens and vegetables in our small urban back yard.  We feed off each others’ creativity and try to minimize our environmental footprint.

Six Quick Questions!

How long have you sold on Etsy?

I listed the first product about two months ago.  But it’s only been about a month since i got together some decent photos and decent range of products.

What does selling on Etsy mean for you?

In the end I would love to be able to live on the proceeds from my own designs, but in the meantime I sell as much as I can and do freelance design for others.

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

As much as I enjoy being a professional designer, it doesn’t always allow me to be as creative as I would like.  In the end, everything I design for someone else has to fulfill their desires, needs, and ideals.  The products begin with the inspiration of someone else or an idea that someone thinks will be profitable.

In the past couple years, I have researched and investigated new technologies which have allowed me to affordably produce custom and small runs of my own ideas designs.  At first I was just creating products because I had ideas and I found that I could have them made as one-offs or small runs using these fascinating technologies like 3d printing and laser-cutting.  I was mostly imagining these as prototypes for products that would be produced in another way because that’s how these technologies are mostly used.  Then I realized that I could actually produce and sell these products as created by the “prototyping” technologies (Nervous System was doing it, so why couldn’t I?).  And voila- I had suddenly had a way to produce the products that had heretofore been stuck in my mind or in my computer.  So I began playing around with more ideas and developing them for sale.  When I had a few products, I began learning how to photograph them. I recruited a friend to be my model.  As my skills developed I added to and developed my Etsy site for about a month.  I think I finally have it in a decent place, though I’m constantly updating and changing things.

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

I love what I do!  It’s extremely rewarding to see and touch something that started as an idea in someone’s head or a sketch on a paper and that I helped make real.  It’s even more rewarding when that idea or sketch was mine, and someone else likes it enough to wear it.

Where in the world do you call home?

Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY.  It’s the northernmost tip of the borough.  For New Yorkers, that means I live near McCarren Park.

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

Don’t be discouraged. It takes a while to figure it all out.  You might “waste” some time and money making mistakes, but in the end it’ll be worth it (I hope).  I laser-cut a whole bunch of stuff that I hated and for a while I was really discouraged.  Eventually I realized that the problem was solvable and stuck the bad stuff away in a drawer and placed a new order cut from a slightly different material.  In the end it worked out.  Also, pictures are key.  Not that I have a ton of experience to draw from, but it seems that super-closeups that clearly show just part of the product are best as the primary picture– the customer is lured by a little mystery and intrigue.  And model shots always help.

To see more of Erica’s fabulous designs, you can visit her Etsy Shop.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy

This week’s Featured Shop on Sell on Etsy is Mary from Mbartstudio, an Etsy shop which has a wonderful and diverse range of handmade Pottery. Not only are there some amazingly beautiful pottery designs, Mary utilizes an abundance of proverbs and quotes to create both artfully made, thought provoking works.

Ceramic Clock

Ceramic Plaque

Ceramic Dish

Bio & Introduction

I’m an artist residing with my family in Reno, Nevada.  I discovered this creative path in 2004, when I was a stay-at-home mom dabbling with watercolors and needle felting…all due to my son attending a waldorf preschool.  Next thing I knew I was creating with clay and my mother-in-law gave me her kiln.  I was hooked and opened up my world to the beauty of art after having worked in the corporate world for more than 15 years.  I now create my own unique pottery, hold fine art classes for little people to work their magic, and also capture impressions of little ones hands and feet in clay.

Each ceramic piece that I create is one-of-a-kind and hand built in my studio with earthenware or stoneware clay.  My work is influenced by my love of simplicity and the beauty and power of the written word.  I keep my eyes wide open all the time for inspiration!

Six Quick Questions!

How long have you sold on Etsy?

Since January 2010 as “mb art studios”.  I previously had a shop under “little pumpkin potter” for a few years that only had a handful of listings.  The style of my ceramic wares has changed quite a bit in a short period of time.  In so many words…it grew up and a business name change was needed.

What does selling on Etsy mean for you?

It opens up so many possibilities as to where my ceramic wares will call home.  My first sale in Europe was so exciting!

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

In 2004, my mother-in-law gave me a kiln.  I started playing around with clay making magnets and the next thing I knew I was hooked to creating with clay.  I’m completely self taught.  I tried taking a class at our local art museum and ended up dropping out due to boredom…

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

Working with clay is very therapeutic.  It is very process oriented and doesn’t bring instant gratification like a painting.  I’m not the most patient person and I think working with clay forces me to work on that.

Where in the world do you call home?

Reno, Nevada.  Lake Tahoe is our backyard playground.

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

Good photographs make a world of difference.  Using natural light and photo editing software to pretty up your photos have made a big difference for me.  Also, adding at least 4 photos to each listing is important and allows a viewer to get a better feel for what you are offering.

To see more of Mary’s Ceramic Art visit her Etsy Shop.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy

The Featured Seller on Sell On Etsy this week is Angelina from CasaCocoLoco, a creative collective of three sisters who own a wonderful Etsy shop which carries a beautiful and diverse line of Handmade crochet wear, jewelry and children’s clothing.

Crochet beret

Double strand Swarovski pearl and crystal necklace

Bolero Blue Crochet Jacket

Bio & Introduction

I’m Angelina and I am one part of CasaCocoLoco. We are three sisters, Francesca, Lina and myself, who design handmade crochet wear, jewelry and children’s clothing. We’ve come together to explore how we can use social media to promote not just our products, but an ethos around handmade design
which celebrates skill and DIY expertise.
We all live in different states in Australia so we can’t actually catch up as often as we would like. Social media gives us an opportunity to share our practice between ourselves and with others who might be interested.
Francesca and Lina had developed CocoLoco a few years ago for the children’s clothing they had been designing and making, and following on from that we set up CasaCocoLoco to explore the idea of networking with others in the handmade community.

I’m a designer and an academic. I’ve been with universities for the past 15 years. My research focuses on cultural communication. For the past 5 years I’ve worked closely with major Australian and international museums to explore the impact of social media on learning and communication. Throughout this time, my research has been steadily moving towards the rise of crowdsourcing and the value that it brings to design.
Strangely enough, it was while my son was finishing his final year at high school that I came
back to crochet – and I haven’t been able to put it down since!!

Six Quick Questions!

How long have you sold on Etsy?

We opened our store in January 2010.

What does selling on Etsy mean for you?

It’s a technical challenge for me. I know (and my beautiful sister-in-law Tiffany keeps reminding me) that I’ll never be able to crochet enough to make a living from it, so it’s about creating a brand that is both active and proactive in the handmade design space. That’s easy for me because I think Etsy is one of the best examples of how crowdsourcing can be used to promote designer expertise. SO much so that I wrote an article on it which you can read here if you’re interested.

For us as a team, if CasaCocoLoco could be successful as an Etsy store, then it could (and already does a wee bit) offer some form of supplementary income. Could it be a full time job? Sure! Could it pay as well as our current jobs? Not likely, and certainly not on its own. It would need to be part of a larger strategy which includes building a network, getting to know others, offering educational tools and being proactive in the handmade design space.

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

If you ask my sisters,Francesca and LIna, they’ll tell you about my obsessive start to crochet. As far as family legend goes, the first piece was a chain that stretched through the house and back again!!

We were very lucky. We grew up completely surrounded by skilled, creative people. Our mom, a qualified patternmaker, had developed her skills in Italy and was absolutely devoted to creativity – as she still is. Our dad is a carpenter who was always making things at home even though he had so much to
do at work! Between them, it seemed that there wasn’t anything that you couldn’t learn to make yourself. And that was the ethos that we carried with us.
When we got a bit older, mom ordered pattern making books from Italy for us so that we could learn to make patterns properly – and we did. Back then, young girls didn’t spend so much time out and about, so we spent our time at home, knitting, crocheting, needlework, patternmaking, dressmaking – and although we would have preferred to be out on the town, we became really good at it. Funnily enough though, none of us actually pursued it as a professional option. While we continued to make for ourselves, and later on, for our kids, it was only recently that we came to realise that there might be a market out there for well designed and extremely well constructed handmade design.

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

Pattern,texture, colour. I think it’s an Italian thing. As a designer you spend of your time in black!! When I crochet, I explore the wonder of pattern and texture, choosing coloured yarn, natural yarns that delight my senses first of all – and hopefully others too!!
I’m passionate about engagement too. I really believe in the potential for social media to cut through the barriers to participation. It’s what I do in my day job and it’s been a real delight to bring the two together.

Where in the world do you call home?

I live in Melbourne, Australia now. It’s been 2 years and I really like it.
It’s the first place I’ve lived in where I do actually feel at home. When you move around alot you end up having a home in lots of different places.
My son who told me that he thinks of home as being where people he loves and who loves him are (pretty insightful for a 17yr old guy!). So I’m sticking with that one!

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

It sounds really pragmatic but I’d say, learn your Search Engine Optimisation!!! I see so many beautiful products that you’d never be able to find again if you went looking. Tagging and descriptions are so important!!
We’re only a young shop but we’re putting alot of time and effort into learning about how to sell on Etsy. Let’s hope that it pays off!!

To see more of CasaCocoLoco’s wonderful designs you can visit their Etsy Shop!

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy

The Featured Seller on Sell On Etsy this week is Zulayra from the wonderfully creative zMacPhotography, an Etsy shop full of fantastically vivid, often dreamlike Fine Art Photography!

Monarch Flight

That Was Delicious

The Garden's Secret

Bio & Introduction

My name is Zulayra McKim and I am married to the most wonderful man in the world. He is currently serving our country for the third time in Iraq. For as long as I can remember, I was always the one making sure to take the pictures and having people pose for the camera. I always knew I wanted to do something dealing with art I just didn’t expect it to be through photography. I definitely do enjoy capturing life through my camera. I see things in a different way and try to depict that through my work.

Six Quick Questions!

How long have you sold on Etsy?

I stumbled across Etsy in February of 2009 as I was doing quite a bit of research on how to start selling my art.

What does selling on Etsy mean for you?

Although I have high hopes for my work to turn into a full-time business, right now its just for supplementary income until I’m discovered and become a DIVA!

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

I have an AS in Computer Animation from the International Academy of Design and Technology. After being out of school for a few years realizing that Computer Animation is something I really dont want to do, I decided to take up Digital Photography. From then on, I have been working on my photography. I absolutely love it.

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

I love that I can find even the simplest of things in life and turn it into a work of art through my lens. This gives people a different perspective and perhaps open up their creative eye.

Where in the world do you call home?

My home is my family – wherever they may be.
Being part of the military life it quite often changes. Right now…its Florida…then its Kansas…then Indiana…and then – catch my drift.

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

I often do get discouraged – but it’s all a matter of marketing, socializing, networking and PATIENCE. I’m the type of person that really needs instant gratification; however, in this type of business you really need to take your time and put forth the effort. Success will then follow.

To see more of Zulayra wonderful photography head over to her Etsy shop!

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy

This week the Featured Seller on Sell on Etsy is Jill Maguire from Big Bean Photos – a fantastic Etsy Shop which showcases some absolutely gorgeous photography! I love Jill’s eye for color, at times making everyday objects such as vegetables and rain into beautiful, abstract imagery!

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

Traffic Lights

Spring Fever

Bio & Introduction

I make my living as a technical writer but I’m an artist at heart. Until a month ago I lived vicariously through other artists by making yearly pilgrimages to local art fairs and by shopping on Etsy. My whole house is decorated in the work of others–I have very little room left for my own photography! Can’t complain though. I just wish it hadn’t taken me 38 years to find a craft that I’m good at.

Six Quick Questions!

How long have you sold on Etsy?

Since mid-January 2010, less than a month ago. But I’ve been a buyer since September 2008.

What does selling on Etsy mean for you?

What I wouldn’t give to make a living on Etsy! How fulfilling that must be. But alas, I am a hobbyist until I win the lottery or retire. In the meantime I have a great day job that allows me to spend most evenings and weekends pursuing photography and my Etsy obsession (I mean hobby!)

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

I purchased a DSLR to take pictures of my adorable golden retriever Brady, whose big head inspired my shop name “Big Bean Photography.” Of course a picture is only as good as the photographer behind the camera, so I started taking photography classes at a local community college. I put my camera skills to work following Brady around the house to document all his goofy antics (you can visit him at www.flickr.com/bigbeanphotos). Most of the work you see in my Etsy shop comes from photography classes and vacations, with a few shots of the Big Bean himself sprinkled in.

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

I love the fact that I’m creating art that inspires other people and brings such positive emotions.

Where in the world do you call home?

Redmond, Washington, home of Microsoft and Nintendo.

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

It’s interesting making the transition from buyer to seller, because as a buyer I was never lured to Etsy based on the marketing advice we hear as sellers. Was I atypical? I have no idea. I just know that the 84 purchases I made as a buyer were based on Etsy searches and front-page finds. Good keywording and eye-catching pictures were key to luring me in, and of course you’ll never make it to the front page without these. That’s my goal–getting to the front page. Then maybe I can retire on my Etsy earnings

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy

The Featured Seller on Sell on Etsy this week is Randy from rrobertsphoto.
Randy’s photography is absolutely amazing! I think he has an astonishing gift for capturing wonderfully dramatic vistas and compelling and captivating snapshots of time and nature!

Bio & Introduction

I was born and raised in central North Dakota, growing up in a town of about 1000 people. My wife and I have known each other since we were six. I am a product of cold winters, long summer days, beautiful fall weather, and the constant prairie breeze. Endless rolling hills with not a tree in sight is pretty much what I figure heaven looks like. I’m sure the Missouri River flows through heaven too.
I was a musician for a period of time, but then wandered into science, eventually getting a masters degree in hydrology (groundwater stuff!). This takes me to various places around the globe where I get to meet wonderful people, experience different cultures (and food!), and teach them a little of what I do. Water is a precious commodity around the world. Photography is a wonderful way to pass some time when I’m “stranded” half way around the globe.
My family and I came to New Mexico in 1987 so that I could attend grad school, and we’ve never managed to escape. To my children and my granddaughter, New Mexico is home. My wife and I still try to return to North Dakota each summer to get the feeling of being home. We embrace the best of both states, so our holiday menus are likely to include both lefse and carne adovada.

Six Quick Questions!

How long have you sold on Etsy?

I started my Etsy shop about two months ago – this is all very new!

What does selling on Etsy mean for you?

I have been passively selling my photos for about nine years. Etsy is an attempt to be a bit more pro-active in the selling process. I guess I’d call Etsy a serious hobby that I would love to transition into a full time job. No harm in being hopeful.

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

I have dabbled in photography for as long as I can remember, but with the coming of digital photography, I was finally able to have the control of the process that I had always wanted. After I capture a scene, I can crop, adjust, and refine until I have the image that I want. Yes, folks, I’m a habitual tweaker! I will work on the subtleties of an image for hours to get everything just so.

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

Photography is like an endless treasure hunt. It’s a challenge. Getting everything to come together, the light, the subject matter, the framing, and being there at the right time to capture it will always be exciting. The fact that it’s elusive makes it all the more exciting. The next most wonderful photo in the world is always just around the corner and a minute away. I’m constantly amazed at what people don’t see right under their noses as they walk through life. I see so many scenes to photograph, I can hardly stay on the road, and my wife will attest to this!

Where in the world do you call home?

I currently reside in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Kids and granddaughter are here, and the desert is an amazing place, but part of me will always call North Dakota home.

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

I’m not sure how many tips a person can have after two months, but here goes. I’ve been selling photos for years – in person, face to face. Selling on the internet is a completely different game with different rules. I am indebted to Derrick for compiling these rules in the wonderfully concise books that I obtained from him. I suggest that everyone who wants to give this a go do the same. Selling on Etsy is work, but it’s exciting! As with anything you’re passionate about, stick with it, give it time, learn along the way, a most importantly, enjoy the ride!

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy

The Featured Seller on Sell on Etsy this week is Suzanne from Dazzlemedesign.
Suzanne has a fantastic Art Shop on Etsy with original, quirky and wonderfully witty designs!

My Own Form of Meditation

Coffee Coffee Coffee Warmth Yummy Drink Holidays

Crazy Socks

Bio & Introduction

My name is Suzanne Millius. I am a full time Graphic Designer and Artist.
I am also a mother of a wonderful 16 year old son who is gifted in math, science – and snowboarding and an 8 year old shih-poo! – I am also married to a wonderful musician and poet.
I have been drawing since a small child, my mother said I was drawing pictures before I was talking…I have loved drawing and painting since I can remember, I just could never get enough of it, I am a self taught artist- but fined tuned this in college…I went to clarke college in Dubuque and studied fine art, painting with oils – and my theses was self portraits.
I love ALL forms of art, anything creative I have a hard time ‘limiting myself’- (I always laugh looking back because in high school I couldn’t decide between fashion design, working with dolphins or painting’ ha ha ha)-

I really enjoy soaking in the world around me – I love painting, drawing, writing – when I am not creating art at home- I am the graphic design coordinator at a local publishing firm.

My hobbies are (besides creating art) running, playing chess, watching movies, laughing, road trips – and spending time with my family. I am a huge lover of animals and fashion which show in my work – dogs and killer shoes/boots always have a way of sneaking themselves into my work. I also
love coffee, espresso, beer, and wine (I consider these serious hobbies!!) – I am also greatly inspired by music, I was classically trained on the piano for about 9 years, music at my house was hugely important. My mother’s side are made up of all fine artists (painters/etc.) – and my dad’s side are musicians (piano players, guitar, banjo) so I have this great eclectic love of lots of different music combined with appreciation for all art forms. I love the fact that music and art were a central thread growing up……I think sadly this gets missed in many homes today…..

I also sell work locally – in shops and work on commissions when possible….

Six Quick Questions

How long have you sold on Etsy?

I have sold on Etsy for only a couple months (I’m a newbie!), since about September but really more around October/November 2009

What does selling on Etsy mean for you?

It’s a hobby, but would LOVE one day, to have it be more of a supplementary income. It would be amazing if I could really focus my days on creating art. as its time consuming – and as someone once said ‘life gets in the way’ my Etsy time is late, about 10 pm until 1 most nights…..so it would be super cool to have this be my main gig…..but until then I really enjoy just having this as an outlet.

I get a great deal of satisfaction when someone hearts my shop or item, you’d think I made a sale! And making a sale is great too!! And I don’t mean that in a materialistic way AT ALL.
Don’t’ get me wrong, making a little money on something you poured your heart and soul into, is wonderful…..but I love wondering who bought it, where it’s going and what frame will they choose? Will it go in an office, dorm or home?
What room will they choose, if it remains on the wall 2 years from now, what will people think when they look at it?
I hope at the end of the day something I create makes them smile or somehow somebody connects with my art – connects with my outlet, it’s all about how I see the world – and I just love wondering where my little pieces of my soul end up.

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

I start with a concept, usually something pops into my head, an image a thought/or words……and go from there. I work up many, many rough sketches before the ‘final’ drawing, then I use pen and ink for the illustration- and scan them in – I then enhance colors digitally, I studied still life’s and portraits for many years – specifically with oil paint, my thesis in college focused on self portraits – each painting I would spend countless hours over laying colors – working up brush strokes/et.

I feel my work has evolved more into a stylistic approach (i.e. my coffee print is a stylized coffee cup/or the guitar is a good example of this) – using abstract shapes to fill in space or create shadows. I sometimes use various words in my work as a way of sending a message/or feeling.  I also love humor and general sarcasm, which comes through in my ‘diva chicas’ (as I call them)….my diva prints/cards are sorta like my ‘alter ego’ – which also showcase my love for fashion, humor and of course dogs/animals.

I also really enjoy color – I would say the two things that are common threads in all my work is strong use of color and repetition – I am obsessed with taking a word or a shape and using repetition to enhance its form/thought – my poetry is over the course of many weeks or sometimes months…….a line here, a line there……until I have reworked it and rewritten it over and over – until I feel it’s done’
and it can’t be ‘worked’ anymore……..I have a hard time ‘stopping’ with my work and always have.
I think that is what took me so long to sell work – even locally…..I never feel its 100 percent done, I get to where I am satisfied or it feels complete, but I swear all my pieces could be reworked over an eternity – I then have them printed professionally at a local manufacturer who does wonderful work, they are printed on high quality acid free paper and shipped with extreme love/care!

I add to my site ALL the time, and will have lots of fun things for valentines, some other super cool stuff, then I don’t want to mention quite yet – also I’d like to add some original paintings down the road as well……it’s hard for me to just have one thing on my shop, as I think my work encompasses a lot of styles/expressions…sort of like the different facets of my personality…so long story short, there will be lots more to come…….

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

I think just the whole process of expressing an idea or though – and working the piece from ‘concept stage’ all the way through – until it feels mostly ‘complete’. I think it’s not always about the whole piece, but the little ‘parts’ of a painting’ or drawing can speak volumes…..or a line in my poetry can be as powerful as an entire painting. I think when you start breaking down any piece you see these wonderful building blocks of artistic expression. again, the passion is in expressing myself – to create something – but also there is passion in the idea someone else gazing upon it, and how they interpret the piece – or how they ultimately connect with it…….I gain the most satisfaction in someone else enjoying it…..and of course..I am passionate about the world around me, my relationships with friends, my strong love for my family – my doggie…..everything really – passion runs through my veins – as emotions are fuel for my craft!

Where in the world do you call home?

Dubuque, Iowa. It’s a beautiful, super hilly Midwestern city – that is situated on the Mississippi river. (About 3 1/2 hours west of Chicago) long snowy winters…. 

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

Well I am so new, so I probably don’t’ have a ton of advice quite yet, but just to stay positive. I met SO many wonderful Etsians so far, everyone is so nice – !
But my mentor on this site, who will remain nameless, told me once – stay positive, enjoy it, keep it as a hobby – don’t let it control you (i.e. obsessively checking your sales or lack thereof).
It is hard work, but keep it FUN!  Really take those words seriously it should always be a positive experience- period! once it becomes ‘tedious’ or too much work – the passion dies away- and art/crafting/writing/music/ – whatever it might be – must ALWAYS be connected to passion – I think the other thing is take your time, do your research – it’s your shop/your rules – and also be approachable – keep working on quality work and adding diversity to your shop – I think people like to see different forms your art can take…
And patience of course and the sales will come.
It’s a large wonderful Etsy world, lots of great talent!
I wish I would have discovered this amazing world sooner………

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy

The Featured Seller on Sell on Etsy this week is Jo from Teachergurrl who has a wonderful Etsy Shop which sells orginal artwork on paper, glass, wood, canvas and painted rocks!

Sunset Swirls Giant Watercolor

Swirly Night Tree Original 12x16 acrylic painting

Blue Swirls in Acrylic Large Original Painting

Bio & Introduction

My name is Jo Claire Hall, and I’m a high school English teacher, currently in my 17th year in the classroom.  The juniors and seniors keep me young and hip (ha!), and there’s never a dull moment.  I also teach online as part of the Texas Virtual School and the Texas Virtual School Network.  My online persona is “teachergurrl.”

I’m a cat lover, a book and movie buff, and I’m definitely a product of the 1970′s–I love everything tie-dye, flowery, retro, and mid-century modern; acrylic furniture, smiley faces, Snoopy, orange/brown/mustard/avocado, lava lamps, and shag rugs totally make me smile!  My favorite place (after Texas) is Alaska; my eyes are green; my politics are liberal; and my favorite food is the very groovy artichoke!

Six Quick Questions!

How long have you sold on Etsy?

Since October 2007.

What does selling on Etsy mean for you?

Since I teach full-time, my Etsy sales are supplemental income.  I don’t envision ever being able to quit my day job, but having more time to devote to my painting and crafts would be wonderful.  Luckily we teachers have long summers!

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

Although I’ve never taken a formal art class, I’ve always been interested in design.  As a little kid, I was either reading or sprawled in the middle of the living room coloring and drawing.  In school, as a member of the yearbook staff, I learned the basics of good layouts; as a journalism major, I again learned about page design and how the human eye “reads” advertising.  Then, adulthood set in and my creative side fell by the wayside.  A few years ago, though, I really wanted to participate in a local craft fair, so I retaught myself to do macrame (having originally learned at church camp to make one of those groovy 1970s macrame owls that everyone had!), and I set up my booth.  I enticed my high school students to help me man it by offering extra credit.  We had a great time, but I didn’t even make enough to cover my booth expense.

The next year, I had started placing some of my designs on Cafepress items–my biggest sellers being items for Seniors, such as “Class of 2006″ and “Seniors 2006.”  This time around, my booth consisted of some handouts and my computer–showing the items to people who stopped by.  I also again enlisted students to “model” some of the sweatshirts and tees they had ordered.  A good time was had by all, but again, not much money was made.

The following year, I was bound and determined that I was going to come up with something that would make some money!  Of course, not having much money limited my choices, so I thought, “What could I sell that wouldn’t be that expensive to make?”  Suddenly it hit me!  Pet rocks!  These were such a hit during my youth, and there’s an abundance of rocks in the world, so why not give it a try?  I went to a local landscaping business, picked out a ton of cool peach and turquoise colored river-rock style rocks, bought myself a dozen acrylic paint pens and went to town!  After painting for about 6 weeks, I again set up my booth at the local Christmas craft fair, and what do you know?  I made over $300!  Selling rocks!!  I was ecstatic!

One thing kept echoing through my head though, and that was all of the compliments people had given me as they looked over the rocks.  “You painted these?  Wow–you’re good!  You can draw!”  Et cetera…  I decided, well, maybe I can!

I think I ran across Etsy as I was doing a search for rock art or something to that effect.  Once I had found my way into one shop’s goodies, I was flabbergasted to discover the extent of work that Etsy covers!  I would spend hours scrolling through page after page of awesome crafts and artwork!  I was so jealous!  I wanted to do this, too!

Finally I took the plunge.  I drew up some little ACEO’s and small drawings and listed them, and it wasn’t long before I had my first sale!  After that, I was hooked, both on selling AND creating.  My product line has expanded to include just about anything that I can paint on: tote bags, canvas, rocks, jewelry, boxes, cards, etc…  The sky is the limit!

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

The explosion of my artwork came during a time in my life when I’d suffered my first major injury–a torn MCL in my left knee.  It wasn’t “bad enough” for surgery, but it was bad enough that I had to basically sit with my leg in a straight brace and hobble around on crutches for about 4 months.  At 43, never having given birth, never having had surgery of any kind, never having had any broken bones, hobbling and sitting and being dependent on others was the pits!  Fears and worries that I’d never recognized bubbled to the surface, anxiety and depression set in, and it was basically a very dismal time.  To me, having the luxury and the time and the freedom to shut out the world for a period of time and C-R-E-A-T-E was a blessing in disguise.  I’ve since emerged whole and strong on the other side of that dark chasm, and I attribute a lot of it to having my artwork in my life.  It’s my therapy and my relaxation–I cherish it!

Where in the world do you call home?

I’m a native Texan, born in Austin.  I returned there for college (Hook ‘em Horns!), and currently live and teach in the Houston area.

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

I would tell other artists not to get discouraged–to stick with it–to have confidence in the art you create–and to do it because you love it, not because you have to put food on the table (although that would be nice, too!)…

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy

The Featured Seller on Sell on Etsy this week is Walter from DoubleyouEm, a fantastic Art Shop on Etsy with a variety of organic and environmental artwork formed by Mother Nature and sculptured by Walter!

Yellow Elm Leaf Meander

Icehenge

Scarlet Oak Zigzag

Bio & Introduction

East Sussex, England is where I was born, and where I spent the first 9 years of my life.
After that my family moved to Connecticut for just over three years, then back to England for a year, and finally to Pennsylvania, which is where I went to high school, and where my parents still live.
After high school I moved back to England, and later to Berlin, Germany which is where I can still be found.

Because I had moved about so much, I wasn’t really bound anywhere, and I never felt homesick until about two years ago, when I watched the film ‘A Room with a view’ for the first time.  It’s a great film, and I really enjoyed it, and what I saw of England reminded me of all I was missing, so I spent three weeks in England the following summer, and more or less got over it…

In England and in America I lived in the country.
Back then, if anybody would have told me I would spend ten years in Berlin, I would have laughed with disbelief, but now Berlin really feels like home in a most positive way, although I still miss maple sapping and ice skating in Connecticut, tickling trout in PA, and everything in England, I feel at home in Berlin.

Six Quick Questions!

How long have you sold on Etsy?

Almost exactly three years.

What does selling on Etsy mean for you? (IE – Hobby, Full Time Job,
Supplementary income)

Supplementary income, with the hope that it could change.

Tell us all about your Crafts & how you came to make them!

I started creating land art while living on a peninsula in the middle of Berlin about five years ago.  It was a very spontaneous beginning, and completely different from what I had been doing up until then (I had been painting).
The water that surrounded me on all three sides had an enormous influence on me, although I wasn’t aware of it at the time.  Basically everything I created was directly influenced by it, and when I realized that I started to exploit certain properties of water.  I created ‘dandelion explosion’.  That was very exciting.  I learnt a lot.

That’s what I like most about land art; even if it doesn’t turn out how I planned, I learn something new.

What is it about your Craft that you’re more passionate about?

Spontaneity and transience.  Creating something that is so fragile that it can only last half an hour changes the normal attitude that most artists have about art.  Creating something that isn’t supposed to last is basically the opposite of trying to create something which people can still admire in 2000 years, and this approach changed the whole way I looked at art

Where in the world do you call home?

Berlin

Do you have any tips for Crafters who sell on Etsy?

This probably sounds really strange, but I would say that sellers shouldn’t pay so much attention to sales.
I’m not advocating a high brow ‘it can’t be good if its popular’ kind of attitude, but I don’t think it’s right to cater to what you think will sell.  That is not what crafting is about.

Technorati Tags: Etsy, Etsy Know How, Sell on Etsy