a little brown bird told me...

Wondering what to get as a gift to a young mom?
Look no further, this creator has many cute and delightful choices in her shop



Mary Ryan is an Interior Design Consultant by day and a Jewelry Artist every other waking moment.

Tell us about yourself
I am an adventure seeker and traveler and always hungry to discover new things. I have been greatly influenced by my travels and the amazing people I have met along the way. Having zip-lined through the cloud forest canopies of Costa Rica, jumped off of a bridge into the Urubamba River in Peru, hiked the Andes to Machu Picchu, traveled Death Road in Bolivia, and driven the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago...I have learned that life is something to be embraced with all senses. I believe life and art hold the same truths...that it must not only be viewed, but heard, touched, smelled, and tasted with an open heart, an open mind, and always with an open-mouthed hearty guffaw.

We particularly like this pendant which can display a name of your choice


She has a variety of collections to complement any style and price point for young girls to women. and will happily accept orders for custom sizing or a change in clasp or ear post/wire on any of her pieces.

a Kreative Mind

Wanna look gorgeous,
make a fsahion statement?
Wrap you hair in one of these gorgeous scarves.

I know a few vintage dresses that would look even more genial with one of these :)

By a Cincinnati creator, An-G
---
KreativeMindz is our company I started a few years ago (a dream I've had forever). Aly and Beau are a husband and wife team, supporting each other through love, laughter and creativity. An-G is one of Aly's best friends, who is a wonderful seamstress and enjoys sewing in her free time, when she isn't being a vet :).

We mostly make clothing (in all sizes and colors), Goddess Wraps™, Hot Packs, Bags, Purses, Wallets, Cuffs and many other cool things! Beau is a very skilled craftsman and carpenter. Check out the Wooden Kreationz section to see some things my husband is now adding. :D

A LITTLE ABOUT HER

I was born and raised in a home of artists. My mother a painter, and my father a photographer.
As kids we always were doing some sort of "project". This has continued for me thoughout my life, dipping my hands in all sorts of creative "projects". I found my nitch in sewing. I LOVE creating different things. I picture it in my mind and then it becomes...it is my "gift" I suppose. And I enjoy working with the different fibers to see what can be done with them.
I mostly stay at home and mother our 2 wonderful and beautiful children (9 and 2), my husband and best friend, our 3 dogs and a cat, and our beautiful land. This keeps me busy, as I'm sure you can imagine, but I try to sew on a daily basis, even if it's only 15 minutes. I have been making clothes for many, many years (15 to be exact). I first started when I was 15 and made a patchwork skirt by hand for a show I was going to. As I got older I bought a sewing machine and began making clothes to support my traveling and music habit. I have traveled all over the country selling my clothes at all the wonderful shows and festivals. I miss that sometimes but am so blessed to have my 2 wonderful and beautiful children. When my son got older I started working in the film buisness...helping design sets and such. This was wonderful and fun work, but I truly missed being home. My daughter was born 2 years ago, and with the help of my wonderful and supportive husband, I started to stay home again. I knew we needed the extra income though....so here I am...trying to learn my way around the internet highway.

a Kreative Mind

Wanna look gorgeous,
make a fsahion statement?
Wrap you hair in one of these gorgeous scarves.

I know a few vintage dresses that would look even more genial with one of these :)

By a Cincinnati creator, An-G
---
KreativeMindz is our company I started a few years ago (a dream I've had forever). Aly and Beau are a husband and wife team, supporting each other through love, laughter and creativity. An-G is one of Aly's best friends, who is a wonderful seamstress and enjoys sewing in her free time, when she isn't being a vet :).

We mostly make clothing (in all sizes and colors), Goddess Wraps™, Hot Packs, Bags, Purses, Wallets, Cuffs and many other cool things! Beau is a very skilled craftsman and carpenter. Check out the Wooden Kreationz section to see some things my husband is now adding. :D

A LITTLE ABOUT HER

I was born and raised in a home of artists. My mother a painter, and my father a photographer.
As kids we always were doing some sort of "project". This has continued for me thoughout my life, dipping my hands in all sorts of creative "projects". I found my nitch in sewing. I LOVE creating different things. I picture it in my mind and then it becomes...it is my "gift" I suppose. And I enjoy working with the different fibers to see what can be done with them.
I mostly stay at home and mother our 2 wonderful and beautiful children (9 and 2), my husband and best friend, our 3 dogs and a cat, and our beautiful land. This keeps me busy, as I'm sure you can imagine, but I try to sew on a daily basis, even if it's only 15 minutes. I have been making clothes for many, many years (15 to be exact). I first started when I was 15 and made a patchwork skirt by hand for a show I was going to. As I got older I bought a sewing machine and began making clothes to support my traveling and music habit. I have traveled all over the country selling my clothes at all the wonderful shows and festivals. I miss that sometimes but am so blessed to have my 2 wonderful and beautiful children. When my son got older I started working in the film buisness...helping design sets and such. This was wonderful and fun work, but I truly missed being home. My daughter was born 2 years ago, and with the help of my wonderful and supportive husband, I started to stay home again. I knew we needed the extra income though....so here I am...trying to learn my way around the internet highway.

Alternate Bliss

A delicious shop with 2 of my favorite items: illustrations and Jewels!

Here is what she says
"I am a Mixed Media Artist. In my shop you will find orignal Art. Including Watercolor Art, ACEO's, Art Prints, Folk and Niave Whimsical Acrylic Paintings, and hand made Silver Jewelry"


and some Lovely pendants...

Life after retirement

Just starting up, a retired Home Ec teacher. She loved what she did, and loves what she's doing now.

Beadweaving is her joy, along with knitting, crocheting, sewing AND being with her twin grand daughters. Not at the same time though, they love to 'help'!
Teh artist says: "We do have 'crafting time' every day that I watch them, so I hope I'm instilling the love of creating in them.

PS- She just opened another shop http://suchandsort.etsy.com

-go there to read where THAT name came from!"

AND.....breaking news-- a new blog -- http://cigarboxbeads.blogspot.com

Visit her Jewelry and Beads shop

from Sepia to color

Kathryn Short, a photographer and all-around artist, attended the Maryland Institute College of Art. She was a photography major, but also enjoys bookmaking and knitting. Kathryn now teaches art and photography at the high school level.

Kathryn loves to knit and crochet, take photographs while walking outdoors, craft small books for collecting thoughts, and anything else that keeps her hands busy.

Visit her blog where she talks about knitting and fellow artists!
http://purple-snowpeas-shop.blogspot.com/

feature in CatLady 99

as feature on Catlady's blog: a thousand hills





Thank you

A lady 99 times

Let's meet Judy, the designer behind the brand Catldy99
B.A. University of Minnesota Magna Cum Laude in Technical Theatre
Coursework in Graphic Design at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, CA
Coursework in lampworking - Portland, OR
Member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers
seller on ebay for 5 years - over 500-100% positive feedback


Judy Richards resides in Portland, Oregon where it rains this time of year. A well kept secret is that it doesn't rain all year around.

Judy is a member of the Portland Bead Society, the ORBS (Oregon Regional Beadmakers Society) and the ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers).

Judy makes lampwork beads and designs jewelry - unique and hopefully artful jewelry. She is always striving for new ideas, new shapes in glass.

Judy is inspired by nature (flowers, birds) depicted in glass. She loves abstract lampwork most of all with layers of glass and complexity. She is always striving to that goal.

She has done the work of reasonably exact glass beads - but yearns to break out of that toward something more complex and deep in an artistic sense. She also has a sense of humor and doesn't take herself too seriously - she is the owner of 2 cats, hence the cat beads. Judy likes to laugh and make others smile with her work.

Judy's dream buyer is the Sundance catalog.

Probably the best things she has made are jewelry with her own lampwork beads and semi precious stones that have sold thare are really pushing the envelope of what we think of as jewelry and adornment.

Etsy frontpage

What a nice day, Etsy 's website administrators have selected my Belle Blum Ring to be featured on their frontpage

Thank you to ElementsbyDawn, for her tasteful choices

:)

Thanks to alorinna for supplying the picture

A textile artist doubled with a Fashion Designer, meet Sara

Hello Sara, tell me a bit about yourself
I am a freelance Fashion and Textile Designer based in London.

I started designing as a child by making clothes for my dolls and later grew into customising my own clothes and making jewellery to sell to friends, family and neighbours. My mother is my main inspiration and she always encouraged me to learn new crafts and techniques.

She was also very supportive of my educational choices and opting for art and textiles I trained to become a Designer. Graduating from the London College of Fashion in 2000 and I got my first job, starting the very next week and have since worked for a number of British designers. In June 2006 I became a freelance Fashion and Textile Designer, moving from company to company working on different projects. I have enjoyed my new found freedom in design after leaving a full time post and found that this suited my restless creativity much more.

As a Designer I have always been taught to take inspiration from a number of sources; from museums and art, to the world around me. But through all of this the one thing that has always inspired me the most is texture. I find anything that is layered or 3-D in effect a great source of inspiration and I enjoy recreating texture by combining a number of media.

In late 2006 I decided to turn my crafty passions into a business and set about creating Sara’s Texture Crafts to work alongside my freelance design jobs. The business was two fold to start with; firstly supplying craft kits and equipment, through eBay and secondly creating and selling hand crafted, unique jewellery, bags and gifts, through Etsy and DaWanda. Since then the business has grown to include my own blogzine for like minded crafters and I am now appearing at major UK Craft events and local fairs and markets.
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.fusiveweb.co.uk/
Boutiques : http://en.dawanda.com/shop/SarasTextureCrafts and
http://sarastexturecrafts.etsy.com/
Craft shop : http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Saras-Texture-Crafts

What is the best thing you have ever created?
That’s a tricky one… In terms of products, I guess my favourite was a bag I made and sold on Etsy called ‘Geisha’. (http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=6093149 )

What is the best thing about your products?
The best thing about my handmade, boutique products is that they are pieces for modern living. My jewellery and bags go from day to evening with simple sophistication and my art and decorations are detailed and yet complimentary working well with any classic style.

And you know what the best thing about handmade is?… Every piece is unique!
How do you promote your work?
On-line advertising, markets and shows, friends and family. Oh, and my blogzine, ‘Crafts of Texture’ at
http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/

Are you selling in any B&M shops or galleries where we can see your products for real?
Not at the moment, but I am working hard on my first retail exhibition at ‘Stitch and Craft’ March 27-30th 2008, Olympia, London.
(find out more… http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/search/label/Diary%20of%20a%20Textile%20Crafter).

After that I will be appearing at markets and fairs, which you can find out about through my events diary at
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.fusiveweb.co.uk/EventDiary/tabid/499895/Default.aspx

What is the best home-made/handmade item you have ever bought?
I buy so many handmade things, it’s hard to say, but recently I bought some really lovely hand-crafted, wooden wall sconces for my bedroom from a Devonian artist on eBay – love ‘em!

What are your favorite materials?
Textiles and fibres.

Will we get a discount?
I do run offers and discounts throughout the year in all of my shops. The best way to keep up with what is happening where is to join my new mailing list… where I am setting up my newsletter.

http://www.sarastexturecrafts.fusiveweb.co.uk/EmailMe/tabid/407651/Default.aspx

Do you have a newsletter?
I don’t have a newsletter yet, but if you are interested please visit this link and join the mailing list …
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.fusiveweb.co.uk/EmailMe/tabid/407651/Default.aspx as soon as my newsletter is active I will be in touch.

In the meantime you can always view my announcements on my website at
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.fusiveweb.co.uk/ I do keep customers updated with key events this way and you can subscribe to my blogzine at http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/, which highlights key events and behind the scenes at Sara’s Texture Crafts.

Thanks Sara