Search results (tags) for: "collage"

Etsy Finds: Masterpiece Wardrobe

2009-10-24T09:22:00-05:00

Sometimes picking out an outfit is like creating a work of art. Today's Etsy Finds show you how to get creative with your wardrobe. Add a bit of artistic expression to your daily wares with the following outfits inspired by original illustrations, paintings, collages and prints available from our many talented Etsy artists.

Starlings - watercolor painting

I love natural history, especially ornithology.
These are my Starling specimen. A male and female.
Star-crossed like Romeo and Juliet. A little noir.
A little tragic. A little Elizabethan. She said it
was the Nightingale. He said it was the Lark.

By GollyBard, $135.

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Vintage Bold Shoulder Sequin Knitting

From joliejuliette, $50.

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midnight black leafs headband

By IceCreamCandy, $35.

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Leather Paneled High Waist Leggings

By BabooshkaBoutique, $52.

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Handmade sterling silver earrings

By Aerisjewellerydesign, $42.

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Sz 7 Leather n Suede Riding Boots

From nstylevintage, $68.

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Fingerless gauntlets

By malam, $38.

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horse drawing

The drawing was inspired by dancing horses
performing in the old circus days. I was
attracted to the unusual posture of horses
standing and the fairy tale impossibility of
them talking and socializing at a dance.

By kinsellaart, $25.

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XS-ORGANIC Ladies' V-neck T Shirt

By neenacreates, $22.

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metal urbain statement multichain

By whiteowl, $38.

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Orion Blazer by Jalvo

By JAlvo, $90.

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RED BOW BELT

By mrswoowoo, $25.

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Ceremonial Paint Legging

By mothlove, $110.

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Sz 6 1/2 Vintage Leather Combat Lacers

From pascalvintage, $60.

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The Barnacle Whale 12x12x1.5

A friend once told me of a kayak trip she was
on in Alaska. As she kayaked across the water,
a big whale swam very near to her. He brought
his huge eye to the surface and looked right at
her and blinked before drifting deep below. That
story was the inspiration for this piece.

By nativevermont, $79.

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Cool Hand Luke Shirt. LARGE

From hogeathog, $13.

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Blue Ship at Sea Silkscreened Necktie

By satisfactory, $28.

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Men's Standard Selvedge Skinny Jeans

By BrooklynTailors, $185.

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Over the seven seas belt buckle

By flightpathdesigns, $38.

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Vintage 1980s Boat Shoes

From purevintageclothing, $35.

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BENNY....a scarf

By Fluur, $59.

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Deciduous Woodlands Collage

I collect mixed papers everywhere I go. From
estate sales to traveling in Italy, markets and old
finds in the garage, I use the maps, labels and
papers I find to create one of a kind mixed media
collages.

By Mipiacekatedesign, $45.

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Brown and Yellow Flower Print Dress

From VintageVenatic, $15.

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Chrysanthemum Clutch

By sewlola, $65.

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1960's Olive Green Leather Shoes

By posiesforlulu, $65.

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Vintage White Lace Gloves with Flowers

From TheRubyKitten, $18.

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DOLCE Jonquil Vintage Jewel Earrings

By HeatherlyDesigns, $25.

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ANTIQUE - Tangled Nuno Felt Scarf

By thespunmonkey, $45.

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ode to Redoute - Original Painting

This painting is my homage to the print work of
Redoute. It is mixed media (acrylic, gouache and
graphite) on paper. The grey background is my
favorite paint, Micaceous Iron Oxide by GOLDEN,
which shimmers in the light. Very beautiful and
striking!

By littleblackfences, $400.

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Histrionic Ruffle Wrap

By ForVagabonds, $35.

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Embroidered Fingerless Lace Gloves

By LaCamelot, $250.

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Romantic Baby Doll Tunic Dress

By couvert, $98.

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Amethyst Trinity Rose Bouquet

By wexfordjewelers, $253.

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White Rose Trellis Earrings

By luxedeluxe, $54.

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Vintage 80s Gold Sequin Heels 7

From ramblinvintage, $45.

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i keep my own company, 8x12 inch print

Bedroom solitude. Bedroom confinement. Starring:
Barbie dolls and drinks and books. And little Mr.
Swan. Sometimes being lonely is what makes your
heart go quiet and asleep.

By pepperminte, $18.

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Alice Knickers

By Hopeless, $105.

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rayon and organic cotton camisole

By sandmaidensleepwear, $48.

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Mini envelope with I love you letter

By chrysdesignsjewelry, $22.

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Black Velvet Double Bow Headband

By JustLiv, $25.

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milk weed thigh high stockings SALE

By kittydearest, $12.

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Pink Marshmallow Heels

From vintagetakeout, $23.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Guest Curators | Trends | Gift Ideas

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Camera Obscura: Lightning Bolt's 13 Monsters

2009-07-24T17:30:00-05:00

"PAPER RAD is a Pittsburgh, PA/Northampton, MA collective that has bubbled under the elastic waistline of the world’s slacks for over a decade, tickling its privates and filling its diapers." — Load Records

The collective behind the music video 13 Monsters, Paper Rad, utilizes a low-fi style that crosses many genres and art movements. Their frenetic collage-like animations match the pace and explosive vibe of the noise band Lightning Bolt. For me it's a perfect match of intensity in sound and vision. Paper Rad's DIY aesthetic uses pure RGB colors, no scanning of images and no use of a wacom tablet for digital imaging. This work takes pop art a step further by collaging images from culture's near past and reclaiming them into a mash-up of pop nostalgia and cartoon chaos.

The band Lightning Bolt came out of the RISD / Fort Thunder art and music scene in the mid-nineties. Fort Thunder was known for the brightly colored posters that covered the walls to promote the underground music concerts they hosted.

I find Paper Rad's use of bright primary colors, frenzied cutting and playful cartoon look exhilarating. In searching for related items for this video I went looking for neon and fluorescent colors, animal masks, gnomes, cartoons, rock posters, graffiti, lightning bolts, monsters, superheroes, unicorns, skulls and analog video goodies.

Set of 5 Colorful Gnomes

By happysilence, $20.

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Skull Bandana Digital Print

By TurnerHillikerArt, $12.

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LOCA CHICA

By taylorsays, $200.

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Mega-Bytes Finger Puppets (set of three)

By TheHookery, $7.

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Macrame Owl Necklace - Golden Poppy Yellow

By macraMe, $10.

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Super Hero Doll

By MiniMonster, $19.

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RED DEVIL Happy Monster Backpack

By ArtsiBitsi, $35.

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Panda Mask

By lupin, $19.75.

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My Pet Monster Palm Puppet (Super Monster)

By TheHookery, $17.

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KolOr BReaKdOwn

By SCHiZO, $130.

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Calculator Robot Pouch

By anatomyofaskirt, $40.

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Paper Mache bike 012

By mumbreeze, $20.

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Olive the Recycled Curtain Unicorn

By handmadepretties, $25.

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CUSTOM LEGGINGS TEMPLATE

By ruffeoheartslilsnoty, $78.

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Keyboard Zipper Pouch w/Detachable Ring- Red

By TooToo, $14.

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AQUA FACE - size medium

By joshreames, $20.

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Little T.V. Brooch

By zoxi, $6.

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Jokull the Ice Deer

By amccahon, $17.

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What Etsy items would you add to this post? Leave a link in the comments!

Items Tagged "Neon" on Etsy | The Paper Rad Collective | More Camera Obscura Posts

A Fond Farewell to the King of Pop

2009-06-26T16:32:00-05:00

Here at Etsy, the community mourns the loss of Michael Jackson by paying tribute rooted in creativity. Throughout his career, MJ was a figure of innovation: a global phenomenon who broke down boundaries not just in music, but race and culture as well. With the best selling record of all time, a repertoire of music videos that redefined the medium, and an edgy style that sparked trends around the world, Michael serves as a constant reminder that the greatest threat to art is compliance.

To do Jackson's legacy justice, we channel his inspiration in order to create something fresh and original. Let's all take a moment out of our day to moonwalk across our studios, and collectively express, "R.I.P. MJ!"

Which Michael Jackson era helped you come of age? Reminisce in the comments below!

Browse the Music Category on Etsy | More Pop Culture Posts

Artistic Endeavors: Dollhead's Favorite Collage

2009-03-05T16:00:00-05:00

Collage can be executed in so many styles. I love them all, but I seem to be most attracted to the extremes.

I have collected work that uses collage in both simple and bold fashions, as well as detailed and visually complicated images. I aimed to pick original works of art because, although I love the idea of making and selling prints, one-of-a-kind pieces are so precious.

I love the contrast that collage can create, especially when the art is created with mixed media. The use of existing images or pieces of paper can balance out the imperfection of painted surfaces, pencil, and crayon marks. To me, it feels like controlled chaos sometimes; on the line between free form painterly fine art and careful graphic design compositions.

I guess it says a lot about where I'm coming from, as a commercial artist who spends many hours working on a concept with a purpose, who also needing to just shut off my brain and just allow the stream of consciousness to take over.

My choices originate from these extremes, and some step outside of the realm of traditional 2-D collage. I hope this selection inspires everyone in some way!

Java Goddess

I love the imagery and colors of Java Goddess. The design is very balanced and graphic. By WinonaCookie, $100.

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Willow Vine, Original painting/collage, 8 x 20, on canvas

This is so pretty! I love this oval shape. (I've been a bit obsessed with it myself lately.) The patterns are terrific also. By SherylSprattDesigns, $55.

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Collages around - original mini book

How cute is this? I love handmade books — especially quirky, imperfectly cut ones! The pages are all cut in different shapes and the collage is minimal, yet so whimsical. By yaelfran, $36.50.

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Original Owl Collage

This is an extremely impressive piece. The detail is obsessively dreamy and its size deserves a grand white wall and a regal wooden frame. Love! By kimmyhoots, $500.

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an idea strikes 6 ORIGINAL mixed media collage

Sometimes less is (way) more. This collage speaks volumes to me. It also seems like it would converse well with other elements in any given context or wall display. By gretchenmist, $46.

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Life Is A Bowl of Apples Original Mixed Media

How many bowls of apples have been represented in art? It is so great to see a really fresh approach! I love this piece — those tiny dots are maybe my favorite part. I also love the flatness and subtle variations of the two main colors. Yum! By ZenDotStudio, $125.

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Lost - Original Paper Cut Collage

I'm drawn to this for its antique quality. It reminds me of an old doll illustration from the 19th century — something that might be on display at a corner shop. The stamp lettering adds the element of story. By DearDodo, $45.

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H2o - Collage di Guglielmo Mazzenzana

I can't stop looking at this piece. It is both tense and dreamy at the same time...it represents a place on the other side of a double rainbow, I think. By abatefaria, $1150.

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Bird House Fabric Collage Pillow

This is such a lovely example of fabric collage; I want a whole collection of these pillows on my sofa! By sweetdovedesigns, $24.

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Raccoon Wall Plate

i consider this to be ceramic collage! The mirror adds a live element. By ArtsparkTheatre, $16.

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Looking for more artwork? Check out these links.

Artistic Endeavors series | Artwork for Every Room Showcase

Art Gift Guides | Collage Sub-Category

Artistic Endeavors: Livefunky's Favorite Abstract Painters

2009-03-01T15:18:00-05:00

I love all kinds of styles and approaches to art, but being an abstract painter I am naturally drawn to like-minded artists and their work. The beauty of abstract art is that it triggers an abstract response. Color, texture and composition of forms create a chemistry that reacts differently with each and every person. I liken this to love or listening to a great jazz song. There is a freedom I admire — not just in the creation of the art, but in the perception of it as well. Some folks may ask "But what does it mean?" and maybe the answer isn't "Whatever you want it to mean," but rather, "Whatever it makes you feel."

My list of favorite abstract artists is much longer than ten, but here is a selection of painters I greatly admire who inspire me as an artist. They are in no particular order, although I must begin with the woman who first introduced me to Etsy in 2006 — thank you, Amanda!

RUM TRUFFLE - Abstract Art - FREE SHIPPING

I'm such a fan of Amanda's unabashed use of brilliant color and her zen-like ability to compose a painting. By Amanda Hone of Pinwheel, $120.

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EarthPoem1-2 Original Abstract Acrylic Painting Collage Elis

Elis creates other worlds with her lyrical abstract paintings, and her textured mixed media works have an ethereal glow. By Elis Cooke of intotheblystic, $65.

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Samba - Original Acrylic Monotype on Archival Paper

I love Martha's expressive way with color, creating interesting and intuitive marks and textures. By Martha Marshall of colorpoetry, $40.

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Transparent (original oil painting on canvas)

The many layers in Kendra's colorful abstract paintings create a dazzling, hypnotic effect. By Kendra Zvonik of teamzvonik, $550.

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Softening III

I see a balance between subtle elegance and playful experimentation in Meghan's work that really speaks to me. I particularly enjoy her use of sgraffito in many of her paintings. By meghanhenley, $100.

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Ashore

Erin's abstracts have an exactness that remind me of architectural designs. Her use of color is just as alert and intelligently conceived. By erinryanmiller, $950.

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Fragments of Nature 21

Mary Ann's sophisticated and bold abstracts are constantly educating me as a painter. I think she's absolutely brilliant! By maryannwakeley, $124.

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Large Abstract 5

I always enjoy looking through Jean's shop of original paintings and mixed media works. She has such a keen eye for color and her compositions are spot on. By jeanhutter, $400.

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Original Paintings Diptych Abstract Mixed Media Art by Aisyah Ang with Cert 36x48 inches

Aisyah has an impressive expressionist style and she's an artist that takes risks. I love that about her work. By AisyahAng, $300.

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Fire and Ice

Milton has an exceptional way with light and color, both in his abstracts and in his more representational work. By miltongravy, $2800.

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See more of my favorites below or search "abstract art" to discover other abstract artists that speak to you (and don't forget to stop by my blog)!

Looking for more artwork? Head over to our Artistic Endeavors series.

Art Category | Gallery Go-Getter Series | More Art Related Posts

Etsy Love Stories: HannahMade and Mcaplan

2009-02-12T13:46:00-05:00

We don't want the Season of Love to ever end, and we're searching the community for Etsy love stories. The fourth story we're sharing with you this year (and it's so sweet!) chronicles the friendship of HannahMade and mcaplan.

Mcaplan: I am really excited to get the opportunity to gush about my collaborations with the great Hannahmade! Hannah is one of my dearest friends and we frequently team up to do shows together. We also spend a lot of time working in the same space (we currently share a studio in my house!). Even though our genres are totally different (I am art, she is jewelry) we seem to be able to find inspiration from watching each other work. This can be a very solitary occupation, and having another creative person around to bounce ideas off of has really been invaluable.

Last year Hannah made me a very special birthday pendant that showcased one of my favorite collages of Eucalyptus leaves. The moment I got over how incredibly thoughtful and gorgeous it was, and the fact that she had sculpted it with her own hands, I knew that she was onto something.

It didn't take Hannah long to start planning which pieces she wanted to frame next, and I loved seeing which stones she would incorporate into the tassel in the adjustable chain in the back. Whenever I wear any of the pieces I get tons of questions and requests. Several of my clients who have had personal portraits commissioned have ordered pendants with their pieces in the frame. It is really cool to see that others are enjoying the fruits of our collaborations.

It isn't often that one finds their "soul sister," but I have been lucky enough to have been teamed up with one of the most creative and talented women out there! She is SO gifted and her work is absolutely impeccable. Hannah thrives on working with others and finding a muse for her pieces. I am honored that she wanted to team up and make each piece her muse. She really has outdone herself with each one!

HannahMade: It all started with a birthday, Michelle's 31st, to be exact. I had been sculpting frames out of PMC for a few months at this point, and knew Michelle's artwork would be the perfect fit. It was her piece "Eucalyptus" from Collage Lab that inspired the first collaboration AND birthday present! Once she saw it, we both knew there was an undeniable partnership that needed to happen. I basically harassed her to choose piece after piece for me to set in my frames that we would ultimately sell on Etsy and at various shows we did together. It was a serendipitous way for people to wear Michelle's art! Each frame is sculpted in the proportions of the art work and sealed with a UV resin gel. I also accent each necklace with semiprecious stones that compliment the colors featured in the correlating piece.

We've graduated to custom orders — people who commission Michelle with their own photographs are now requesting framed versions of these pieces with their orders. It's a real honor to make Michelle's work into another tangible form — one that can be seen when walking down the street, ultimately creating other ways people's memories can be captured and shared.

Check out more Etsy Love Stories here!

Season of Love Posts | Season of Love Gift Guides

Quit Your Day Job: piddix

2009-01-12T13:18:00-05:00

Corrina of Piddix has been selling on Etsy for just over two and half years. What started as a innocent creative outlet turned into a full time job through the many hours of trial and error required to find what system worked best for her Etsy success. With Piddix quickly growing into the work of one full time job in itself, Corrina and her husband got creative with their own schedules. Their Etsy store now allows both to work only part time; this way they can both have equal time at home with their little one, hence making Piddix one full time job and their other part time work an equivalent. Keep reading to find out how this creative couple came up with their system.

When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?

Not at all. When our son, Declan, was born in December 2006, my husband and I both took some time off from working full-time at our non-profit jobs to be with him. We lived off of vacation-time and savings, and I started selling on Etsy during Declan’s naps. Three months later we both went back to work part-time, still supplementing our wages with savings with no concrete plan in place for once the savings ran out. Luckily, within a couple of months my sales on Etsy really picked up, especially once I started selling digital collage sheets. By January 2007, piddix had become a major part of our income—allowing both Brian and I to work part-time at jobs that we love, while also swapping days that we stayed home with Declan. I feel incredibly fortunate that we are both able to get out of the house for our “real jobs” a couple days per week, and that we both are able to be at home with Declan as well. It’s a great balance.

What was the deciding factor resulting in pursuing Etsy as your full time job?

It was very important to Brian and I that at least one of us stay home with Declan. But I also worried that if I quit working outside of the home and focused solely on etsy, I might go a little stir-crazy. Brian is also an amazing father, and if he worked full-time while I stayed home with Declan, I feared he’d miss out on all of the one-on-one time they were able to spend together. By more-or-less splitting one full-time regular job while also working on etsy, we get the best of both worlds.

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?

We definitely had a small nest egg saved up, but no concrete plan at first for what to do once that money ran out. As piddix has grown during the past two years I’ve registered as an LLC, taken an entrepreneurial business class, and created a business plan.

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?

If you read the “success stories” and “quit your day job” series on the Storque (and I must admit I’m quite addicted to them), one of the major themes that comes through is that word-of-mouth is a powerful tool. For example, piddix was mentioned on modish and in the Storque “How-to-handbook” and sales definitely shot up.
Partnering with another etsy seller turned out to be a great marketing strategy. I created a custom collage sheet for littleputbook’s scrabble tile tutorial and that resulted in a ton of new sales and customers.
I’ve found that having a high quality product with great customer service is essential. Probably half of my sales are repeat customers. Every once in a while I’m correcting individual pixels until my eyes are blurry, I am tempted to cut corners. But then I’ll get some kind comment out of the blue from a customer and it motivates me to continue to work hard to create a high-quality product, which definitely pays off in the long run.
And perhaps one of my best marketing strategies was a total accident. Early on I created a how-to website for selling on Etsy. It wasn’t meant to be promotional for piddix at all, just something I wanted to try out. But as more and more people have found it, many readers have come over to my Etsy shop as well.

What have you found to be unsuccessful promotion or something that's just not working for your shop?

My blog is sad and lonely. I was never good at keeping a journal or diary and I think blogging is just not for me.
I’m also not a big “Sale! Sale! Sale!” person, so that’s a bit of a mixed bag. I offer treats to readers of my newsletter, but in general I like to let the quality of my work speak for itself rather than offering super-sale prices all the time.
I’ve tried selling about 20 different types of items through piddix—from rings, to necklaces, to hats, to collage packs and so on. Some items definitely worked better than others (my “inspiration kits” in vintage glass jars were heavy, a pain to pack and ship, and I couldn’t give them away!). I think the process of trying things out on Etsy and then getting feedback and learning from it has been part of the fun.

Would you walk us through what a typical workday might entail?

I am not a morning person, so while Declan and Brian get up around 7:20 am to get their day going...

I pull myself out of bed around 8:45, turn on my computer, quickly send out and re-list any collage sheets I sold the night before, and get ready for the day.
At 9 Brian heads off to the bus and I get to play with Declan. Often Declan and I will spend our mornings at a “book babies” class at the library or at the zoo.
Around noon Declan and I grab lunch. While driving home Declan falls asleep (or at least that’s the plan), and then I carry him to his bed and get to work.
Nap-time is crunch time. With luck, I’ll have from 1-4 pm to fulfill new orders from that morning, sending out the collage sheets via email and re-listing items. I then answer convos, work on new sheets, and scan new items. I often check my email remotely at The ReBuilding Center, just to see if anything needs my immediate attention. Then, depending on how quickly I finish up, I may even have time for a quick nap myself.
Once Declan is up we’ll grab a snack and head out of the house again to run errands (the term “stay-at-home mother” has never quite fit). I may take Declan to an antique store or Powell’s Books—looking for new images to scan.
At 5:30 we pick Brian up from work and usually head off to dinner. We know all the good happy-hour specials and dinner deals. Afterwards, we all go home to hang out.
Declan’s bath time starts at 7:45 pm, and Brian puts him to bed around 8:15 or so.
From 8:15 to midnight is when I get most of my Etsy work done. Evenings are definitely when I feel the most creative, so I save most of my graphic design work for then. Even though I’ve worked on Etsy pretty much every single day for the past two years, it’s still exciting.

What do you enjoy most about having both a day job and working on Etsy? Is there anything that’s difficult?

Ummm. Can I say traveling to Hawaii? It’s pretty amazing, but my whole family has been able to travel around the country visiting different archives. I spend a day or two scanning away or taking photographs, and then the rest of the time I can enjoy a vacation and work on my Etsy shop remotely.

But truly the best part has been being able to hold on to a day-job that I love with wonderful people. I’ve been at The ReBuilding Center six years and it’s an absolutely amazing group of folks. Most of my income is from Etsy, and I know that some day in the future I may have to leave TRC to focus on piddix full time, but I’m hoping to prolong that change as long as possible.

Time management has been huge to be able to balance both jobs. I have to plug the book, The 4-Hour Work Week here (by Timothy Ferriss). I’ve gotten it to the point where I can send out a person’s order within a minute. Without all of the time-saving devices that I’ve built into my day—even little things like having my most-used programs automatically launch when I start my computer—there’s no way that I could make it all work.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself, knowing what you know now?

I highly recommend the business class I took. It was through Mercy Corps Northwest and was part of an “individual development class” program. In addition to a very-helpful six-week course, they offer a three-to-one match for capital expenses. Basically, if I save $900, they’ll give me an additional $2700 to spend on piddix. Many states have similar programs that you can find by searching for “IDA programs” and the name of your area. Mine was specifically for entrepreneurs but there are lots of other options as well.

And I don’t know if I’d do anything differently if I could go back in time or even give myself any advice. Being the nerd that I am, learning and trying to figure things out is part of the fun.

What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year?

It’s a long list:
1. Create and list more new digital collage sheets and more new sizes (Christmas, Wizard of Oz, mermaids, and underwater creatures are probably next).
2. Several new CDs, both collections of collage sheets but also compilations of larger, full-sized images.
3. Put together more physical collage packs of original images, grouped by theme (such as birds or anatomy).
4. Start going to craft fairs again. I miss that interaction. Now just to figure out what to make….
5. Stabilize sales to a level similar as last summer (some of my best months ever).
6. Be featured in a How-To Photoshop book this coming spring (yea!).
7. Take several new graphic design classes plus purchase a new camera, scanner and other capital expenses, all paid for through the small-business class I took.
8. Continue to build out my how-to website and flickr pages to show what can be made from my images.
9. Be taken on as a pro-bono client of a local law-firm. Researching copyrights for all of my images is incredibly important to me and it would be nice to have an entire law firm to work with in addition to my current East coast lawyer.
10. Have fun.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

It may sound cheesy, but I have the best customers on Etsy. Hands-down. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about people who purchase collage sheets—perhaps because they’re crafters themselves—that makes them kind and thoughtful. And I love seeing the creative items they all make. Thanks to them, and to Etsy, for letting this all work out.

Thanks to Corrina for sharing her story and business with us! Check out the related items below to see some of her work.

You can find some of our previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.

Quit Your Day Job: danitashop

2008-12-22T11:34:00-05:00

Danita of Danitashop was able to leave her full time day job after having her daughter. Her Etsy sales gave her the much needed push to take the plunge into selling full time instead of going back to her day job. Danita now enjoys spending her days with her daughter, having the freedom to work full time in a creative way, and is well on her way to being able to completely support herself through Etsy. In the New Year she hopes to sell more original paintings and continue to grow her Etsy business.

When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
When I started selling on Etsy, I first saw it as a new way to expand my online art business. At that time I was selling mostly on eBay and I had a day job that I hated. You see, I'm a visual person, and having to be stuck inside a windowless office during the day doing office related stuff started to take a toll on me. I felt oppressed and I had the urge to look for a career change. Then I got pregnant and my little baby came along. She was the perfect reason to leave my job, as I wanted to spend as much time as possible with her instead of an office. I pledged to succeed with my art and dedicated a great effort to Etsy and my online presence. Luckily for me, the effort has paid off and I'm not looking back!

What was the deciding factor resulting in pursuing Etsy as your full time job?
As I mentioned earlier, the birth of my daughter was a huge turning point on my career. But there were other factors: I started getting lots and lots of hearts; Etsians were sending me encouraging emails; and I was free to create with my style because it was better received here than in other places I sold. All these things encouraged me to make Etsy my main venue for selling my work.

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?
Well, I struggled A LOT to convince myself that I was doing the right thing, and that I was going to succeed at it. I used the money from my maternity leave to purchase my own computer and hoped for the best.

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
My blog and Flickr! Since I started posting my blog and my Flickr account, people started following my antics and this generated more traffic for my Etsy store. Giveaways are a great way to keep people interested, as well as constant posting and emails showing off my latest works.

What have you found to be unsuccessful promotion?
Hehehehe... I wish I knew the exact answer to that question. If I ever do, I'll bottle it and will start selling it here on Etsy. What I do know is that if you do not continue to update your Etsy shop, people start wandering off and it's really difficult to pick the momentum again.

Would you walk us through what a typical workday might entail?
I'm a Mom by day, an artist by night.

Typically daytime involves playing with my daughter and taking her to school.
When it's time for her nap I usually answer emails and try to work a bit in my art.
When my husband arrives home from work, he takes care of our daughter and then I can focus on my work, preparing my materials and getting ready to start.
I never know what I'm going to be creating next, I sort of let my inspiration surprise me and hit me.
Once my husband puts our little girl to bed, he helps out printing, packing and preparing the photographs for the next listing. This allows me to keep on creating until the wee hours of the night... Fortunately, I'm a night owl, but I have the deepest circles under my eyes!!!!

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
The freedom to do what I feel like doing without having to answer to anyone but myself. It's really nice to be able to decide what I want to do next, and when I want to take a day off or don't feel like working but would rather watch TV or read a book. I don't need to fill out forms or ask for permission with 15 days notice.

What I miss... The human interaction. Unfortunately, this is a lonely job, and I miss chatting with my co-workers about stuff and hearing the latest office news... That's why I love to read emails from customers and have found great friends and communities online that way!

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself, knowing what you know now?
GO FOR IT. It will be worth it and you will kick yourself later for not doing it sooner.

What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year?
Grow, grow and grow! I want to position myself as a stronger seller in the original art field. Right now, prints are a best seller, and I really want to be able to sell more originals here on Etsy.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Not much really, just want to wish the best to Etsy, I love this place!!!!

Thanks to Danita for sharing her story and business with us! Check out the related items below to see some of her work.

You can find some of our previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.

Etsy Street: ITP's 5-in-5 Challenge

2008-07-30T15:49:00-05:00

I was invited to participate for a day in the 5-in-5 Challenge, a competition to complete a creative project every day for five straight days. The 5-in-5 Challenge takes place at the Interactive Telecommunications Program, a Master's program at New York University. If I could go back in time, I would be seriously tempted to try and get into this hands-on technology program. By the time students graduate, they have learned a lot about physical computing and can make pretty much anything they can imagine.

MP4 | Blip.tv | Youtube | iTunes

I also had the chance to interview Robert Moon about his ecofabulous wallet, Adam Parrish about his pixel linocuts, and Joshua Berry about his summer mittens. This is just a taste of the projects that are coming out of the 5-in-5 Challenge. To learn more and to watch the projects that emerge over the week, check out the 5-in-5 blog.

My guest Michael Zeltner of GRL Vienna and I worked on a Frankenface project to play with videos in the same way you can play with collages.

Etsy Street is a video series about things I see in the world and want to share with the Etsy community. Check out the first post here. Feel free to give me feedback and let me know what you think!

Etsy Community Projects: Collage-A-Day

2008-03-25T15:43:00-05:00

The Etsy Community is constantly dreaming up new ideas. Some of these ideas are for improvements on the site, some are inspiration for getting out of a creative slump and some are just plain fun ideas for projects to work on with or get to know other members of the Etsy Community.

This is a series spotlighting Etsy Community Projects initiated and run by the Etsy Community. Many of these projects originate in the forums and some happen completely there. Some involve mailing packages to other Etsy members, some involve posting on other sites, like Flickr. All are fun ways to interact with other members of Etsy, be it for a short period of time or on a regular basis.

Collage-a-day is a recent community project, initiated by Karena of MagicJelly. The idea behind Collage-A-Day is quite simple: to get your creative juices flowing daily through constant creation, as a way to fight the doldrums. Participants post their daily projects in a Flickr pool and often in their own blogs.

[image by MagicJelly]

What inspired you to start the collage-a-day project, specifically?
It just came together nicely, just at the right time. It was the start of the new year and I was looking to find a way to kick-start my creativity. I'd just ordered a couple of books by Keri Smith (Wreck this Journal and Living Out Loud: Activities to Fuel a Creative Life) — she's got some really inspirational advice for artists. I was all geared up to do something! Juln (who'd just photographed his gorgeous Japanese paper collection) and artgirlx also lent an inspirational hand through discussion in a forum thread, so it was very much a project that involved Etsy people from the forums that then spilled over to Flickr.

When I started the group, I was all prepared to be the only person taking part. Within a couple of days there were about 30 members. Now there are 70 members and almost 350 collages in the photo pool. We've organized a collage trade already, and there's another coming up.

I wanted to make Collage-a-Day a no-pressure, just for fun project. I think when you're a working artist, you can get so focused on making a living, sometimes you just need to free yourself up and have some fun — just play around — and collage is a great medium for that. There are all kinds of artists in the group, from people who specialize in collage, through to people who are only collaging for the purposes of the project.

Would you like to share tips or advice for people who are interested in participating?
As for anyone wanting to join in, there are no rules really. I called it 'Collage-a-Day," and people were asking "Does it have to be a collage?" I'm saying, "No, make what you like — just have fun!" And then there were people who asked "Does it have to be every day?", to which I replied "Nope — no pressure — just have fun."

So I guess the name of the group is a bit misleading! I think most important is to set your own parameters where ever you feel comfortable, because the last thing the project is about is feeling pressured or guilty for lapsing — that would make it self-defeating.

Any good stories from the Collage-A-Day group so far?
I think there are quite a few people who weren't too sure to begin with about their level of commitment but who have really taken to it. mLee's collages are amazing: you can just see the way she's evolving and enjoying herself, all in the space of a few weeks. WallCandy has also made some gorgeous pieces too. Juln has mentioned that making collages has helped him find new enthusiasm with his glass blowing, in the midst of a very cold winter that is enough to make anyone feel pretty blah.

[Image by MagicJelly]

Here's a list of some Etsy sellers who've been participating in the project and some of their Collage-A-Day work:

MagicJelly: Etsy shop | Collages
mLee: Etsy shop | Collages
WallCandy: Etsy shop | Collages
Juln: Etsy shop | Collages
AnnaLaura: Etsy shop | Collages
decadence2artbar: Etsy shop | Collages
prettylittlependant: Etsy shop | Collages
jodiehurt: Etsy shop | Collages

For more coverage of Etsy Community Projects, check out our continuing series. Are you organizing a project within the Etsy community, outside of an Etsy Team? Tell us about it in the comments!

Fresh Shops: MorganJesse

2008-02-28T12:00:00-05:00

This week's Fresh Shop is the sensational MorganJesse. Just the other day I was perusing on Pounce Undiscovered, one of my favorite my favorite Etsy search tools, and - ZING! - MorganJesse's shop appeared before my eyes! I met this character at Renegade Chicago last year, where he and his fellow members of Daydream Silkscreen were selling their wares. They were giving away one of the best promos I have ever seen: marshmallows printed with the word "DAYDREAM." Genius. I am so happy to see that he has since joined the Etsy fold.

Each collage is accompanied by a witty and engaging snippet of narrative that provides insight into the collage's story and the artist's vivid imagination, like the description for the collage above:

"After the first Ninja attack on her way back from school through the Industrial Zone, Joan acquired a Panda."

MorganJesse's artwork is infused with an wonderfully offbeat sense of humor and a particular nostalgia that comes with the territory of using imagery from vintage encyclopedias. Something about the title "Arm Hopper" is endlessly amusing to me.

Each of MorganJesse's artwork even comes with its very own certificate of authenticity. Now you can rest assured.

Fabulous work! Who's your latest Pounce discovery?

“Altered Art,” Altered Me

2007-10-10T13:02:00-05:00

The last time I did a collage was for a college class (quite a while ago!). It was a mess of nothing but magazine pages and glue stick. This book, Altered Art by Terry Taylor, shows me where I went wrong and gives me real instructions as well as inspirations. Now I will stop being a sticky mess and move on to being a first class Altered Art Artist!

Altered Art is not a book just for inspiration, but also actual techniques for projects. Each type of project is described in terms of the basics and variations on that theme. The photos are detailed, high quality and well presented. Pictures support the text and help make clear the subject being described. Reading this book Altered Art has given my daughter Japanesepirate numerous new ways to craft pages in her own altered book (still a work in progress).

Here is some of the usefulness within its pages:

•   A great explanation of how copyright issues apply to collage artist.
•   Highlights of some successful artists’ work in a Gallery section.
•   Encouragement and helpful tips on how to get out of a creative slump.
•   Information on how to set up a round robin altered book game.
•   Explanations for use of imagery, ephemera, text, objects, tools and glue (your most important tool).

I was so inspired by this book! It sorely tempted me to rush to Etsy and buy some of those Art Cards and a whole cart full of supplies. Now I can create my own altered books and collage art!

Further Resources:

Altered Art by Terry Taylor
Lark Books 2004
ISBN 13:978-1-57990-550-7
ISBN 10:1-57990-550-1

Altered Art Obsession

About.com's Altered Art resources

Altered Artist

Etsy Finds: Send in the Clowns

2007-09-07T13:15:00-05:00

It's Friday! The weekend approaches!

We're totally jazzed about today's Etsy Find. This sassy lady collage, complete with coordinating gloves and a clown trapped in a television, comes from viviennestrauss.

How rad is the model's face in this piece? Can you say "one hundred years of solid 'TUDE"?

Check out viviennestrauss's shop and blog for more reinvigorated collage.