Showing posts with label Heart Handmade. Show all posts

Handmade Artist Feature: Baby And Me Designs

*I love shopping different handmade artists online. There are so many unique items out there, and sometimes it's just a matter of knowing where to look. Because it's a big BIG shopping season right now, I am going to introduce to you new handmade artists that you can buy gifts from online. Etsy is a great place to shop handmade locals, and if you are new to Etsy I have put together a post with tips for buying handmade items online this holiday season.*

I hope you enjoy the shops included in this series, and please share with friends and family!

Buy handmade.

Buy Local.

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Petti Lace romper swim suit 2 piece bikini

Petti Lace Romper with Shoulder Straps and Bow

Lace ROMPER with Shoulder Straps and Bow & Matching HEADBAND

Baby And Me Designs is the place to go if you have a little girl in your life that loves to play dress up. This Etsy shop specializes in lace rompers and and accessories to doll up your little girl. How cute would this be for a photo session with little tea cups and handmade banners?!

You can also visit Baby And Me Designs on Facebook HERE.

Handmade Feature: Birdy Bird Boutique

I hope you enjoy the shops included in this series, and please share with friends and family!

Buy handmade.

Buy Local.

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Chevron knit hat with yellow flower

"Chubby Chunky," the Chinstrap hat

"Little Loves" Scalloped Chinstrap Hat

I can't get over the cuteness in these photos. Birdy Bird Boutique is based out of Toledo, Ohio and Kelly is the designer behind these adorable crocheted hats for babies.

I have always been a fan of knit and crocheted hats and ear warmers, and I imagine my little one some day being the same way ;) Not only are these adorable hats great Christmas gifts, but they are functional going into winter and also great for photo props. It's a close call, but I think my favorite is the scalloped chinstrap hat. So so cute!

You can also check out Birdy Bird Boutique on Facebook.

*To view all of my local artist features, click here.

Handmade Featured Artist: Personal Baggage

I hope you enjoy the shops included in this series, and please share with friends and family!

Buy handmade.

Buy Local.

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Homeless To Homie Tank

Lover Not A Fighter Tshirt

Shop Personal Baggage Tees

I first heard of Personal Baggage at Three Dog Bakery, where I am currently selling some of my dog products. I am totally in love with their "Homeless To Homie" t-shirt and love the idea of them conveying their message through graphic tees.

Some people wear t-shirts because they are soft and comfortable, while others wear them to say something meaningful (or funny) to them. In this case, these shirts do both.. And they are handmade. And they are local! Personal Baggage is based out of Columbus and they are selling in Three Dog Bakery and in their Etsy shop online. If you are an animal lover, you should probably take a peek.

You can visit them on their Facebook page as well by clicking HERE or their website HERE.

*Stay tuned for more handmade artists being featured each week.

Handmade Artist Feature: Molly Mattin

I love shopping different handmade artists online. There are so many unique items out there, and sometimes it's just a matter of knowing where to look. Because it's a big BIG shopping season right now, I am going to introduce to you new handmade artists that you can buy gifts from online. Etsy is a great place to shop handmade locals, and if you are new to Etsy I have put together a post with tips for buying handmade items online this holiday season.

I hope you enjoy the shops included in this series, and please share with friends and family!

Buy handmade.

Buy Local.

Today I am featuring a new find on Etsy: Molly Mattin

I came across Molly Mattin when I was shopping on Etsy for locals. When I shop local on Etsy, I type in Ohio because I consider all of my home state local. When I come across a shop that is in the same city or county as I am, I get a little excited. Molly Mattin is based out of Springfield, OH which is not too far from where I currently live. Molly Mattin is a digital artist that specializes in typography within states. Her work is very eye catching and great for showing your hometown pride.

Take a look at some of her work below:

OHIO Cincinnati Reds special edition print via Molly Mattin

Digital illustration Print of Florida with Cities via Molly Mattin

Digital Illustration Print of Texas State with Cities Listed via Molly Mattin

State of Ohio Digital Illustration Print with Cities Listed via Molly Mattin

If you like Molly's work, stop by and say hello and that you found her on Little Blue Feathers blog!

You can shop more of MollyMattin in her Etsy shop HERE. She is also on Twitter.

Artist Feature: The Wonder Forest

Recently I hooked up with Dana from The Wonder Forest to create a new landing page for my websites. Dana is a blog & website designer, handmade business owner, owner of fawn & flora with Heather from Just Lovely Things and an artist. She really does it all!

I saw that she created a landing page for my blog friend Jessica, and I love the way one site can navigate you to wherever you need to go. So, I asked if she could create one for me as well. Above is a screen shot of the design she created for my landing page, and I am so happy with it!

What I am here to tell you about today though, is that not only am I very pleased with the look of my landing page, I am also amazed at the customer service Dana provided.

I think too often we hear a lot of negativity in the world.

Negativity in the news, magazines, conversations, work, if someone has a bad experience it gets shouted to everyone. Sometimes it seems we do not hear enough positivity or let great experiences speak as loud as negative ones.

When Dana and I were working together on my design, there were several internet related issues that came up at the same time. Problems with the site my domain name is through, problems with the blog host, problems with naked domains (littlebluefeathers.com) not linking to their www.domains (www.littlebluefeathers.com). All of which were unrelated to the new blog design and had terrible timing. Through all of that, Dana kept on top of things and kept working on the technical side of my site until it was 100%. She really knows her stuff and was able to relate back to me in terms I understood; All 45+ emails later!

Now I type in LittleBlueFeathers.com and I see an awesome landing page that makes me smile. I highly recommend Dana if you are looking for someone to help you with blog design. She is very professional, and I think it is worth the money to invest in a designer that not only has great artistic ability, but also knows the technical side and is able to take care of all of that for you.

Check out Dana's site and say hi.

Below are some of my favorite items and designs from The Wonder Forest:

Spotted Lacy Dear

Calendar

Website design for Just Love.ly

{Heart Handmade} - Featuring NS Pottery

{Heart Handmade}

Welcome to another artist interview post!

*My hopes for Heart Handmade is to introduce new handmade finds and the artists behind the work. You can ready my previous features here!

Today I am so excited to feature Natalie from NS Pottery!

Natalie is a clay artist that creates and sells everything from garden accessories to jewelry in her Etsy shop! When you shop NS Pottery, you will find something for everyone. I love her jewelry collection and always wear one of my rings when I am out and about!

Natalie is an inspiring young woman chasing her dreams and documenting her journey as an artist on her blog with posts on faith, recipes, gardening and what's new in her studio. I am happy to call her a friend and am excited to share her interview with you all.

Continue reading below and get to know Natalie, her shop and where she finds her inspiration!

What prompted you to open up your etsy shop?

I started selling my products through local craft shows at first and did really well! I know with the times we live in, many people do their shopping online, and I thought etsy would be a great way to get my brand out there. People can shop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, not just when I am with my items at a show.

NS Pottery Jewelry

What would you say is your favorite part about owning an online handmade business?

There are many things that I love! I would have to say that my favorite part is being able to run most of my business from the comfort of my own home and being my own boss. It's not always easy to hold all the responsibility for a business though, because you have to be very self-motivated and determined. Hearing from happy customers is also very cool! :)

Textured Trinket Dish

I love how natural your products look and feel. Where do you find your inspiration for your pieces?

I find inspiration EVERYWHERE. I think it's important as an artist to always be aware of your surroundings. Nature is a huge part of what inspires me, and I love to include materials that I've gathered outside (like pine branches) in my work. I'm also very inspired by current style trends, music, and my relationship with God.

Deluxe Toad House - Speckled Olive Color

You also have a great blog. How long have you been blogging and which came first, the blog or the business?

Thank you! :) I've been blogging for a little over a year, and my business came first. It's interesting to me that some people start a blog and then a business. Before I started my business, I never even knew that this blog world existed!

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

The relationships! I never knew it was possible to develop genuine friendships with people that I've only met online.

Is there any advice you would give to someone thinking about opening their own handmade business?

Don't expect it to take off right away- it takes time. Also, don't think that everything has to be perfect in order to start, but do your best with what you have. Being a perfectionist, it's easy for me to look around at others and feel inferior. As you gain more experience and skill, you can make improvements as you go. I am constantly improving my work, photographs, branding, etc. Many things are only learned through time and experience.

Stoneware herb markers

What is your favorite thing to do outside of your studio space?!

Can I pick more then one thing? :) I love being outside in nature, especially on warm (not hot) sunny days. You get vitamin D from the sun, you know. ;) I love to watch my organic garden grow and take walks with my pup. I also love to cook for my family! Eating yummy and nourishing meals is very important to me, and the kitchen is a very relaxing place for me to be.

Follow Natalie's blog for Health Food Fridays! You can check out her recipes here.

A big big thank you to Natalie for her interview and inspiration! Want to connect with Natalie?! Here are places you can find NS Pottery:

BLOG // SHOP // FACEBOOK // TWITTER

{Heart Handmade} Featuring Timo Handmade

{Heart Handmade}

Welcome to another artist interview post!

My hopes for Heart Handmade is to introduce new handmade finds and the artists behind the work. I want to open up this little space of mine with feature posts of other Etsy store owners sharing their stories, what prompted them to start their creative business and make readers aware of what handmade items are out there and where you are able to purchase them!

Today, I am featuring an Etsy shop called Timo Handmade! When I first saw Timor's items on Etsy, I was instantly drawn to her creative dolls. I love the way each one has a new look while staying true to Timor's style.

Timor not only makes creative dolls, but she also has other handmade items for sale like fabric books, bags and teething balls. Timor's shop is very well presented with fun fabrics, lengthy legged dolls and simple photography that really make her shop stand out. I hope you enjoy her products and interview!

My name is Timor Cohen. I’m 32 and I live in Jaffa, Israel. It’s a port city, and the port itself is only a few minutes walk from my house.

Etsy listing

1. What prompted you to open up your etsy shop?

It happened quite by accident – and I actually didn't really know that much about it, at the time. There was a brief mention of my studio in W Magazine's 2010 holidays gift guide, and I needed a web store that could be up and running over night. ETSY was the most immediate option.
I certainly did not expect it to become such a significant channel for sales nor such an amazing platform for meeting a creative community. I definitely never imagined that it would be such time consuming…

Etsy listing

2. What would you say is your favorite part about owning an online handmade business?

My favorite part is that a web store has something anarchistic in its very nature. You are not obligated to the “market” or to taste of a gallery/shop owners. You can just can run wild, creatively speaking, and not be committed to large series, mass production or anyone else's style.

A web store is like a glimpse into someone's studio, very private and without a middlemen…

It is also exciting in the sense it gives of no boundaries – it creates such fascinating connections worldwide.

In my own work It’s also nice not to have to be practical in my designs, like one must be when designing clothes or furniture. When a product doesn’t have to meet any practical need, it allows for a lot of freedom – and it also leaves room for the owner to decide how to relate to it.

Etsy listing

3. I read that you like to use recycled materials for your dolls and products. Where do you collect your materials?

For starters, there isn't a home without a box of buttons and old shirts you can't wear anymore, and yet can't bring yourself to throw away. That's how I got started, and it kept me running for a long time – using such materials from my own place, and then from family and friends, which I still do. now I live right next to the Jaffa flea market, and for me it's like to live near a wishing well. There are some businesses and designers that transfer to me cloth scraps and On top of that, I buy fabric scraps in ETSY.

Etsy listing

4. I love your family dolls and bead dolls! Where do you find your inspiration for your pieces?

The family dolls series was inspired by a couple of homosexual friends of mine, who had a child and were looking for alternative family model dolls.

So now I make all these different characters that can be put together as families, and they come in all skin colors, ages and genders.

The most charming thing is that people are actually assembling every family model that you can possibly think of: two men and a baby, a single mom and twins, a family that consists of a grandmother, a brother and a sister, or of a dark-skinned father, and oriental mother with three children. Every once in a while I even get an order for just a “traditional” family, with uncles, neighbors and a dog.

it’s always a delight to see that love really does come in all shapes and colors!!

As for the inspiration, I can hardly say. So many people and things inspire me, and so many things stimulate my eyes. But I think the house I grew up in was the beginning of it all, and really paved the way for me from infancy. My mother has her own studio, she's a carpenter and sews wonderfully. So it was from her that I learned not to fear any material or any creative idea.

And with this as my starting point, everything is inspiring.

That being said, a new project always begins with the material itself. I don’t have any established routine besides that. Each new project or design asks for something different from me and from my work environment.

Etsy listing

5. If you could pick one item in your shop, which item is your favorite?

I'm particularly fond of the book.
It's made solely of textile, and inspired by a fabric book my grandmother made.
She immigrated to Israel from Germany, and her children were born in the village they all lived in. She had no books for them at the time, so she embroidered the Grimm Brothers' tales for them on a length of sheet.
The book I've made is also something I see as passing from generation to generation, leaving a vast space for the child's own imagination and sensory stimulation.

Etsy listing

6. What does a normal work day look like?

Normal?! I'm satisfied if I manage to achieve half of what I aimed for in my list of tasks.

Etsy listing

7. Is there any advice you would give to someone thinking about opening their own handmade business?

Play seriously, love what you do, be devoted, do it with full attention and don't expect to get rich, make do with making what you love.

Etsy listing

8. And just for fun, what is your favorite thing to do outside of your studio space?!

I sometimes do some design work for others, and I still teach painting one day a week.

Also meeting loved ones, making a fire, seeing stars, getting around town without purpose, and when I have the time – painting, reading, writing, learning something new and letting my thoughts wander.

My home is also my studio

I sell my stuff through the studio itself, in several boutique shops around the world and through the net:

Etsy shop: http://timor.etsy.com

Shop #2 : http://market.marmelada.co.il/timohandmade

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timohandmade
Website: WWW.TIMO-HANDMADE.COM

TIMOR COHEN
+972 (0) 545395878

WWW.TIMO-HANDMADE.COM

http://timor.etsy.com

Thank you Timor for your interview and allowing me to feature your creative business on my blog today!

To keep in touch with Timor and Timo Handmade updates, follow her page on Facebook and tell her you saw the blog feature of Timohandmade on my blog today!

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