UberArt

I love to write. I'm a collector of journals. Some I write in, some I draw in, and some I just look at because they're so pretty I'm afraid to mess them up. Beth's lovely hand-bound journals are pretty enough to fall into that last category, but I doubt I could resist doodling on those pristine white pages! She creates focal points on some of the journals with sculpted clay, and this detail is a perfect transition to the other focus of her shop: polymer clay pendants.

Beth started UberArt when she found Etsy, thanks to her husband spotting an article in a business magazine. Since she has an interest in a variety of crafts she was not sure what sorts of goods would fill the pages of her site as time passed. “My main inspiration comes from being with other artists. I love working alongside others, sharing a creative aura and seeing the things we all come up with.”

Beth juggles being a full time mom to a toddler, and a part time crafter. Like many parents, her crafting time is found during nap times and once the little one has been tucked in bed at night. She has the constant support of her friends and family, “ [They] are always interested in my latest creations, or at least pretend to be!”

“I think my “Sand and Sky Journal” has become my signature item. I grew up near the beach and really enjoy incorporating seaglass into my work.”

I encourage everyone to take a peek in her shop, the photos are stunning, and you'll no doubt find a lovely treasure to make your own.

Dvora Schleffer Designs

Dvora Schleffer Designs features beautiful silver jewelry, crocheted silver wire, and semi-precious gems. Each piece is delicate and airy, with attention paid to the finest detail.

Dvora finds her inspiration in nature, textiles, architecture, and the beautiful gemstones that she uses to create her subtle jewelry. “My favourite material is silver, I feel it holds endless possibilities and goes great with gemstones, resins and any other material that I like using.”

Dvora is a full time crafter. At one time, her jewelry was a side project, but she felt that her full time job limited her ability to create, so she made the decision to quit and create full time. Now, several years later, she has her own brick and mortar jewelry store in Israel, as well as her virtual storefront.

“Be patient and believe in yourself and in your designs.”

Bijoutery

J. Earles of Bijoutery Designs brings her professional knowledge of geology into her craft. “I'm currently a graduate student studying geoscience. It is my love of geology that has lead to an evolution of my jewelry design from primarily beadwork to working with stones and pearls.” J’s designs are elegant, and as you could imagine full of beautiful stones.

Probably one of my favorite parts of J’s store are the Firefly inspired jewelry designs. The fun sci-fi space cowboy TV series is written in a futuristic world that blends the culture from the East and West. It’s this mix of culture that J reflects in her Firefly jewelry line, and each piece would look at home on any of the female crew.

As a full time graduate student, J is only able to create part time. As with anyone who has full time commitments, J has to schedule time in for her craft as well. “It really gives me a break from school and I just love it too much not to find time to do it!”

J met Sara of skrhoades a year ago, and this fellow crafter encouraged her to start selling her jewelry at art shows, and introduced her to Etsy. Having the support of another crafter is what really got J going, and the two remain close friends despite living far away from one another.

“Do what you can when you can – don’t fret if you don’t have the time or funds to do everything at once! Just work with what you can now, and strive to improve your art and your shop little by little.”

HeartworksByLori

Luxury, elegance, charm… all words that come to mind every time I come to the shop of Lori Patton. Aside from being a fun and friendly person to chat with, Lori has an exceptional eye for beauty and art. HeartworksbyLori features beautiful artwork designed to be displayed around your neck.

Lori is currently using a lot of brass, due to the versatility and vintage look that it gives her work. “I'm prone to switching back and forth from Sterling Silver, to faceted gemstones like Labradorite and Chalcedony, but brass is so versatile and the possibilities are endless.” She designs jewelry that she would love to wear, and is inspired by clothing, colors, and her personal mood. Since her personal style is so versatile, this is reflected in the jewelry she creates. “I like to create fun and flirty jewelry as well as classic and elegant styles with an added flair, all with the underlining tone of beauty. Sometimes I just glance at the colorful array of my materials and elements all spread out and a design just calls out to me to be made!”

Lori works on her jewelry part time, spending her days raising her three young boys. She does most of her creating once everyone’s tucked into bed. “My creative juices get flowing after dark, since I'm a total night owl, so it works out perfectly.” She finds encouragement from her husband, who tells her how beautiful her work is. Of course, she encourages herself to create and has a drive to perfect techniques and learn new skills.

Lori opened her shop around Christmas, and has experienced incredible success. Take a look at what’s making her such a big hit.

Unique Charm

Leslie Nichole of UniqueCharm makes the most delectable finger candy (not to mention ear candy, neck candy… well, you get the idea.) With little clay charms cleverly sculpted to resemble your favorite desserts, these designs look good enough to eat!

Like many crafters, Leslie is always looking for inspiration in the world around her. She brings her ideas home and interprets them in her polymer clay sculptures. “It’s so versatile, you can do anything with it.” For the time being, Leslie crafts in her spare time, though she has plans to expand her business and craft full time.

Working in your spare time is never easy, but Leslie’s got a wonderfully supportive boyfriend who encourages her to create. “He gives me advice & will tell me when something looks bad.”

Leslie rewards her shoppers by always running a contest in her shop. Check her out to see the current contest, who knows, you may walk away with a fun freebie!

Paper Girl Productions

Precious plushies, funky jewelry, custom shop banners and more await you in Paper Girl Production’s shop. Belle Perez brings her own vision to the cute and cuddly things she creates.

Belle’s favorite material is the felt that she uses to make her little plushies. Her inspiration comes from materials she comes in contact with, 80’s toys, and bright colors. You can definitely see this reflected in her work. These soft little dolls really stand out in their design and execution. “I think some of my plushies look like they are the results of a childlike doodle.”

Plushies aren’t the only thing you’ll find in this talented crafter’s shop – she’s got a selection of cute hand crafted jewelry as well.

Belle creates her crafts full time. She runs her store on Etsy, as well as her personal website where you can find her Gothic Kitty Cat plushies. Her advice to other sellers: “Be passionate about your work. Don't feel like you have to conform to what everyone else around you is doing or selling well. Start your own trend.” Belle has definitely done that, and become very successful with it. Watch for her new line of goodies for Mother’s Day!

Visit Belle’s online shop here:
http://papergirlproductions.com

Knit, Crochet and Macrame Hemp Creations

Diana at Knit, Crochet and Macrame Hemp Creations makes beautiful pieces that have a high visual impact, while leaving a low impact on the environment. “I chose to work with hemp because it has a low impact on the environment. It can be harvested in as little as 100 days, and does not need to be sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals, in fact it even fertilizes the soil for future crops. Hemp can grow in near drought conditions therefore it is not a huge drain on precious water resources.” To find out more on why she chooses this particular material, view her profile.

Any natural material has an appeal to Diana. “I don’t know if I could pick just one, it changes all the time. I love any natural fiber! I just started a project using a bamboo / wool blend yarn and it is beautiful – very soft and silky.” She doesn’t use patterns, but is inspired by the materials themselves.

Diana’s full time job is home schooling her three children, and she uses her crafting as a creative outlet. “It can be hard to find the time, but I have to create, it makes me feel whole. I find it help me cope with the day to day stresses of life.” She finds encouragement from her husband. “I remember one time I had asked him to pick me up some more natural colourred hemp on his errands. Now, my hubby is not the craftiest guy, and does not particularly like craft stores – but he went anyway. Much to my surprise, he bought many different colours of hemp, tons of different beads and containers to organize my supplies. He was so happy to show me his finds! He even found some mood beads which have turned out to be some of my best sellers.”

Washi by Maoiliosa

Washi is a type of decorative paper made in Japan. Melissa Rogers has found several of different uses for Washi paper, and you can find her tiny creations on her Etsy shop, Washi by Maoiliosa.

Melissa’s unique shop name comes from a moniker she created several years ago. There was a period of her life where she was interested in Celtic things, and she found that “Maoiliosa” is the Gaelic equivalent to Melissa. So, she’s been going by Maoiliosa online ever since.

Melissa stumbled on to Etsy while Google searching for more Washi paper. “I immediately began thinking about opening a shop, and in mid-January, I became an Etsy seller. it has been the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had!”

It is obvious by glancing into her shop that Melissa’s favorite material is the great Washi paper that she collects. “I LOVE finding the precise little spot on the huge sheet of paper that I will feature on a pendant!” Her other great inspiration is music, and she listens to music that conveys the same feelings that her pieces do, such as Bjork, Ellen Allien, and Kitaro.

Melissa finds encouragement from her supportive fiancé, and her best friend Sarah.

Sparkling Stars

Etsy is full of jewelry makers, and each has their own take on the usual adornments. Ishi of Sparkling Stars has a wonderful selection of unique, funky, head turning jewelry that really stands out from the norm. You can see her love of dark and antiqued chain and high contrast colors in all of her designs.

Ishi is a part time crafter who spends evenings and weekends designing. “Sometimes my laundry and dishes pile up, but it always feels worth it.” She finds encouragement from her boyfriend and family, as well as the friends that she has found while networking. “It's great to find fellow artists and create your own supportive networks.”

Making creative jewelry isn’t the only talent Ishi has, she grew up playing piano, and taught herself flute and violin. She has played in a disco band while in Austin. She also majored in Math in college and works as a financial analyst. “I think doing such different things keeps me balanced and keeps me from going crazy on both sides. It’s good to come up for air sometimes, step away and then come back to what you're doing for a new perspective.”

You can check out Ishi’s blog here: http://thingsimakethingsilove.blogspot.com/

Karin Grow

Karin Grow first caught my eye with her striking retro paintings. I love monochrome art, and Karin’s execution is flawless. Paintings aren’t the only thing you’ll find in this talented artisan’s store however. There is a good deal of beautifully assembled beaded jewelry, candles, purses and more.

Karen’s brick and mortar shop, “Vintage Blues” is located in a little beach town in San Diego, California. “I love working with just about anything, paint,fabric,wax,gems etc…” She is a full-time artist and part-time crafter inspired by vintage Tropicana and nature. “My only advise for other shop owners or artists is to stay true to your style and you will attract the kind of people you'd like to be surrounded with. When your focus is on money and what others are doing, you work really suffers.”

She and her husband bought and moved into the house that she grew up in, as sixth in a line of ten siblings. “It was a wild and crazy house all the time… It has so many great memories for me.” Karen is the parent to three cats and the dogs. “I love my little creatures more than I can ever show them.”

Peta Pledger

If you like the rockabilly influence of the 1950’s, you will love the unique styles of Peta Pledger. Peta is a designer and dressmaker of 18 years from Melbourne, Australia. She is heavily inspired by 1950’s housewives, the Rockabilly scene and women that are comfortable in their own skin, and it shows in the head turning clothing and jewelry she creates.

Peta uses every spare minute that she can find in her sewing room. “I am a full time crafter, however I have a toddler, so that makes me a part time crafter!” She collects vintage sewing patterns and haberdashery. “I am obsessive about sewing perfection and I like to sew 1950's style clothing, while listening to late 1980's hard rock (think, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Poison etc)!”

Peta surrounds herself with crafty people. She is married to artist Marc Burstall, and many of her friends are artists and crafters. Peta even has a collaborative project with Melbourne pop art painter Gemma Jones, offering screen printed T-shirts featuring Gemma’s artwork. “When Gemma agreed to do this I was both excited and a little star struck!” The pair are a great match.

If you love classic 1950’s style, or just want to stand out in a crowd, Peta’s designs are for you.