In Love With ACEO's

My artistic desires and fancies come and go, and right now I have been creating OOAK (One of a kind) ATC/ACEO's and getting more and hooked with each and every one. As I started to create these this past Mother's Day (what a nice gift, my family allowing me some extra time in my art area on Mother's Day!) I began to realize these particular ATC's even had a similar look and feel, the same muted colors ran in each one. I will be posting these at my Etsy shop soon!

Meet The Poets Daughter

About a week ago I recieved a friendly note from a fellow Etsian who introduced herself as a neighbor of mine, here in Michigan. I decided to get to know her a little and I am really glad I did. She has admired my work from afar for sometime,and I had hers, as well. We decided to meet up in person and I feel we have found a bond with each other, through our similar interests and tastes, our endeavors and challenges. Please meet Erin of The Poets Daughter from Etsy ( http://www.poetsdaughter.etsy.com/ ).

Erin first please tell us a little about yourself, your hobbies and passions, how long you have been at Etsy, etc.~ Like a well-loved quilt, the story of "the Poet's Daughter" is colorful and intricate :) Originally, the Poet's Daughter was just me, Erin, the oldest of three sisters. I had sold items on Ebay as merryoldemoon for years, and after learning about Etsy, I opened a shop in September of 2008. Meanwhile, my sister Kristin had been selling on eBay since 2005. She is a scrapbook artist, "queennostalgia", who also dabbles in mixed media and altered art. Her work is known for including whimsical touches and vintage finds, along with an olde fashioned feel. Earlier this year we started creating art together, sharing a studio. I have two teenagers, she has twin three-year-olds, and we have three cats between us, but even in this chaos we find our combined creativity. Now my etsy store, "The Poet's Daughter", features unique items that we have created together. I do most of the sewing and hand-stitching, she like so play with the clay, ...between the two of us, we have created a nostalgic mercantile, filled with vintage pretties and unique supplies for fellow artists.

What inspired and motivated you to create the items you do, and how long have you been doing this style?~ We have always been captivated with treasures from the past, even as children. We loved looking through Grandma's old photographs, and loved nothing more passing a rainy day pouring over her tattered collection Good Housekeeping and Farmer's Almanac. We loved the quaint advertisements and illustrations. As I got older, my love of all things old grew, and so did my collection of antiques and vintage curiosities. We have always been "crafters". We made clothes for our cats when we were big enough to glue fabric and ribbon, would create floral arrangements featuring lilacs for the bus driver, and would decorate our rooms with treasures from flea markets and Grandma's attic. We are both inspired by the romance of vintage things. There is a mystery in each smile captured in sepia, a nostalgia with letters written by lovers long gone...

What are your short term goals? And your long range forecast? In other words, what would you most like to accomplish either in the near or distant future?~ I would have to have you come visit our studio to see our to do list! We have a business meeting every other day and have an on-going list on a floor to ceiling white board where we jot down our tasks, goals, and ideas and inspirations. Short term, we are trying to promote our store by pursuing venues both on and offline. From selling at Local Farmer's Markets and Art shows to having online stores like Etsy and my store on the Early Work Mercantile ( http://www.earlyworkmercantile.com/ )Long term? We would love to create a line of mixed media products or supplies, like stamps or a scrapbook paper line... We love to dream, and do daily!

What lately has absolutely made your day, inspired you to keep going down this avenue, and convinced yourself that someone out there really appreciates your work?~ We were at the Breckenridge Primitives and Folk Art show in February, and a lady came up to me, breathless, and asked me if I was the Poet's Daughter. She had recognized my "look" from shopping at Etsy, and couldn't believe she found me "in person". I felt like a celebrity! It was inspiring to know that I have created a look that is recognizable.

Could you give us an idea of a quote or a word that you always hold true to? Something you firmly believe in?~ "Why walk when you can fly..." a lyric from one of our favorite singer songwriters, Mary Chapin Carpenter. ~

Please visit Erin and Kristin's Etsy store for a truly wonderful treat. They will be sure and become one of your favorites!

Look what I just learned to make this morning from a good friend of mine! I have always wanted to learn to solder. I know I will never be able to replace the talent of some other soldering queens but it was fun to learn this art and who knows, I might at least make a few for myself and gifts. Thanks, Kari!

Another Milestone

My son and his girlfriend looked oustanding on the day of his prom. What an exciting time for them both. So grown up ( in most ways at least). A group of around 60 kids gathered beforehand to start out on a magical night, and this is what it looked like. Of course they were the best looking ones of the bunch!

I love Halloween. And I love collecting vintage Halloween objects year round. When I was asked to come up with a vintage Halloween theme for a workshop I am teaching this fall, I was thrilled to experiment with shadow boxes, which always catch my eye. Here you have 2 examples of what can be done with an unfinished wooden shadow box and a few simple elements. Each student will come up with a different look as I will have choices galore of paper, embellishements, stamps, ephemera, etc. Any feedback always welcome!

A Huge Thank-You

I know I keep saying this, but I keep on meeting people through a group of talented, warm, witty, caring and amazing artists, and one of them recently asked me for an interview to put at our group blog (http://www.melangeonetsy.blogspot.com/). I never cease to be amazed at how supportive this group of people can be and when Jodi Ohl of http://www.sweetrepeats.blogspot.com/ , approached me, I was pleasantly surprised. Thank you Jodi, and to all of the amazing people at our Melange Team who have helped each other learn and be inspired by one another.

Nancy Lefko, the "CollageArtGirl"

One of my favorite artists I have met through Etsy, is Nancy Lefko, or "collageartgirl". I not only love her form of art, but I enjoy her as a person, as she is always so positive and interested in what others are accomplishing. We are fellow members of our new Etsy Steet Team, Melange. Please check out our link to the right of here to be taken to a world of enchanting art by fascinating artists! Here is an interview Nancy allowed me to write, and I thank her for her time!

When did you discover Etsy as an avenue for selling? Where did you sell your items before you discovered Etsy?
When I first became interested in collage, I read the books by Claudine Hellmuth; that led me to her website, which led me to her Etsy shop. It was some time later that I actually starting selling my work there. Before Etsy, I sold at "the other E-place" and for awhile that worked out well for me. But soon I saw the sales fall off and the continual re-listing grew old.

What is the technique you are most proud of accomplishing?
I cannot claim ownership of any of my "techniques" but I am pleased that I manage to create backgrounds for my collages that have interest in and of themselves. As so many of my pieces utilize vintage photographic images as the focal point, I am always amused when I receive a positive comment about the image itself; almost as if I deserve credit for it. I know full well that I do not. However, comments that praise my backgrounds or the composition of the piece are those that mean the most to me.

What do you feel your biggest weekness as an artist is?
I am somewhat hesitant to try new techniques. Oftentimes, a technique that interests me seems daunting and I tend to stay in a safe zone. I wish I were a little bolder and tried new things without fear of failure.

What has been your most rewarding accomplishment as an artist?
Offering my first online workshop at Creative Workshops has opened up a new venue for me, and as a former teacher, I find the fit quite nice. I love reaching out to other artists and sharing in their journey. I enjoy the camaraderie in the workshop and the sharing of a common interest.

What goals do you have set for yourself, but feel you are struggling to accomplish them?
I know that I am not that proactive in marketing my work. I realize there are opportunities for marketing that I am not taking advantage of, either because I am not driven enough or I have doubts that I'll succeed in that venue. It is an area that I really have to push myself in and my goal is to at least find one new venue this year. Even if that is as small as offering prints of my originals or as bold as participation in an art show/sale.

What goals do you have set for yourself, and feel it is right around the corner?
Having been published once in Cloth, Paper, Scissors Magazine, I continue to pursue publication. I have had a few rejections, but luckily I do not take them personally and feel optimistic about future success in that arena. So, right around the corner? Sure !

What would you like to see accomplished for our Melange Team?
I think that if we at Melange could start a weekly challenge at our blog someday, similar what was offered at Arty Girlz, that would be a wonderful accomplishment.

Please visit Nancy's Etsy shop to view more of her original work! www.collageartgirl.etsy.com