G Design

I happened upon Dan Giampetroni from Wisconsin of G Design while I was doing a seller name search on Etsy. Ok, I admit it- I was looking for shop names that were similar to mine- mine is DGDesigns and his is DGDesign. Needless to say it was a very happy accident because I discovered his concrete coasters and trivets and I fell in love with the modern and simple design- so my thing! He also sells black and white photography with coffee cups in them- very different!


What is your real life like?
Married with two kids, a yellow lab and an old house. If I won the lottery, I’d restore old homes and antiques. And buy a really old Ferrari.

What is your process?
I’ll mix a small batch of topping cement (small aggregate, higher portland cement content) and add pigment (charcoal) along with acrylic fortifier. With trowels, I’ll hand fill and finish the concrete in forms (PVC pipe sections or wood) and then seal them with an acrylic sealer when they have fully cured.

Business Goals and Vision...
I was downsized from my employer of five years at the beginning of summer. After the initial shock and feverish pitch of networking and job searching, I realized that I now had the time to do things I’ve always wanted to do. The concrete is a creative expression that I wanted to get out there, but I’d like to expand the offering and develop larger pieces like furniture.

How do you market your business?
Etsy is the only place for the concrete items.
Some coffee shops around the country have my pictures and cards.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
Entrepreneur
Fast Company
This Old House

What inspires you?
Great architecture. Coffee. Antique shops. Black & White. Wood. Italy. Fresh baked bread

Who is your favorite musical artist?
B-52s or U2 or the Beetles
What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
Concrete coasters
Pisa photo

Am a fan of these places...
The Ladders – I lost my job a few months ago so I’ve been using that sight pretty heavy – http://marketing.theladders.com/
http://everydaysuperwoman.blogspot.com/
The Weather Channel – www.weather.com
This Old House – www.thisoldhouse.com
Love It List - http://loveitlist.blogspot.com/

Find seller at...
www.dgdesign.etsy.com

Anna Laura

Today we have Anna Laura Blandford of Melbourne, Australia. She sells felt lady badges and accessories like clutches, bags and pouches with hand screen printed fabric. Her lady badges are unique and adorable- they each come with their own story- a little blurb about "who they are". I have seen her work around Etsy and loved it so much I had to ask her to join us here.



What is your real life like?
I work on my business full time, but did work as a secondary school multimedia teacher until December last year so it pretty much is my whole life. I work from home in a spare room and listen to the radio all day. I feel like the presenters are my friends. I think I need to get into talking books again, they are great for working alone. On Saturday I do a market in Melbourne called Rose Street. I think this keeps me sane as the other people at the market are really great fun. We go to the pub afterwards so they are like my co-workers. I think that is something I really miss from teaching, my co-workers.

What is your process?
I screen-print a lot of my fabric from stencils that are either hand painted or cut from paper. I sew all my bags myself in my home studio. I'm pretty hands on with things that I do, if I don't know how to do something I learn or work out a different way of doing things.

Business Goals and Vision...
Short term is to survive the lead up to Christmas and make the most of that period. After that I want to try and expand my label and get my products into more shops. I want to be able to step away from the production and just design the products and the prints so I can concentrate on other things more.

How do you market your business?
I use Flickr, Myspace and my Blog for a lot of my marketing.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
I subscribe to a lot of blogs including design blogs such as Design Sponge, Poppytalk, Modish, Decor8 and they are a great source or inspiration.

What inspires you?
Primary colours together is something I really love. I designed a new range in muted tones, so greys, olive green and brown and red. I did a print in yellow as a test and now yellow seems to be the main player and I don't want the browns, greys and olive greens anymore. I love two tones fabrics with the two colours of thread running in the different directions. I love clean design and lines, but I like things that are messy. I love drawing although the last few weeks I've been bad and not drawn much at all. Although I always have paper in front of me at the computer for sketching down ideas.

Who is your favorite musical artist?
I really like Something Is Not Right With Me by Coldwar Kids
and for Australian Music, Little Red is pretty darn cool.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
This little felt badge, Danica, is one of my favourites. I love the stitching on this one because to me it is perfect, the yellow and pale pink colour combo in the hair is also one of my favourites and she has such a cute face:(first picture)
I know I shouldn't play favourites with my badges, but I do!
The other is an artwork I did called People and Love:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8780470
It was a monoprint on an old book and has ink painted over it. When I painted the ink it left a fine line around the letters that kind of glowed.
It looked really lovely.

Find seller at...
Website: http://www.annalaura.com.au/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annalauraart/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/annablanna
Etsy: http://annalaura.etsy.com
Dawanda: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/annalaura
Madeit: http://annalaura.madeit.com.au

Bound Staff Press

Today we have Justin Miller of La Junta, CO from Bound Staff Press. I noticed him and his work in a forum on Etsy one day and jumped right on the chance to have him featured here. I would like to point out that I love how he includes pictures of his process, tools and packaging in his listing- I included on of those photos here. Go to his Etsy store and see more of his lovely work.




Describe what you sell.
I am a purveyor of fine art printmaking in many forms. My shop has small, affordable relief prints and etchings that are available on a variety of papers. Many of my prints include images of birds, figures or ladders.

What is your real life like?
My wife and I are raising three amazing children. The girls are 5 and 3, and my son is 1. We enjoy biking and traveling in the mountians. My wife and I have goals when we travel. We are always on the lookout for a great wood-fired pizza place or a coffee house with good artwork.
I have a day job teaching art to high school students, and a night job teaching drawing for a local college. I also dabble in woodworking, metalwork and jewelry, bicycling, classic chevys, and collecting stuff.

What is your process?
I have formal training in stone lithography, intaglio, monotype, and relief printing, but I spend most of my time creating relief work. I especially like the ease of cutting linoleum blocks. Like most printmakers, I have a growing collection of presses. I am currently scouting letterpress equipment.

Business Goals and Vision...
Short: Enter more national print shows. I would also like to explore the possiblities of printing letterpress stationary and invitations.
Long: I would like to find a small gallery to carry my prints. Followed by a one-man show.

How do you market your business?
I use a blog to post major progress I also post pics on flickr, and use that space to connect with others doing similar work I also am a member of our local Fine Arts League, a group called Artistic Expressions.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
I currently subscribe to several letterpress blogs including Dolce Press, G Johanson Printer, and others
Magazines: Juxtapoz, Drawing, American Craft, Ceramics monthly

What inspires you?
I am in search of a metaphor that explains my life and journey. As a Christian, I explore the mysteries of my faith with a visual vocabulary. Some ideas take me years to work out.
I love the smell and feel of ink, in all of its forms. Ink and solvents make me happy, and remind me of visiting my Dad in his print shop when I was growing up.

Who is your favorite musical artist?
Just one? I can't narrow it down. Elliott Smith, The Shins, Radiohead

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
Tower Swirls at Midnight
(first picture shown)
Swing by the House
(second picture shown)

Am a fan of these places...
Briarpress
Wetcanvas
Flickr - Printmaking
Flickr - Letterpress

Find seller at...
Blog
Flickr
Etsy

Deciduous Soul & Bustle

Name
Ellene McClay

Location
Omaha, Nebraska

Business Name
Deciduous Soul & Bustle

Describe what you sell.
I make a sell a variety of clothing, accessories and jewelry. I have a hard time narrowing myself down to making just one thing.

What is your real life like?
My real life is centered around my family. My daughter is 15 and has participated in several sports activities her whole life. I’m starting to get to that point where I’m getting excited for her to get her license so I can officially take the ‘chaffeur’ hat off. I do love supporting her and it’s kept her on the right track. She is the light of my life. I was a single mom for 12 years, and have been happily married for the last 3. I am very blessed.My hobbies are sewing, sewing and sewing, crafts, etsy, photography, walking, running, rummaging through antique stores, interior design, watching Project Runway and HGTV.
I’m an art teacher at an elementary school (full time for the last 9 years, part time this year, zero time next year).

What is your process?
My process for sewing starts with being completely inspired by fabric. As soon as I see a certain pattern or color, I usually know right away if it would make a great dress or purse, etc.
I love adding embellishments to things, and sometimes people call my style ‘old world romance’. I like old things, especially vintage lace and sewing notions.
My process for jewelry is to take new things (because old things are beautiful but very expensive) and distress them a bit, to give them some character. I like things to be beautiful. I’m a bit of a paper hound too, but I like to add 3-d objects to alter things so they aren’t flat. I can’t live without my sewing machine or my dremmel.

Business Goals and Vision...
My goals for my business are to become more well known as a designer, and to earn the respect of my customers and my peers. I hope to make enough money to stop teaching elementary school, and would love to teach more adult crafty workshops. Long term goals would be to live in the country, wake up in the morning and create all day, with short breaks in between for nature walks.

How do you market your business?
I have promoted my business on the Poppytalk Handmade site:
http://poppytalkhandmade.com
my blog, http://deciduous-soul.blogspot.com
and http://flickr.com

What inspires you?
I am inspired by fabric of course, but also nature. I could stare at trees and leaves forever, and silence. It sounds strange, but there is something so nice when everything is still and quiet. I can’t think straight when there is a lot of noise. I like to drive out to the middle of nowhere and look at abandoned buildings, and wonder what they are like on the inside. Flowers are inspiring, and textures like velvet and leather. Also, anything that sparkles, like rhinestones, Czech glass beads, and fine glitter.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
~the historically inspired mademoiselle dress:
and I might have to make one of these purses for myself!


Am a fan of these places...
Websites I visit http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/
http://www.purlbee.com/
http://decor8blog.com/
and of course the ultimate:
http://etsy.com

Find seller at...
http://DeciduousSoul.etsy.com
http://bustle.etsy.com

Metalicious

Name
Stephanie Maslow-Blackman

Location
New York City

Business Name
Metalicious

Describe what you sell.
I sell sterling silver and genuine gemstone jewelry made by me. I hope to bring joy and fun to my customer's lives through wearable fashion jewelry.

What is your real life like?
I'm a stay-at-home mom 3 days a week. My son is 3 1/2 and absolutely hilarious. The other two days I end up packing in consulting work for large jewelry manufacturers, making my own work for metalicious, running family errands, running (I'm training for a 5k in October), taking more jewelry classes and just continuing to learn and grow. I'm married to a guy who produces commercials for Comedy Central, we live in New York City and have two loving little felines. Well, one is skinny and the other is a big, fat lady.

What is your process?
Most of my ideas come when I'm daydreaming, or right before I fall asleep. I like to build the piece in my head first and then hit the bench to actually make it. I love working with sterling silver and gold, and gemstones-- buying gemstones is like going to the candy store! I use traditional metalsmithing techniques. Soldering, wax carving, wire work. I've been doing this for over 10 years and I'm still learning new things.

Business Goals and Vision...
I'd like to get into more retail stores and develop a more secure flow of income. Long term I'd like to grow my business into a bigger small business, something big enough to provide for my family but small enough to still be enjoyable so it doesn't kill my love for the craft.

How do you market your business?
I do co-op ads in local newspapers and magazines.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
Yes, all of them, as many as I can.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by texture and form. I love moving metal, learning new techniques and applying them to my work.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
So hard to choose, I love all my babies equally!! But I do have a special connection to my St. Valentine necklace (in pink gold) and my bubble studs are just sweet everyday earrings.

Am a fan of these places...
www.onegarnetgirl.etsy.com
www.glassfiction.blogspot.com
www.artezn.com
www.starsandinfinitedarkness.com
www.asianicandystore.com/icandystore

Find seller at...
www.metalicious.com
www.metalicious.etsy.com
www.trunkt.org/metalicious