Isabelles Attic, A Grandmother's Inspiration

Be sure to stop by and visit Isabelles Attic http://www.isabellesattic.etsy.com/ where you will find  "new family heirlooms for you from my sewing basket". Isabel shares the story of her shop and her Grandmother's inspirations..."My greatest inspiration to sew is my grandmother Isabel. She was a homemaker and sewed for a living. It always amazed me how she could turn one of her drawings and a simple piece of fabric into such beautiful creations, such as dolies, dresses, curtains etc... I always looked forward to seeing her finished product. I hope that you will enjoy my creations as much as I enjoyed my grandmother’s".

by Isabelles Attic
Hi my name is Liseth and I my store is http://www.isabellesattic.etsy.com/  . I have named it after my greatest inspiration, my grandmother Isabelle. She had a natural talent for crafts and clothes making, which I always admired. As Isabelle did, when I am home, I like to create a variety of items such as vintage style, fun beanies, purse and more.

Crafting and sewing takes me to a different level of relaxation and lets my imagination go free, the best outcome from this is it makes me proud when I know my items have found a new home to bring a smile to their face. My motto, when I’m creating a new craft or having a bad day I try to remember this quote: “The only time you fail is when you don’t try”.

For great deals and updates on new items or just to chat with me you can also find me on twitter: www.twitter.com/IsabellesAttic  or stop by in the etsy forums it's a great way to meet other etsy memebers and learn from them too.

 
 

Vintage French Flea Market

Be sure to drop by Ben and Jess http://www.etsy.com/shop/BenandJess

 a lovely Etsy shop with lots of handmade goodies including handmade paper holiday and party decorations, cards, tags and gifts, monogram letters and chenille Scottie dogs.

"All of Ben & Jess's items are personally handmade by me from quality vintage french flea market inspired scrapbooking papers and fabrics. The utmost love, care and creativity is put into each piece."

by Ben and Jess
My name is Tracey Jane and I live, work and play in Sydney, Australia. I get my love of making and crafting from my mother. Wonderful things would come out of her craft room. She shared her love and knowledge of crafting with me for which I will be forever grateful.

I’m a bit of a bower bird and love to collect old things. As I’m a self confessed craftaholic I collect vintage craft books, patterns and fabrics. I also collect vintage blue and white china. My love of all things old comes through in the things I make by way of using chenille fabrics and vintage inspired scrapbooking paper.

I have recently returned to my first love which is cross stitch. A new range of cross stitched fairy inspired love hearts will be appearing in my Etsy store soon. I love the rhythm that I get into when I stitch and the sound of the thread going through the fabric. It soothes my soul and relaxes my mind. I have a beautiful old wing backed reclining chair that I sit in when I stitch - it's pure bliss.

I am lucky enough to have a dedicated crafting space which overlooks our garden. This means that I can leave things out to ponder about and fiddle with until they are right. It is next to the heart of our home the kitchen where we will gather and eat and talk and eat.

My favourite quote "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The red thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break" -Ancient Chinese proverb.

Visit Tracey's blog http://www.traceyjanedesigns.blogspot.com/.

Handmade and Vintage Loveliness

Be sure to stop by and visit Kristine and Lily's etsy shop Vintage Whale http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageWhalewhere you will find *handmade and vintage loveliness*.

by Vintage Whale
Vintage Whale is a collaboration of two college students, Kristine and Lily. We're both from Oklahoma but go to colleges in different states. We’ve been creating and crafting for Etsy for about a month now and really enjoy it! Our shop consists of both vintage and handmade items. Before we started Etsy we always had thrifting adventures and were always on the hunt for vintage goodies for ourselves.

 Soon we decided we would like to share our lovely finds with others. We’re both really inspired by vintage and re-used items and it’s evident in our shop. Most of our items are made of scrap fabric or buttons we find lying about. We enjoy taking old things and giving them new life as necklaces, headbands, bobby pins or even cards. We’re always thinking up new ideas for items we can make for our shop and don’t usually create more than a few different versions of any one item.

Our creative process is pretty fluid and flexible because we create whatever we feel like making at that particular moment. We don’t have a designated work space but usually have movie nights that double as craft days where we watch old movies and work on our shop. Usually our crafting supplies are kept neatly in boxes or storage drawers we can roll out into the living room so we can craft and watch movies.

Once we finish our creations we love to go outside and take pictures of them on pretty paper or old books. Nothing goes into our shop that we wouldn’t buy ourselves, and we really hope people find something they love as much as we loved making it.

Don't Be Afraid to Create

Enjoy a visit to Ageratum's lovely Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/ageratum where "you never know what you might find".

by Ageratum

I just enjoy creating (crafting) beautiful things and I am into beading right now. I have always been attracted to colorful sparkly objects. I am totally 'self taught' and can only say to others starting out that you need to watch and observe every little detail. Taking a few classes would probably help tremendously! Also, be YOU and don't be afraid to create with new techniques and your own ideas. I create my OOAK designs wherever and whenever I can - usually on the dining room table. More than a few times I have created a design in my head after going to bed at night. That doesn't say much about my 'night life'! HA

Everyone wonders where I came up with my shop name. It was actually kind of accidental but it is the name of a wild flower which has always been my favorite and I use it a lot.

I especially like reading the scriptures from the KJV of the Holy Bible and have one of the many beautiful verses in my shop announcement.

I Love Helping Others

Enjoy a visit to Luna's shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/BurningMoon where you will find handmade items and one of a kind accessories.

by Burning Moon

Greetings,my name is Luna and I am the owner of Burning Moon Products.I have always had a passion for art and crafts since I was a child whether it was making birthday cards for friends or making holiday ornaments for my family.I had always pictured myself doing something I loved for a living such as becoming a Vet (which I hope to one day still accomplish) but I never thought my passion for art would one day inspire me to open up my own little Etsy shop,I originally started crafting again shortly after my daughter was born and from that came everything that I make now.

I have owned my Etsy shop for a little over a year and I am very proud with how far I have come so far. I love helping out new Etsy shops trying to reach the same goals as mine I offer tips,guides and even free promotion to other Etsy shops I guess you can say helping others is another passion of mine as well. I love to see others happy whether its by helping the create a better environment in their shops or from someone buying a piece of my art and completely loving it.

Also have a look at Luna's blog for seller tips,review,lots of giveaways & more http://burningmoonproducts.blogspot.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.

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/

"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.

Treasured

Spending time to do what you love is a very treasured time. I find it so important to plan and take the time needed to enjoy my creative muses! Time seems to slip away when we get busy with everyday life that we have to remind ourselves to take time for ourselves. Beaded Treasures finds solice in her treasured time and tells us that "crafting is my way of relaxing and finding my creative outlet on stressful days." How about scheduling some precious treasured time to do what you love. Visit www.beadedtreasuresetc.etsy.com to see her wonderful Etsy shop.


by Beaded Treasures

Beaded Treasures & More was really more of something that I stumbled upon one day. I have always loved crafting when I have the time and I just thought that maybe I could sell what I make and share my talent with other people. I am a freelance Graphic Artist and a stay-at-home mom to a beautiful daughter. I do not just like to craft in one area: I have taken professional art lessons, have a graphics degree, love to make rosaries and jewelry, design wedding flowers and do other miscellaneous crafts with beads and whatever I can find around. I don't really have a specific workspace at my home, but I tend to gravitate towards the small desk in the guest bedroom.

I usually try to keep it as neat and tidy as I can so I have the most workspace available. I have limited time to craft and usually do it while my daughter naps in the afternoon and in the evenings before bedtime. I am efficient and very meticulous and every item that is in my shop is made with much care. I really enjoy doing custom items because they can be more personal way to connect with the buyer. Crafting is my way of relaxing and finding my creative outlet on stressful days.

Something For Everyone

Recupefashion on Etsy was born out of a love to recycle and make something new again. It is an Eco-Friendly shop where you can find a bit of everything to offer as a gift. You can find such things as tea wallets, spa bath sets, bath puffs, wrist cuffs, tie purses, head bands etc..
Visit this quaint Etsy shop http://www.recupefashion.etsy.com/ to find a little something for everyone!

I've always been into crafting , even when I was a wee kid. I was playing with Barbie dolls and dressing them with Kleenexes and tape to make it stay and for earrings I would use those colored pins we use to pin the fabric with, so it stays in place. Then she'd be the prettiest around, well to my eyes , she was. I remember loving to craft.

I started sewing at a very young age so I could make clothes for my Barbie and dolls. I also took up jewelry making a bit after that , I must have been 12 years old. My mom kept all the old broken jewelry and I would dabble in those for hours on end and would succeed in making pretty sets. So From then on I kept on crafting and keeping everything that I would find that could be helpful for later on. As I grew up they called what I was doing recycling. When I decided to open up Recupefashion it was after closing up a bigger exploitation of the name .I used to sell recycled clothing to 4 boutiques in Montreal for 3 years but then my back gave out, and after 2 surgeries and waiting for a 3rd one I had to change to something much lighter and easier on myself. So Recupefashion on Etsy was born: An Eco-Friendly shop where you can find a bit of everything to offer as a gift. Tea wallets, spa bath sets, bath puffs, wrist cuffs, tie purses, head bands etc.

1 year later I added Recupefashionnstuff:A fabric and supplies shop, you will have fun going through this shop as you will find some vintage fabrics and some not so, some awesome supplies to create some beautiful creations, and some other day today objects that would need another home.

2 months ago I opened BeautyRecycledThis shop offers you some beautiful, fun, fashionable, recycled, eclectic jewelry.It is also important to mention that this shop is also Eco friendly.Here are a few places where you can find me :

shops

http://www.recupefashion.etsy.com/

http://www.beautyrecycled.etsy.com/

http://www.recupefashionnstuff.etsy.com/

Blogs;

http://recupefashion.blogspot.com/

http://women-prenuergalore.blogspot.com/

http://nathaliebrault.blogspot.com/

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Recupefashion/114566450995

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Recupefashion/114566450995

Twitter

http://twitter.com/lagrande2tall4u

Thank you for all of your wonderful messages and words of encouragement!













You are going to go bananas for davenevanxaviour's absolutely adorable amigurumi !
Enjoy having a look through her shop www.davenevanxaviour.etsy.com and
her blog at http://geekycrochet.blogspot.com/.

I used to work for Ty Inc., the Beanie Baby company. It was my first job after I had graduated from The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. After drawing and animating on a computer all day I wanted to just relax on the couch and make something. I had discovered amigurumi (a Japanese word meaning crocheted or knitted stuffed dolls) while browsing the internet, and I thought it would be cool if I could do that. So I asked my mom to teach me how to crochet. She knows how to do everything that involves crafts. She taught me the basics, but now I make up my own patterns and am getting more advanced as I try new things.Crocheted toys make up the majority of my shop, but I like to try new materials and mediums. I find old crafting supplies around the house, and make cute and geeky things. This is a hobby for me, so I make everything while I'm on the couch relaxing and watching tv.My words of wisdom:I believe that you should create art that you like and can be proud of instead of trying to make things that appeal to certain tastes, ages, or trends. If you believe in your work and are confident in what you are making people will like it. Listen to the positive and negative comments, but don't take them personally. Everyone has different tastes, and for every person who doesn't like your art there is someone who does. That is life, that is art.

Inspiration

Finding inspiration happens in about as many ways as there are people who experience it.
Often inspiration is an "aha" moment when you least expected it. It is an inspiration that often leads us to reflect on what exactly inspired us- whether it was a new way of looking at something like a colour that we have never really noticed before or a way of creating that seems so unique. We are inspired by people, places and things. Often these inspirations challenge us to find new ways of being and doing. Where do you find your inspiration?

Read on to find out what inspires Lyndsey...

My name is Lyndsey and I am an artist, a photographer, and I make handmade funky camera strapsThose are my big things, but the reality is, I'm always crafting something new, or finding some new creative outlet to become obsessive about!I live in a small one bedroom apartment with not a lot of space, so it's very important for me to stay organized and have a place for everything, and everything in it's place! I use lots of crates and boxes to store things in and labeling is key! If I don't, my mess spirals out of control, taking over my living room and bedroom in no time!!

Although my space is small, and I would love to move into something bigger this year, I love my wall to wall windows and the view! I also think it's important to have sources of inspiration displayed within your creative space. I don't have a lot of room for too much or things will get too cluttered but I do have a few. One of the photos I have included are small cut-out drawings that were giving to me about 5 years ago by a girl who has an intellectual disability. I had written a newspaper article about her and her art, and she gave me these character drawings as a thank you. They are very special to me and will always be a source of inspiration for me!

my link are:

http://tanybug.etsy.com/

http://lynseandfancy.etsy.com/

http://inspiredbyhand.blogspot.com/