by Elisabeth Spivey

Please start by telling us a little about yourself and your studio.

Hi, I’m Elisabeth! I’m a wife,  a mother of two kids ages 2 and 4, and crochet pattern designer. I make unique crochet photography prop patterns and items for newborns called Cuddle Critter Capes.  They are designed to make it simple if a baby is sleeping on there tummy! You just slide on the hat and you now have a cute little baby dressed up like your favorite critter or character. My line of props have become a favorite in the crochet world and photographers too! I just love to customize and make unique items for special new babies! While I mainly focus on newborn items I do offer hats in many sizes too so I have a little something for everyone

Where do you live and what is it like?

I live in Oklahoma City, OK. It’s a place where the weather changes on an instant! It’s flat but the city has lots of exciting things happening and it’s growing! The people here are friendly and giving!

Where did you learn your medium?

I learned the love of crochet from my mother, (Sara Sach of Posh Pooch Designs) when I was a teenager. I didn’t really get into it again until after college.  I grew to love it more once I found out I was going to have my first child. I haven’t put down my hooks since. There are so many great resources on the internet and I’ve learned so much more in the past two years!

Crochet Pattern - No. 53 - Luckiest Leprechaun- Cuddle Cape Set

What role does your family play in your art?

Since my mom and I both run crochet pattern and item shops we are constantly bouncing ideas off of each other! While we both have similar ideas hers are for dog and mine are for babies. We just really enjoy getting to do something we both really love! I’m very thankful for her friendship! We’ve both helped each other learn so much about running our small businesses!

The rest of my family are all very supportive of what I do and I really love to make special gifts for them when I can find the time. I know sometimes its a more than full time job so I’ve had to learn to manage my time a little better especially being home all day! Some times it’s hard to put down the work and know that family is really what needs to come first!

How did you come to selling online?

I actually started selling girls hair bows on Facebook at first. I’d been laid off from my job during the recession and I was also expecting my 2nd child. My husband and I decided it would be a good time to try to be a stay at home mom but we still needed to bring in a little more money. It wasn’t going to be an easy transition for us. That little girl on the way inspired me to make crochet hats and accessories and from there it blossomed. After about a year online one of my prop photographers came to me with an idea for the critter capes and then I started writing my own crochet patterns for them. They were something that seemed new to the newborn photography prop world. From that point on my business blossomed bigger than I ever imagined it could.

No. 5 Ladybug Crochet Pattern - Cuddle Critter Cape Set

How did you come to find a home on ArtFire?

I started out on Artfire because there were no fees to list as many items as you want. I was doing well with it and then decided to jump on a promotional price when Artfire was still new. I liked the idea of not having to set up my own website and found this affordable to start out with and easy to use.

What is the best piece of advice you can give other artists?

The best advise I can give to someone new starting out would be get a good camera and take several images of your items in natural light from different angels! Good pictured make a volume of difference! In the crochet design world its also very important to watermark your photos! I think people forget about copy-writes and the internet. It’s very important so show photos of your own work and not use images that are not yours.
Secondly, when your thinking about what you want to sell online, try to make it as fresh and unique to you as possible! I think that coming up with something that wasn’t really being offered is what helped my business finally soar! I always find it fun that even when I don’t think one of my designs will be liked it usually seems to be one of the favorites. You never know what other people might be looking for!

Visit Studio

As soon as I laid eyes on Judi Tavill’s pottery I was intrigued. The forms she creates look like fabric draped around a vessel.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I found her background is in fashion and textile design. It’s the perfect combination to bring a fresh eye to pottery and ceramics.

Judi says, “The human body, nature, and environment absolutely inspire me. I am not interested in replicating these but, rather, to reinterpret their energy in my work.”

Pieces like this certainly do just that.

The forms she created are equal parts beautiful and intriguing. Some may view a flower opening, but I see the sculpted neckline of an elegant ball gown.

While many of her pieces may seem similar to an untrained eye, each has a unique drape all its own.

Rippled, ruffled, and ready for a party.

Each collection evolves as Judi does.  As she becomes more and more adept at the medium she pushes it further.

Her past collection featured the wider panels or petals throughout the design.

Her latest work has moved into the smaller ripples.  Both styles are gorgeous in their unique texture and shape.

As I settle into Portland, I am taking more time to familiarize myself with the local art scene. One fantastic duo I recently came across is Andi Kovel and Justin Parker. Together they have been creating beautiful glass blown sculpture and tabletop home accents for more than 15 years.

With each piece they blur the lines between these two concepts.

Since meeting at a Brooklyn public glass studio they have risen to international fame. Most notably they’ve been included in Time Magazine’s “design 100,” a list of today’s most influential and inspired international designers.

They have been major influences in removing the stigma associated with crafters prevalent in outdated notions of what it means to create by hand.

To cut down on waste they use electric furnaces which are 10 times more energy efficient than gas. As with most Portlanders, they recycle their materials. That averages over 100 pounds of glass a week.

They also collect rain water for use in cooling and rinsing the products.

A browse through their studio and online shop shows a large range of creativity.

To say their designs vary widely, is an understatement.

The end result is visually stunning. Can’t wait to see what else comes out of Esque studio.

We all have a few cassette tapes stashed around the house. Maybe they have your favorite songs on them, or you just hate to throw things away. Here are some cool ideas on what do with those outdated cassettes.

This table lamp is made out of clear cassette tapes.

They create a unique glow, especially when multiple lamps are positioned around a room.

It was a cool idea to line this chair with cassette tapes. The walk man attached to the side really adds interest to this piece.

These would make cool coat racks in a music studio.

Interesting wall sculpture utilizing cassette tapes in a monochromatic layout.

A cassette tape makes a unique coin purse.

As well as a notebook.

Not sure how many people would be into this belt buckle, but it is creative.

If you’re not into the actual cassettes themselves, the tape can be just as useful in your craft and design projects. Here the tape was used to create crocheted doily designs.

This tape looks like a natural medium to create a portrait of Jimi Hendrix.

Have you ever looked at your old cassette tapes and started thinking up craft projects?

by Epi Albonico

Please start by telling us a little about yourself and your studio.

I am a lover of crafts.  I love making as well as receiving them from family and friend.  I was raised in a crafting family.  My dad is an artist, who over the years I have seen him progress into a wonderful artist from using charcoal to oils to water colors.  My mom has done many crafts, weaving, spinning, macramé, knitting, crochet, drawing, quilling, embossing, and there maybe more that I cannot remember.  My grandmother on my father side is also a crafter.  I have seen her knit, sew, crochet, and cross-stitch.  You can say that crafting is in my blood.  Not only do I make Soy Candles, but I do other crafts, such as Cross-stitch, sew, crochet, quilling, and make earrings, the most important craft I love to do is draw.  Since I had lost my job I have been teaching myself to find new crafts to do.  I am in the process of working with polymer clay.

Manly my studio is to sell Soy Candles.  I have other items that I have done over the years and they have been just sitting in rubber tubs.  I decided to list them.

If there’s one thing that defines you, what is it?

Very Vanilla Soy Candle 16 oz

I will go out of my way to make people happy.

What role does your family play in your art?

My Children are grown and flew the nest. All three live in different parts of the country.  So, you can say that they do not play a role in my art.  On the other hand… My boyfriend of ten years, has been trying to get me to draw more often than I have been.  He is giving me a soft push to finish some of my art work.  He is supportive of me when it comes to making my candles.

Where do you live and what is it like?

I live about ten miles outside of North Judson, IN.  It is very quite and beautiful especially when the seasons change.  I am not a native of Indiana.  I was born and raised in Northern California.  When I got out of the military a friend ask me to visit her in Indiana before going back to California.  I fell in love with Indian and stayed.

Where did you learn your medium?

I learned to make candles from a friend that I use to work with.  It first started by giving my candles to friends and family.  My other crafts where learned on my own.

What are your goals with your ArtFire studio?

Grays, and Maroon Conches Seed Bead Earrings

To give my customers a high quality product at a low price.

How did you come to selling online?

A couple of friends said that I should sell my candles on line. I have been selling my candles on different sites and with no success, until I came to ArtFire.

How did you come to find a home on ArtFire?

I was selling on another sites for over the years with no sells at all (Madeditmyself.com).  I just happened to go to their forums and some of the people said that they found a better place.  I took a look and REALLY loved what I have seen.

What is the best piece of advice you can give other artists?

Be true to your heart and be patient.  Fill your heart with love and put that love into your craft.  Love concurs all!

Why do you think that buying and selling handmade products benefits society?

Giving our society a choice to have high quality products that was handmade, instead of manufactured. Manufactured items have a tendency to fall apart, where as handmade items will last longer and made with love from the artists.  To me, that is most important.

Visit Studio

As creative types we’re always on the lookout for new ways to make our marketing materials stand out. This is especially true for those business cards. Check out how Sharie’s Studio “painted” per business cards to give them an original look.

Business cards are printed on white paper with a porous surface. Then stacked into small groups and rubber banded together.

Cards are sandwiched between two dowel rods or chopsticks and secured onto the plate with masking tape. The pressure of the rubber band and sticks will help to stop the flow of paint.

A pretty selection of ink colors is selected.

Make sure you have all your tools on hand before beginning this project. Water, ink, and an eyedropper are used here.

Then she applies small amounts of each ink color to the top of the cards.

Allowing the inks to organically drip and move throughout the cards.

Here we can really see the design taking shape.

The finished cards each have their own look with a pretty mix of colors. I think the cards in the middle are the most interesting. The top card is suffering more from the paint running, rather than spreading through the wet paper of the card.

The finished product is homemade yet these business cards still look really professional.

Do you have a new idea for business cards for your next show?

by Melissa Klein

Please start by telling us a little about yourself and your studio.

My studio
I believe in both honoring past traditions and breaking new creative ground. While seeking out methods for antiquing a new table I stumbled across milk paint and an antique crackle formula at a hardware store which had it on clearance for half-off.  There was some left-over paint from the project so I used it as a background for a painting, and then I was hooked. After some trial and error, I was able to create custom color blends of milk paint for this series.

Milk paint has been used for thousands of years by many different cultures: from cave paintings to Egyptian tombs to American barns. Through the building up of layers of paint, I create a metaphor for how we are the sum total of our experiences in our journey through life. The crackle texture both hides and reveals the color beneath it. This is an analogy for how significant events in life can shape our personal history, but we can also choose to modify the canvas of life and create and re-create our personal history.

These pieces have at least six layers composed of casien (another form of milk paint), milk paint, acrylic (handpainted or airbrushed), ink, collage and gouache. All of the materials I use are archival quality to ensure lasting value. By combining the milk paint mediums and modern art materials, I am creating a bridge between old and new traditions.

All of the paintings have a “happiness guarantee” which means that when you receive it, you are not satisfied, you can return it within 30 days and receive a refund.  I want people to be happy with the work that they purchase from me.   For the cards, I photograph or scan my artwork, and then have them printed out on high-quality archival photograph paper, and use a heavy-weight archival card stock, ph neutral glue and a bio degradable bag. The square cards use a hand-molded paper from Italy.

Framing
My husband, Henry Paterson hand-crafts the frames for these pieces and I  custom-stain them to coordinate with the artwork.
Bio
I was born in Fort Collins, Colorado in 1968 to a botanist father and artist mother. I grew up in a large family with one brother and two sisters and a never-ending succession of pets. My family moved to St Louis, and then Philadelphia where the majority of my childhood, adolescence and young adulthood occurred. I earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts from University of Pennsylvania in 1990. After graduation I worked a variety of jobs including business manager for a bronze art foundry and art teacher at a halfway house for schizophrenics.

While visiting my parents who had moved to Florida, I was caught by hurricane Andrew. Accompanying my father in the reconstruction of the Fairchild Botanical Garden, I produced paintings and drawings, documenting the clean-up, which remain in their collection.

Protector by Melissa Klein

I found work as Mold Master at a foundry where I met the man who would eventually become my husband. Not long after we met, but long before we married, I moved to Kaua’i, Hawai’i where I lived from 1999 to 2003 and earned a Masters of Education through a cohort program with Gonzaga University and the state of Hawai’i. While on Kaua’i, I was an active member of the Kaua’i Society of Artists and Garden Island Arts council. Inspired by the tropical setting, I produced many landscapes; some of these works are in the collection of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. The Kaua’i Children’s Discovery Museum commissioned a mural, which chronicled both native and invasive species on the island. I also started a series of “Circus Posters” which poke fun at society. This series continues to the present day.

I moved to Sequim, Washington in 2003 where I bought a house, got married and fulfilled a lifelong dream by adopting a pregnant draft horse mare as a rescue from the drug industry. Horse ownership has served as inspiration for an entirely new direction in my work; a more spiritual direction. I am a proud graduate of the Artist Trust’s Edge program (2006), which has given me invaluable skills for developing my art career. I am also participating in Christine Kane’s Uplevel Your Business Gold program – and recommend her coaching to any creative entrepreneur who wants to expand their business.

If there’s one thing that defines you, what is it?
I’m really intuitive and have a strong connection with animals.  We have 2 horses, 2 dogs and 2 cats… Even when I am having an office day – and the pets are outside, I’m constantly picking them up, petting them, scratching them, feeding them etc.  I think that my official title for the animals is “Chief Poop Slave.”  They help keep things “real” and having a sense of humor about things, but I also think that they help to create a positive environment in the studio and around the home.

What role does your family play in your art?
My family has always been really supportive, and recognized me as an artist from a very young age.  When I was in high school, I would make a painting to show to my teacher at school the next day, and I would usually put it facing the wall on the way out the door.  Because I tend to be the last one up, when I made it downstairs in the morning, there would be a family member who had turned it around, and would be ready to tell me what they thought.  One of the greatest gifts that they gave me was to be open to critiques and input.  I don’t agree with everything people say about the work, but I’m able to “take” the feedback without getting defensive.   Even negative feedback shows that someone is interested in your work and taking the time to look at it.  My mother did a great thing for me very early on – she insisted on buying a piece when I was fresh out of college, and paying full price.  I would have happily given it to her, but by doing that, really validated it’s value.  And there is kind of a psychology there that helped me to not just give things away for free – if my own mother pays for my work, then so should everyone else.

What are your goals with your ArtFire studio?
I would like to sell work regularly through my ArtFire studio – and have it be the main source of my income.

Where do you live and what is it like?

Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Sequim is located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington.  The Olympic Peninsula is home to the only temperate rain forest in the world.  In many places, you can see both the ocean and the mountains.  The winters are long and gray and wet, but also beautiful when the mists come down from the mountains.  It has that rare combination of mountains and ocean.  The Dungeness river is within earshot when the waters are running high, and only about a mile and a half walk away from my house.  It’s generally cool and mild year round, with maybe one week of “hot” weather (in the 80′s) in late August.  The wild life is incredible – I regularly see bald eagles, hawks, deer, and the evidence of bear, and cougars.  Sequim is the Lavender Capital of North America and every year hosts a lavender festival where thousands of visitors come to see the farms and activities.

Where did you learn your medium?
While seeking out methods for antiquing a new table I stumbled across milk paint and an antique crackle formula at a hardware store which had it on clearance for half-off.  There was some left-over paint from the project so I used it as a background for a painting, and then I was hooked. After some trial and error, I was able to create custom color blends of milk paint for this series.

I am self-taught with the airbrush, acrylics, photography, combining the materials and doing collage work.  My mother taught me watercolor.  Most of my formal training was spent on figure drawing and in oil painting classes.  I’ve used the Betty Edwards Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain curriculum with my students, and it helped improve my drawing skills.  I’ve always been a natural drawer, and have always drawn from a very young age – or rather unlike many people, I continued to draw at ages when most people have stopped.

How did you come to selling online?
When I was in my 20′s and trying to get into galleries, I kept getting told that my work was “too all over the place” and that they wanted something more focused to make it easier to brand and sell the work.  When I showed my work to people, and was showing at coffee shops, no one had any problems understanding that I work in a variety of styles and mediums – selling online seemed like a great way to connect to the audience directly.

How did you come to find a home on ArtFire?
A friend of mine who is a techie recommended ArtFire – and I liked ArtFire’s generous policies.  I was briefly on Etsy a couple of years ago, and didn’t like having to pay to keep re-listing items in my studio every few months.  I also get really busy in getting ready for shows, so that just seemed like an extra hassle even beyond the money.  I also like how ArtFire is more focused on fine arts, although I’ve never made a big distinction between “art” and “craft.”

Why do you think that buying and selling handmade products benefits society?
I could talk about things like “how it benefits the local economy” and “made in America” and all of those things are true (see the movie Wal-Mart, the High Cost of Low Prices on Netflicks) but I think that there is an energy that goes into a hand made item that is really magic. I’m addicted to my hand made goods – whether a knit cap from my sister, or a batiked scarf I traded from a friend or the ceramics that I buy from a local potter.   I feel the love that goes into them and having those items in my life, makes my life more positive and happier.  I think that’s true of any thing that is hand made and original – the energy that an original brings into the room versus a reproduction is completely different.  Hand made items really send off positive vibrations, which I think make us better people, and will ultimately make the world a better place.

Visit Studio

Move over cross stitch pillows, embroidery has a new home. It’s been showing up in jewelry in various forms recently. This technique is something beyond what we’ve been seeing. When scanning through images on pinterest I came across this embroidered cuff bracelet.

Immediately intrigued I had to know more.  This first style was created by Corina Reitveld.

Apparently you can buy metal jewelry pre-punched. It’s the perfect setup for inspired jewelry like the above cuff created by Corina.

So now that we know it can be done, what other cool designs are out there?

This metal cuff has been embroidered in a starburst pattern with added baubles hanging off one end.

Utilizing the same base material, a completely different three dimensional embroidered design was created.

Not sold on metal? How about wood?

Artist and Designer Nosheen Iqbal works with various wood platforms and embellishes them with embroidery.

Her newest wooden cuffs fit right into the conversation.

From yet another talented designer we found this modern paisley design. It’s embellished onto faux wood. The embroidery is 100% stitched though.

What do you think of this medium for embroidery and for jewelry? Personally I can’t wait to find more!

by Celeste Rousselot

Please start by telling us a little about yourself and your studio.

I’m Celeste Rousselot, a young designer and student with a fixation for fashion and the arts. I have been creatively driven since very young. Besides beadwork, I enjoy playing the flute for my local symphony orchestra, creating colorful abstract paintings, and cooking up finger-licking international dishes. I work out of my studio in Miami, Florida where I craft beaded accessories ranging from our popular bracelets, to trendy chains, and current celebrity favorites.  I collected gemstones and minerals before even jumping into jewelry-making, and with the addition of the many rare and colorful beads I’ve collected since the start of my business, my studio closely resembles a laboratory version of candyland. Having all of my stones on display allows me to tap into new design ideas with relative ease. I cater to clients looking for unisex pieces. I am conscious of the growing fashion-forward male population, so I make it a point to create as many unisex products as possible for this new demographic. Women also love the gender-ambiguity in my designs because it represents a strength and edginess that you may not find in more refined and feminine options.

If there’s one thing that defines you, what is it?

Happiness. If whatever I’m engaging myself in does not produce that emotional outcome, it is just not worth my energy! It takes me back to the famous saying, “Do something you love and you will never work another day in your life”. This rings true to me every morning when I wake up ready and eager to ship out accessories and design new ones. This is not to say that I have never found myself in a less than ideal job situation, but those very moments were the driving force that pushed me to find a way to make my hobbies profitable.

Where do you live and what is it like?

YogiBead Tigereye & Onyx with Sterling Silver Clamp

I live in sunny Miami. Once thing about living in this city, is that it always keeps you on your feet. You can take a stroll around the art galleries in Coral Gables, check out some of the most famous nightlife venues in South Beach, or take a bite out of some of the most indulgent cuisine while watching the waves break by the beach. The options are seemingly endless. Another aspect that I appreciate about my city is its cultural diversity. As a foreigner myself (I was born in Argentina), I take pride in being part of a community that loves the unconventional and exotic. It encourages the designer in me to constantly think outside the box!

Where did you learn your medium?

I’ve been making accessories since grade-school. It started out as simple friendship cord bracelets that were given out as gifts, to custom order requests, and eventually the implementation of a full-scale web based accessories shop with help of some rigorous schooling. To refine my art, I attended countless workshops and seminars held by respectable artisans in my local vicinity. I am in the process of perfecting my skills in metalsmithing at the local Miami College. There are many intricacies to the art and more math than I would usually care to deal with, but I am hoping to be able to up my skill level and finally produce luscious precious-metal pieces from scratch.

How did you come to selling online?

In the past, I’ve worked for different e-commerce companies. During this time I was able to learn skills such as web design, accounting, and SEO optimization. Once I realized I had gathered enough knowledge to open a store of my own, I started my very own website, www.yogibead.com. I love being able to set up shop on the internet because it allows me to connect with customers all around the world. I even came up with different designs inspired by different regions of the world where many of my customers reside. I would not be able to share ideas with persons of such diverse backgrounds if I was limited to a brick and mortar location.

What is the best piece of advice you can give other artists?

YogiBead Wooden Double Stack Round Bead Bracelet

Stay true to your craft. Its easy to stay unoriginal and just follow trends, but with such a diverse customer base chances are you will find a decent-sized audience to cater your designs to. Mix that with iron-clad persistence, and it’s only a matter of time before you make a name for yourself and your brand.

Why do you think that buying and selling handmade products benefits society?

Buying handmade products not only gives you access to some of the most unique and quirky items available, it also gives one the opportunity to make an economic difference at a local level by supporting small businesses. I take my own advice and always make sure to shop from a private artisan. As a result, I have a vast collection of envy-worthy accessories, clothing, and decorative elements that I would have never found at a large retailer.

Visit Studio

With public libraries closing and limited funding for education, The Uni Project was born.  A portable, lightweight, outdoor unit built to withstand the elements.  The Uni is designed to house multiple collections of books and seating creating an outdoor reading room.

The modular design can also be converted for use in workshops, arts-and-crafts, demonstrations, classes, lectures, public meetings, and even small film screenings. The overall design is approximately 8 feet high by 16 feet on each side.  The small cube can be adjusted to fit into almost any urban environment.  Unique seating design fits into the cubes to secure books against the elements.  They’ve also come up with security measures to lock up the space at night.

This project isn’t just about the unique space created to encourage reading.  In order to truly be successful, they also need collections of books suitable for multiple age ranges.  Since most people will be browsing they are focused on just a few categories: children’s picture books, poetry, short stories and essays, art books, and reference materials.  The idea is to curate these mini collections into separate cubes.

The Uni Project is the brain child of Sam and Leslie Davol who formed Street Lab in 2006, a nonprofit organization.  With the help of MIT grad students David Costanza and Alexander William Marshall the initial unit is currently being built.  They plan to launch the first Portable Reading Room this fall in NYC.  Watch for more units popping up in a city near you.