Inside the Etsy Studio: Sweet Water Crafts! July 23, 2009

Sweet Water Crafts creator, Jess, is a special guest here, cuz I actually met her randomly at a surprise Fourth of July party (for real) and we got to chat about all things Etsy and she even shared some Treasury tips with me. Jess is extremely lovely and spends her days working with youth in a library. She loves to read and recently opened her online shop where her unusual little wares, everything from vintage inspired window clings to original photography to customized bookplates, have been well received!

Here she is…

And here’s some of her work…

Sweet indeed! Read on for the interview!

Me: What is the inspiration for Sweet Water Crafts? Were you crafting way before you got involved with Etsy?

Jess: I have always found bits of magic in everything…but specifically in nature. Much of my inspiration comes from little moments exploring in the outdoors. Sometimes, even, a pile of clutter can land beautifully, giving one a whole new perspective on an old pin, handwritten note or teacup. I was indeed crafting way before I discovered Etsy. Looking back it was outrageous, but I used to paint rocks that I found at our family campground and try to sell them at the weekend tag sales. I don’t remember if people bought the rocks but it didn’t matter – I had a blast doing it. Ridiculous! But the possibilities were endless. I recall making tiny fairy houses out of twigs and drawing wildly with Crayola markers then as well….it was all just the beginning!

Me: I love how so many of your items are vintage inspired! Where do you find the images that influence you to make the window clings, bookplates and stationary? I wonder if the library is involved?

Jess: The library definitely has it’s place in my devotion to vintage images. I never realized how much I adored finding old scraps of information, and advertisements until emptying the good old book drop one day. Inside was an ancient book plate, gummed I think and pasted in with care – the owners name scrawled in carefully practiced calligraphy. It was an OLD book with a probably older owner, but the story that accompanies it is what inspires me. I love to go hunting for vintage ephemera! It’s just an all around treasure hunt. I like to sneak around used bookstores, antique shops and library book sales. Older advertisements are filled with such character! I love everything about the way they were printed and imagining who the might have belonged to.

Me: You are also a talented photographer. Is it safe to say that you specialize in nature photos?

Jess: I am learning so much about my love for nature and photography from day to day. I find it more challenging as many of my models like to sneak away on wings or claws before I can grab a shot. Nature provides a type of beauty that I can’t find elsewhere and I love to spend time taking photo hunting in grassy patches and wooded parks. The more I try to learn about photography through tutorials and books – the more uneasy I am. :O) I’m just terrible at following any of the conventional rules – and I don’t have a fancy camera with any lenses or distinguished capabilities. What I like most is capturing the transaction had between wildlife and myself. It’s a way of sharing my appreciation, and the magic found within the natural world with others who might feel the same way.

Me: What is your favorite item in your shop? Anything new and exciting in the works?

Jess: My favorite item in the shop is currently the poppy seed package stationary set.* I LOVE combining pieces of history like bookplates and old seed art with modern day technology. I can’t resist using my scanner to blend found objects of the past with modern joys like window clings. I do have a few new projects due to show up in the shop very soon! I’m looking forward to combining vintage collage with small coin purses and tote bags. A few new ideas that have been posted this week are based on requests from customers. Some have talked to me about customizing wedding presents and items for kitchen lovers. I think I’ve developed a few cool items to suit those needs. Also, I’m quite excited about my developing line for autumn this year. I’ve found some incredible spooky Halloween postcards from the 1920’s that need to be shared with the world! 

*Poppy Seed Stationary Set*

Me: Where else can we find your work?

Jess: I have been trying to promote my work at CT Craft and Artisan Fairs and Farmer’s Markets. It can also be found in a few local gift shops. While I’m starting to feel situated in my little etsy shop – I’m still an online crafting newbie! I started up the shop a few months ago and have made some wonderful connections along the way. My ultimate dream is to get an artful blog rolling…but I’m currently in the, “I just admire all of the others so much I am beside myself stage.” Sometimes I will write articles and how-to’s that are featured on HandmadeNews.org. Most recent, “Arsy Adventures with Vintage Books” is due to be published quite soon! You can always follow my twitter feed for updates, promotions and secret sales!

Me: Anything else you’d like to add?

Jess: I’d like to say thanks to Suzy and TwoToeDesign for the interest and to emphasize how amazed I am with the handmade community that continues to grow on the web. Thanks to my friends and family and to those that take the time support artists and their work in this economy – fans make every creative moment a dream come true!

Thanks Jess!

Yo peeps, don’t forget to enter the giveaway to win cute, free, original art…

http://twotoedesign.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/two-toe-designs-first-giveaway/

Inside the Etsy Studio: AugustEve! July 16, 2009

I am so, so excited to feature one of my favorite Etsy artists this week. Seth, from AugustEve, has a whimsical style of painting that makes me want to live in the world he’s created! Take a look at some of his work…

I really enjoyed his interview. Read on below!

Me: I think the logical place to start would be to ask, who is this beautiful August creature? Is she inspired by someone real in your life?

Seth: Actually, a lot of the characters in my shop are inspired by real people. The shop name August Eve is inspired by my first daughter Evangeline August. Andrew is a former art student of mine. Em is my youngest daughter. You will see them and others making appearances in my Etsy shop from time to time.

*painting of August*

Me: You have a definite style, storybook-ish, and some signature colors, deep browns, maroons and reds. Is this the style you’ve always painted in or have you tried a variety? Whose work influences your own?

Seth: Painting these characters has really re-connected me to my childhood and the way that I would paint growing up. I used to paint large icons on wood panels for churches (Still do once in a while). I liked doing it, but the style was much more realistic and didn’t allow me be as creative as I would have liked. Now I feel totally free to create new work in whatever way suits me. I love it!

As far as influences go, I think I am more inspired by writers than artists. I read something. It bounces around in my head for a while, then comes out as art. Sometimes something that I read will hit me in just such a way that I know it will be part of a painting, and I am usually surprised by the way it comes out on the canvas.  

“Leaves of Grass,” By Walt Whitman is a part of a lot of the paintings in my shop. Edgar Allan Poe and some others are in there too.

Me: A really fun theme you have is the masks that your characters often wear! It’s fantastic that they represent weather and animals and objects. Tell me a bit about what drives you to paint them.

Seth: I guess in the same way that I get inspired by things that I read, I imagine that these kids are so anxious to be part of these other worlds that they resort to disguise.

*sun and clock masks*

Me: It seems like you produce a lot of work! How do stay inspired? Do you have a day job or are you a full time artist?

Seth: No day job. Most recently, I managed a bookstore. It was a 45 min. drive (Oakland), so I wasn’t that sad when we had to close it. Tough times for bookstores that aren’t called Barnes & Nobel.

I wouldn’t say that art is the most stress free way to support a family, but so far so good.

I do produce a lot of work. When I am in the working mode I will paint for six or eight hours a day. When there is an idea in my head I usually can’t sleep until it’s a finished painting. If I am out of canvas I will paint on old books because the texture is very similar. That pattern usually lasts a couple of weeks. Then I spend a week walking around like a zombie.

Me: Where else can we find your work?

Seth: Etsy is where I post all the paintings, and just recently I started a blog where I post ink illustrations. It is www.artofaugust.blogspot.com.

Me: Anything else you’d like to add?

Seth: I’m heading up to Point Reyes this weekend for a family reunion. So look for ocean related paintings in the next week or so. It is such a beautiful place and I’m sure something will stick with me. Maybe Sir Francis Drake will have his portrait painted as he lays anchor in the bay.

Sounds good to me! Thanks Seth!