 |  | | April 3, 2009 | EtsyConnection |
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 | Craft Forum-Innovative forum offers advice and help on resin crafts and Etsy | |
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| Forums are a useful online meeting place, where people with similar interests can discuss and advise each other in a pleasant online atmosphere. For every subject there are always forums available, some better than others. For those interested in crafts, a craft forum is available that offers a wealth of information, that forum is www.crafteroo.co.uk. This impressive Craft Forum offers a wealth of advice, information and resources to help those interested in a variety of crafts. Whether its resin crafts , crochet or discussions about Etsy, many subjects are covered in detail. The forum is full of tips and tricks that can save time and money and its user friendly layout and design only adds to its appeal. Within its pages are subforums, which are specifically for certain subjects or crafts, such as Etsy. |
| A handmade tale | |
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| When Etsy, the Brooklyn-based online marketplace for all things handcrafted, launched in 2005, it sounded like another small-time, doomed-for-failure venture trying to capitalize on homespun hipsterism. Why not just sell and buy stuff on eBay, like the rest of the world? And who wants to buy other people's crocheted pot holders, anyway? Hah. By 2008, Etsy's sales had reached $87.5 million. And to its 2.1 million registered users, Etsy is much more than a virtual warehouse. Etsians, as regular buyers and sellers call themselves, want to live in a handmade world, from the clothes they wear to the forest-life stencils on their walls. They want to know that the person who made their hand-hammered ring is named Stephanie and lives in Forest Hills. Etsy is as much social network as e-commerce site. |
| FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - JESSICA JOHNSON | |
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| Chainmaille at its best!  Hi. I'm Jessica of Red Panda. I make handcrafted, artisan chainmaille jewelry. Chainmaille is a type of metal fabric armor that was worn by knights centuries ago. It consists of hundreds or thousands of tiny circular rings. Each one is opened, woven around others, and closed by hand to create intricate patterns. I take the same concepts of medieval maille and apply them to modern jewelry pieces. I strive to create unique, different designs that you won't find anywhere else. Chains, metal mesh, and bright colors make this a refreshingly different form of jewelry design. I am a Nashville, TN native and have lived in the city or one of its suburbs my whole life. I have been making chainmaille for four years, but I've been creative all my life. I live with my most wonderful supportive boyfriend, whom I could not do without. When I am not making jewelry, I am a paralegal for a criminal defense lawfirm, which is always interesting. |
| Jessica Johnson - Rainbow bracelet | |
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| Jessica Johnson - Chainmaille scarf | |
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| Jessica Johnson - Red spike bracelet | |
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| Jessica Johnson - Silver inverted aura earrings | |
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| Jessica Johnson - Sterling and pearls necklace | |
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| Make beach glass earrings | |
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| I used to crave souvenirs from trading posts, truck stops, and gift shops when I was on vacation. These days, I'd much rather pick up a natural item than an ill-advised T-shirt or tchotchke. When my wanderings take me to the beach, I sort of lose my mind, filling my pockets with rocks, shells, and the rare piece of beach glass. Over the years, the beach glass has accumulated, and I have bowls of it sprinkled throughout my home. I thought I'd take a few choice pieces and create a swingy pair of earrings. They were so quick that I'm thinking that my friends and family are going to be tricked out in glassy baubles in short order. |
| Handmade Nation: The rise of D.I.Y., art, craft, and design | |
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| I bought my ticket to the special, sold-out San Francisco Film Society screening the morning tickets went on sale, arrived to the event early, and waited in a long line with other excited fans. Post-screening I was so inspired that I wished I could have crafted on the train ride home, but alas, my handbag lacked the necessary supplies. |
| FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - SUZANNE TANNER | |
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| Wonderful, colorful handblown glass  Connecticut, Colorado, and Maine were home before I settled in Rhode Island in 1998. I worked in jobs as diverse as bar tending and as a facilitator for adventure programs and had hobbies that included extreme skiing and rock climbing. I was introduced to Glassblowing in 1993 while earning my BA in Art History from Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. I knew I wanted to pursue glass but allowed myself to get temporarily sidetracked by the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Four years later, I returned to the East Coast and completed a 2 month long intensive Glassblowing class at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. It was just what I needed - and it challenged my skills as an artist and designer. I was in love. It has been over 9 years since I started Tanner Glass and I still love the challenge of creating and designing work that is fun to make and practical to own. I call them FUNctional Objects. I'm inspired by the everyday and don't make anything that I wouldn't want to own and use. |
| Suzanne Tanner - Glass ornament/suncatcher | |
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| Suzanne Tanner - 'Squares and more squares' magnets | |
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| Suzanne Tanner - Belted vase | |
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| Suzanne Tanner - Flower-power sea stone | |
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| Suzanne Tanner - Pinch bud vase | |
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| Fancy fabrics online | |
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| Ansari Couture has recently launched a website in response to the overwhelming demand for the couture fabrics that Ms. Ansari personally selects and imports from France, Italy, and England. I paid a visit to the Ansarifabrix website to see the offerings. I'm happy to find a resource for silk fabrics in a wide color selection. |
| Making soap at home | |
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| Soap making is a really nice pastime and makes a great gift to prepare for friends or family members. Every batch you make can be just a little different - improving on your new talent, and there are a wide variety of recipes, ingredients and soap molds that you can use to make your soap truly unique. One of my favorite traits of homemade soap is that it last about 4 times as long as any bar soap I pick up at the drug or grocery store. And a number of my friends swear that the goat's milk soap I made them cleared up their eczema and winter worn dry skin. |
| FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - ANISE STEVENS | |
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| ADORABLE TEES FOR THE LITTLE TIKE  When I was a child I loved to draw and over the years I've taken more art classes than I can count. In college I enrolled as an art major but I eventually majored in English literature and then went on to pursue a master's in creative writing. Following, I taught collegiate English for seven years but with the birth of my son (who's now 19 months old), I decided to take a break from the working world and spend more time at home. In doing so I was inspired to pick up the pencil once again. Memories of my childhood and the playful nature of my son became the focus of my work and then, after stumbling upon Etsy, I was immediately inspired to take my designs to the next level and create Anise Mouette - a line of retro-inspired tees for the little ones. Recently, I've added totes and note cards to my line and I have started a Kids Craft how-to tutorial section on my blog: http://anisemouette.blogspot.com Since I've taken a break from teaching I'm using a portion of all my sales to purchase baby formula for infants in need so as to keep contributing to my community. Once a month I purchase formula locally and then donate it for immediate distribution at the Foothill Unity Center in Pasadena, California. For more information, all are welcome to convo me through my Etsy shop. |
| Anise Stevens - Record player tee | |
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| Anise Stevens - Mod bear tee | |
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| Anise Stevens - Baby birds tee | |
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| Anise Stevens - Family fun tee | |
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| Anise Stevens - Super trike tee | |
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| From the editor... | |
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|  Because it seems fitting for this issue, I have include this picture of my step-son. He has been into making things with chainmaille for about 4 years and the hat you see here is one of his creations. I just thought I would share!
I hope you have enjoyed this issue of EtsyConnection; I have enjoyed bringing it to you. -Karen |
|  | | Contact Information advertising: etsyconnection@gmail.com | | |
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