31Summers...

Featured artist Monday.......

It is once again time for our new "Featured Artist Monday"............ Lets all welcome

Gayle

From

 

 

I am from the Charlotte area in N.C.

I'm a married baby boomer with 2 grown sons(older lives close by and younger-Mitchell lives with us).They are 30 and 26. My daughter-in-law is 22.

I try to help in my church(helping start new craft show),handcrafts to the ARC of Mecklenburg County and Samaritan's Purse-Operation Christmas Child.

I'm at home due to some health problems and Mitchell's health problems. We look after each other, also we have 3 elderly parents/grandparents close by us.

I've always enjoyed art.

Ideas come to me at anytime and I try to use as much recycled materials and nature items that I can.

My activity baby quilt is probably the most cherished.

I do "My Points" and Global Test Market(read e-mails and do surveys for points and cash. They don't send many surveys and it takes a long time to achieve these rewards.Advice to new people-know how to use the computer and a digital camera before starting etsy and study etsy a little before jumping into it. Also-Patience!

I promote at Etsy with the ACE team,CAST team,The Spotted Box and the Etsy forums. Also, Ruebee,Gifts of Glory,Flickr(& groups there),Started Craig's List & will do Ebay closer to Christmas,Referral Link,the upcoming craft show,business cards/samples/promos,blogs,treasuries,buy and stay thread, and some other handmade site directories. I also have some projects with Etsy that I hope will be ready soon(charity wallhangings,etsy cookbook The Raleigh News from ACE team). I have a possible poem and Mitchell's drawing to be publish in an etsy seller's zine in Texas.

In ten years I would like to be better off than I am now.

I hoped you enjoyed learning a bit about Gayle, here is the link to her etsy site....

www.whatshername.etsy.com

Featured Artist Monday

This week I am beginning my new featured artist series. I have seen this on many different blogs and so enjoyed it. I hope you will check back every Monday to see who my new "Feature" is.

April Vinson

of

  Tell us a bit about yourself, name, location, affiliations, and personal stuff:
My name is April and I run an etsy shop called Aprils Originals. I live in Mebane NC and I am a stay at home Mom of a wonderful 5 year old little boy and I have been an avid crafter all of my life. 
 
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I LOVE to do all kinds of crafts from crochet and knit to making soap from scratch the old fashioned way. I also make jewelry, cross-stitch and sew. Sewing is what I do most of the time these days and I LOVE being able to do my crafts while staying home with my son. We have decided this year that I am going to homeschool him and I am really enjoying that.
 
How did you first get started creating things?
I first started creating when I was a very young girl. My Mom is also a very artistic person and both of my brothers and I inherited her creative artistic abilities in different ways. She taught me to sew when I was young and I used to make little outfits and accessories for my dolls all the time (at least when she would let me on her beloved sewing machine).
Not long after I got married 13 years ago I started to really get into making jewelry, at this time it was not nearly as popular as it is today and it was MUCH harder to find all of the wonderful supplies that are out there now but I loved doing it and still do when I get time.
I have crocheted since I was small but about 3 years ago I taught myself to knit, I loved the versatility that being able to knit and crochet gave me. Both of these crafts have their advantages and offer different types of a 'material' once you have completed an item.
When my son was about 2 years old, I was soooo tired of the same old diaper bags that LOOKED like I was carrying a diaper bag that never seemed to have what I wanted or needed. The more fashionable bags were just way more expensive then I could afford being a stay at home Mom so I decided it was time to dust off my sewing machine and see what I could come up with. Before you know it Aprils Originals was born.
 
Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
I love fabric, all kinds of fabrics but I have recently grown to LOVE designer fabrics. The quality of the fabric and the vibrant colors just cannot be beat. I have to admit that until about a year ago I really didn't even know that there was such a thing as designer fabrics. Like I said I am a stay~at~home mom and had pretty much gotten out of the 'loop' of fashion
I would have to say that fabric is my biggest inspiration, it speaks to me like an empty canvas does to a painter. When I see fabric I just feel what needs to go together and sometimes I hold onto a certain fabric until the perfect match comes along and I just know that I will use them together. My husband thinks I am crazy but it is my art.
I do not use patterns for my bags and things. I am the sole designer, creator and seamstress when it comes to my work. All of my patterns come from my head and were created by me.
 
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
My husband has a quilt that his mother gave to us that his Grandmother made by hand that we use ALL the time. It is not really what I would call beautiful in the types of fabric that was used but it is quality handmade and very durable polyester fabrics that she recycled to make and we love to use it all the time for all kinds of things. His grandmother made one for both of his siblings also and they misplaced theirs years ago but we still have ours.
 
Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.
Books~I have to admit I have not read any books in so long other than Dr. Suess Green Eggs and Ham or a golden book that I wouldn't even know where to start. Well, I take that back I love the Harry Potter books and I have read ALL of them so I will go with that.
Movies~ the best movie I have seen is no doubt the new Batman movie. It ROCKED!!
song/musical groupls~ Well I love ALL kinds of music but I am a rock~n~roll girl and a metal head at heart and right now my favorite groups are Black Stone Cherry and Saving Abel. I am anxiously anticipating the new Metallica album that just came out this past week.
Websites~ Of course my favorite website is etsy but I also love myspace, picturetrail, flickr and blogs.
Here is a link to all of my links to these sites:
www.myspace.com/aprilv73
www.picturetrail.com/aprilsoriginals
www.flickr.com/aprilsoriginals
www.flickr.com/aprilsoriginalsbagdesigns
 
What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
I feel like the best advice I can give anyone would be to stick with what you love, don't always worry so much about whether or not others will love it. First and foremost create from your heart and soul no matter what the medium. If you don't love what you do then do something else until you find what it is that feels right to you!
 
How do you promote your work?
I use our ACE Team to help promote, I use my websites and others websites to help promote and just word of mouth! 
 
What are your favorite features on Etsy or the ACE team? What new features would you like to see on either site?
I love the communtiy on etsy that is helpful like the storque and etsy teams. I would love to see etsy add a shipping calculator to sellers so it would make it easier for sellers to not lose money on shipping.
 
In ten years I would like to be?
I will be the next Vera Bradley (LOL)! I dream big. I have already had dozens of customers give up their Vera Bradley and Coach bags for an Aprils Original so you never know, right!

 

I hope you have enjoyed meeting April, make sure you check out her shop as well as her blog. She featured me this week!!!!!!! 

I got a freakin' treasury......

Oh my, starry eyed surprise, I got featured on a  freakin' treasury on etsy. Pretty please with sugar on top please go check it out and click away. They picked my green and pink necklace.

                                                        Treasury

Another really cool thing that happened on etsy today is that while I was surfing around in the forums I came across a post that said this seller wanted to make her 1800 sell today. She was at 1799. In order to do this she listed a PIF item and said the first person to buy it would get it free. Well just guess what, I was in the right place at the right time and won it. Check out her shop here.          JPatPurses

I also want to share what I made today!!!! I made deep fried oreos. I am going to win Mother of the Year for all the healthy food I feed my family. Here is a pick of them and my nephew Camron chowing down. They were so good, I think next time I will sprinkle some powdered sugar on them, they are really not that pretty to look at.

 

Etsy teams...

I have joined two amazing etsy teams this week. I am so looking forward to working in these teams, I think they will keep me motivated until my shop takes off (it will and I know it, I am being positive). I also think I will make some amazing friends! Check out their blogs!! You will be amazed at all the talent and wonderful things you will find!!

ACE Team Blog 

CEM Team Blog

Trash Tie Giveaway....

Ohhhhh! This is the coolest thing ever...

Sweet Life in the Valley is having a Heather Bailey "Trash Tie" giveaway. I am definantly entering. These things are so cool. No matter what length of hair you have you can find a way to use these babies.

 Go to the link above to enter. They even have cool ways to get more than one entry. I hope I win!!!!!!!

What is the problem....

k, I am having a pity party and I am hoping I will get some good advice here. I am trying to make a go of my etsy shop, but I am getting very frustrated.

I think my jewelery is pretty so I can't understand why it is getting so few views. Is it my pictures, my descriptions, what is it?????

For one thing I think I am going to try and do some advertising on these two sites... What do you guys think? Do you actually ever click the links and ads on people's blogs???? Just curious. Check these sites out and let me know.

Watch Me Create    and     A Punkin Card Company 

Meanwhile here are a couple of new things in the shop....

    

Ok, I can't really figure out how to use this new typepad setup that is why the post is wonky. I am just having one of those days.