MatishtarDesigns

The (mostly roe deer) skulls I use in my work I find second-hand at flea markets and thrift stores, so most of the time I have little to no info on their provenance. But that's okay to me, as I prefer to look for the beauty they give us even after death. Animals are gorgeous to me, I absolutely love them. And their anatomy, skulls, bones, antlers, I find equally stunning and interesting.

What I aim to do when I decorate a skull is honoring that beauty by giving it a second life, a new purpose as an artwork. So instead of rotting away somewhere or being discarded at a flea market, it will hopefully be admired for years to come.

That's absolutely true! But, funny story, when I make 25mm eyes, literally everyone I show them to thinks they're too small to be a convincing human eyeball. Apparently people believe their own eyes to be much bigger than they actually are!
So in order to make them APPEAR more realistic, I have to actually make them slightly LESS realistic by adding some millimetres. Plus, at this size they fit perfectly as props in skulls!

I still sometimes make smaller 25mm eyes too, though. Because of their lighter weight they're perfect to mount in faux flowers or other projects, but they look just as good in a small display box.
Be sure to check the size mentioned in the listing if you have a preference!

I don't. Sorry to disappoint!
It's mostly a time management thing. When I sell the eyeballs separately, I can't keep up with the demand. I love making the eyeballs, but making them 24/7 would probably make me hate it. So I toned it down a bit, to create more time for other projects, and I really like this balance as it is now.
This way I can pre-make the sets and spread the workload a bit more evenly for myself. It's something I have to take into account as a chronic pain spoonie.
I try to create original boxes and find the most beautiful vintage/antique boxes and tins to really complement the eyeballs and give them a unique way to be displayed. I take pride in the compiling of the sets, and love how well the boxes and eyes work together.

I have taken on commissions in the past, and although I love working together with a customer to create their dream piece, it can be problematic for me. I suffer from chronic pain, and the amount of activity my body allows me in a day is quite unpredictable. Therefore having to meet deadlines became really stressful for me, because sometimes I can't work for days at a time, usually with the worst timing possible.
I've found that for me, being free to choose what I work on, when I want to work on it, not only keeps me happier and less stressed, it also increases my productivity.
You're always welcome to let me know what you'd love me to make some day (and maybe I will), but actual commissions will only be accepted on rare occasions.

Ik krijg deze vraag vaak, en het probleem ligt vrijwel altijd bij de land- en valuta instellingen. daarom voeg ik het antwoord vanuit de Etsy helpdesk even hier toe aan mijn FAQ:

"Geen iDeal bij het afrekenen? Controleer of je standaard valuta is ingesteld op Euro (EUR) en je standaard land op Nederland. Op je computer kunnen deze instellingen onder aan iedere Etsy.com pagina worden gewijzigd. In de Etsy app controleer je de regio-instellingen van je mobiele toestel.

iDEAL is nog niet beschikbaar als betaalmethode voor Etsy Studio of als je gebruikmaakt van de optie "Koop het nu"."

Lukt het daarna nog niet, en maak je liever geen gebruik van PayPal of creditcard? Neem dan even contact met mij op, dan lossen we het op.