Friday Feature - FancifulForm

What is the best way to describe your shop, and what makes you unique?
http://fancifulform.etsy.com is my escape from the everyday for me. Sometimes I will get frustrated with a painting or a drawing I am working on and I need something I can do to relax while I wrap my head around whats bothering me. The only way I know how to relax is to create so when everything else I create gets overwhelming I turn to my pendants for balance and support.


How did you select your name?
When I first joined Etsy I agonized over the name of my shop. I wanted something that would allow me to have multiple kinds of items. Paintings, Prints, ect. I had the word "Fanciful" stuck in my head for some reason and after pondering that for a while I decided on "FancifulFlair" for my art shop. I wanted my Pendant store to be similar as it is more defined I decided on FancifulForm.


When and how did you first get started in your art?
I started creating as a child. I don't honestly remember the first time I took toilet paper and made papier mache or the first time I smeared paint all over a Christmas ornament.


Do you sell outside of etsy? If so where?
So far I only sell on Etsy. I was accepted to HandmadeFusion but I don't really know anything about them yet. I have my own website http://LaurenKnuckles.com Which showcases my artwork and is capable of selling through paypal but I haven't set it up yet.

Is this your full time job?
No, This is my part time job. I have been working for my art teacher off and on trying to get her studio organized and when I am not doing that I run my two etsy shops. I'm also a full time college student.


What is your favorite material?
Oh goodness. I dread this question. lol
I could start a list that would never end. They are all my favorites! Probably my very favorite right now is fabric. Any scrap fabric at all. I collect mountains of scrap fabric even when I don't need it because someday I might.


What do you enjoy most about creating your art?
The zone. You know that place. Where you suddenly find that you've spent eight hours on a project you meant to sit and spend fifteen minutes on. Where you realize that you're so hungry you may feint because the kitchen was just too far away from your desk to grab a snack. Thats where I am the happiest.

Where do you find inspiration?
Most of my inspirations comes from experimenting with mediums. I'll try something I have never done before and depending on how the finished product looks I'll either scrap it or delve deeper and try a different ratio or poor it over fabric or add beads to it. I'm inspired by trial and error.

Click HERE to visit Fancifulform.

FRIDAY FEATURE - Flirt Buttons

What is the best way to describe your shop, and what makes you unique?
I sell mostly designer fabric covered pocket mirrors, bottle openers, buttons, magnets jewelry and hair accessories. My uniqueness is due to my choice of fabrics and trends.


How did you select your name?
My other business is called Bad Girlz Beads. I wanted something toned down from that, but still fun and girly.

When and how did you first get started in your art?
I have been an artist all my life. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Masters of Science degree in textiles. My profession is textile design, mostly area rugs and carpet. I also teach fashion marketing and design at the college level.

Do you sell outside of etsy? If so where?
I sell at art/craft fairs and to friends and family.

Is this your full time job?
I am making it my full time job. I have a 9 month old at home and I do not plan to go back to the corporate world.

What is your favorite material? actually it is glass, I also do handmade lampwork glass beads and jewelry: www.hare.etsy.com


What do you enjoy most about creating your art?
For my buttons I like going out and collecting all the fabrics and papers. I bring my little view finder to see what will look good on a button.

Where do you find inspiration?
everywhere, as an artist it seems everything is inspiring.

Click HERE to visit Flirtbuttons.

FRIDAY FEATURE - Jennifer Squires Productions

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
I've been photographing professionally since 1996 and I opened my Etsy shop in February 2008. My work covers a broad range of categories, from shopping carts to gerbera daisies, but I always find that I focus on the details of life.

How did you select your name?
I use my name for my shop name and business name, so I guess it comes from good ole Mom and Dad.

What makes your shop unique?
My photographs are fresh, contemporary, and very professional, complimenting a wide range of decor styles.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
The prints exhibited on Etsy are only available through my Etsy shop, however I can be commissioned for private pieces through my website: www.jennifersquires.ca

How long have you been making your craft?
I've been taking pictures my whole life, but I began to study photography in high school and continued through college.

Is it your full-time job?
I am very happy to say that photography is my full-time job, and has been since 2001.



How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
I restrict blocks of time throughout my days and weeks that are specifically for work and specifically for play.

What is your favorite material?
My favourite materials are found objects and paper.

What inspires you?
I am constantly inspired by the world around me and I use photography to search for simplicity and meaning in the beauty of the everyday.

Click HERE to visit Jennifer Squires Shop.

Friday Feature - V Silcox Designs

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
answer: Back in 2001, and right after September 11th, I made a life changing decision. On that day, I was sitting in a high rise building in downtown Los Angeles when the news came. Of course we evacuated, and on the long drive home I had pleanty of time to think, specifically about how valuable my family was to me, how sad I was for those who were lost, and what choices I had made for my life.

I gave up my 20 plus year career in construction, to persue my passion for art. All my life I had toyed with pen and ink...and I suppose charcoal as well, but I had always envisioned painting glass, wine glasses specifically, so I figured....why not go with the fantasy. And here I am.


How did you select your name?
Answer: I wanted my pieces identified with a person, not a company name. Hence, V Silcox Designs.

What makes your shop unique?
I'm not sure that I'm all that unique, although I have found my own style of painting, which so far seems to be mine alone.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
I usually average about 35 to 40 art and high craft shows per year, so I'm on the road constantly...from here in Southern California...to the San Francisco Bay Area...to Arizona.

How long have you been making your craft?
Answer: I started toying with glass painting in 2001 and practiced for well over a year, trying to perfect a clear transparent painting method, which would resemble stained glass. I didn't show until 2003, and it's been non stop ever since.

Is it your full-time job?
Answer: Absolutely! I average no less than 9 hours per day painting.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
Answer: Well, the studio is in my home, so it's convenient. I have a fabulous husband, who handles a lot of the running around. The hardest thing for me is to stay off the Etsy site, in order to get things accomplished!

What is your favorite material?
Answer: Well, of course glass and enamels. But after that, I love fabric painting, charcoal, pen and ink, and over the past year, have started to dabble in graphic design.

What inspires you?
Answer: Light refraction....sounds weird...but it's the absolute truth.

Click HERE to visit V Silcox Designs

FRIDAY FEATURE - Diva Loves Silver

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
Hi, this is Gina from Diva loves silver. We feature silver flower pendants, silver bracelets and silver cross pendants, as well as silver animal pendants and lovely silver earrings, just to name a few of our unique silver jewelry.
We opened this Etsy store in May of 2007. All the jewelry in our store is designed by my sister Jane who is in Australia working as an artist and hand-forged in our studio here in Toronto. We have a small boutique store located in Toronto which opened just 2 years ago in 2006. Basically, we made jewelry from our studio and then sell them through our boutique store. Eric is the artisan in our studio and also my boyfriend. ^_*
It was sometime in 2006, at the Ebay’s seller forum, I saw few people talked about how good Etsy was in a thread. I was curious and wanted to see how it looks like. And that’s it; I end up selling in Etsy a year’s later.

How did you select your name?
We don’t like fancy name, actually. We all believed store’s name must be straightforward. It must point out directly to the customers what we are selling. So we came out this name “diva loves silver”.

What makes your shop unique?
Each piece of jewelry in our store is an Original creation designed by my sister Jane. Many of our jewelry pieces are one-of-a-kind. Most of pieces are inspired by Asian and western art (She took art program in university).
For Jane, making jewelry is a way of expression of herself. She wants to make unique jewelry that can mean something very different to each person.


Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
Yes, we sell them through our own boutique store here in Toronto.
How long have you been making your craft?
We are in this business for around 2 years now. But our Etsy store is still new.


Is it your full-time job?
I will say it is a part-time job for me, I am a musician. But for Eric and Jane, it is a full-time job.
How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
Eric helps me out in the boutique store, so I can just focus on our ETSY store, doing promotion and posting stuff. It is all about time-devotion (less TV and less entertainment). ^^

What is your favorite material?
925 silver

Click HERE to visit Diva Loves Silver.

FRIDAY FEATURE - Lemon St. Photography

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
Lemon St. Photography is Dean and Erica, partners in life and in art. Erica started her Etsy shop, Sierra Pelona Crochet, in February 2008 and things are going rather well. She suggested we try this. And since Dean wanted to find a good on-line venue for his photographs, we decided to give Etsy a try.

How did you select your name?
It was chosen mostly at random. It sounds like it means something, but it doesn't really. "Lemon St. Photography" could mean anything, which gives us some flexibility in terms of the kind of imagery we choose to display.


What makes your shop unique?
Dean's 21 years as a commercial photographer lends his images a polish that many people find very appealing.

We are also experimenting with a different product offering beyond simple photographic prints. We offer ACEO's, and we just recently started producing a line of refrigerator magnets that are a lot of fun and guaranteed to peg out your cute-o-meter.



Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
Dean sells some of his images through a stock photo agency, in addition to his commissioned commercial work.


How long have you been making your craft?
Dean has been a photographer for 21 years. His first job as a photographer was taking baby pictures in K-Mart department stores. He was surprised to have gotten the job because he had never picked up a camera before until then. Erica has been a hobbyist photographer since her father showed her the basics during her childhood.


Is it your full-time job?
Dean has been self-employed as a professional photographer since March 1992.


How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
It's a real balancing act! Developing flexibility and going with the flow are important skills to keep it all on an even keel. Communication is key to agreeing on what the priority is at any given moment, and working together on that particular goal.


What is your favorite material?
Dean says, "Dawn light." Dean's favorite time to shoot is at dawn. The world is fresh and new and things are so quiet. You can hear yourself think and appreciate the wonders of the emerging day. Erica prefers the rich light of evening before night engulfs it.


What inspires you?
Dean says: Architecture. Line. Form. Plane. Flow of energy. Erica says: Flowers. Nature. Color. Texture.

Click HERE to visit Lemon St. Photography.

FRIDAY FEATURE - SOB DOG Frames

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
I make sassy classy frames for all the beasts in our lives (four legged or two--you choose your star). My shop started when I was at a loss as to what to get my sister for Christmas a couple years back. She has a pug that she adores (even though he can be a major pain in the butt) so I figured I'd make her a frame for him. Well, needless to say, my slightly twisted sense of humor surfaced while making her gift, and voila! SOBDOG was created.

How did you select your name?
My boyfriend actually helped me come up with it. It's pretty self explanatory if you know what I sell, but it still sounds cool even if you don't.

What makes your shop unique?
We've all seen the "Best of Friends" and "Family" frames with cute or profound sayings surrounding your precious photos. But rarely (if ever) do you see captions like those on good ol' SOBDOG products. If you do, let me know. I might just buy one.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
Not yet, although I've thought about contacting some local pet boutiques.

How long have you been making your craft?
The first SOBDOG frames were made in December 2006, although I didn't list them on Etsy until this past January.

Is it your full-time job?
Nah. I'm a graphic designer. It's not a bad gig, but I too wish to live out the dream of one day supporting all my bad habits with income from my crafts...

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
I work from home so I don't have to worry about commuting or anything like that. When I'm finished working at 5pm, I can simply walk into my craft room and start working on my next project. It's a pretty sweet deal, I know. And trust me, I used to commute in the DC area, so I definitely appreciate what I have now.

What is your favorite material?
I don't really know. Maybe paper? I know I love using my labeling machine... Try stealing my casserole dish now!

What inspires you?
My animals, color combinations, funny sayings, things from my childhood. Ooh, and music, big time. During college I used to listen to a lot of Tim Buckley while working on projects. His stuff still gets my creativity flowing.

Click HERE to visit SOB DOG frames.

FRIDAY FEATURE - TINALINA

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
I created my shop a little over 7 months ago. I had been stamping cards as a way to relax and heard about Etsy though a friend from high school. She helped me put a shop together a the rest is history.
Everything in my shop is hand-stamped. I used all kinds of rubber stamps, but more specifically Stampin' Up images. The goal main goal I have for my shop is to help people reconnect with family and friends in a personal way. Email and texting is great, but I feel it kind of takes the intimacy out of the relationship. Plus, receiving cards and letters in your mailbox is pretty fun!

How did you select your name?
About 7 years ago when I was applying for college I had to come up with a new email address. At the time I was ready for a change, so i asked a friend (the same one who helped me create my shop years later) what my new address should be. She looked at me smiled and replied, "tinalina!" She used to call me tina, a nickname only a few were allowed to call me) and it just seemed to fit. The name stuck and it seemed only right to use it for Etsy too.

What makes your shop unique?
This is a hard question. Maybe the simplicity of my cards? I think that sometimes we get caught up in the intricacy and details of things. I like my cards to be simple, pretty and fun; not too detailed, but not bland. I hope I reach that goal.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
No, currently I am strictly an Etsian. I mean, once in a while my mom or a friend will just tell me what they want and I'll make it without using Etsy, but not often.

How long have you been making your craft?
I've been working with paper for many years (I used to scrapbook). But as far as stamping, only a little over a year or so.



Is it your full-time job?
No, by day I am a 7th grade Geography teacher at an Orlando middle school As of now my cardmaking is somewhere between hobby and very small business.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
Right now its pretty easy to balance everyting. My husband is in seminary, so when he is studying or writing papers I'm stamping or on Etsy. We don't have any kids yet, so that allows a lot more free time to work on my craft.

What is your favorite material?
Well, cardstock paper is a must in cardmaking. I love using rubber stamps. I cannot draw at all, so they allow me to create images without doing the actual drawing!

What inspires you?
I get random spurts of creativity so lots of things inspire my cardmaking. It could be the color scheme in a magazine, a friend's outfit or other pieces of art. Right now I'm intrigued by a blue and plum color scheme I saw somewhere on Etsy and am wondering if it will look as good on paper and ink.

Click HERE to visit TinaLina 's Shop

Friday Feature - Designs By Melissa

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
I found Etsy one night while I was online looking for Christmas presents. I loved the items I was finding on the site, so I made some purchases. Then, after Christmas I was helping my boyfriend's daughter make some jewelry from a kit we had gotten her, when I realized I was enjoying myself more than she was. I was addicted! So, I started selling my creations on Etsy.

How did you select your name?
Since I had already signed up as a buyer, I had already selected my name. I didn't think at that time I would become a seller. Melp1979 is my address, but "designs by Melissa" is my shop name. I chose "designs by Melissa" because my name is Melissa, & I wanted to leave the name open enough to allow any of my creative items to be sold under one name. I also do floral arrangements, although, I don't have any listed in my store on Etsy.

What makes your shop unique?
I believe my shop is unique because I make many different styles. My designs reflect my mood for the day. I like for each of my pieces to have a very "unique" look to them as well.


Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
I currently only sell on Etsy.

How long have you been making your craft?
I have been making my jewelry for 5 months now. It sounds like a short time, but I have ate, drank, & slept jewelry for those months! I have learned so much & have seen a great improvement in my craft!

Is it your full-time job?
Etsy is not my full-time job. Other than making jewelry, I have a full-time job, an internship at another place, & I go to school.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
I am a very hardworking & dedicated person. I throw myself into everything I do. I don't really have any "me" time. When I'm not working, in class, or working on projects, I am creating new jewelry pieces!!

What is your favorite material?
I would have to say my first love is buttons!! Add a button to anything and it is adorable!! I also love the look of wire, especially oxidized sterling silver.



What inspires you?
There is inspiration in everything. I am an Interior Designer by day, so I am constantly surrounded by colors, textures, & patterns. I also find inspiration from nature & people I meet.

Click HERE to visit Designs By Melissa

Friday Feature - DippyLuLu

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started.
I create and sell fun and unique paper products which are often bought as gag gifts. I became fascinated by Etsy and watched it develop through the blog Design*Sponge. From buying it became apparent that maybe I should start selling too.


What motivated you to open your shop?
I was a buyer on Etsy for a long while and then suddenly thought well, I could do some of this selling type stuff. I collected ACEO's and so my first products were ACEO's, two of which sold within 20 minutes of listing. At that point I was hooked! The idea of Farty products came to me because we have matches all over the house for *ahem* a certain purpose. I’m so obsessed with farts that I have extended my line to include Stinky Lites, Lady Lites, Veggie Lites (coming soon!) and a Deluxe Fart Kit (and if you believe that explanation, I have a sub-prime mortgage to sell you).

How did you select your name?
They are the combination of two nicknames. I was called Dippy at school, and LuLu at work. DippyLuLu sounded like it fitted my products perfectly so here I am.

What makes your shop unique?
The fact that most of it is based around farts and other bodily functions! I also try to create fun and unique designs and packaging.



Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
Etsy is my only outlet at the moment.

How long have you been making your craft?
I've been making paper and graphic products since I was a kid really, and then it developed once I got into art school. I am always coming up with fun stuff for birthdays and parties. I love it!
Is it your full-time job?
Creating ideas is my full time job, and I like to think that is what my shop is about too. I am a freelance art editor/graphic designer when not being an Etsy seller.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
Sometimes with great difficulty! But, I don't let it rule my life. My job and home come before Etsy. I need a balance and I think I have found it. Though it does help that I have a spouse who works right next door to a post office!
What is your favorite material?
Any kind of paper and a scalpel to cut it with!

What inspires you?
Milton Glaser, Neville Brody & Saul Bass. They are my design heroes who never fail to inspire me. I also love typography, amazing ideas-based graphic design (hard to find these days), and Pantone swatch books.

Click HERE to Visit DippyLuLu's Shop

Friday Feature - Alison DuBois

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
Alison Du Bois Original Fine Art Photography is a labor of love. I joined Etsy on January 2, 2008 as a New Year’s Resolution to begin to market my art work. It has been an incredibly fun experience. Within a few hours of posting my first 8”x12” photo I had an interested customer! She wrote to me to see if I could enlarge that photo and she then spent the next few days at a photography show in Los Angeles and came home and bought my Sedona Reflection in a 16”x20”! From that moment on I was hooked on Etsy. I have met some interesting people and made some new friends in this great community.

What motivated you to open your shop?
I was motivated to open a shop because my family and friends kept telling me that my photography was saleable and that I should find a way to let other people know about it so they could enjoy it. I am more motivated to share my art with the world than to make money, but by selling my photos I can afford to buy the equipment that I desire, and to travel to new places to discover a unique perspective of our planet.

How did you select your name?
Well, it is probably pretty boring, but I thought it was important to use my real name as my Etsy name so that eventually when I become better known if people are searching for my work they will find my Etsy shop easily. (As an aside, I often get asked if I am the famous Medium, Allison Du Bois – alas, I am not!)

What makes your shop unique?
I believe that my shop is unique because I am passionate about the world around me and I think that it shows in my work. I have a pretty wide variety of landscape photos, macro photos, and some interesting black and white work. I am branching out and selling a coffee table book that includes 81 of my photographs and am happy to report that I just sold my first one! Additionally, I am adding some of my original art work in the form of ACEOs. I will be adding cards in the next few weeks.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
To date, I have mostly sold by word of mouth. Last fall I was invited to join a group of artists in the Palm Springs, California area called “Rare Artisans” and my photography, jewelry, and artwork are on their website at www.rareartisans.com. (They also have a shop on Etsy)

How long have you been making your craft?
I started taking photographs about three years ago and I was thrilled to find that my unique way of seeing was able to be translated to film. I usually start with just enjoying what is around me and really absorbing the energy of the scene before I begin to photograph it. I think my composition is very good, and I am learning more each day about the technical aspects of how to capture what I see. I find that digital photography allows me the opportunity to start big and work my way in to a scene to draw the viewer in further – sometimes the best photos are the first one I take, sometimes it is the 10th. It excites me on a daily basis. Most of my photos are as they come out of my camera, I do very little adjusting in Photoshop.

Is it your full-time job?
At this time, full-time photography is still a dream. I just love to dream, don’t you?

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
I am currently pursuing an education in gemology at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California. I use a formal “balance wheel” – a physical reminder of the things I wish to accomplish each day that helps me find time to stay fit and healthy, stay fiscally responsible, and work on my artistic side. (If you want more info on how to set one up, please email me at alison.rareartisans.com)

What is your favorite material.
I love crafting and I have been doing it all of my life. My Mom was an artist and she inspired me to be creative from an early age. I love to experiment with all kinds of materials and I love to learn how to do new things. I guess I still haven’t decided what I want to be when I grow up – a photographer, a seamstress, a jewelry designer, an artist…a ?


What inspires you?
My boyfriend, my children, the beauty around me, and other artists inspire me. I am a proud member of the POE (Photographers of Etsy) team and am inspired by and learning from the other members. I am always finding beautiful things on Etsy (usually looking for an item for a Treasury) that starts my mind working in an unexpected direction.

Click HERE to visit Alison DuBois Shop

Friday Feature - Nature Manipulated

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started.
Nature Manipulated's visual and wearable art is designed to reflect upon nature and all of its elements. At NM we believe that EVERYTHING holds a piece of nature. Everything is nature manipulated.

What motivated you to open your shop?
Approximately four years ago, I bought a pair of cute earrings at a pretty pricey boutique. After returning home, I examined the earrings and realized there wasn't much to making them so I thought I would give it a try. I went to the bead shop and bought tons of supplies. Way more than I needed for a beginner designer. I started making more and more earrings, and then necklaces.

After feeling comfortable with my work and assured that I produced quality work, I spread the word to my family and friends. A few people bought some stuff and suggested I open my work up to a bigger customer base. I taught myself html and designed a website for Nature Manipulated. Then, by chance, I found out about Etsy. I thought the site was incredible, competitive but incredible. It was just the site I wanted to immerse myself in. I opened a shop and have been selling ever since.


How did you select your name?
As mentioned before, I believe that everything contains a piece of nature, whether its a book, a building, a car, etc. I take objects of nature, stone, paper, wood, metal and manipulate them to reflect upon the world from which the objects came. Everything, except nature in its purest sense is nature manipulated.


What makes your shop unique?
I don't think my shop is any more unique than the next shop. Everybody's work is unique because whether it looks like something someone has made or not, it is made by a unique person, and the inspiration behind somebody's work is never the same for everyone. What makes my work unique, is that it is made by me, and MY thoughts, MY experiences and MY inspirations make their way into every piece.


Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
My work is also available through my website http:www.naturemanipulated.com
I am toying with the idea of redesigning my website and linking my Etsy shop to it.

I also have a blog, http://naturemanipulated.blogspot.com, which features other Etsy shops, provides helpful information for new Etsy sellers, offers tutorials, and of course, every so often delves into my thoughts and creations.



How long have you been making your craft?
I started creating jewelry and beaded accessories approximately four years ago. As for photograpy, I have always been drawn to the camera, and started truly taking pictures 13 years ago.


Is it your full-time job?
Being the artist, designer and owner of Nature Manipulated is a full-time job, but it is not my only one. I also work in the biotech industry.


How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
Balance? What balance? There is no such thing. On weekdays, I spend at least nine hours at the office. During my lunch break, I run to the post office or do some advertising/marketing work for Nature Manipulated. Then nights and weekends I do everything else, sleeping not more than five or six hours a night.


What is your favorite material.
In terms of jewelry-making, I really like turquoise, carnelian, horn and wood.
In terms of photography, I really like taking pictures of old cemeteries. I think they are one of the most peaceful places in the world and contain so much history. They are a timeless place and often esthetically beautiful places.


What inspires you?
Everything inspires me. Different landscapes I encounter traveling, the weather, peoples faces, emotions, historical events, nostalgia, ... EVERYTHING.

Click here to visit Nature Manipulated

Friday Feature - SmuTopia

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started.
When I was planning my wedding, I just couldn't find the right jewelry to wear for my big day. Being the crafty girl that I am, I bought some beads and started designing my own. Thus began SmuTopia! I was hooked and haven't stopped making jewelry since.

What motivated you to open your shop?
After several years of desiging and creating jewelry for family and friends I entered an online contest for 'best unknown jewelry designer'. Well guess what--I won! The prize for first place was an online feature and link to my shop on the contest organizer's website. I had already created an Etsy account and the shop link prize got me motivated to set up shop!

How did you select your name?
My full name is Jessica Smutek, so SmuTopia is really a play on my last name. Whenever I'm feeling especially silly, I like to come up with new "Smu" words---Smu-pendous is my favorite but SmuTopia seemed like a better shop name :)

What makes your shop unique?
My shop is an expression of myself--and I am far from ordinary! :)

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
In addition to Esty, SmuTopia has recently debuted in the Raleigh, NC craft show scene at the Designers Downtown Market. I plan on selling at several more NC craft shows this summer, as well as the NC State Fairgrounds.

How long have you been making your craft?
Although I have been crafting my whole life, I only began making jewelry about 4 years ago.

Is it your full-time job?
My dream is to make SmuTopia a full time job, but there is a lot more work to be done to make that dream a reality. For the present, SmuTopia is more of a hobby/second job that provides me with creative and personal satisfaction. In my daytime life I work 40 hrs a week as a receptionist and office coordiinator.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
Life can really be a constant juggling act. Since opening my Etsy shop I have gotten very good at squeezing in a few minutes of computer time whenever I can--when I first get up, on my lunchbreak, while dinner is in the oven....I'm sure I can only keep up with it because I enjoy Etsy so much :) I also have to give a ton of credit to my incredibly supportive husband--I couldn't do it without him!

What is your favorite material.
I love all beads, but my favorite material to design jewelry with is freshwater pearls. Many of my favorite designs custom orders over the past few years have featured freshwater pearls in a variety of colors.

What inspires you?
Nature is my main inspiration, especially the ocean. I have my Mom to thank for my love of nature--we spent a lot of time outdoors in my childhood and that love of nature is deeply ingrained in my personality.

Click here to visit Smutopia's shop

Friday Feature - House of Six Cats

"I use photography as my artistic outlet, and I really enjoy showing everyone how I see the world around us. Through my art I try to find unseen beauty and elegance in the ordinary and pedestrian. I have been told that I see the world with an eye of hope, I think that was the best compliment I have ever recieved."


What motivated you to open your shop?
The constant nagging by my friends to do something with my photography. I have been taking photos since I was a teenager, many moons ago, but never tried to sell it. I feel that Etsy a great place to start selling it.

How did you select your name?
I wanted something unique and memorable, at the time we had six cats, so I thought it was a clever name.

What makes your shop unique?
Well, I like to think that my images have a style that is distinctive to me. And I also offer creations made from my images that I don't see in other photography shops.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
I also have images on www.redbubble.com, and I hope to have stuff in some local brick and mortar shops this summer.

How long have you been making your craft?
For about 25 years.

Is it your full-time job?
No, I still have a day job.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
I have the ability to pimp on the forums from work, and I try to work on my photography in the evenings. But it is very hard, there is never enough hours in the day.
What is your favorite material.
Well, I guess it would be the shrink material I use to make my night lights from.
What inspires you?
Everything, I walk around and try to find unique ways to see the world.

Click here to check out House of Six Cats

Friday Feature - Lake Erie Beach Glass

LAKE ERIE BEACH GLASS "offers ONLY authentic sea beach glass that has been tumbled by nature's wind, surf, and sand! We create beautiful jewelry designs from the pieces that we pick up off the shore just as they were found!"


Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started.
Lakeeriebeachglass.etsy.com is stocked with handmade artisan jewerly that uses genuine sea beach glass as its main element. Sea Beach glass is old glass that once served a purpose as dinnerware, tableware, apothecary, medicine, and poison bottles. It may have been used as fruit and canning jars, or even whiskey and liqour bottles. Whatever their original purpose, they have found their way into the oceans and lakes where nature tumbled it for several years into smoothly frosted little gems. They are depostied on the shores where my family and I collect them and make unique wearable pieces of art with them.

What motivated you to open your shop?
I opened a shop on Etsy after hearing about the site from a fellow artisan at a local festival.

How did you select your name?
Selecting a name proved to be very difficult, actually! I had tried to come up with something catchy and unique but since I started my business during a time when sea glass was barely known, I decided that I should go with a name that links it to what I do.

What makes your shop unique?
I think my shop is unique in several ways. I am able to take something that was once considered trash and give it new purpose by making it into something new. I try to reach a wide variety of buyers as well by offering designs made in simplest form to classic and even off the wall unique!

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
I actually started out on eBay and have participated in a few craft shows. I currently am featured at Pure Art Gallery in the Cayman Islands, at Glass Growers Gallery in Erie, Pa. and at The Kada Gallery also in Erie Pa. I am an active North American Sea Glass Association member and will be participating in the Sea Glass Festival this year in October at Lewes Delaware on the University Campus.
How long have you been making your craft?
I've been collecting and using sea beach glass in my creations for the past 7 years now.

Is it your full-time job? How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
I quite my secular job only 4 years ago after having my 3rd child. I currently have four children ranging from age 2 to 15 years of age. I run my business full time, homeschool my children full time, and run a household full time. How do I manage? I sometimes wonder that myself!:) It is difficult to explain but I DO try to have an organized daily schedule of activities. I HAVE to be flexible enough in the schedule to allow for my childrens different needs by age. They too are also a part of my business and enjoy taking breaks down by the beach!
What is your favorite material.* I love using sterling silver and copper!
What inspires you?
I am inspired by different things daily! I sometimes call myself the moody jeweler! I can receive a magazine in the mail that will have an awesome picture on the front using a unique color scheme and that will inspire me. My walks on the beach and viewing our Lake Erie sunsets will inspire me. Hearing the children play, laugh, and giggle will inspire me. My inpsiration comes from all around me and it effects my mood. My mood determines what I will produce for the day.

Click here to visit Lake Erie Beach Glass