Search results (tags) for: "art"

ArtMind Lives the Luxe Life

2009-12-07T10:04:00-05:00

We asked our readers to nominate their favorite high-end holiday gifts — Etsy items bearing price tags of $500 or more. You voted on this stunning collection, and now we have a winner. (Drum roll, please...) Congrats to ArtMind. Her sculptures are the community favorite! Here are some details about this Belgian artist's ongoing project:

"These nine baboeschkas have been part of my subject for my final project at the Academy of Fine Arts.

The assignment was to create a self-portrait.
The idea to make a few Russian dolls and to add a feeling to them, appealed to me.
In my daily being, emotions and feelings play an important role. They define my personality and my state of mind.
They are the mirrors of my soul."

You can even do a custom order with her — send her your emotion and she'll interpret it in clay.

The winner, along with some of the top picks below, will be featured in the Members' Choice Gift Guide. Thank you to all who voted.

Get Involved in the Next Round
For next week's round, our theme will be Etsy New Year's Eve Party — glitz and glamour. Think champagne, entertaining and hosting items, party decor, cocktail dresses and statement jewelry. Paste a link to your nomination in the comments below. (If you're a seller nominating one of your own items, please just nominate one — even if you have more than one shop!)

Voting Posts | Voter FAQ

Keep it Weird: Mangy Manger

2009-12-04T10:15:00-05:00

There is so much potential for self-expression in holiday decor that going traditional seems like a cop-out. If miracles of blazing oil or immaculate conception inspire you to reimagine our accepted constructs of reality, consider your tree a canvas for experimentation. How do you plan to provoke the relatives this year? Keep it Weird for God's sake!

Deck the halls with Hanukkah Fox Print by pamelaklaffke, Shower Art - Merry Buy Stuff Day by UglyBaby, and Art Doll Mouse Ornament by loopyboopy. Check out the Related Items below for a fire hazard of freaky.

More Keep it Weird Posts | Christmas Monsters | Vote for Super-Lux Gifts

The Great Etsy Office Move of 2009: Our Quiltsy Quilts

2009-12-03T10:15:00-05:00

Thank you so much to the Quiltsy Team! Last summer, we commissioned this set of custom quilts to spell out "ETSY.COM." It's the first thing people see when they enter our new office, and it doubles as a movable wall for this now very cozy meeting room.

These quilts, like the Etsy community, spell out a big, bold vision. And when you get close up, you see so much distinctive variation in texture and detail.

The quilters also added a label on the back with all of their shop names, so Admin and guests can put a name to the stitching.

Team leaders kimbuktu and Pamelaquilts coordinated the project. Pamelaquilts figured out the pattern and process of the banners, and did the coordinating between all the members who worked on it. kimbuktu encouraged the Team to take on the project, was the mediator between Etsy Admin and the Quiltsy Team, and collected the panels, finished them up, and shipped them on to Etsy.

Pictured here is ForQuiltsSake, who remarked that she didn't have a big enough place in her house to photograph the entire "E" panel!

Teamwork is a beautiful thing, and we can't thank the Quiltsy Team enough for their hard work and craftsmanship.

We also want to thank Charles, our former coworker who masterminded this project!

Find Items by the Quiltsy Team | More Photos on Etsy Labs' Flickr

Guest Curator: UPPERCASE

2009-12-02T16:38:00-05:00

Janine Vangool's love of paper, books and the handmade began in her childhood, when she would write and draw little booklets and ask her family members to sign them out of a portable cardboard library. Quite a few years later, following a career designing print materials for arts and culture clients, Janine is pursuing her publishing passions through UPPERCASE, which is the name of her studio/gallery as well as the recently launched magazine.

UPPERCASE — a magazine for the creative and curious — celebrates illustration, design, craft, music, film, vintage and all varieties of creative inspiration. Many of the magazine's contributors (and subscribers) are part of the Etsy community.

Monsieur IV print

The inspirations for both content and imagery for UPPERCASE magazine have happened through connections on Etsy. When I was creating concepts for the launch issue, I came across Blanca Gomez's shop, blancucha, and fell in love with her witty and sweet retro illustration style. I am so grateful to Blanca for her generosity in sharing her art with us for the first issue: the success of the launch was due in large part to the appealing cover. $30.

THE Olivetti Valentine -- Stunning Design

I have an obsession with typewriters and my collection of lovely Royal Quiet Deluxes (1956) have become UPPERCASE's mascot of sorts. You will find images of typewriters and typewriter-inspired typography in every issue of the magazine! One of our regular contributors, Grace Light of PoeticHome, offers insightful writing and beautiful photography about living with vintage objects. In her Etsy shop, you can find beautiful writing machines and ribbon supplies to get you corresponding in old-fashioned style. $590.

Strelka The Space Dog print 5x7

Ryan Berkley of berkleyillustration is a talented illustrator who has a unique shop of animal portraits. Sensitively anthropomorphized in suits and dresses, the images are at once poignant, cute and proud. Ryan was the perfect illustrator for an article about the dogs of the Russian space program. Prints of Strelka and other noble beasts would be lovely additions to a child's room or not-so-formal study. $10.

mustache on a stick. the banker

The dynamic duo of Shauna and Stephen somethingshidinghere are a constant inspiration to me. Their creative collaboration knows no bounds! In our current issue, Shauna took out an ad space to write a special note to Stephen, a surprise gift that was part of their ongoing series on the Poppytalk blog, "I made this for you." $36.

Plum Perfect Bear- Eco Friendly Plush

Earlier this year, we had an exhibition in the gallery called "Stitch" that featured softies, embroidery and other needle and thread artwork. Etsy was a great source for curating the show, which is how I discovered Canadian seller stitchface and her cute kitties and bears. $28.

Tangerine Dream Photographic Print.

If I could magically transport myself anywhere in the world in an instant, it would be to San Francisco! Fortunately, prolific blogger and photographer Victoria Smith, a.k.a. sfgirlbybay, keeps us all in love with San Francisco with her Sunday in the City photographs. I'm honored that Victoria is one of our regular contributors: she interviews watercolor artist Geninne Zlatkis, a.k.a. geninne, in our current issue. $16.

San Francisco Letterpress Print

Speaking of San Francisco, I've coveted this labpartners letterpress print for a very long time. Sarah and Ryan are the talented couple who graciously let our readers take a glimpse at their illustration portfolio and new home studio in issue 3. $35.

Colclough

Closer to home, Calgary designer Paige Smith makes beautiful jewelry holders from orphaned vintage china. These holders really sum up the "frugal and fancy" aesthetic that I love: the art of taking a discarded object and repurposing it into something beautiful, useful and treasured. By paigesmithdesigns, $55.

Moneybag Pillow - Guam

Following in the frugal and fancy ethos but in a different decorating aesthetic are the pillows of chakrapennywhistle. Made from reused raw cotton money bags, the randomness of the typography and other markings is graphically compelling. $60.

Hand-printed Holiday Card -- Happiest of Holidays

I was introduced to Samantha Troy's work when she subscribed to the magazine. She and her husband sell handprinted designs in their shop, desTroy, where greeting cards range from simple to ornate, perfect for the festive season ahead. $3.75.

Oval Sculpture Pendant

Kari Woo, a.k.a. kariwoo, is co-owner of the contemporary jewelry gallery Influx, one of my neighbors here in Calgary. Her graphic silver pendants and earrings are beautifully crafted. $185.

PERPETUAL CALENDAR - RED

I'm researching perpetual calendars for the upcoming issue and I love the design that the fine gals of orangebeautiful have developed. It's a clever format that allows you to play with type every day! $28.

Live What You Love Letterpress Print in Light Blue

I purchased this letterpress print from Hijiri Shepherd, a.k.a. hijirik, one of our subscribers. For me, "Live What You Love" is a commemoration of an amazing year: financial risk and incredibly hard work are all worth it if you are true to yourself and your talents. It's an encouraging statement to have in the studio, a daily reminder to keep pursuing the dream. $12.50.

Make sure to check out UPPERCASE for more intrepid art, typography and talent.

Looking for past Guest Curators? Check out our archive!

Artistic Endeavors Series | Gifts for Art Lovers | Art Category

Etsy Finds: Adventures in Manland

2009-12-02T12:10:00-05:00

Dudes in my life may say they morally oppose the materialism of shopping sprees, but I know when searching for holiday gifts that it's merely a matter of finding the right sort of materialism. The hunt for testosterone-friendly goods leads me to objects that will inspire experiences; these are gifts for living with gusto. Whether your man prefers an adventure in the woods, kitchen, studio, streets, soiree, or cyberspace, these Etsy Finds will invigorate his recreational pursuits. For more ideas, check out the Gift Guide for Him.

If you're interested in giving one of my custom drawings as a gift, feel free to Convo me. I have some custom listings in my shop with more details too.
For the engagement party (or as a congratulatory engagement gift), this adorable customized vase with your newly engaged friends' initials on it would be ideal. After all, a newly engaged and excited couple is reminiscent of young love. And what symbolizes that more than carving you and your sweetheart’s initials in a tree or doodling your names in your notebook? By LittleRetreats, $40.
As a bridal shower gift, one idea is to order monogrammed or custom stationery. Brides get a lot of help along the way in planning a wedding, so some nice custom letter pressed stationery would really come in handy, especially before the invitations and thank you cards are ordered. It’s also her last few months of having her maiden name so why not feature it! By simplesongdesigns, $27.
There are also many gifts to help the bride personalize the wedding day. One of my closest friends made charms and lockets that she incorporated by hanging from her bouquet. Each one had a memory or photo of her grandparents who had passed away, so they were there with her on her special day. These custom silhouette charms would be great to remember those who couldn’t be there. By luckymebeads, $88.50.
Another unique and sentimental gift for the actual wedding day is this custom ribbon label that can easily be sewn into the dress. Have it embroidered with her new initials or new name and the wedding date. She will now have her something blue! EmbroiderybyLinda, $10.
For the “big” wedding gift there are tons of options available to make it something special and truly unique to the couple. These custom hair portraits would be ideal for the artsy modern couple. And the couple portrait option would be great if you have a fantastic photo from their wedding. You do have up to a year to send your wedding gift, so it’s perfectly fine to wait until after the wedding to have their gift made, especially if you're using wedding photos and making the gift all the more special. By MissCrowland, $41.
Their new last name captured in architectural photography is another distinctive custom gift option. By kelsyhenke, $100.

Search results (tags) for: "art"

ArtMind Lives the Luxe Life

Keep it Weird: Mangy Manger

The Great Etsy Office Move of 2009: Our Quiltsy Quilts

Guest Curator: UPPERCASE

Etsy Finds: Adventures in Manland

Keep it Weird: Plymouth Rock

Coast-to-Coast: Craft with Etsy Labs in Brooklyn and San Francisco

Etsy Finds: Wandering the Manifolds

Keep it Weird: Everything but the Kitchen Sink

All Wrapped Up! Holiday Gift Trends from Scoutie Girl Gifts

Keep it Weird: Wishlist

Trading for Art and Odd Objects With bARTer Sauce

Betsy, a.k.a. baddinsdesign and happybetsy

Sara, a.k.a. rekoj

Tara, a.k.a. RevivalInk

Guest Curator: Altered Couture

Etsy Finds: One-of-a-Kind Gifts

Rock 'n' Shop With Lenka

Etsy Finds: Gifts for All Budgets

Keep it Weird: The Canon

Come Craft With the Etsy Labs & AMH Design: Needlepoint Gift Tags

Keep it Weird: Three-Ring Circus

Coast-to-Coast: Come Rock and Craft With Etsy Labs

Etsy Finds Decor: The Comforts of Home

Etsy Finds: Masterpiece Wardrobe

Keep it Weird: Bone Thugs

Artistic Endeavors: Matt Revelli of Upper Playground & Juxtapoz Magazine

Etsy Finds: The Space Between

Etsy Finds Decor: Nestled In Simplicity

Keep it Weird: Breast Wishes (Mature!)

Handmade Weddings: Personalized Wedding Gifts From Fashion Illustrator Brooke Hagel

Handmade Moment Contest: We Have a Winner

Guest Curator: Wide Open Spaces