Etsy Team Columbus

Friday, July 10, 2009

Westerville ART and MUSIC Festival THIS WEEKEND!

The 36th annual Westerville Chamber of Commerce Music and Arts Festival runs this weekend, July 11 & 12 from 11am to 7pm Saturday and 11am to 5pm Sunday. You don't want to miss out on the fun! The location is Heritage Park, which is just north of the intersection of Cleveland Ave and Main St. in the 'ville. More information about the event is available via this link:

http://westervillechamber.com/festival/index.php

Three members of our team will have booths set up to display and sell their wares during the course of this popular festival. They are:

Mary of Mary Moon Designs http://marymoondesigns.etsy.com/

Megan of Miss Megan Mac http://missmeganmac.etsy.com/

Jessica of Kunklebaby http://kunklebaby.etsy.com/

We hope you will join us as we turn out to support our friends and many other local artists. If you should arrive early or are looking for something to do beforehand on Saturday...pop over to the Farmer's Market just off State Street (north of Main) where MORE of our teammates will be until noon. They are:

Kellie of Blue Girl Ink http://bluegirlink.etsy.com/

Jamie of HevVin Designs http://hevvindesigns.etsy.com/

Melanie of Mel's Clay http://melsclay.etsy.com

Kathryn of Arteest http://arteest.etsy.com/

Karla of Adornments by Karla http://adornmentsbykarla.etsy.com/

Monday, July 6, 2009

Indie Craft show at the Ohio State Fair

Congratulations to the Etsy Team Columbus members accepted to the Handmade Expo hosted by the Columbus Crafty Cotillion

ETC Members showing will be:
Adornments by Karla
AmyD
Janny Pie
Kristin Ellis
Out of the Pink Sky
Once Lost Jewelry
Smarty Pants
Spacedog Studios

The Handmade Expo will be on Saturday August 8th from 12-7pm. Stop by to visit while enjoying the fair!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Inside the Mind of An Artist at Work

Team member Amy Ressa is a painting QUEEN! Not only is she known for her colorful glassware, but she also dabbles in home decor and is happy to embellish many different surfaces such as walls, canvas, plastic, metal, ceramic, fabric and more. When she mentioned another new application of her talent, we had to know more.

What is your latest endeavor called?

I refer to it as "a little piece of my art" pendants and brooches.

What was your inspiration?

I have had an interest in painting glass pendants and I began with the clear glass tiles. I have painted three different sizes and turned them in to pendants by gluing on the bails. I also painted on a few different size seashells and turned them in to pendants as well. My mind continued to wander. I had seen something similar with the broken plates, but the person just did it with plates they purchased and only made brooches. I thought, why couldn’t I do that, but paint them myself? That would be a wonderful way for people to get a little piece of my art. I am still kind of playing with it, but I really think I like gluing a few tiles together, almost like a mosaic piece, but make a pendant or brooch with it instead. I have also considered making funky rings with some of the pieces. I have the findings, but just need to figure it out from there.

I have always loved plates. I guess I inherited that love from my grandmother. I painted a lot plates in the past for different occasions and had a lot of the small white plates left. Since I am no longer painting those, I wanted to figure out something useful that I could do with them. This really seems perfect and a great way to re-purpose something in to a lovely piece of art.

Who is your target audience?

My target audience will really vary. I think the pendants could be more for young adults up to maybe 45-50. The brooches would probably be more for older people 45-70.

How is this line different from what you may have done before?

I have painted plates and I have painted glass pendants, but never turned my plates in to pendants or brooches. I am still doing what I love, painting on the same surfaces, but turning it in to something entirely different than what it was originally intended for.

How will this project resonate with fans of your previous work? Will it feel familiar to them?

I feel people who like my work will relate to my new pieces. They are painted with similar designs and colors and when you see them, many will know that I am the one who painted them.

Okay folks, watch for those pins and pendants to show up in the near future...and for now be sure to go check out Amy's latest popular wares in her 2 etsy shops: http://aressa.etsy.com/ and http://aamilou.etsy.com

Thursday, June 18, 2009

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Have you Yarted today?

Etsy is running a free shipping promotion all this weekend, so be sure to check it out! Here's the skinny....

Free Shipping Collaboration — To take part in a free shipping promotion, tag your items with "yartfreeship" so that we can find you. Here's how we'll feature these items.
- Free Shipping universal Yart Sale tag for Etsy: yartfreeship
- Free Shipping Gift Guidelocated under the "Limited Time Promotions Guide" heading
- Home Page banner linking to this Free Shipping Guide

Home pages — Lists made from "Yart" search term once per day throughout sale
Etsy Emails: Integrating relevant "Yart" related content into the Weekend Deals Etsy Finds articles/emails. Please post in this forum thread.
Twitter Collaboration — Etsy tweets with the Yart organizers' universal hash tag: #Yart

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Etsy Team Columbus comes to Westerville!

Looking for something to do with the family this summer? Come out to the Uptown Westerville Farmer's Market every Saturday from 9am and noon and make sure to stop by the Etsy Team Columbus booth. Each week the ETC booth will feature different team members selling their handmade wares. Visit www.uptownmerchants.com for more info about the Market, and check out these participating team members' shops for a preview of what they'll have available!

Adornments by Karla

www.AdornmentsbyKarla.etsy.com

(handcrafted fashion jewelry)

Hev-Vin Designs

www.HevVinDesigns.etsy.com

(vintage, recycled and new fabric bags and accessories)

BlueGirlInk

www.BlueGirlInk.etsy.com

(mosaics, paintings, upcycled/recycled sketchbooks and journals)

Baby Gees

www.BabyGees.etsy.com

(blankets, towels, bibs, assorted baby/childrens' items)

Smarty Pants Design

www.ImaSmartyPants.etsy.com

(handmade clay beads, buttons, jewelry and accessories)

Arteest

www.Arteest.etsy.com

(original acrylic paintings)

Mel's Clay

www.MelsClay.etsy.com

(handmade polymer clay creations)

(

The Painted House and More

www.aressa.etsy.com

(handpainted glassware)

Wednesday's Item of the Day!

Space Dog Studios' owner Sarah Hansen has been BUSY! Sarah makes one of a kind sketchbooks and journals that can be used for just about anything....notes, journaling, sketches, watercolor drawings, mixed media, you name it! I use my own Space Dog sketchbook for brainstorming ideas for pieces of new artwork, and I use it sparingly....because it's so pretty, I truly dread the day when it's filled up! I suppose that's why Sarah stays so busy making new stock : )

Take a moment to check out some of her newest handmade sketchbooks, including this 5x7" Fern themed sketchbook, complete with polymer clay buttons. Make your way over to her Etsy shop to see a complete selection -

www.SpaceDogStudios.etsy.com

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

FIVE recent creations by Etsy Columbus team members

Enjoy these lovely designs and be sure to click the shop links to view more wares by each of these talented artists!

Red Smoochie Mini pouch by Artsi Bitsi http://artsibitsi.etsy.com/

Night fox handpainted silk scarf by Megan Mac http://missmeganmac.etsy.com/

Vintage denim butterfly market tote by Mary Moon http://marymoondesigns.etsy.com/

8 Tags - Tragic labels by Space Dog Sarah http://spacedogstudios.etsy.com/

Pale iris rufflette scarf by Shirley of Maidenhand http://maidenhand.etsy.com/

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Inside the mind of an artist at work

One of our core team members recently confided her excitement over a new project she had dreamed up. Her enthusiasm piqued our curiosity and we asked if she would share a peek into her creative process with you, our valued readers.

Heather Wirth of Smarty Pants Design might already be familiar to some of you for her dreamy swirled polymer clay buttons. Her paintings and previous jewelry designs reveal an artist with a very tactile and visual perspective. Take a look at her impressive mindmapping/brainstorming stream pictured here as you read the questions posed to her.

What is your latest endeavor called? Surfer Girl jewelry

What was your inspiration? I was inspired by the economy in a way, in that women have cut way back on purchasing "luxury" items such as jewelry

Who is your target audience? Surfer Girl is for the woman who never wears jewelry as a symbol of status or social class, but who loves the feeling of being adorned with something handcrafted and one of a kind, something that once she puts it on...she doesn't have to think about again.

How is this line different from what you may have done before? Each piece is being made to stand the test of time...the clay is baked for a shorter period so the beads and pendants stay semi-plyable. I'm using a 3 step process to glaze each piece, making the beads not only scratch resistant but also waterproof. The cords used are made from waxed cotton or synthetic rubber, and close via 2 beads in the back rather than a clasp, and can be made shorter or longer simply by pulling the beads.

How will this project resonate with fans of your previous work --- will it feel familiar to them at all? As everyone knows of my love of turquoise, it's no surprise the color palette for the line includes a variety of blues, aqua, blue-green and turquoise hues.

It sounds like Heather has come up with a very resilient and adaptable way for us to wear her art! You can view more of Heather's creations by visiting her etsy shop. Be sure to check back in mid to late July when her Surfer Girl line should make its debut! Also watch for her to make several local appearances in events such as The Grandview Hop, Westerville Farmers Market and Worthington Market Days.

http://imasmartypants.etsy.com/