I know, I'm lame.
But I just wanted to share that one of my items was featured on Apartment Therapy's Unplggd blog for Best in Etsy Tech!
I've been getting carried away with my new non-etsy personal blog (if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, please do I'd love for you to follow me there also! http://windshielddiaries.blogspot.com)
I have some updates coming for here, I promise! This is a hectic week, hang in there, I'll be back!
Tell us who you are
Hi! I’m Kelly Kramer. I live in Albany, NY, but I’m originally from PA. I’m a proud member of the etsyknitters, and the photographers of Etsy. I graduated from the University of Delaware with a BFA in Fine Art Photography. I love creating handmade items including: knitting, photography, and ceramics.
Other than creating things for etsy, what do you do?
Well, right now I’m unemployed, so not a whole heck of a lot! I’ve really been focusing on handwarmers, trying to get as many made as I can for the holiday season, and retouching the one million photographs I have on my computer!
What first made you want to become an artist?
As far back as I can remember I was creating something. I always wanted to make things with my own hands. I loved make pot holders and little beaded necklaces when I was little.
Describe your creative process and the materials you use
Well, with the handwarmers, the process always begins at the craft store! I spend a good amount of time trying to find the prettiest, softest, and most awesome yarn that I can find. I try to find good color combos that I think that other people will enjoy too. Of course, I always like to pick up some brown!
What handmade possession to you prize the most?
My grandmother would crochet all of her grandchildren a blanket. I don’t know how she had the patience to make so many, but I remember being thrilled when we would go through everything that she would make.
Top 5 websites you visit besides etsy?
Hmm… let’s see!
That’s 6, isn’t it? Guess I can’t count!
Any advice you have for new etsy users
Just keep doing what you do best. Join some teams and be active on the forums and treasuries. Eventually, you’ll get your first sale, and it’ll be AWESOME!
What are your favorite features of etsy, and what new features would you like to see?
I really like the community feel that you can find on Etsy. I love being able to join teams, and get advice from other users, it’s really helped me stay focused on trying to make the best shop possible. I wish you could have more than 14 tags, but other than that, I can’t think of anything else I’d like to see!
How do you promote your shop/work?
Right now it’s a lot of word of mouth and facebook. I try to be as active on Etsy as much as possible, and try to post feedback in other’s treasuries and the forums.
In ten years, where would you like to be?
I’d love to be making a decent living, doing what I love, whether it is photography, knitting, or ceramics. No big dreams here!
today my friends get married.
congratulations tom & heather!
Tell us who you are
I'm Kara Annis. I live in New Bern, North Carolina with my husband Nathan, our cat Rathaka, and our dog Jaq.
Other than creating things for etsy, what do you do?
In addition to creating jewelry, I am also a teacher/tutor. In the past, I have taught high school science – Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science. This year, I am tutoring part time, allowing me a bit more time for creating!
What first made you want to become an artist?
I've had a need to create for as long as I can remember. I've dabbled in painting, crocheting, knitting, quilting, flower arranging... but I really think I've found my niche in jewelry designing.
Describe your creative process and the materials you use.
I work with semi-precious gemstones, freshwater pearls, metals (primarily sterling silver), as well as natural materials including wood, shell, clay.
When designing a piece, I usually go through my stash of stones, play around with different combinations of color and texture and let inspiration strike me. I like to play and experiment as I create, and I typically have several projects going on a the same time.
Just recently, I have had the opportunity to set up a metalsmithing studio on our property. Right now, I am practicing techniques and experimenting quite a bit as I get familiar with the new equipment. I have wanted to make this leap with my jewelry designing, and I have so many ideas in store!
What handmade possession to you prize the most?
I cherish anything that is made for me with thoughtfulness and love. One of my favorites is a little painting that my husband made for me when we had first started dating. Knowing that I enjoyed creating, he agreed to paint with me even though wasn't really thrilled with the activity. He gave me his masterpiece, and I've kept it to this day!
Top 5 websites you visit besides etsy?
Hmmm... well, to inspire me in the kitchen: A Year of Crockpotting (http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/), to feed my curiosity: HowStuffWorks.com and PopSci.com, for a little music while I create (and cook, and clean): Pandora.com, and for entertainment and asthetic delight: craftzine.com
Any advice you have for new etsy users?
I still consider myself to be fairly new to Etsy and know that I still have a lot to learn. One of the things that I have leaned is to get connected and take advantage of the great community of Etsians. The Etsy community is full of people who are welcoming and willing to offer advice, encouragement, and friendship!
What are your favorite features of etsy, and what new features would you like to see?
I love the fresh look of Etsy - the ever changing user curated front page, the diversity and ingenuity of items, the visual appeal. I also love the community of Etsy – the forums and virtual labs, both great ways to learn and connect.
How do you promote your shop/work?
I promote mainly through word-of-mouth and home shows, through my website (www.KaraAnnis.com), and my blog (www.karaannisjewelry.wordpress.com). I just love the home show environment – providing my customers the opportunity to see, touch, try on my items and getting to interact with each lovely person. I've also had a blast designing my website and keeping my blog fresh!
In ten years, where would you like to be?
In ten years, I know I'll be creating still. I hope to be a master at metalsmithing, a skill I'm just delving into now. I also hope to be kinder, wiser, more patient, more knowledgeable, and full of stories to share.
happy halloween!
...the best day of the year!...
My name is Alix Womack, and I just graduated from the University of Puget Sound in Washington state, so now I am back in Northern California where I grew up, and trying hard to establish myself as a local artist in the San Francisco scene, while still keeping my name alive in Seattle :P
Since I just graduated, being a student and a nanny and running Parami Panda and having a personal life were all that I did up until two and a half months ago, but now I am madly applying for jobs in various San Francisco nonprofits, working my way towards being a bartender and trying to Stay on the Buddhist Path. I make handmade cards, spend time with my dog, keep in touch through snail mail with my best friends, and I travel a lot. I just got back from Japan!
I have always been an artistic person, painting and drawing, making stuffed animals out of old t-shirts, and I loved to knit, but all I knew how to make were scarves, so I got tired of that pretty fast, and then a good friend of mine taught me how to crochet, and I picked it up immediately, and before I knew it, I was making all kinds of little creatures, and haven't stopped since.
I don't really know how much of a process I have. Usually I just wait for an idea to come to me, and then I sketch it out, then crochet it! I like to experiment with colors and color combinations, and am always looking for the next cute thing to make. Kissing pigs are next, then a yak!
The handmade possession that I prize the most is the quilt my grandmother made for me. She was incredibly crafty, and she taught me how to knit and quilt and make sock dolls, and a million other little crafty things. Without her I don't know if I would ever have started Parami Panda.
The top 5 websites I visit besides etsy are www.modcloth.com, to look at fantastic dresses, paramipanda.blogspot.com, to update my blog, www.hulu.com, to watch my favorite tv shows since I don't have television, www.facebook.com to keep in touch with friends and update Parami Panda's facebook fan page, andwww.threadless.com because I may or may not have a t-shirt obsession :P
New etsy users - post new items regularly, take lots of pictures, and never get discouraged!
Etsy needs to have a gift registry option!!! That is what I would like to see more than anything else. As for what I like, everything else. The forums, the treasury, hearts, feedback, it's all great!
I promote Parami Panda with my blog - paramipanda.blogspot.com, my facebook fan page and my myspace page and my flickr stream, by making treasuries and posting new items often and by having business cards when I'm selling at fairs and when people see me crocheting in coffee shops. My stuff is also for sale at Monster Art and Clothing in Seattle, and people are always finding me on etsy because they bought something of mine from there.
In ten years I want to be near all the people I love, and still making crochet creatures. I want to live on a ranch and have a pet yak and three dogs - a miniature schnauzer, a standard schnauzer and a giant schnauzer. I want to breed dogs that look like baby pandas, and I want to be changing the world. I want to be happy :)
