Meet Melissa from www.RainyDayArt.etsy.com

Who are you?
I'm Melissa, the artist at RainyDayArt.

What do you create?
I work in a variety of mediums, but my main focus is fiber art. I knit, spin, felt, dye, sew, and also make button magnets and some ceramics. I would get so tired of knitting just one type of item to sell. I also really like to do custom orders.

How long have you been doing your craft?
I started knitting when I was in grade school, and gradually expanded to many more fiber arts. I opened my etsy shop in January, 2007.


What do you like about creating?
I love making stuff. It's such a great feeling to have something that you created work the way you intended whether is a mug you made for tea or hats you made for your friends. I think the best feeling is when others love the things you made.

What do you like about your business?
Well, I get to know that other people like my art enough to buy it. I also really like all the community on etsy and other sites. I enjoy setting it up just the way I want and tracking my site and that kind of stuff.

How did you find out about Etsy?
I don't remember. :p

Do you sell your products anywhere other than Etsy?
Yes, I have a shop at http://RainyDayArt.artfire.com and I've sold at some art shows. I have one coming up. I'll be at the Fourth Friday Arts event on January 23rd in Crown Point, IN.
I'm still setting up the artfire shop. It has the same patterns as my etsy shop, and I'm slowly adding other items. One of a kind items will only be in one place though.


What do you do when you're not creating products for your shop?
Oh, I tend to have my head in the clouds...
I also enjoy doing all sorts of other things, lots out outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, camping, and kayaking, as welling as reading and computer games, and I have a little kitty that needs me.


What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create? (Blog, Flikr, MySpace, etc.)
My blog is at http://rainydayart.blogspot.com/ it has quite a few posts. I have all sorts of stuff up there from what I'm working on, to the latest blog carnival, plus some free knitting patterns. I'm also on flickr.

Thanks Melissa

Meet Kelly Colvin from www.womankind.etsy.com

Who are you?
I am married with 5 children from London and self taught designer of mostly beaded jewellery.

What do you create?
I like to create unusual pieces with beads that are handmade by other designers. Especially Lampwork and Kazuri beads.

How long have you been doing your craft?
I have been designing for about 9 months now. Although I did a short 5 week course, I have created all my pieces from home in my basement.

What do you like about creating?
I love the fact that you can start out with one bead and that bead can lead you to create a unusual piece of jewellery. I sometimes like the way I can begin a project with a certain piece in my mind, and then the colours of the beads change my direction and give me the design that differs with my original one.

What do you like about your business?
I like making handcrafted jewellery and have others pass comment on it. Its very self rewarding and theraputic. Having 5 children I love the way I can slot what I do into my family commitments and have no one telling me what to do. As yet!!!

How did you find out about Etsy?
I found it on a another handcrafted website. She mentioned that etsy was a good site to get your pieces seen, and that all the people who showcased their pieces, were handcrafters, which I thought was very good.

Do you sell your products anywhere other than Etsy?
I have sold some of my pieces to students and lecturers at my husbands college where he works and was really happy with the response that it got. I also intend to have parties and I also have a My Space website page. I as yet do not have my own website shop and am in the process of trying to sort this out.

What do you do when you’re not creating products for your shop?
I educate the children I have left at home. I used to homeschool all of my kids, but when I had my recent baby, I decided to put them in a Montessori school. So now I only have 3 of them at home, my time is took up with them. Aside from that I spend time with my sisters and friends and when weather permits as a family we go to parks and outings.

How long have you lived in London?
I have lived in London about 3 years now. Although I was born here, my family moved out to the outskirts, and I moved back here with my own family.

What is your favorite part of living in London?
I love the Multicultural feeling of London. Anything goes kind of thing. Although its busy I like to see people and enjoy its diversity in all its entirety.

What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create? (Blog, Flikr, MySpace, etc.)
My Space. www.myspace.com/ColvinDesigns

Glorious New 2009!

I'm so happy that 2008 it's gone. I heard very close people said that this was going to be a hard year and they weren't wrong! Many of us are making resolutions that sometimes are not followed through the way we would like too. I just balanced what is left behind and have some wishes. Maybe it is easier to complete a task if my desires and expectations are not that unreachables.
Just added my new colors for the spring trends,posted some owls items and create designs for the coming season. Talked to my pals on the phone,texted some others,kissed my kids, eat some good dinner and prayed a good prayer for the year that started today is more than many standard people have or have done.So.I'm happy and I feel energized to jump into the blank page of 2009