New Year & New Look

Hello Everyone!
Happy 2011

As you may have noticed, our Etsy Studios Blog has a brand new look. It is a pleasure to share all of the wonderful creative spaces, places and handcrafted art of the many talented Etsy artists and I am happy to continue to provide these features. I am always amazed at all of the wonderful people I meet through this blog. Enjoy reading about their personal stories and getting a glimpse into their creative lives.

In addition to my regular Etsy features, I will also now have special studio space tips and tricks. Look for Giveaways that you can win, just by reading and becoming a follower of the blog.
Lots of treats!

Best wishes for a very happy and healthy 2011.
May all of your wishes come true!

Surround yourself with your favourite things in your studio space. A favourite candle, some favourite art or piece of home decor or maybe even your softest and most cuddly blanket to keep you warm while you work.Your creative space is a special place that should make you feel happy and take the stresses of the day away.

What are some of your favoutite things in your space?

Gift Designs is owned by Rebecca, a mother of 3 who lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia.
Enjoy a visit to Rebecca's beautiful Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/giftdesigns where you will find gorgeous jewellery, bookmarks and scrapbooking gifts!

by Gift Designs
"I currently work full time and enjoy creating gorgeous gifts to share on the weekends or whenever else time permits. I find I can easily lose myself in a pile of beads for hours on end, but on the plus side it is an interest that I can share with my two girls who really enjoy getting in and creating along side me.

I can't really remember how I came about making jewellery, it was something I casually stumbled upon but fell in love with once I did. I really love that people buy the items I make and get a lot of enjoyment from the fact that people all over the world have a piece of my jewellery!

I don't really have an organised, set plan or style for the making of my jewellery, for me it is mostly created on the spot and inspired usually by a colour theme.

I also enjoy making treasuries and featuring Etsy sellers on my blog http://www.allthingsgifts.blogspot.com/

Thanks Rebecca!



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.

Gorgeous Photography

I have been wanting to organize my clip art and archive my art for some time now. It was getting out of control and using up way to much space on my computer. After a few hours of saving and double checking, I think that I have finally accomplished the task. It feels great to have it organized and safely saved on CD's. Now the trick is to keep it updated? What are your favourite tricks for saving your photos? Any great organization tips? I'd love to hear from you.
Dana is a fan of a well organized CD case and an external hard drive.

Take a peek at her gorgeous photos!

Dana Laymon
http://www.danalaymon.etsy.com/

I've been doing photography for 6 years and wedding photography for 2 years. I LOVE it but I have a regular full time job so I have to cram it all in when i can in my off time. I used to only shoot film for a while but now i shoot digital because of weddings and portraits but I still love a good Holga or poloroid camera. The beach here provides a wonderful place for pictures. I am aspiring to be able to do it as my only job one day and it's slowly but surely coming. I love Etsy and it has provided a great community to me if nothing else. I have learned so much through Etsians and received motivation from their work. I just work at home at my dining room table at the moment- maybe I'll have an office one day. With pictures you need to be really organized and I have become a fan of Picasa for that, an external hard drive, and well organized CD case. You just have to see what works for you because everyone's workflow is different. I'll probably be changing mine for a while as well.

My blog also has more pictures at http://www.danalaymon.blogspot.com/.

Two Heads Are Better Than One!

Dragon Rags

I live and work in what is called a “visionary environment,” to borrow a term. What that means is that the home and studio in which I live and work reflect who I am. I am fortunate to share my home and studio with my boyfriend, also an artist (a musician ). We often work side by side in a studio that is comfortable (if a little small,) visually stimulating, peaceful, and very functional.

There are books everywhere, and we have cats (though we do not share the studio with them!) We both also enjoy and collect art.The house is an end unit, so we have 2 large windows that look out onto our neighborhood and onto a green space. As I sit at my desk, I look out on pine trees and grass and sky. It's quiet. When I am in the studio, I lose track of time and very easily fall into flow.When I really need to spread out, I do so on the floor of the studio.

My desk is suitable for some smaller projects, and that is where I take most of my product photos, edit and upload my photography, etc., but when I'm playing with my glues and paints, I do so away from the equipment. Ideally, I would like to have a work table, but the studio is too small. We have made the arrangement work for us.There is nothing like sharing space and a life with another artist!

We spend many a night giving one another feedback. He on my art and photography, I on his music. It is a lot of fun, and it keeps my creative juices flowing.When I first moved into my house, the studio was the master bedroom. When he moved in, we realized that it was the perfect room for a studio. Though we both would like to have a bigger work space some day, everything fits. We love this room, and we think others do, too: It doubles as our guest room. You'd have to spend time in this room to really get how nice it is.

I tend to organize by using containers that are either multi-functional or modular. I like to categorize my supplies. My papers are in a multi-drawer unit, sorted by category. My fabrics go into plastic tubs that can be tucked away into the corners and used as end tables. The shelves in the studio closet are fully utilized. That's where I keep my batting and the bulk of my office and art supplies. For me, organizing is all about not disturbing visual flow. Another way I like to keep organized is to clean up as I go. If I am working on multple projects, I tend to put each project's components into their own container and store the items toghether but not put away. That way, I can bounce back and forth between things but not end up with chaos when I am finished. Good organization is very, very important when working in a small space. I believe that is how my boyfriend and I manage to share without getting on each other's nerves!

Visit her studio at http://www.dragonrags.etsy.com/

Montage Studio's Creative Space

Montage studio has a fabulous space to create in . She has a beautiful and serene view to inspire her and great organizational tips. Check out her studio.

Montage Studio

I am a photographer and painter and do both in my home studio.

Visit http://www.montagestudio.etsy.com/

The space has a beautiful view, with mature trees and whatever wildlife my dogs haven’t scared away. My desk is where I alter my photographs and scan ephemera and painting to make digital collages. Although I shoot both film and digitally, most of my latest work is mainly digital.There is a large wooden table that I use for painting. It is wonderful to have such a big workspace, where I can leave several projects out at once. When I lived in Paris I always had several projects going at once and found that this really took the pressure off of one piece having to be utterly brilliant.

On the table I have a sweet little cubby to hold my paint; the larger bottles are housed in a lovely Salvation Army find behind glass doors.By nature I am a packrat and love being surrounded by “stuff”…BUT it can also get to me when there is no order to things and I spend half the day looking for a particular paintbrush!

I have been slowly tackling my piles, and am trying to keep “like with like” as they say: papers in plastic storage drawers; paintbrushes in earthen pots; books, journals and magazines on the new shelves that my brother-in-law put up recently (three 8 foot shelves: pure joy). I do TRY to keep my desk area tidy and free of clutter, but I am still working on that one!Having lived in apartments for most of my adult life, I feel so lucky to have a house with such an amazing studio space. I often work late at night and love the peaceful setting and the fact that the refrigerator is just a few feet away!!!

Check out Montage Studio's blog http://montagestudio.blogspot.com/

Any Place Is A Good Place To Create!

I love it when inspiration hits and it doesn't matter where you are. Sometimes I'm asking someone for a small piece of paper or even a napkin to draw my inspirations for my art and collages. I love bringing my materials outside and creating there whenever I get a chance. Usually any place is a good place to create! Here is Sugarskull7's creating space and the keepers of her space. I think I'll do an Etsy Studio (Creature) Keeper blog feature! We can have a look at all of our favourite animals that occupy our spaces!

Sugarskull7

www.sugarskull7.etsy.com

Here goes:I’m a 38 year old wife, mother, former phone company employee, current dog trainer, and Etsy artist! I started carving rubber stamps about 12 years ago when a friend of mine fell victim to a severe rubber stamp addiction. We were both telephone operators at the time, and she always had an issue of Rubberstampmadness propped open on her desk. We were allowed to do “activities” (draw, knit, write notes to each other) while taking calls, so she made cards with her stamps. I was fascinated. I loved the works of art she created, but I wanted “my own” stamps. I’ve always been an artist, drawing and painting since I was very young, so I wanted stamps of my own designs. When my friend showed me an article about eraser carving, I was hooked. I could make my own stamps!!!!!

Many of the designs I offer on my Etsy shop were originally carved while I was answering calls as an operator. Looking back now, I have no idea how I did that! These days, carving a stamp requires all my concentration. Chalk it up to getting old…My workspace is basically my bedroom floor, several storage boxes, a fishing tackle case and a shelf in my closet! Designs are always done in a sketchbook, and when I’m ready to carve, I set up in a sunlit spot on of my bedroom floor and I’m ready to go. As the pictures demonstrate, all stamps are Corgi-inspected for quality and flavor before they are shipped to customers.

Some tools I can’t live without are Speedball linoleum gauge blades, Testor hobby knives, PZ Kut carving material, a magnifying glass, and of course, ink!

Before being turned on to Etsy by a friend who suggested I sell my paintings there, it never occurred to me to sell hand-carved stamps. As I browsed through all the gorgeous Etsy shops, though, I came across artists who were offering their carvings for sale and I was amazed! I had no idea there was a market for this art form! So I posted a few of my stamps and was thrilled when some of them sold! So here I am. I’ve only been selling a little while, so we’ll see where it goes. It’s unlikely that this is something I’ll make a living at, but the fact that some people out there like my work enough to want to own a piece of it makes me extremely happy. For me, that’s success.

It's Great Fun To See What Other Studios Look Like

I look at Robin Egg's studio and I can picture how wonderful it must be to create in this space. To add fun music, tea and chocolate just makes it that much more fabulous. Looooove your shop!

Make sure to visit http://www.robinseggsstudio.etsy.com/

Robin's Eggs Studio

Hi Kerry! What an awesome series you're doing. It's great fun to see what other studios look like.

Welcome to robin's egg studio! The entire setup is tucked into an alcove in the master bedroom. This space was destined to become an artist's studio: the former resident of the bedroom was an artist too! There must be something in the air. All my work is done at a six-foot table, and mostly at night after my two little ones are tucked in.
The environment is as fun as I can make it: there's always upbeat music playing, a cup of tea or some chocolates nearby, and my children's artwork and photos are pinned to my bulletin board. As you can see I've got my paints, fabrics and such in a rolling cart that can get stashed away when I'm done for the night. I've had to hang my pieces on the walls as they're finished...no room elsewhere! It's nice to see how they look hung up, actually.

I've had to be extremely organized and have my little plastic sets of drawers nerdily labeled so I can find everything. In the future, the studio will be painted (robin's egg blue, of course) and have pretty curtains and a LOT more lighting. A utility sink would be great too, but there is no room and the bathroom is just steps away. A girl can dream, can't she?Thanks for visiting the studio!

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