I Have Given A Little Piece of Myself

"I love working with fabric and have recently began exploring the possiblities that previously loved clothing has to offer. I get excited about taking previously loved clothing and piecing it together to make something new". Enjoy a visit to Misti's lovely Etsy shop http://prairiewinddesigns.etsy.com/.

by prairiewinddesigns

My name is Misti and I live in Frenchtown, MT with my husband and two adorable kids, ages 6 and 3 and our golden retiever, Prairie. Growing up on a farm in Southwest Kansas, I learned the value of making something with my hands. My grandmother was the master of making something out of nothing - using whatever scraps she had to make needed items.

While I didn't take to sewing as a teenager, I found comfort in sitting at my machine those lonely nights while my husband was deployed. I learned to quilt while expecting our first child, and have been hooked on creating with fabric ever since!

I'm a stay at home mom and with that comes many sewing opportunities for little ones. I want to teach my children strong values and a good work ethic, so I started selling my wares at the local farmer's market where my son would make and sell pretzel sticks. He quickly learned how much work it was to make a dollar. Once winter hit and the farmer's markets were done for the season, I put my focus on my Etsy shop. I still involve my kids every chance I get. I bought a wall map and my son helps me mark the places where my items have been shipped. It serves as a great geography lesson for him and it serves as a reminder of my success and gives me inspiration to keep creating.

I have a variety of items in my shop, all things I have created with fabric. I have a range of items from purses and diaper bags to barnyard coloring wallets for the little ones. I have many ecofriendly and upcycled items from reusable sandwich and snack bags, reusable grocery bags and toddler dresses that I upcycle from previously loved men's shirts.

PWD Janome:

My Janome sewing machine. My husband bought this for me for Mother's Day soon after he returned from Iraq. It was quite an upgrade as I had learned to sew on (and still have and cherish) my great-grandmother's featherweight sewing machine. Many of you quilter's out there know this is machine is a quilter's dream. You will also notice my thread cabinet my hubby built for me. If you like it you can get the pattern from another Montana artist, Thomas Weightman at http://www.sewhappyquilts.com/.

PWD Fabric Stash:

My beloved fabric stash. I recently got the system to organize my closet. The drawers are perfect for storing fat quarters. I like to store my fabric by project in plastic tubs. A must have: Polar Notions. These are acid free reusable fabric storage sheets. They are a safe, space saving way to store your fabric. http://www.polarnotions.com/

I love creating something with my hands for someone else. I enjoying thinking about that person as I am creating each piece and when it is complete, I feel like I have given a piece of myself.

My Lovely Etsy Friends

I remember the very first time that I stumbled apon Etsy. I was entranced and spent the whole evening exploring all of the wonderful handmade items. It was love at first sight and one evening of many that I would spend in the magic of Etsy. I became an avid fan and loved the many unique Etsy finds that I could share as gifts for my family and friends. 

Little did I know that in time I would open my very own folk art and vintage jewelry Etsy shops and share a blog that features wonderful Etsy artisans and their creative spaces. Thank you for sharing your many heart warming stories and being a part of my creative journey. I enjoy the opportunity to share your stories with others and being a part of such a caring community.

There is also a little bit of a voyeur in us to want to have a peek into your wonderful creative spaces and creative mind!

 I am always looking for more Etsy shops to feature. Please contact me if you are interested!

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments!

How to Have "Me" Space

"I love to create, and have done so as long as I have been able to use my hands! I had taken a long break after having my second child, but after my 3rd who I had September of 09, I had a renewed sense of purpose... (okay okay, so I was bored out of my mind and I needed an outlet!) and so I discovered Etsy....wow, what an addiction!!! "

Enjoy a visit to this wonderful Etsian's shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZigZags123

by Zig Zag 123

My name is Laci and I live in Northern Idaho, with my husband and our 3 kids, who are 5, 3, and 6 months old. I have always been creatively minded, my mother saw to and nurtured that! I have always liked to crochet and sew, but it wasn't until I found Etsy this last November that I realized that I could make MONEY at it! When I had the chance I bought up a few boxes of yarn and have been going crazy with it ever since. I collaberated with my step-dad to help me build a sort of fold away sewing cubby, bookcase style so that I had a place to sew other than my kitchen table.. I currently live in a ONE bedroom trailer with 5 people, a cat that thinks he's a dog, and a ferret who likes to snuggle with my cat who thinks he's a dog :), so there isn't much room till we build our house in the next few years. It turned out FANTASTIC and now I find myself finding excuses just to be in it!

I love to work with really soft yarns, I hate scratchy sweaters and such. I always say that it's no fun to buy an awesome piece of bling that you don't want to wear cause it gives you the itchies! I have been having lots of fun with soft chunky yarn as well as cotton yarn making necklaces, but I hope to soon be making some clothing as well. I also use a LOT of clear tupperware to organize my fabrics and yarns, and although at the moment they are getting a little jumbled, I can still see what is in them and it is a BIG help!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
My only advice is that no matter your space limitations, you can ALWAYS figure out how to have a "me" space. It may be a corner, or a desktop or a box by your favorite chair, but it IS possible.. (and SO worth it!) TRUST ME :)

Sentimental Culture & Old Time Traditions

"My family has been actively involved in crafts and jewelries for over 50 years now and since a child all I remember is always creating something...clothes for my dolls, head pins, teen gloves...you name it...but my true passion remained jewelries....colorful and vibrant, just as my Old Europe."

Enjoy a visit to Didi's Etsy shop where you will be enchanted by her wonderfully beautiful, handmade jewelry http://www.etsy.com/shop/handarts.

by Handarts

My name is Didi and I'm coming from Eastern Europe, Bulgaria. Growing up there was so much fun because of our sentimental culture and old time traditions. My country is a little over 2000 years old and is a modern representation of the "old world" though still caring lots of rituals and traditional celebrations.

We are warm, curious and tough and we love music, vibrant colors and decorations. I believe my interest in arts comes from my background and especially my family. My grand father is a furniture designer and renovator, my grand mother is a professional tailor and she designs and sews most of our clothes. My mom is crazy about painting, decorating and altering vintage stuff. I was always exposed to creativity and somehow slowly found my love for Jewelry.

Started pretty early...maybe 7 years old I won a small "new talents" competition with a hammered rose pendant...and never stopped creating since then. I have passion for Silver and light colored crystals and stones. Designs appear in my head at any time and one of my biggest inspiration is Europe from the 1930's, the era of sterling silver and quartz cabochons. I have a small desk specially bought for my Jewelry Passion and though is hard to keep it in order sometimes, I love creating on it.

Currently live in beautiful Louisiana with my husband of 4 years and my 2 years old leopard gecko. My co workers love and buy my jewelry and they were the ones who told me about Etsy. I love it because it reminds me so much about Home...people are sweet and talented and as an artist it's great to meet so many friends with love for Handmade.

Two Best Friends

Enjoy a visit to the enchanting Yellow Elm Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/YellowElm . Yellow Elm is a craft studio specializing in handmade felt fashion, created by two equally enchanting Etsians ,Elizabeth and Melissa. Enjoy reading about their enduring friendship and creative endeavours.

by Yellow Elm
We are Elizabeth and Melissa, two best friends who met over chips at the 4th grade lunch table. Very conveniently, we fell in love with brothers...Melissa met the love of her life at Elizabeth's wedding, who just happened to be the grooms brother. We make creative accessories for the trend-setter. Our pieces are all hand-felted using wool from a small farm in Tennessee, and we emphasize the use of found objects and repurposed materials in our work. Yellow Elm headbands, brooches, hair pins, and clutches are the perfect statement pieces to add to any outfit. We create what we love, and so it's easy to be excited about our product and spread the word.

Our work space is a work-in-progress. In our heads, we work in a very chic studio with modern artwork on the walls, big windows, and comfy, bright patterned chairs to sit in while we stitch. We have big metal tubs for felting, beautiful vintage teapots to heat up our water for tea time and felt-making, and clean, organized supply shelves. Throw in a darling desk for bookkeeping, the latest Anthropologie catalog, and some Nora Jones. In reality, our coffee tables, closets, and bedrooms are bursting with supplies and inventory. Someday we'd love to have our own studio/boutique. But for now, we are happy letting Yellow Elm crowd up our lives.
 

Obsessed With Lumps & Bumps

Enjoy a visit to Fiberpuppy Designs http://www.etsy.com/shop/fiberpuppy/ ,

 a wonderful etsy shop where they specialize in unique handmade natural fiber items. Fiberpuppy Designs carry a number of different felted and non-felted wool accessories that would be sure to keep you warm on those cold winter days, or even spice up that special outfit.

Fiberpuppy is currently donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the black cat hat to Doctors without Borders to help the earthquake victims in Haiti.

by fiberpuppy

I seem to be obsessed with texture lately, lumps and bumps or smooth clean surfaces. Most of my pieces are created by first knitting then fulling (or creating felt) using hot water and agitation in the washing machine. One of the ways that I can create texture is by tying a small object into the knitted piece before it’s fulled. This method among others is known as shibori felting.

Because of my love of shibori, I seem to have turned into a pack rat collecting all kinds of small objects of various shapes and sizes. I use nuts, bottle caps even hair curlers. This combined with the fact that I usually have between 30-50 balls of yarn and finished products floating around has created a bit of a storage nightmare for my one room office/guest room/studio.

One of the solutions I’ve found is to use one of those back of a door clear shoe holders. I can see all the little bits and pieces I might use without digging. Then I can close the door et voila it’s gone.

My actual work space is made up of two tables. One for the sewing and one for needlefelting or drawing or whatever else I might need. I guess I should also count the garage as part of my workspace. We actually have 2 washing machines there; one for regular washing and one for felting. I do spend a bit of time in there as well.

It Feels Like More of A Hobby Than A Business

Pam loves to walk on beaches for hours in search of unique pieces! All the beach glass pieces she uses in her jewelry have been naturally tumbled in the lake for many years, made smooth by the water, sand and stones!
Pam enjoys making her jewelry and likes to think of it more of a hobby than a business, a business is too much like work! Enjoy a visit to her wonderful Etsy shop http://www.lakeeriecreations.etsy.com/.

by Lake Erie Creations
My name is Pam and I live in North East Ohio with my husband and son, who will be leaving in August to attend college. I have lived in North East Ohio my entire life. We have many accessible Lake Erie beaches in my area that I walk often. To hear the water meeting the shore is the most relaxing sound to me. I pick up pretty much every interesting thing on the beach including beach glass, shells, ceramic pieces and metal pieces. I am thrilled to find a cobalt blue, red or purple piece of beach glass to add to my collection as these colors are very rare to find.

About 3 years ago I merged my two passions: jewelry and beach glass into my business. It is very exciting to walk along the beach and find a unique piece. I immediately think of what I can make with it! I design necklaces, bracelets, earrings, wine glass charms, rings and wind chimes.

All my beach glass is the real thing! I pick it up off the beach, wash it with soap and water, sort it by color and either drill it or wire wrap it. I do not alter the pieces in other way; I let Mother Nature condition the beach glass for me. The rough water washes it against sand and stone to form it into its shape and gives it a very smooth finish.

Lake Erie Creations just seemed like the perfect business name for me. I love to create and Lake Erie helps me do that!

My studio is a bedroom in my house which I have many shelves, a large cabinet and table to work at. This room is the most organized room in my house! I usually have several projects I am working on at a time. It is nice to have this space dedicated to my craft so I can leave it for a few days and come back to work on it when I have time without it being disturbed. My beach glass is organized by color in glass jars; these are displayed throughout my house. My beads and findings are organized by color in clear containers. I have learned that being organized saves a lot of time.

Hope to see you at www.lakeeriecreations.etsy.com/

All Natural

by Ebelegy

The etsy shop Ebelegy http://www.ebelegy.etsy.com/ was started by a mom who wanted to heal her daughter's broken skin due to eczema. Most of the doctors she took her daughter to said that there wasn't a cure for it and they could prescribe an anti-itch cream and allergy medicine. Nothing ever worked. She spent most of their money on treatments with no outcome.

The creator of Ebelegy, Lynne Holloman, started using only the best ingredients that would help her daughter. She is honest in saying that the shampoo is not a cure, but an aid at soothing her daughters eczema. She stated that there are plenty of reasons why people get eczema and her daughters skin issues are not a result of Atopic eczema, a skin condition due to harsh soaps or detergents.

Their shampoo is made with Decyl Polyglucose as a co-surfactant. It's mild and 100% natural made from Coconut, Corn, and Palm Oils. Their main ingredient Soap Nuts which are again 100% natural made from the Sapindus Musko tree that has been used by Native Americans and Chinese Ayurvedic Medicine. It's list of benefits are long. Starting with soothing eczema, psoriasis, hair loss, excessive saliva, epilepsy, migraines, used to remove tarnish from silver, effective at treating lice, and removing freckles. After achieving the base for their shampoo, they added water, vegetable glycerin, jojoba, pro-vitamin b5, apple cider vinegar, xanthum gum, potassium sorbate and citric acid.

Ebelegy does not use parabens or sulfates and is perfect for vegans. Never tested on animals.We make shampoo with soapnuts and decyl polyglucose (a natural surfactant made from sugar and oils) It's perfect for those with eczema, psoriasis, or anyone needing a mild soap that doesn't dry out skin. It's natural, vegan, paraben free and sulfate free. Follow Ebelegy's Blog at http://www.ebelegy.com/ .

Create Something Every Day

Be sure to visit the lovely etsy shop Taylor House http://taylorhouse.etsy.com/

 Chaucee finds it "essential to create something every day". In addition to her crafting hobbies she loves to visit vintage shops on the outskirts of town and post her finds right in her shop!

Have fun!

by Taylor House

Hello there! My name is Chaucee.I run an etsy shop called http://taylorhouse.etsy.com/  Taylor House where I sell warm handmade knits (including headbands, cowls, scarves and hats) as well as showcase all the lovely vintage finds I come across. 

It's something that started out as a fun way to share my knitting projects with people, but turned into a passion full time. As for my workspace, my knitting takes place anywhere. This includes on the couch watching a good movie, or just anywhere I can find a seat and good conversation! I love to make cozy items that will last through quite a few seasons.

When it comes for a shop update you can find me, a white wall, and my tripod setting up for a little "mini session" photo shoot to be uploaded later that day. In my spare time I write for a blog titled The Searched and Found where we talk all about the lovely finds on etsy. You can also visit my personal blog Lah Mode where I post pictures from my day to day life as well as talk about shop updates,discounts and giveaways!

Follow my blog @ http://thesearched.blogspot.com/
Follow my twitter @ http://twitter.com/chaucee
Become a Fan on Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Taylor-House/247108804861?ref=ts

Let The Right Brain Do It's Thing

Take the time to enjoy a visit to the Spiffy Grape http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpiffyGrape a fabulous Etsy shop where you will find many handmade unique goodies.

by SpiffyGrape

I'm such a romantic; passionate about everything in my life, especially where my talents lie. I'm lucky to have tremendous creative support from my family, friends and my wonderful boyfriend! I believe life is much better when tied with a ribbon and topped with a bow, so I am sure to include these essentials in both the products and packages from my Etsy shop.

My shop has lots of variety, mostly because get too excited for new concepts I have and can't seem to stick to one for more than a few days.

 Currently I'm working on new jewelry designs, and also more reconstructed clothing for the spring and summer seasons. Soon I'll be adding more paper crafts, such as party-hat sets and handmade cards.

I have several work spaces: a jewelry desk, a sewing area and a general art table for everything else. I always make a mess, but always (eventually) tidy up. A cluttered space makes for a cluttered mind.

Advice for others is to be sure to make time for your creative and imaginative abilities. Doing so is a great way to wind down, have some alone time and let the right brain do it's thing!
Fan me on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/thespiffygrape/

My Button Passion

Enjoy a visit to Cloud Nine Creations etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/cloudninecreations where she has so many whimsical pieces to enjoy. I love the colours and the wonderful selection she offers. I'm going to her shop to have another little peek right now!

Cloud Nine Creations loves bringing her creations to life and sharing it with someone who'll enjoy wearing it as much as she enjoyed making it. Her absolute favorite creations are her stacked button rings. Enjoy!

by Cloud Nine Creations

I started my fascination with buttons long ago. I also love wearing rings, but until a few years ago, I never put two and two together. At first this was only a hobby for me, but friends and family soon took notice and my Etsy shop was born!

I love working with all different types of buttons; metal, wood, fabric, vintage or modern. Anything unique and out of the ordinary are best! I usually find my buttons in antique shops, online, or on Etsy. There are some awesome shops selling fabulous buttons!

My studio is currently my dining room table, but I’m working on creating a dedicated craft area in my bedroom. I think what has made my little business a success is that I’m doing something I truly love doing. I have a lot of passion for my buttons and the creations I make. It’s only an added bonus when someone wants to buy them!

 

Thanks for letting me share my button passion!