Feature Friday 07/10/09

Here you will see some lovely items made by members of the ACE team. Just click on the photos to visit each seller's Etsy shop.


Sturdy, Lightweight and Ultra-Feminine. This Paper Bangle from newfangled is the perfect addition to any outfit!



Whether you are sitting by the ocean or sipping a glass of lemonade, this Starfish Glass Pendant from denimnotes is sure to get you in the mood for summer!



While you are sipping that lemonade, record the events of your summer in this sweet Raspberry Lemonade Journal from UberArt.


A big tanks to Gretchen of prettylittlepearl for writing this feature! Be sure to check out her lovely sewn items like this fold-over clutch in Chocolate Garden Maze.

June Monthly Challenge Winner

Congratulations to our beach themed contest winner, Karol of karolsvintageart! Karol's lovely art quilt won 32% of the vote.

The quilt was made from Karol's original design and embellished with a beautiful multi colored thread and free motion quilting to highlight the motion of the piece.Karol has been quilting for over 15 years and her one of a kind collectible quilts show the care and creativity that go into each of her designs.



Our first runner-up with 16% of the vote was the Boat Pull Toy and Puzzle by McCoyToys. The McCoys have been making hand-crafted toys, games & puzzles for over 12 years & use wood & paint that are "lead-free" & safe for children.


Coming in close behind with 14% of the vote was the Navy Linen Zippered Clutch/Purse by AGreenElephant. Cathy offers a variety of handmade goodies for you, your home, and your family.

A big thanks to all of you who joined in and voted. We really enjoyed sharing our creations with you. Be sure to join us next month for July's team challenge, and please, let us know if you have any suggestions for themes that you would like to see us try.

Feature Friday 06/26/09

Here you will see some lovely items made by members of the ACE team. Just click on the photos to visit each seller's Etsy shop.


Wedding season is here! How about a witty personalized cross-stitched wedding card by SpawnStudio?


Cute and stylish make-up bag from ACAmour.



Be prepared for life's little emergencies with an All Better Bag from ZellBellKids.


A big tanks to Bernie of laksaware for writing this feature! Be sure to check out her handcrafted kitchenwares and bathwares like this cotton bath scrubbie for just $3.00.

Friday Favorites!

Here you will see some lovely items made by members of the ACE team. Just click on the photos to visit each seller's Etsy shop. This week's favs were chosen by Valerie of Valerie's Essentials.

Flutter by Zellbell

A beautiful beaded keychain with contrasting beads of light and dark colors. I like butterflies (dangle bead on the bottom left), which she uses in a lot of her work. She also has butterflies in her ID holders that she made for Breast Cancer Awareness in October for members of her family.

Rainy Day Boots Glass Pendant by DenimNotes

Reminiscent of a little girl wearing boots and jumping in rain puddles. Or instead of a little girl, maybe it's me doing the jumping! A very fun and unique piece!

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Handpainted Art Pendant by AlloverArt

This piece just makes me proud to be here in North Carolina! I love the bold Carolina blue sky background. I can just imagine myself at the beach down below the lighthouse looking out at the ocean and listening to Jimmy Buffett's A Pirate Looks at Forty...
"Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call,
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall,
You've seen it all, you've seen it all ..."

Feature Friday!

Welcome to our first (of many!) Feature Fridays. Here you will see some lovely items made by members of the ACE team. Just click on the photos to visit each seller's Etsy shop.

Pink Azaleas - ORIGINAL Plein Air Painting

This painting has me eagerly anticipating springtime which is just around the corner. It would certainly brighten any room. Mention the ACE team blog in the message to seller section to receive 15% off your entire order from Tracey's shop.

Happy Cupcakes Matchbook Notepads

These adorable matchbooks make great promotional items or you could keep some around for jotting down notes. Buy any item in PamperedPapier's shop and get a second item of equal or or lesser value half off when you mention this blog in the message to seller section.

Paper Bangle - Blue Lagoon No. 01

If you're looking for a unique gift, this bangle will do the trick. It is handmade completely out of paper. Receive free shipping on any regular priced item(s) from Newfangled's shop when you mention the ACE team blog in the message to seller section upon checkout.

Article written by Jenn of Newfangled. Thank you Jenn!

An interview with Kingfishercrafts

This week's talented artists are Kathy and Alistair of Kingfishercrafts. They make gorgeous beaded jewelry. A treasure to wear and an awesome one-of-a-kind gift!
Is there a story behind your shop name?
We are named for the Belted Kingfisher that stalks our creek for minnows.

What made you decide to open your own shop?
We opened our shop because we moved to the deep woods of North Carolina to escape the New York Rat Race. We now commute to work in fuzzy slippers.

What is your favorite material to use?
We love beads. Kathy even had a dream a while back that she was eating beads for breakfast. Yum!

Talk briefly about your favorite item:
Our favorite item changes daily. But right now we love our Evergreen Chandelier Cluster Necklace.

What are your creative inspirations?
We draw inspiration largely from nature: Sticks, stones and bones.

Are you a crafter full time or part time? If full time, how did you make the leap?
We are full time crafters right now, trying to put into action the best principles of successful Etsy store owners. This means a daily schedule of operation: time creating, time shooting pictures, time blogging/networking, etc.

Who encourages you to create?
We are encouraged by each other first and foremost but next by the kind and supportive voices in our heads. "You're really good at this." "Wow, you should share this gift with the world." "If you don't get to work you will starve."

Do you have any advice for other shop owners?
Too soon probably for advice since we have only had a few sales so far. But since you asked, Taking good pictures. Since all we have on the internet are largely visual cues, taking good visually interesting product shots is vital.

Do you have a blog or website?
We are working on a blog write now as I continue to read and absorb Andy Wibbels great book - Blog Wild. http://kingfishercrafts.blogspot.com/
We recently launched another store selling Fairy Dolls that we are really excited about:
http://www.thefairyfrontier.etsy.com

Tell me any other interesting things about yourself you'd like for me to include in your article:
Although our stores focus on Jewelry and Dolls we love all things handmade. Kathy is an incredible puppet, mask and costume maker and I am a photographer/videographer and emerging media adventurer. Its an exciting time to be alive regardless of the world's current state of affairs and we have always believed in embracing the new. Feel free to reach out to us we can be a useful resource and we love to support others in their pursuit of happiness.

MadHattersPottery - Featured Artist

The featured artist for this week is Candice from MadHattersPottery.My name is Candice and my shop's name is Mad Hatter's Pottery. I am primarily a painter who got sucked into the delicious tactile world of pottery! I started making little teapots (hence the name Mad Hatter's) but switched gears when I became eyeball deep in little teapots and ran out of people to give them to! Enter soy candles! It's never a dull moment between throwing, glazing, firing, pouring!

I chanced on Etsy one day when I was doing a search and it was a perfect fit. I am having too much fun!

I also have a vignette in The Shoppes at Farmers Hardware, an upscale emporium in an historic building in Boone, NC.

I do this "full time" -- as in I don't have a job with a paycheck. I'm never at a creative standstill as it is as important to me as air. If I'm not making my candles, I am painting, writing...the only thing I regret is that I'm a lousy singer!

I have two awesome teenagers who are creative beings in their own right and growing up too fast, so I am enjoying the time I have left with them at home.

Here are all the places I can be found:

http://www.madhatterspottery.com
http://www.trunkt.org/madhatter
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madhatterspottery/
http://madhatterspottery.blogspot.com/

Blossom, Etsy Artist of the Week!

Lori of Blossom, aka Blossom Sundries, is the featured artist this week.Is there a story behind your shop name?
Blossom Sundries is the name of the herbal soap business I started ten years ago but as time went on I began to develop a new passion for mixed media art and I kept the name because the name took on it's true meaning to me - I was growing and blooming in all areas of my creative life.

What made you decide to open your own shop?
The only time I am truly happy working is when it's for myself, working with my hands and creating new things.

What is your favorite material to use? Found objects and vintage materials.

Talk briefly about your favorite item:
Not sure that I have just one. But I would probably say I treasure my old photos the most.

What are your creative inspirations?
My creative inspirations come from just about everywhere, but most of it would probably come from my creative family.

Are you a crafter full time or part time? Full time.

If full time, how did you make the leap?
My husband is a full time artist who designs and builds his own line of furniture, so he has always encouraged me to be a full time artist, so I had the support and that's huge. It wasn't that big of a leap for me because I had been a stay at home mom for so long and we had learned early on how to live frugally and pinch pennies where ever possible. I have tried to go back to school for web design but I was miserable.

Who encourages you to create? My husband, mother, mother in law, my boys.

Do you have a blog or website? I have a blog.

Tell me any other interesting things about yourself you'd like for me to include in your article:
We live on a small farm in Western North Carolina and I continue to make my herbal soap,
which can also be found in my shop along with my art.

Etsy Artist of the Week - Pampered Ponytails

This week's featured artist is Crystal of PamperedPonytails.Is there a story behind your shop name?
I let my daughters name my shop when I was making hair accessories. It doesn't really fit now, but the name has grown on me.

What made you decide to open your own shop?
I love crafting and just wanted to see what interest their would be in what I made. I was just very curious if I could be even a little successful at it.

What is your favorite material to use? PAPER

Talk briefly about your favorite item:
My mini notepads. I just love to make them. They are simple and very useful.

What are your creative inspirations? Anything and everything around me.

Are you a crafter full time or part time?
I am a full time crafter and a stay at home mom. I took my business full time by just expanding on the crafts that I was already making.

Who encourages you to create? My three daughters.

Do you have any advice for other shop owners? Do what you love.

Do you have a blog or website? http://PamperedPonytails.blogspot.com - it is still a work in progress, I am trying though.

Newfangled Artist of the Week!

The artist extraordinaire this week is Jen of Newfangled!
Is there a story behind your shop name?
The definition of newfangled is "attracted to novelty" and I am always trying something new. When I see an object the first thing I think is "what I can do with it?" The name also represents this new venture of selling my art online.

What made you decide to open your own shop?
Long Story short: I am attempting to live my dream by selling art on etsy as well as local boutiques and galleries. I am new to selling online, but I love the idea of sharing my creations with the entire world and I love the inspiration I get by browsing through etsy everyday.

What is your favorite material to use?
As a mixed media artist, I use all kinds of materials from paper to buttons to old books. One of my favorite materials is a huge vintage dictionary which is slowly losing all of it's pages. I use it for everything from jewelry making to lining the inside of cigar boxes.

Talk briefly about your favorite item:
My favorite item is my Decoupaged Cigar Box because it features a lovely drawing by a long-gone artist and I love repurposing objects. It's also my favorite object because it was the first thing to sell in my shop.

What are your creative inspirations?
I love the idea of making something new out of something old. When I see an object I just start thinking about what I can do with it, and go from there.

Who encourages you to create?
I am encouraged and inspired by a lot of people in my life: My boyfriend, friends, and family. My boyfriend is always encouraging and supporting me and my friends and family save scraps of paper and other "junk" they think I will like (which I love!!) My sister-in-law is always helping with me projects and giving me ideas. She is also my model on etsy!

Do you have a blog or website? http://www.jdbrown.net

Tell me any other interesting things about yourself you'd like for me to include in your article:
I am a mixed media artist and I love doing creative things with different materials. Right now I'm making bangles out of paper and focusing mostly on different types of jewelry using paper. You will also see a few decoupaged pieces and other random things in my etsy shop from time to time because I can't stick to one thing for long.

An interview with 31Summers

This week's featured artist from the ACE team on Etsy is Dana of 31Summers. She describes herself as a very eclectic crafter and enjoys making all kinds of things. Dana currently has jewelry, magnets, and baby bibs in her shop, but she says you never know what else you'll find!Is there a story behind your shop name?

I have been creative all my life and when you are like that at some point you start to believe it when people say, "you should sell your stuff". So when I was 31 I decided to open shop. My last name is Summers so at that point I had lived 31Summers…

What made you decide to open your own shop?

I needed a way to support my habit of buying new supplies. My goal when I started was to make enough to buy more supplies.

What is your favorite material to use?

I have so many, at this point wire and beads are my favorites. I also sew and fabric is an addiction as well!

Talk briefly about your favorite item:

My favorite item in my shop at this time would have to be the two bracelets in my "Curls and Balloons" series, I plan to make many more of these.

What are your creative inspirations?

My inspirations come from all over, I may see something in a magazine and make it my own. Lots of times I just pick up the wire and start bending or see a color scheme and throw all those beads in a basket and start stringing. My girls are also a great inspiration, they are always coming to me asking if I can make this or that. Between all of us we can usually figure out how to make it work.

Are you a crafter full time or part time?

I am a crafter part time, I have a full time job an animal clinic. It is one of the most rewarding careers you could ask for. If you are having a bad day all you have to do is walk into the back and pick up a kitten or puppy, instant peace for me!

How do you find the time to create?

My girls and husband are so very supportive of me, if I come home and have creative energy to burn, they will take care of dinner and come in my sewing room and talk while I work. I have some of my best conversations with my daughters in the craft room. I also am a night owl, so usually after everyone is asleep I craft.

Do you have a blog or website?
http://dana.blogs.com

Tell me any other interesting things about yourself you'd like for me to include in your article:

I am a very eclectic crafter, I often joke that I have Craft ADD, I jump from one thing to the next. If you will check out my blog and Flickr pictures you will also see that I love mosaic. I did my Grandmother's front porch steps!!!!!!!! Check them out in the "Other Projects" photo album. I also teach classes at my local bead shop here in town and that helps with supply cost as well. I also meet so many great people there. It is my new favorite hangout.

Merry Christmas!

Some wonderful items presented to you from our ACE team! Click the picture to see an enlarged version. Links to our members' shops can be found in the members list on the right sidebar.

Featured artist this week...um...WhatsHerName...?!

I really didn't forget her name, that's it!! The featured artist of the week is Gayle of What's Her Name, http://whatshername.etsy.com/. Gayle's mentally handicapped adult son also has a section in her shop, "Cards by Mitchell". Together, they offer a variety of gifts and accessories.

Is there a story behind your shop name?

As a "boomer" my memory is not as good as it once was, so I thought "Whatshername" was a good idea. That is the first thing that comes to mind when I'm trying to remember someone.

What made you decide to open your own shop?

I needed something of my own after giving so much to family. As a bonus, Mitchell has something of his own with his cards. He enjoys creating them and is thrilled when they sell!

Are you a crafter full time or part time?

Part time--I find time (& energy) here and there.

Do you have any advice for other shop owners?

Learn how to work the computer BEFORE you open an online shop. Hmmm, there's a story there, I'm sure!! Heh, heh!

Happy Halloween!

Here are some Halloween/Autumn items featured by our members! Click the picture to see a larger view.

An Interview with StefaniD

This week's featured artist from our ACE team on Etsy is Stefani of "Frills by Stefani", aka Stefanid http://www.stefanid.etsy.com/. Stefani makes great gift items such as hairbows, quilts, custom ornaments, and unique "Celebration Stockings".

Is there a story behind your shop name?
Not really-I just like frilly things! I didn't know what I was doing with the Etsy name and now I am stuck with it! LOL!

What made you decide to open your own shop?
Customers gave me no choice! I began making things for friends and family and they started taking orders from others and it just progressed from there.

What is your favorite material to use? I am a fabric addict!

Talk briefly about your favorite item:
I am all about the Celebration Stockings! They make a perfect gift for anyone and I can fit so many things inside. Everyone looks forward to digging in their stocking at every celebration!

What are your creative inspirations?
I have never really thought about it. I live in a constant creative mode and I love bright colors-I like to create things that make myself and others smile.

Are you a crafter full time or part time?
Crafting is a part of who I am and it certainly feels like a full-time job-I currently have a regular, full-time day job but only to support my crafting habit! I use every spare moment to work on Frills, at times I can coax my family into joining me. They are a great support and don't complain too much about microwaved suppers. I plan on making the leap to full time crafting next year, I am working very hard to build Frills up enough to sustain itself-until then I have to work to support the habit!

Who encourages you to create?
My entire family! I began making small gifts for family and friends and they have constantly pushed me to keep at it since then. They know this has always been my dream and refuse to let me give up-even though I have been tempted a few times.

Do you have any advice for other shop owners?
Don't give up on doing what you love! Don't ever stop thinking of new ideas and new ways to spin old ideas.

Do you have a blog or website? http://www.frillsbystefani.com/, no blog yet-a little intimidating!!

An interview with E.B. Spider

Brandy from E.B. Spider http://ebspider.etsy.com/ is the featured artist this week from our ACE Team (Amazing Carolina Estians). She makes a lovely array of accessories and gifts. She has her own little boutique right here on Etsy!

Is there a story behind your shop name?
Yes, originally it started out as Etsy Betsy Spider, but after Etsy started saying we needed permission to use the Etsy name, I shortened it to E.B. Spider. After that I thought, it sounds like E.B. White, who wrote Charlotte’s Web, and Charlotte was a spider! Maybe that’s just funny to me though.

What made you decide to open your own shop?
I did a few craft shows locally and I didn’t have a lot of luck. I knew I wanted to sell all these crafts I was making and I didn’t know where. One day, I stumbled across Etsy, and thought, oh maybe later. After debating a lot, I decided I’d give it a try. I am a SAHM (stay at home mom), which means a fabulous job but the monetary pay isn’t great. I needed a way to help out my family financially.

What is your favorite material to use?
Yarn! I love to crochet.

What is your favorite item?
My favorite item is the one that took me the longest. That item is my Blooms and Stripes blanket (featured above). It was a casual project that I would pick up every now and then. It took me 3 ½ years to complete it. I love the felt flower I attached to it. It is such a nice touch to the blanket. I spent so much time trying to get it just right and I think I accomplished that.

What are your creative inspirations?
I get inspiration from just about anywhere. I guess my main inspiration is my daughter. I try to think of girly things that she will like once she gets older, which is odd because I’m definitely not a girly girl myself.

Are you a crafter full time or part time?
I guess you would say part time, because I’m a full time stay at home mom. I create whenever I can sneak it in, during nap time, while she’s playing, or when she’s in bed for the night. I stay up later than I should!