For Valentine's Day, we at The Storque thought we'd seek out the Etsy members who are the most beloved (or rather, be-hearted). We tracked five of out of the top twenty most-hearted users and sought them out for interviews. They were totally surprised and pleased to find out!  The first in this series is sudlow.

Rachael Sudlow's style emerges from her rural Kansas home, bringing together the natural animals and elements of the farm and a love for brightly colored beads and stones. Oftentimes designed a little tongue-in-cheek, her work is entirely hand-fabricated with the details and love that give handmade work that extra bit of special. She graduated in 2005 with a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, but returned to Kansas shortly thereafter to make art and teach at the local Arts Center.

Without further ado, here is sudlow!

Tell us how you first got involved with Etsy.
I was working a desk job doing web design and scrolling around online (thus not working), and I read a mention of Etsy as a place to sell handmade work, so I started playing around and listing a few pieces I'd done earlier in the year. I'd just graduated from art school, so it was a good push to keep making work.

What's your favorite Etsy feature?
I think the combination of Treasuries and the gorgeous front pages they produce would be one of my favorites. (Too bad I can never snag a Treasury though!)

How do you think you became so beloved in the Etsy community? (You've got a lot of hearts!)
I think having products that appeal to a wide range of people has worked well for me. I like to make pieces that are both quirky and iconic. 'Whimsical' is often used to describe my work. There's nothing better than creating a piece that makes people smile. I also love custom orders where I work with a customer to create something new. It's inspiring and I know the recipient is excited to get something specially made for them. Good photos never hurt either!

Do you have an Etsy crush? If so, who?
I love my fellow EtsyMetal folks like crazy. They've been a great support group through the year! They've really pushed me to try new techniques and develop my products and business more.

What are you doing for Valentine's Day?
Well, that's a Thursday, so I'll be filling orders in the morning, working at my Arts Center shop in the afternoon and then taking a silkscreen class at night. Busy day for business, so maybe I'll make Friday a date night.

Now that you've heard sudlow's story, share the love! Get out there and give some hearts, hug a friend or think about a loved one. Aw! Below you'll see some of sudlow's faves.