Joyfully Sewn Designs

Enjoy a visit to Joyfully Sewn Designs delightful Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/JoyfullySewnDesigns

where you will find lovingly handmade feminine dresses, jumpers, tops, skirts and more.

by Joyfully Sewn Designs

My name is Sarah and I live in SW Missouri with my parents and younger sister. I just recently opened my Etsy shop, but I've had a steady stream of local (and some long distance) customers for the past 10 years. My grandma taught me to sew and passed on her love of sewing to me. She was (and still is) always sewing things for other people and now I too have the joy of serving others through my sewing.

Most of my day is spent working on my sewing projects, but I also love to read, cook, and bake. I also enjoy spending time with my family.

Each of the items I make for my shop is individually cut out and lovingly sewn. I love to cut out a bunch of items all at once and then be able to sew them all. It's so fun to see them go from an idea in my mind to pieces of fabric in a pile, to a cute little jumper, dress, or skirt! :) I love what I do and I love to share it with others.

Express Your Individual Style & Personality

Express your individual style and personality with a unique purse that makes a statement! These bold themed designs make perfect one-of-a-kind gifts.

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Make sure to stop by at Fiorella http://www.etsy.com/shop/fiorelladesigns a great etsy shop, where each purse is detailed with special touches making it a little piece of art. NO TWO are alike! Each design is handmade from a recycled cigar box, and has a character all it's own. These cigar box purses are fun and funky accessories that will WOW you!!
There's even NEW gift ideas for men...my wine-themed cigar boxes are welcome additions to a bar or desk, and go well with a bottle of wine as a special gift.

by Fiorella Designs
Hello! I am Holly Sanford, the owner/designer of Fiorella Designs. I create one-of-a-kind purses made from cigar boxes. Every purse I design is so personal to me, and is very hard for me to part with! I focus on themes that will allow women to express themselves. My favorite purses have a wine-tasting theme, where I incorporate materials like cork, distressed papers, and wine labels.

I am fortunate to have a great workspace in my home where I can just leave everything out as I work on a project. My paper cutter is my most valuable tool, and my huge collection of papers are my main materials. For any given purse, I may be cutting out words from a magazine, gluing accents, or beading handles. There are many steps involved in transforming a used cigar box into a finished purse. Finding the most unique cigar boxes is the first step. They have so much character and are already beautiful on their own. From decoupaging the papers on, to finishing with a tassel and coordinating interior, there are many hours that go into the process.

My background includes sewing wedding dresses, interior design, and scrap booking. My varied interests really come together in helping me design my purses. I am so passionate about what I do! There is no greater reward than to have a woman tell me she loves one of my design.
Visit her blog to see more designs http://www.fiorelladesigns.com/.

Having Fun Creating!

Enjoy a visit to lovemaddy's Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovemaddy . Can you image creating with these adorable cherries?!

Please check out her blog:
http://www.lovemaddy.blogspot.com/

by lovemaddy
I tried selling handmade crafts (note cards and fabric buttons), but they didn't seem to be very marketable or popular. Also, since having my daughter (she's a year old now) I don't have as much time to sit down and craft. I decided to switch from selling handmade items to supplies. I wanted to sell things that I also personally buy and look for on Etsy. Currently I'm selling fabric and trims (in addition to the fabric buttons, which are on sale). I've also ordered a shipment of cute cabachons and appliques; which I hope more buyers will find appealing and want to use them in their own crafts. As far as organization tips, I try to recycle as much as I can. I don't like wasting things. So I save shoe boxes, gift bags, glass jars etc. and I store things in them. I also save old manila and bubble envelopes and re-use them to ship things. Though I ship items from my shop in new envelopes, because it looks more professional.

My Very First Primitive Folk Art Doll

Here is my new little handmade Primitive art doll. I had so much fun creating today! It all started late last night just after my little ones went off to bed. I have been wanting to try to make an art doll out of clay for a long time. When I was away recently I picked up a fabulous magazine called "prims" Art Inspired by a Bygone Era published through Stampington & Company which is the the same company that publishes my most fav magazine ever "Somerset Studios".

I was thrilled to find this Premier issue and couldn't wait until I could find the time to give it a try!
...As I was saying I started around 9:00 last night and forced myself to go to bed around 2:00 knowing that my little ones were going to be awake at their regular "early" hours. I was having so much fun that I had considered pulling an all nighter- but thought better of it.

I woke up early because I was so excited to get back to creating my little doll. It was the first day in a very long time that I spent creating with no regard of time. My girls would come in and out and spend time with me, creating their own work and chatting while my little doll was taking shape. They helped me to pick out her wings and her dress, the beautiful rhinestone vintage pin she should wear and the colour of her hair. We could see her coming to life and were excited to see her complete.

Many hours later...around 4:00 this afternoon I finally completed my little Prim doll. I think that she is adorable and I had so much fun that I can't wait to make another very soon! You can see more pictures of her in my Etsy shop http://www.thereddoor.etsy.com/.

The Quirkier the Better

Bobby likes to knit at night after the kids go to bed. She likes to knit items that are fun and unique and loves custom orders! "I like getting you, the customer, involved in the creative process. That way you will get something more personal or you can give the item as a very special gift! " Enjoy a visit to her lovely Etsy shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop/chabbyshane .

by Chabbyshane
My name is Bobbi Goodwine. I love to be creative. I have been knitting for 5 years now. My favorite items to knit are small projects like hats...the quirkier the better. I am a wife and mother of two. I am working as a physical therapist on a contingent basis untill my daughter is in school full time. So to fill my time, I started selling on Etsy in October of 2009 and have made two sales so far. Besides the two Etsy sales, I have made and sold dozens of items for friends, neighbors and family. It was my friends and family that encouraged me to start selling online. I love custom orders because I can involve my customers in the creative process, so the item will be exactly what they want.

I try to organize my knitting supplies into clear bins, so I can find them easily. As for my work space, I usually knit at night after the kids are in bed in my living room. I use this time to knit and catch up on the ever growing list of movies and TV shows on my DVR. My home is smoke-free and pet friendly.

www.chabbyshane.etsy.com

A Hidden Passion

All items in Eye Desire's etsy shop are made of genuine Swarovski Crystals™, precious and semi-precious stones with sterling silver, fine silver, 24k gold vermeil and goldfill findings. Have fun looking through her Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/EyeDesire where you are sure to find jewelries made with high quality materials in affordable prices.

by Eye Desire
I always enjoyed making something with my hands: making a piece of pottery, drawing something with a pencil, or making a small doily or a large shoal for my mother, etc., but I didn’t realize how much I enjoy making jewelry until I stumbled into it.

Many years ago, one of best friend of mine gave me few pieces of beautiful jewelry she made and I was fascinated by them. I didn’t know anything about jewelries or jewelry making, but I too wanted to create a beautiful piece of art. So one day, I finally went to a local hobby store and picked up a jewelry making kit and few books (yes, I am a self-taught jewelry artist). I had no idea I actually had a hidden passion about jewelry making until then.

Although I enjoy making something with my hands since I was a child, somehow my life took a different routes of profession all those years. My education background is accounting, corporate finance and management in undergraduate and graduate schools and I have been in the accounting/finance field over 20 years. I currently have a full time job as an accounting manager, but here I am exploring and using the other side of my brain to be more creative.

All creations in my shop are made of precious and semi-precious stones, sterling and fine silver, 24k gold vermeil, and 14k gold fill. I sometimes use Swarovski Crystals and mix with other beautiful semi-precious and natural stones. I use my living room/office as my studio. I have my laptop on a desk and all tools and materials are kept in individual boxes so that I can access to them easily.

I live in Texas with a loving family. I’m married to a wonderful man named Mark who supports my dream of creating beautiful jewelry, and have a wonderful son, Bryce, 20 who is in college. My mother who is inspiration of my life also lives with us, and I have a 7 year old female Cocker Spaniel named Boree.

I Grew to Absolutely LOVE it!

Meet Cari and her quaint shop Designs by Cari http://www.etsy.com/shop/cari4jc1 where you will find wonderful "handmade crochet accessories like the popular mary jane slippers, headbands, mug cozies and more. These are fun, modern and up-to-date pieces that will add a little something special to your wardrobe and home."

by Designs by Cari
Hello! Allow me to introduce myself…my name is Cari. I’m an almost 27 year old wife and stay at home mother of 2 boys, Dakotah and Kaiden, who will be 5 and 2 in April.

If you would have told me a few years ago that I would have a crochet business I probably would have laughed. Both of my parents were crafty. My Dad had a pottery business and my Mom had a sewing business, but I had zero interest in crafts. I actually picked up crochet as a “pregnancy project” while pregnant with Kaiden. At the time I just wanted to make him a baby blanket, but then I ended up making him a hat and booties and somewhere along the line I just couldn’t stop. I grew to absolutely LOVE it! I guess my parents passed their craftiness onto me…it just kicked in a little late.

Aside from being with my family, my 2 favorite places to be are in the yarn store and sitting in “my spot” on the couch crafting my next crochet project. At night when I lay in bed trying to go to sleep I can’t help but think about what I’m going to make the next day. I’m constantly thinking of colors and color combinations and ways to make things better. I get so excited every time I make something new. I always think that it’s the cutest thing I’ve made so far, but of course I think the same thing after finishing my next project too.

My goal is to pass on a little happiness with each pair of slippers or headband or mug cozy I make. I hope that as the customer is using their new beauty that they are smiling.

We Are Truly A Global Community

Char's lovely etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/charstreasures has many wonderful

items to choose from. She loves what she does and gets "a real buzz out of creating useful items with vintage fabrics, doileys & trims".

by Char's Treasures

Hi there, my name is Charmaine, but my friends call me Char. I’m married to a very supportive husband and live at Tannum Sands which is a picturesque part of the Australian coast in Central Queensland.

I have been crafting my whole life whether it be knitting, crochet, cross stitch, decoupage, patchwork or my current passion of cardmarking. I love the creative process of card making and gain inspiration from all kinds of things, often I see in my minds eye a trim, button or a piece of jewellery on a card before I actually create it, sometimes it doesn’t always go to plan but the failures often generate more thoughts and off I go again on a different tangent. My main aim is make things that are functional and stylish and where possible use recycled items such as fabrics, trims, buttons and discarded or broken jewellery. Why buy a store bought card when you can buy a work of art.

My preferred studio environment is outside in the fresh air and sunlight, I have a dog and a cat to keep me company as well as 2 groups of native birds that come for a visit and a chat several times a day.

I've only been a member of Etsy since January this year but I just love the diversity of items and the talent of the crafters found on Etsy but most of all I love the way that fellow fellow Etsians extend the hand of friendship from all areas of the world. We truly are a global community.

Visit my blog - http://charstreasures.blogspot.com/

Made From Scratch With Passion and Love

All of Andrea's books and paper goods are carefully made by hand from scratch with passion and love. Each one is truly a one of a kind piece.

Enjoy a visit to her wonderful Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/Nicopapergoods/.

by Nico Papergoods

My name is Andrea Kohler. I am a homesick (occasionally) Swiss Heidi. I grew up in Zurich Switzerland where I met my Swiss/American husband. After a few years back and forth, we decided to move to Seattle, Washington. We live with our thirteen year old son Nico in a 100 year old modest, but character full house.

When I was sixteen I started a 4 year bookbinding apprenticeship in my home town.

For fifteen years I ran a thriving bookbindery in down town Zurich. In the evenings I taught bookbinding in a craft School and earned my living. Today I have the freedom to explore the creative processes. After all these years I am still very passionate about my craft. About a year ago I started to sell on Etsy and it has opened up many new doors for me.

For more information about what I do, please visit my website

http://www.kohlerbookbinding.com/

At The Brink of Creating Something New

Enjoy a visit to Kelly's wonderful Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/AtTheBrink  where you are sure to find something beautiful and unique. Kelly is "always at the brink of creating something new". Her current fascination is making eco-friendly, felted purses out of recycled sweaters.

by At The Brink

Hello. My name is Kelly and I just opened my Etsy store, At The Brink, in January. The store name comes from something near and dear to me. My middle name is Brink. I was named after my great grandmother and aunt. They were also blessed with creative spirits.

I am a stay at home mom to 3 boys; ages 9, 13, and 41. Ok, the 41 year old is my husband, but he still acts like a kid. We live in NW Ohio but I have lived all over: CA, MN, WI, IN, OH. My main job is being a mom. And as you know, mother's don't get a paycheck. So after much prompting from family and friends, I opened my Etsy store. My goal in selling is to make some money that I can call my own.

I absolutely love all forms of crafting. Right now, I am making felted purses out of recycled wool sweaters. I had knit a purse that I felted and loved the look of it. But knitting takes alot of patience and time. And you have to follow a pattern! So I decided DUH! there's wool sweaters out there that I can felt and design my own bags and purses. There is much joy in searching the racks at Goodwill or Salvation Army to find the perfect sweater. I have a basic "pattern" that I make, but I love adding buttons, embroidery, ribbon to make each purse unique and fun.

Soon, I am going to add to my store, customized bags. This idea came out of something sad for me. In November, my Uncle Jim passed away after an 18 month battle with cancer. I got a wool sweater of his and made my Aunt Thieleane (the one I'm named after) a purse out of it. She now has a little piece of something that was his to carry with her.

So that's my story. Please visit my store or become a facebook fan (www.facebook.com/atthebrink).
Enjoy and Shine On!
Kelly Brink

"I Like My Studio To Be A Disaster"

Spring has sprung and as Lauren shares "spring is a time of rejuvination and my cup is overflowing with ideas". Stay tuned for the addition of original paintings and some prints as well in her wonderful Etsy shop

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/LaurenSatlowski

 where you are sure to find something you love.

by Lauren Satlowski

My name is Lauren Satlowski and I'm a lifelong artist from Detroit. About 5 months ago I moved to a rural area of Northern Michigan and am experiencing a major shift in my work triggered by this dramatic change of scenery, for example my experimentation with abstract compositions. I have explored a wide array of subject matter and techniques throughout my education but I would best describe my work as surreal, figurative, colorful and contemporary. I am a drawer first but have mainly been working with paint for the last five years. I also love working with my hands and crafting items out of things I have lying around my studio.

For as long as I can remember I have been a collector. I collect everything I find that has some visual or sentimental interest to me and have a difficult time throwing anything away. My studio is full of boxes filled with folders full of magazine scraps, photos, old drawings, boxes of tiny plastic animals, beads, glitter, tiny disco balls and marbles, doll parts etc. This library of source material is vast so organization is vital. My organizational methods are unexpected, however, because I don't group items into categories. I group items intuitively based on their relevancy to me in that moment. I group and regroup them through an elimination process based on my reaction to them. With a project in mind, or even just a group of keywords describing my feelings, I sort through the items intuitively and the categories end up ranging from "things I'm not interested in at all right now" to "things that will become part of my next project". Sometimes a project idea defines the elimination process and sometimes the elimination process defines what will become the project. It's a process I have developed and adjusted for myself over the years and I find it makes creative blocks almost nonexistent.

In short my studio can become a huge mess fast. For the most part I really like my studio to be a disaster. I need that reckless abandon. In between projects I'll clean up and regroup my supplies and image library and start from the beginning with a clean slate, but as I'm working things quickly become chaotic. I like to wallow in the clutter and sit on the floor with it spread out all around me. I have an easel, a drafting table and a large flat worktable but I often find that my favorite way to work is sprawled out on the floor like when I was a kid laying on the carpet with a coloring book and crayons all around.