Etsy Owls: April 2009

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Owl Spotlight: Suenosdejmi: Off to Hogwarts!

I recently found and joined the Harry Potter Knitting & Crocheting House Cup on Ravelry

For those of you who aren't familiar with Ravelry, it's a fantastic website all about yarn, and every way you can use it! It's for knitters, crocheters, spinners, dyers, and it's such an awesome community for anyone who giggles when they see yarn, like me (and there are other Owls who giggle too, I know you do!).

Since I joined Ravelry a while back, I haven't really explored many areas other than the yarn catagory (where I love to browse for my favorite yarns and work out purchases or trades). Last week someone on Twitter mentioned joining the HPKCHC, and i just had to check it out and see what they were talking about.

And here I am, getting ready to go to Hogwarts!

In the HPKCHC, you get sorted into a house (though we kind of got to choose, and it seems most people got what they picked), and then you join your housemates in competing for the House Cup. You select classes to attend, where you work on assignments and earn points for your house.

It's crazy mad fun and I'm really excited to be a part of it! I chose to be sorted into either Gryffindor or Slytherin, because I felt like I fit best in those two houses, but in the end decided I wanted to go with Slytherin first, and that's where I got sorted to today! If you know me it's really quite appropriate. :)

Between running my various Etsy shops and crocheting and keeping things going in this Owlie bunch, I'm sure I don't have anywhere near enough time for this, but I'm going to do it anyway because it's just too fun to resist! If you're interested in following my adventures at Hogwarts, check them out on my blog here.

The voice behind suenosdejmi is me, Jamie, team leader for the Owls team. In addition to running my main Etsy shop, I also share two other shops with some of my fellow Owls. In dreambirdphotos, I sell photography from the time I spent in Spain. In PiratesDreamofPearls, I sell destash yarn and other fun stash goodies. Other than the time I spend blogging for the Owls here, you can find me at http://suenosdejmi.blogspot.com/ and also on Twitter @jmilovesowls I'm also not good at talking about myself in 3rd person :) Thanks for reading!

Secret Plushie Swap!

Squarejane and IckyDogCreations both make cute and crazy plushies, and recently they decided to have a Secret Plushie Swap!

They both agreed on a price point, and set off to create top-secret plushies for each other. Without including pictures, they both listed their critters on Etsy and each purchased the other plushie. Oh the mystery!

The end result was two plushies who are very cute and quite perfect for their new owners. This is Cami of IckyDog with her new friend:

Karren of SquareJane finally got her little friend in the mail a few days ago (silly Canada!), and seems to be quite pleased. (Yes, her new little friend is indeed a zombie bunny who is eating that poor sock monkey's brains!)

This little critter swap is, in my opinion, the perfect example of what our team's about! Get to know each other, make friends, mail each other zombie bunnies! How perfect is that? Kudos to Cami & Karren. :)

Now, go swap something!!!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Stellar Seller: Hotlegs

This week's Stellar Seller is Hotlegs, who took your plain old draft stopper and gave it a radical makeover! Talk about conversation pieces! She was nominated by LuckyTwentyOne, who bought one of these wild body parts for her very own!

In addition to Hotlegs, she also has trixiedelicious where teacups go wild! Check out her interview and visit her shops! Also, check her out on her blog Vandalized Vintage

Tell us and the Etsy world a bit about you, anything you'd like to share...

I’m a full time crafter and former sculptor and I live in Auckland City New Zealand with my hubby and two teenage children.

How did you meet Etsy? Was it love at first sight?

I first read about Etsy in Readymade magazine and thought it was the place for me and started my first shop trixiedelicious
This was back when there were only 45,000 shops not 200,000 like today.
The first few months nothing really happened and I nearly gave up on it.
It was a slower marketplace back then and obviously had a smaller audience. Most of the buyers were other sellers and I did a bit of trading just to create feedback and get my stuff out there.
Hotlegs is a new project that came out of making fabric stuff to sell at a market and a way of recycling old clothing and fabric around the house. It is nice to work in a different material and have a rest from vintage china.

How did you get into making what you make?

Making things is a natural thing for me starting with the sandpit when I was about 2 years old. Both my parents made a living from making things- my Dad had a sail making and canvas goods business in the 70s. He even designed his own tents and trailer awnings for campers.
My mum was a seamtress and worked making samples for various designers around town. She got her training making the sleepwear and underwear of the 60s with all the structure, satin and lace which is so fashionable now.

Describe yourself in 1 word:

Tenacious

Do you have a favorite:

song or musical artist/group?

My life has a continuous soundtrack so it’s hard to choose one artist but I would have to say Bowie is my all time fave followed by the Rolling Stones. Debbie Harry from Blondie is my style icon.

painting or photograph/painter or photographer

Warhol, Niki de Sainte Phalle, Dali ,Damien Hirst. I love the pop art and surrealism art movements

book and/or author?

I really enjoy biographies- Keith Richards by Victor Bockris is a good one.

dessert? Chocolate things- Tiramisu is great!

Etsy seller?
Just one? Curster, Mandinka, and locally Toggle- the record cushions are fantastic.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Owl Spotlight: InkyPaws (goes to Australia!)

As a few of you may know, I went on a trip to Australia and New Zealand in March. It was an adventure! We went to Australia first, and stayed in Sydney for a few nights. We climbed to the top of the Sydney harbour bridge (there's a good view from there) and saw the opera house, of course. We also went to Bondi beach... I'm not sure why it's famous but maybe it has something to do with all the nude people!

We then drove to Capertee valley and stayed there two nights at a wonderful bed and breakfast out in the middle of nowhere. (Nearest tiny town = 20 minutes away!) My only bad experience there was trying Vegemite. If you enjoy eating extremely salty, sticky black tar, you will LOVE Vegemite! On the second day we went out looking for birds for 6 hours with a guide. We saw 60 new birds (new for us) just in that trip. (Below is the sunset from the back porch of the B&B.)

After we drove back to Sydney, we went to the Sydney aquarium for one reason - to see a platypus. I have been a tad bit obsessed with platypii for a while, and I was REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hoping I could see a live one. We waited like 2 hours - no platypus. We had told the woman at the front desk that I really wanted to see a platypus, so they let us stay after the aquarium closed! At exactly 10:00 on my watch, the platypus suddenly appeared. It was tiny! I had always imagined them to be two to three feet long or something, but they're only about a foot long! It was so funny the way it shoved its "bill" all around the bottom of its little pond, like a hyper vacuum cleaner. I have to say seeing the platypus was my favorite part of the trip.

After spending a week in Australia, we flew to New Zealand. We rented an RV and started driving. (Hah, the way I wrote that it makes it sound so easy and quick... But it was not at all! We even had to go back the next day to get about 7 things fixed because stuff was broken!) We drove down and back up the south island of NZ. One of my favorite parts of the south island was going to a town called Oamaru, where we got 4 kinds of cheese from a cheese factory and then made cheese sandwiches and ate them by the beach. We then walked around this old part of the town, where they've made it look like it was a couple hundred years ago! Complete with stables and a man dressed up in old fashioned clothes, singing amid a collection of ancient bicycles.
That same day we saw these round rocks on a beach that were really cool. They look like a giant dropped his set of stone marbles randomly by the ocean!

We took a ferry over to the north island, taking our RV with us. (There they call them campervans.) We took a ferry that had a mini movie theater, so I went and saw a movie. The water was pretty choppy on the way over, though, and the boy directly behind me threw up. Luckily he missed me.

On the north island one of the first things we did was visit Te Papa, this GIANT museum. It's HUGE, and awesome too, with all these high tech displays and interactive things - basically everything you'd want in a museum - but you get in for free! We didn't even see all the floors, and we went there twice. I think we only got to the 4th floor or something, out of like 7. The coolest thing for me was seeing a dead giant squid - a real one! Te Papa is the only museum to ever have displayed a giant squid before. (Giant squid are another one of those things I'm a tad bit obsessed about.)

I think the best part about the north island was visiting Hobbiton. Well, the place where they filmed Hobbiton, anyway! Almost everything is completely gone from the set now. The hobbit holes that you see there aren't even original, because the ones they built for the set were only supposed to last a few months.. The only thing left that they made for the set was one hobbit hole, which they left to show people how it's fallen apart. We got to see the party tree though, and the lake, the path where Gandalf walks, the stepping stones near the hobbit holes, and we even went inside a hobbit hole!

Overall the trip was very fun, but I got a bit tired of having to be near my brother 24/7, and I think I've decided I don't really like driving around in RVs. I loved staying the bed & breakfast most of all - it was really relaxing and a beautiful house.

It was great to go to Oz and NZ, but it's also great to be home!

The voice behind Inky Paws is Chloe, one of our younger Owls. In addition to such talents as freehanding delightful knitted foods, her Etsy shop is full of cute little felted animals, greeting cards, and more. See her previous Owl Spotlights here To find out more about Chloe, you can also visit her blog at knitonequilttoo.typepad.com/chloe/

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Exploring SORCO with Squarejane

Today the family and I made a nice little Sunday trip to the open house at S.O.R.C.O. or the South Okanagan Rehabilitation Center for Owls. All animals hold a strong place in my heart but birds are especially dear to me. This center is almost entirely run by volunteer resources, funds and supplies. If you love owls like i do, please take a moment to check out their website and see what you can do to help out -- particularly if you are in the Okanagan region of BC Canada.

S.O.R.C.O is located about 12 KM north of Oliver BC and they do incredible work helping rehabilitate raptors that are injured or have fallen from nests or become ill etc. They often take in birds who have fed on carrion on roadsides and been hit by cars. Sometimes bald eagles will eat so much that they can no longer fly! Wherever possible, the center releases the birds back into the wild. They are also trying to start up a breeding and reintroduction of burrowing owls to the South Okanagan. This is a project near and dear to my heart as I adore burrowing owls! They are no longer present in the region due to encroachment on their lands by people, orchards and vineyards and due to a lack of the animals which burrowing owls like to make homes out of their dens. Badgers for example are no longer found in the area.

It really is a precious habitat here. The Okanagan is not the kind of land most people think about when they hear "Canada".

Arid, sagebrush and grasses on sandy and or rocky soil make up the region. It really is a little slice of dessert. The flora and fauna of the area are rare to find in Canada. It's one of the many reasons i love living here. The fantastic weather doesn't hurt either!

Here is a bald eagle that was rescued by the sanctuary. He came in with a collapsed lung. He is faring much better now. Such beauty!

Some owls at the center showing that owls really don't like being bothered when they are sleepy, nor do they like a tidy room. Reminds me of my daughter!

S.O.R.C.O breeds many different types of rodents for food for the raptors. This is a necessity due to the plans of releasing the recouperated birds. If they are unsure of what is food or how to catch and eat it, they will not survive in the wild. Many of the birds that are rescued are infants when brought in. A little sad because this little baby mouse was painfully cute!

Mice like him grow up however to keep little owls like this guy Charlie alive. Charlie was near death from starvation when he was brought in. He had to be fed through a tube initially. While there today, we watched as Charlie scarfed down a mouse like it was a cheeseburger and complain hungrily for more.

They had face painting as well as a band, a barbecue and a garage sale at the open house. I got a wicked strawberry cookie jar, a 60's fisher price school bus and some starwars fabric for next to nothing. Woo HOO!

Here my son Henry is getting an orange owl painted at his request by a very nice lady.

One more owl to remind you that we can all help out in our own way with our time, our money or our spirit to make a change in our world or our community. For the next 6 weeks, i will donate 10 % of all proceeds from my Etsy store to S.O.R.C.O.

Editors Note: We also have an item in the OWLS shop that will go to benefit this charity. This is Merv, and he's looking for a great home with a loving family! 100% of the proceeds from his purchase will be donated to this great bird charity, so he can help out his fellow winged friends!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

A Granny A Day

One really cool thing about our team is how our mediums are so spread out. Many paint, even if they don't sell it on Etsy. Many crochet, even if they don't always sell it on Etsy.

A few of our fiber loving owls have gotten involved with A Granny A Day. The object is quite simple: crochet a Granny Square a Day.

StripeyMonkey and suenosdejmi (which, incidently, is me!) have both recently joined the group. You can check out all squares on Flickr, in this gorgeous pool of square after square. The slideshow at the end of this post shows them all, as well.

StripeyMonkey recently blogged about her first week of squares, which all follow a gorgeous retro mix of yellows, browns, and purples. You can read all about her experiences with her squares here

I'm taking a different approach with mine, mainly using up a lot of remnant yarns that I've had stashed for a while. It's amazing how much yarn it doesn't take to make a 4x4 granny square, especially if you use more than one color! I've yet to upload mine to the Flickr group yet, but here's where I'm at so far. Follow my square adventures on my blog

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Walk Now for Autism with lalala08

It's not often that on an April morning in Pennsylvania, it's 60 degrees outside before 9AM... but that was exactly the case this past Saturday when my fiance Chris and I arrived at Walk Now for Autism in Allentown, PA. Others had been arriving since 8AM (some even camped out the night before), so parking was already scarce. We ended up having to park pretty far from the festivities, but it was a nice warm-up for the Walk! When we came over the hill towards the park, there were people everywhere -- every age, every gender, every race... and they were all smiling (minus one or two crying babies!). The sun was shining, and we were all ready to go!

We met up with Chris' work team, Koch's Kids, where they had a group picture taken, and then we wandered around for a bit. We picked up some free drinks and refreshments, including tiny pretzels shaped like puzzle pieces! We pet lots of cute dogs, and admired the other teams and families all around us. This year's Miss Pennsylvania sang the National Anthem, and then Darth Vader and some Storm Troopers appeared on top of the bridge over the starting line and we all counted down to the beginning of the Walk -- it was very exciting. We passed through a large balloon arch, where life-size Crayola crayons, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and some Storm Troopers greeted us as we began the Walk. Cheerleaders from a local school cheered everyone on as they walked. There was laughter filling the air, and a live band played back at the main grounds.

Those who stayed behind enjoyed the music, met local businesses and organizations, and watched as children jumped around in giant blow-ups! We walked along the Lehigh River with the sun at our backs and a cool breeze in the air. It was really lovely. We passed over a covered bridge, trekked up rocky hills, and watched as fishermen cast their lines into the river. There was a shortcut for those who wanted/needed one, but we were doing fine so Chris and I continued on. We paused only once to look at some bass calmly swimming in the river. Once we finished, Applebee's had tents set up to give everyone some free snacks (boneless chicken wings, pasta salad, and fresh veggies and fruit! yum!). We sat and enjoyed our treats as we reflected on what we had just accomplished. I am proud to say that I didn't really feel the burn until we had to go back up over the hill to our car! It was such a great day, and for such a great cause!

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so through August by visiting the Walk Now for Autism website. Additionally, the EtsyOWLs still have some amazing items available in the team shop! And I have decided to extend to 4/30 my offer of donating 10% of every purchase from my shop to the Walk! Check out my shop here! Thank you to our friends, family, and everyone for all of your support! Together we can all make a difference!

Still want to donate? Lehigh Valley's gearing up for their 2010 walk, info available here

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Stellar Seller: LemonTreeStudio

This week's Stellar Seller is lemontreestudio. She was nominated by blackcatmima who had a wonderful shopping experience with her and wanted to share it with the world! Check out her interview and then visit her shop to see just why she's so Stellar!

*Tell us and the Etsy world a bit about you, anything you'd like to share

Hi owl lovers! My name is Shelly and I am a lucky wife to a wonderful hubby and stay at home mom to my darling Lilyana. I heart paper, fabric, sewing, crocheting, jewelry making, graphic design and love dreaming up new crafty creations (which usally take place in the wee hours of the night)! I have a passion for collecting vintage, traveling, the outdoors and decorating. Most of my inspiration comes from different textiles, vintage emphemera and other incredibly talented crafters!

*How did you meet Etsy? Was it love at first sight?

I discovered Etsy while searching online for a little girls pinafore tutorial. I had every intention of sewing one myself, until I ran into Etsy and all the fabulous sellers. I ended up BUYING several for my daughter instead of making one! It was definitely love at first sight. I opened up a shop within a month of discovering Etsy and haven't looked back.

*How did you get into making what you make?

I can remember being a tomboy at 6, making little houses and villages for worms, frogs and other various critters....all elaborate and functional, LOL! I loved seeing creations come to life and have been going ever since.

*Describe yourself in 1 word: scatter-brained

*Do you have a favorite:

word or saying? BLOOM
dessert? Puppy Chow (and not the kind for dogs)
book and/or author? I am more of a magazine kind of girl
vacation spot (real or dream!) love Vegas, Hawaii, New York.....would LOVE to visit Australia
Etsy seller? Ooooh, too many to list...there are so many talented artists on etsy....I am amazed everday! I especially love http://prettylilthings.etsy.com/ (and many, many more!)

Go Green With The Owls!

In honor of Earth Day, we're highlighting some of our team members who have eco-friendly items in their shops! Crafting with something upcycled or recycled gives a new challenge to the process and new life to something that might otherwise be cast aside! Our Owls get crafty with your old pants, scraps of glass, and more! We're also highlighting several shops who stress going green! Enjoy, and shop GREEN on Earth Day, and beyond. Happy Earth Day!

SquareJane recycles about everything she can get her hands on! In this listing, it's a man's suit, and look at what she's done with it!

CagedBirdSings makes glass windchimes, and keeps her scraps to make smaller 'Itty' chimes! She also uses sticks! Look!

BlackCatMima took a vintage earring without a mate, that would have normally been tossed, and gave it a new life!

This item from Zemphira isn't upcycled, but she makes it so much easier for you to go green! She makes reusable market totes, coffee cozies, and more recently, sandwich/snack bags like this one below. Pack your lunch for work every day, or make lunch for your kids? Get rid of the constant need to buy those plastic ziploc bags and go green! Not only will it save you money and save the planet, but it's way cuter :)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Burrowing Owls: Yellow Purses

luckytwentyone did some browsing and found this collection of adorable yellow owl purses. :) Enjoy!

Featured items and artists:

http://sweetirie.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21327905

http://sarajanesince1956.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23283130

http://simbiosisbyjulia.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23813418

http://papavier.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23230549

http://feelingismutual.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11905338

http://kaylah7.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23464672

Monday, April 20, 2009

April Rain Challenge

The theme of our April's Challenge was to create based on a word. The team submitted words and then we voted, and 'rain' won the most votes. So, several team members submitted rainy items :) See them all here or check out the end of the post for the individual item links on Etsy.

To vote for your favorite, use the poll on the left. Voting will go for 1 week.

Important: Some voters have problems with the Blogger poll. If it doesn't work for you, please post your vote in the comments on this post. Be sure to let us know that the poll didn't work for you when you post or your vote will not be counted!!

Here are the item links:

blackcatmima: Rain Cloud Barrette

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23916978

gypsyeye: Cascade Earrings:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23918230

lalala08: Raindrop Earrings:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23931275

lovealisa: April Showers Market Tote

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23951190

shisie: Rainy Days Are For... (wall hanging)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23920953

Squarejane: Spring in Vancouver (painting)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23954842

WeiOpenSecret: Rain Glass Necklace:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16224846

Sunday, April 19, 2009

New in Shop: Squarejane

Check out some of the new and awesome at http://Squarejane.etsy.com

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Burrowing Owls: Plushies

IckydogCreations has found some of the cutest owl plushies on Etsy! You'll want to take these home for sure, I know we do!!!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Owls find Cherry Blossoms!

One of the best signs of Spring...In your hair, on your hand, or in your kitchen -- Cherry Blossoms look beautiful everywhere!

lalala08 has put together this gorgeous, Spring-inspired owlfinds list of cherry blossom items. This, like almost everything you could search on Etsy, just scratches the surface of the items that are out there inspired by or featuring cherry blossoms. Check these awesome items out on Etsy, and be sure to check out our list curator too! Thanks lalala!

Featured artists and items:

Cherry Blossom Girl Print by jkldesign
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22173119

Red Cherry Blossom Ring by tigerlillyshop
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22765437

Red Blossoms Bobby Pins by MGMart
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23015272

Cherry Blossom Laptop Sleeve by janinekingdesigns
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23244413

Red Cherry Blossoms Hand Painted Serving Set by HeatherRLange
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21282039

Sakura Necklace by jorgensenstudio
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23502601

Thursday, April 16, 2009

The Owls on Sale!

We're having a team sale this weekend from Friday 4/17 until the end of Sunday 4/19. Shops are offering anywhere between and off on either certain sections or their entire shops! Check out each seller's listing below to see sale specifications and make sure to check shop annoucements to see if the sale is going on at the time you're shopping. Happy Shopping!

BlackCatMima

10% off STOREWIDE
Wait for a Paypal invoice before paying!

CagedBirdSings

20% off STOREWIDE! Please wait for a Paypal invoice before paying!

GypsyEye

20% off All Bracelets All Weekend, Prices already adjusted for easy checkout!

Bracelets Section: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5696240§ion_id=5455745

HollyStott

20% off STOREWIDE!!!

IckyDogCreations

15% off storewide! Prices are original prices - after you purchase, I'll send you an updated invoice. Please wait for the updated invoice before paying.

KnitandPearl

40% Off STOREWIDE!

lalala08

10% off ALL EARRINGS! Prices have already been adjusted for your convenience so shop away!

Earring Section: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5871867§ion_id=5528770

An additional 10% of your purchase from http://lalala08.etsy.com/ will go directly to benefit Lehigh Valley's Walk Now for Autism. See shop annoucement for details.

LuckyTwentyOne

10% off STOREWIDE! Please wait for a Paypal invoice prior to paying!

PresentsforPirates

Buy Any Two items, get a third for 100% off! That's FREE! Buy two, get one FREE! Free item must be of equal or lesser value of purchased items.

Squarejane

20% off STOREWIDE
Wait for a Paypal invoice before paying!
(Sale is going until April 25th)

suenosdejmi

50% off STOREWIDE! Lots of items under $10! Plus, free US shipping on orders over $20 (after discounts) and free WORLDWIDE shipping on orders over $30 (after discounts) Prices do not reflect discounts. Please wait for an adjusted Paypal invoice to reflect discounts (and shipping adjustments, if apply

WeiOpenSecret

the pendants and necklaces under For Your Neck section are currently on sale for 10% off. All items in that section are listed under their ORIGINAL prices. After you make the purchase, I will send you a new invoice reflecting the correct discounted total, thank you!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=97413&section_id=5214645

Owls Find Cuddlies

SquareJane picked this owlfinds list of precious little cuddly friends. You know you want to take them all home. You can cuddle them. Well, most of them. Some of them might be a little hard. Etsy's got the greatest treasure chest of plush and cuddlies out there! Here's just a few!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Stellar Seller: ChopstixWaits

Tell us and the Etsy world a bit about you, anything you'd like to share...

My name is Chopstix Waits. I live in rochester ny with my great dane Angus and my hairless cat Chicken. I grew up here, traveled a bit when i was younger , and ended up buying a house a few years ago.I am a self taught seamstress and fiber artist. I sew,spin,felt and crochet full time, and spend most of my days in my attic studio. In my free time I west african dance, contra dance, and am currently learning russian, i also enjoy the occasional late night and slightly intoxicated dance party. When i can find the time, I love to travel for inspiration and textiles.

How did you meet Etsy? Was it love at first sight?

Etsy and i met at just the right time! I had quit my part time job bartending, and although i was doing some bridal , and costuming work, there is just not much of a market for my work in the city where i live. A friend of mine had an etsy shop, and i decided to check it out. I was lucky to have a small customer base that came with me and really got the ball rolling on etsy for me. I now work almost full time on etsy, and love how easy it is to use, and that i can reach a global market of customers.

How did you get into making what you make?

I have been sewing for as long as i can remember. Most of my family are artist and craftsman, and i grew up around a lot of creativity. When i was younger, i started making my own clothes because i could never find what i wanted. I love the color, history, and integrity of traditional clothing from India, Asia, and Africa, and i take constant inspiration from this.

Describe yourself in 1 word: wonderlust

Do you have a favorite:

favorite word or saying: As of late i am obsessed with this line from Pablo Nerudas Ode to sadness: "I will sweep the bits and pieces of your carcass to the four corners of the wind" . Its not really a saying, but beautiful in context

favorite color: bright
Favorite author: too many to choose just one, right now i am reading The hunter, the hammer and heaven by Robert Young Pelton.I also swear by lonely planet guide books.
Favorite holiday: I celebrate at random
Favorite etsy seller:I have a couple of favorites i have to mention, these ladies have their own sense of style, and a color aesthetic that i love:katwise eviegreenpixie

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Owls find daffodils!

One of our new members, ickydogcreations has inspired hopes of a true Spring in all of us with this gorgeous owlfinds full of daffodils! See all of Etsy's daffodil offerings here. Happy Spring!

Tutorial: Making a Lightbox with Lovealisa

LoveAlisa recently decided to dive into the world of lightbox making, and she was nice enough to take photos along the way to write up a tutorial for the blog. Follow this to start the path to better photography in no time!

Creating your own Professional Photography Studio

It has become apparent to me that I need to improve my product photos. They aren’t terribly awful, but I want them to stand out and show off how fantastic they are in my eyes! So, I started researching and heard a lot about Light Boxes. I basically took my design from this lovely tutorial (http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html), with some insignificant but duly noted changes. Most of this low cost project can be found rummaging around my pantry/craft area/closets for items of use.

Go Gather your Supplies!!!

1. One Box (about 14x14x14 seemed like the right size, just eyeball it. Eventually I’ll make one capable of holding my totes)

2. Scissors/Exacto Knife (to cut out your panels. Be careful, I sliced my fingers holding onto scissors and sawing…)

3. Parchment Paper (or anything to diffuse light… tissue paper, thin white fabric etc)

4. Poster Board (in white, and/or optional black)

5. Tacky Glue (tape works if you have strong packing or electric tape… which I did not.)

Costs:

I forgot that my hubby and I live in a one-bedroom apartment, and we don’t have a lot to rummage through. So, I did purchase a few items. Box: $4.50 Poster Board: $0.49

Steps:

1. Cut out three square panels from three sides (see photo). If you don’t want your hubby calling you “Alisa Scissor Hands” please be careful how you hold your sharp tools.

OPTIONAL: Cut out the bottom side of your box so you can take your light box outside and photograph immovable plant life and other items.

2. Cut parchment paper to match the empty panels plus 1 inch room on each side.

3. Glue the parchment paper to cover the panels. (I tried to use scotch tape, but I realized after taping ALL the panels on, that it didn’t work and it all fell off.)

4. While the glue dries, trim the poster board to a width of 14 inches and slide it into place.

5. Bada Bing, Bada Boom. You are done. Go take the best photos of your Etsy items!

Note: I have been using this outside with natural light (which works) but you can also use two lamps on either side.

Check out the above bracelet in the Etsy Owls shop where proceeds go 100% to Autism research! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5271044&section_id=5156130

Monday, April 13, 2009

New listings from the Owls!

Here are some things you can find on the first few pages of the Etsy Owls Team search today :) Click the pics for Etsy listings! Happy Monday!

Rebecca by IckyDogCreations

Spring Bouquet by suenosdejmi

Blueberries by executeme

Cherry Limeade Felt Flower Headband by blackcatmima

Aventurine bracelet from gypsyeye

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Owls Find Easter Eggs!

Blackcatmima had her very own Easter Egg hunt on Etsy, and decided to share it here with an Owlfinds list! :) Even though Easter's pretty much over, there's still a ton of great Easter stuff on Etsy! (and I betcha there might be some great sales after Easter too!)

Featured sellers and item links:

http://tecopia.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23158079

http://thepolkadottotspot.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23527686

http://frippelous.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23048560

http://pinksweetie.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10342683

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Owl Spotlight: SquareJane

After being inspired by fellow painting Owls and on some prompting by them as well, I have recently delved back into the land of painting.

At one time in my life, it was a maniacal passion. I began experimenting with paint when I was in art classes in high school, trying water colors, and oils. My mother was once a painter as well and perhaps there is something genetic there. I gave up paints after school in favor of working to survive and forgot about it for awhile. Around the age of 20, I met an amazingly talented artist named Rob Nelms and we became inseperable friends. He showed me painting need not be quite so collegiate but instead more like gorilla warfare. Rob showed me how to stretch canvases made from disposed of items like cupboard doors or old box springs. Together we would pitch in our change and buy large cans of latex house paints and would prime our hand stretched canvas with drywall sealer paint. It was messy but it was INSPIRING. We would have our own art shows in our house we shared with two other roommates. It got to be a big deal and we sold alot of art, even making it into local papers. I heard the word "artist" floated around connected to my name and for the first time did not flinchquite so much in self-effacement.

I adore working with paints. I don't simply see painting as a way to create something attractive but more a way to capture a dreamscape from within my mind and share it with others. What my friend Rob taught me all those years ago was to be in tune with that inner crazy person because THAT is the person who paints things that others cannot. Sometimes it can mean an artist tumbles into madness as history has shown us over and over so I do my best to temper that with much more mundane daily life. Sometimes my paintings are whimsical in a fairytale kind of way and sometimes they are more gritty, hard and messy. They are almost always touched with my love of the absurd.

Currently, I am working on a series of small acrylic original paintings from my "One Crazy Spring" series laced with softer and bright colors

and a real sense of whimsy

Anyone can paint. Not everyone can draw but absolutely ANYONE with supplies and a desire can paint. You would be astonished to see what textures and colors the visual world of paint can lead you to. Please, even if you've never thought of yourself as an artist, try picking up a brush and some paint and get to work.

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