Storque articles by mtraub

Keep It Weird: Fear Factor

2010-03-19T16:20:00-04:00

Sure, there are those murmuring monsters under the bed and aliens in the White House, but what about the oft-neglected concerns of asymmetriphobia or existential anxiety? Paranoia comes in many flavors, so switch on the night-light and head on down to the fallout shelter with this week's Keep It Weird.

Know what's out there with I Fear for Humanity Poppet and Gas Mask by Strangestudios and Do Not Be Scared Illustration by paulofnavarone. Check out the Related Items below for more fight or flight fancies.

More Keep It Weird Posts | Etsy Fears

Keep It Weird: St. Snakes

2010-03-12T15:19:00-04:00

St. Patrick's Day is almost upon us, and while for many that may mean green food coloring in soda bread or family outings to the local parade, I'd like to celebrate this patron saint of engineers and paralegals by paying homage to his snake-banishing lore. Saint Patrick may have won round one, but the serpents that slither through this Keep It Weird are back with a vengeance.

Writhe in pleasure over Bat Doll With Snake in the Mushroom Patch by thedollfarm and Owl Walk by Showchicken. Check out the Related Items below for more twisted creations.

More Keep It Weird Posts | Etsy Snakes

Fresh Shops: anthonyroberto

2010-03-09T13:20:00-04:00

Every day, our community grows in unexpected and delightful ways. For our Fresh Shops series, sellers who have been on Etsy for a mere handful of months or are awaiting their first sale introduce themselves. I stumbled upon anthonyroberto's shop using Pounce Undiscovered; here's a warm welcome to all our newbies!

My name is Anthony Roberto. Currently I am a student attending the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. I'll be graduating with my BFA in printmaking in May of this year. Come summertime, I can be found off the coast of Kodiak Alaska aboard a 48 ft. salmon boat, the mighty Shawnee, fishing to support life as a city-dwelling artist. Lately I've been doing a lot of copper plate printmaking, focusing on the techniques of engraving and aquatint. I'm also interested in bookmaking, letterpress, and sculpture of various sorts (plexiglass fascinates me). Whatever the medium, my art making practice is very much based on drawing and tactility. My more conceptual work deals with time, history and the paradoxes/surreality inherent to the human condition and how these abstractions distort/change lives.

Yeah, it's all a bit heavy and convoluted, but what are you gonna do, it's what interests me. Other times I'm just focused on mark making and materiality, along with more formal considerations like beauty in composition and clean technique.

I've been told that I am a very "traditional" artist, which I assume means that I like crafting an image that represents something. It's true that I need to feel my hand in the work. This physicality gives me great satisfaction. For me there is nothing more gratifying than engraving, putting hand and tool to metal and gouging out an image from a polished plane of copper. The process has the ability to convey a fantastic amount of energy and vigor while simultaneously being stately and controlled. It’s such an old technique now but still so vital and compelling. I've been told I am archaic. People also tell me the images I like to craft are bizarre.

My girlfriend, provax, told me about Etsy some time ago. Then RADROBOT and others began to talk of this mysterious website somewhere on the information super-highway. Eventually I just wanted to be part of it. It's fairly amazing for us unknown artists, that there is this forum for all of us to interact with each other and get our work out to people who might want to see it. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

Looking for more newbies? Try these links:

Fresh Shops on Etsy's Blog | Pounce Shopping Tool

If you're a fellow Oregonian, check out our I Heart Art: Portland post!

International Women's Day

2010-03-08T12:40:00-04:00

I do not take lightly the fortune of living in a time and place that is largely respectful of gender rights. Growing up with two sisters, mine was a household where the female experience was celebrated with conviction. Instead of "The Four Sons" at our Passover seder, we read "The Four Daughters," recalling the often-neglected tales of heroism from the daughters and mothers of the Torah. Throughout time, the stories of women have long been stifled, and many communities today continue this legacy of repression and violence. On this International Women's Day, let's focus on the freedoms of femininity, on figures of strength and truth and beauty and passion.

From Madame Curie to Gloria Steinem, Queen Elizabeth to Angela Davis, what women have inspired you?

Craftivism Posts | This Handmade Life Posts

Keep It Weird: Outlaws

2010-03-05T16:09:00-04:00

Growing up with a criminal defense lawyer for a father tended to make me think twice before swiping a candy bar from the corner bodega. I've had to settle for living out my adrenaline-fueled bandit adventures vicariously, swooning over the greaser gangs of young adult fiction and spending full weekends glued to prison documentary marathons. The law simply cannot contain these Keep It Weird renegades.

Don't get caught red-handed with Winged Birdcage by snegoratchka, Nature Bandit by Demofia, and Candy Sculpture by madebymoxie. Check out the Related Items below for more irresistible entrapment.

More Keep It Weird Posts | Bandits on Etsy | Items Tagged "Trap"

Keep It Weird: Interbody

2010-02-26T14:00:00-04:00

When I dare to venture into the mobs of midtown Manhattan, my misanthropic tendencies intuitively thrust my elbows out, head down, fury ablaze. In this cold harsh world of modernity, I like to think of my bodily boundaries as impenetrable and absolute. However, my croupy cough seems to prove otherwise. From within my vessel to yours, here's Keep It Weird.

Transplant yourself with Art Print by jeak, Leg Ring by Ricksonjewellery, and Conjoined Twins Art Doll by MercuryRising. Check out the penetrating Related Items.

More Keep It Weird Posts | Bodies in Art

Keep It Weird: Wanderlust

2010-02-19T15:00:00-04:00

As I ride in the subway car that smells of defrosting carcass, I am all-consumed by my escapist daydreams. The numbness leaves my toes, the heavy woolens float from my shoulders, and my bronchial tubes sigh in relief. I wish transporting myself to vibrant realms of sunshine and flora were as simple as flinging out my limbs and ascending in weightless flight. Alas, my routes of getaway must instead meander through the Keep It Weird fantasies of Etsy.

Choose your own adventure with Red Hat by curster, Escape Velocity by LauraTravisCarving, and The Glutton Goes on Vacation by duanehosein. Check out the Related Items below for more fleeing inspiration.

More Keep it Weird Posts | Items Tagged "Escape"

Keep It Weird: Dr. Strangelove

2010-02-12T16:00:00-04:00

True romance is in the details. Forgo the generalities of commercial Valentine's Day in favor of the peculiarities that you love about yourself or your honey: different strokes for different folks! I always find a Keep It Weird serenade to be irresistibly seductive.

Set the mood with Zombie Leg Love by burntfeather, Kinky PVC Pencil Skirt by KatherinaAndreeva, and Black Heart Doll by kerrykate. Check out the Related Items below for more freaky intimacy.

More Keep It Weird Posts | Weird Love

Etsy Addicts: Hearters We Love

2010-02-12T14:30:00-04:00

The approach of Valentine's Day means many things to many people: a day to salute your relationship with steak and Salsa dancing, celebrate the single life with a hardcore show at the dive bar, or eat a box of bon bons from the comforts of a candlelit bath.

Today we interview Etsy community members, both shoppers and sellers, who have a vivid and real relationship with Etsy that grows each day. These "Etsy addicts" are avid hearters, favoriting Etsy items at an astronomical rate. Today we're picking their brains about why they love Etsy, where they find their faves and what they're doing this Valentine's Day.

Staci and Alex of 26olivestreet: 17,644 Hearts (...and Counting)

Why do you heart things on Etsy?
Well for starters, that little heart button is addictive! Our use of this feature has sort of snowballed since we've started as sellers here on Etsy. In the beginning, we were always checking on what items people were hearting in our shop to give ourselves a measure of feedback on Olive Street's progress as we settled ourselves in. Secondly, we are completely hopeless when it comes to snatching a Treasury spot, so hearting allows us to have a constant growing chain of our own curated Etsy finds whenever we feel the urge (which is often, obviously).

Do you actively share your Etsy Favorites with anyone?
Our Favorites list started growing so fast that we morphed an old feature on our main website from weekly Etsy favorites to what we now call the Heart Gallery. This gem shows a real time update of our constant discoveries through Etsy's API.

Do you look at or follow other people's Favorites? Would you care to share any of their names?
Occasionally we take a peek at someone's Favorites if we find a shop especially intriguing or we've become Etsy web friends along the way. MyWagonette, a fellow Omaha seller while we were back in Nebraska, always has interesting finds bookmarked from sellers we somehow haven't come across yet.

Do you buy a lot of your favorites? If not, what's the purpose behind bookmarking them?
We soon realized that a heart doesn't have to mean a person was bookmarking it in a "come back and buy later" way. It's also a great little nod of encouragement that you're on the right track. We liked the product, or perhaps the photo, or the styling or the concept or what have you. Either way, looking at hearts on the receiving end really does help with future photo and stock inspiration. Etsy being the community it is, we set out to let everyone else know who and what we found interesting, unique and impressive. We stick to vintage for what we sell, but that doesn't mean we don't appreciate all of the spectacular creations that Etsy is stuffed to the brim with.

That said, we do purchase quite a bit from Etsy for ourselves and others but usually through our personal account to keep everything neat and tidy in the shop. If we've bought it, it's bound to be hanging out somewhere in our shop Favorites.

What is the most romantic Etsy gift you can imagine?
It'd be pretty darn romantic to buy everything on my Favorites list, while we're on the subject... I've got hearts bobbling out my eyeballs right now just thinking about it.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?
We're the "no plan is the best plan" type of bunch. You know, the "fly by the seat of your pants" type of excursions: they're just much more adventuresome and quirky. Honestly, it will probably involve Alex cooking, me eating, and maybe a thumb war or two, which I will inevitably win. (Hear that, Alex? That's right.)

Ruth of TheGreyLady: 16,317 Hearts (...and Counting)

Why do you heart things on Etsy?
I heart things when I think they're really beautiful or creative, or when they remind me of myself or my friends and I don't want to lose track of them. I also heart things when I think they're just cool.

Do you actively share your Etsy Favorites with anyone?
I definitely try to! If I find something that I think someone I know would really like, I generally let them know, and I generally point people to Etsy a lot.

Do you look at or follow other people's Favorites? Would you care to share any of their names?
I don't think I've ever done this on Etsy. It's not something I've ever really thought about.

Do you buy a lot of your Favorites? If not, what's the purpose behind bookmarking them?
I wish I could buy more of my Favorites! But wow, to buy a lot of them would take way more money than I have available. I guess I see my Favorites as kind of a personal list of stuff that I think is awesome enough to keep track of.

What is the most romantic Etsy gift you can imagine?
Ooh, that's hard. Well, I always think that any custom gift is really special, especially when the recipient has no idea that they're going to be getting anything like it. It would definitely vary from person to person, but for me I guess a ring or a necklace would be best, something that had been made just for me.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?
I'm not sure yet. I'm chronically single, so at most I'll probably get together with some other single friends and just hang out.

Rachel of rackletang: 21,649 Hearts (...and Counting)

Why do you heart things on Etsy?
For a variety of reasons. Some things inspire me in my own creativity, some I want to remember for later and compare to others of their kind (like my quest for the perfect vintage cream and sugar set, or the perfect iPod cozy). Sometimes I'm just hoping that I will soon come into a sum of money, and can invest it in something beautiful.

Do you actively share your Etsy Favorites with anyone?
I don't, really. I suppose it would be a good idea, now that you mention it!

Do you look at or follow other people's Favorites? Would you care to share any of their names?
I don't. I sometimes look at what my friends have hearted, for gift-giving occasions...

Do you buy a lot of your Favorites? If not, what's the purpose behind bookmarking them?
I do buy occasionally, but in this economy I have to be pretty selective. I'm an optimist, though, and I'd like to believe that I could go ahead and order all 700 pages of items.

What is the most romantic Etsy gift you can imagine?
I have a few vintage dishware collections going, so something to supplement those would be fantastic.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?
Nothing specific yet. Nowadays our idea of excitement is sitting around on the weekend watching SyFy original movies and giggling. So probably that, plus a nice dinner, would be my guess.

Lindsay of linzb: 16,553 Hearts (...and Counting)

Why do you heart things on Etsy?
I just like exploring all the interesting and neat things other people have made. I usually heart items that I think are innovative, unique or cute. I'm always encouraged when I see someone has hearted one of my items, so I think other sellers might like when their items are hearted also. I think hearting shops and items promotes the artist, even if in a small way because you are telling them you like their items and also showing other people you like their items (if your hearts are public).

Do you actively share your Etsy Favorites with anyone?
If people want to look at my Favorites, they are welcome to, but I don't particularly share them with anybody.

Do you look at or follow other people's Favorites? Would you care to share any of their names?
Sometimes I do look at a shop's hearted items if there is a shop that particularly interests me or has extremely unique things. I might look at the seller's Favorites because what a person likes tells a lot about who they are. The items a person hearts might reflect the kinds of things they make, and it's always interesting for me to see those correlations.

Do you buy a lot of your Favorites? If not, what's the purpose behind bookmarking them?
I don't buy very much because I can't really afford to at this point in my life, but occasionally I buy things. Maybe someday I'll be able to collect much more handmade goodness and be supportive of great crafters. I also heart items because they have an appealing design that I appreciate, whether with color, form, lines or shape etc. I really like items that are well crafted and show off the talent and skill of the artist, while still being created with a visible personal touch, rather than with a generic machine in some unknown factory far away. Sometimes I heart because I like the artist's idea and use of material and it makes me want to try to explore that medium.

What is the most romantic Etsy gift you can imagine?
I think a customized gift that says a person's name would be romantic for any valentine. I think it would be extra romantic if there was a little book with fill-in-the-blanks someone could personalize for their beloved. Basically any gift that is personalized is very romantic in my opinion, especially if it is made by somebody's hands.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?
I'm going to be watching my neighbor's dog that day so I will maybe go on a little Valentine's Day stroll outside with the pooch. I also will give out some homemade valentines like I always do. I don't have many other plans besides that so far, but It's going to be a fun day. Usually I think of Valentine's Day as a day of love, but not only romantic love. This day is a special opportunity to tell all the cherished people in your life that they are loved and appreciated whether they are your significant other, friend, family or whoever! Valentine's Day is the best!

Check out the Related Items below for some of 26olivestreet's, TheGreyLady's, rackletang's, and linzb's Favorites!

Valentine's Day Posts | Site Feature Posts | Etsy Love Stories

Anti-Valentine's Day

2010-02-08T15:24:00-04:00

Do the couples canoodling at sunset make you want to hurl yourself off a cliff? I plan on celebrating my singledom this Valentine's Day with some bacon-infused whiskey and a 6 a.m. dance party. Check out the Related Items below for the warm embrace of cynicism, independence, and self-love.

Items Tagged "Anti-Valentine" | Etsy Love Stories