BMTyson

Today my choice is BMTyson from Murfreesboro, TN- Brian does wonderful original mixed media collage artworks and paintings. He has many interesting things to say about his art and process, please read on....

What is your "real" life like?
Real life is a total blessing right now. My days are spent working on art (collage, painting, doodling), freelance graphic design work, walking the dog & hanging out with my wife of 3 years. In my free time I love playing golf & tennis, eating out, and checking out real estate.

What is your process?
My process (if you can call it that) is pretty loose & improvisational. I begin a piece by perusing through my ephemera collections or thumbing through magazines looking for colors, textures, words, or parts of whole - something to "float my boat" and get the creative flame ignited. I then prepare my support, and start the collage process - arranging and fitting the "puzzle pieces" together into a pleasing composition and attaching them to the support. Next, I add acrylics in successive layers and then photo collage transfers, all the while working in an intuitive manner until the work "feels" done to me.

What are your goals and vision for your business?
In the short term, I am working towards creating large scale collages in the same style of my small scale ones and offering those for sale. I am also working to expand the online and word of mouth exposure of my Etsy shop and my blog/website. Long term, I want to show my work in galleries and slowly/steadily expand to where I can support my family solely through my art income (what artist doesn't want that). Also, I am passionate about giving to missions/social causes from the income obtained from my art - and would love to see those proceeds increase & expand.

How and where do you market your business?
Currently I market through Etsy, my personal website & blog (www.bmtyson.com), and word of mouth.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, ezines or magazines?
I float around the web, the blogosphere, & the magazine rack at Barnes & Noble fairly often - I love to see all the wonderful art & design out there. But I don't really subscribe to much. I find it's important for me to try and stay isolated to some degree so I can keep my personal vision and aesthetic intact. It's easy for me to get distracted by other's art & success.

What inspires you?
There's a lot that inspires me: minimal/clean design & illustration, old illustrations & diagrams (especially of animals & nature), the colors and shapes of nature, color in general, texture (visual & tactile), and words/typography all inspire me to create. Also, as a musician, music is a huge inspiration for me. I often find myself trying to recreate the emotion and energy that I feel in certain songs visually in my art.

Who is your favorite musical artist?
Honestly, there are way to many to pick a favorite. Some of those in the upper echelon include: U2, Eric Clapton, Coldplay, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Miles Davis, John Coletrain, Mark Knopfler, Santana, & Michael Franks.

Right now I'm really into Jeff Buckley, especially "Last Goodbye"

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
"Bound for Beauty" - Framed Triptych Collage
"Subdivisions" - 6" x 6" Mixed Media Collage

I like to visit:
www.papierscolles.com
www.illustrationfriday.com
http://artbackwash.blogspot.com
http://acollageaday.blogspot.com
Etsy homepage

Find Me:
http://bmtyson.etsy.com
www.bmtyson.com
www.bmtyson.com/blog

West Corinth Studio

It's Tuesday and I am excited to introduce you to another "earth-friendly" seller- Heidi Shaulis and Issac Willis of West Corinth Studio. They reside in the same house and virtual shop -even though they work with different mediums they both keep it green in art and life....

Name
Isaac Willis and Heidi Shaulis

Location
Corinth, Vermont

Business Name
West Corinth Studio

Describe what you sell.
Folk art. Heidi produces mainly oil on canvas original paintings, and various reproductions of her images on recycled and hemp papers. Isaac is a woodworker, and buildseverything from jewelry boxes to electric guitars.

What is your real life like?
We live in a tiny little house on top of a hill surrounded by very wild woods. We get lots of organic produce from our garden and pick gallons of berries in the summer. Winter is harsh, with lots of shoveling, but as long as the power doesn't go out we have DSL and Direct TV. Isaac and the boys play guitar and Heidi devotes much time to her dog, Bea and her 6 cats.

What is your process?
Isaac does pretty much everything by hand. He uses only sustainably harvested north american species of wood and lots of salvagedand/or recycled material. Finishes are organic and everything is a one of a kind.

Business Goals and Vision...
Right now, all energy is focused on finishing Heidi's painting studio. It is a passive solar design and we've made it a priority to use as many recycled and sustainable products where possible and within our tight budget. ( Pictures of the studio progress can be seen on Heidi's blog; http://heidishaulis.blogspot.com.) Having a dedicated workspace will enhance her ability to produce a variety of new products. Isaac will be building more guitars as well as guitar stands and related gear shortly.

How do you market your business?
We are currently marketing exclusively on Etsy, but we do have many wonderful, regular customers who have been with us for years.

What inspires you?
Most of our inspiration comes from the natural world. Our favorite place has always been Vermont, mostly for it's natural setting. On our little hill inspiration abounds.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
Isaac's favorite is Eat Your Heart Out, semi hollow electric guitar (first picture)
Heidi's is The Sheep Next Door, framed original oil painting. (second picture)

Am a fan of these places...
Hinessight.com for current news
We check daily http://forecast.weather.gov; the National Weather Service website, so we can plan our outdoor work/activity
RedRiverPaper.com for 100% recycled Greenpix paper
Greenfieldpaper.com for hemp paper
There are too many great stores on Etsy to narrow down to any favorites...we love the whole site and also the forums are fun.

Find seller at...
Our work is for sale in our etsy shop; www.westcorinthstudio.etsy.com, and we also have an informational website at www.westcorinthstudio.com

Sprout Jewelry

Name
Krista DeJoseph

Location
New York, NY

Business Name
Sprout Jewelry

Describe what you sell.
Handcrafted jewelry. I describe my style as “Industrial Organic,” because it’s a fusion of sleek lines and natural shapes. I use very few stones or gems in my work; instead I try to create visual interest by mixing metals and multi-dimensional shapes.

What is your real life like?
Hmmm. Well, no kids, no pets. I live in an apartment with two roommates, an ever-rotating cast of house guests, friends that live in the apartment above us, and both of my brothers live a few blocks away. Ultimately, I feel like my life is a circus of friends, family, and jewelry making! Jewelry is my full time job, though I also work one or two days a week as an academic advisor at a local University. I’m always busy with jewelry, but I definitely make traveling and seeing live music priorities too. I spent most of August in Morocco, and I’m already plotting my next journey!

What is your process?
Well, my creative process is usually born out of procrastination. If I’m not feeling motivated to fill orders, I’ll usually start messing around with some scraps and sometimes something cool comes out of it. As for my tools, well, as any jewelry designer will attest, buying jewelry tools is truly addictive! I have to be careful about acquiring too many, since my work space is so cramped. But I do love my torch and my dremel!

Business Goals and Vision...
Ha ha, well, my vision for the business is always changing. Sometimes I feel like my newer pieces have evolved beyond what are considered the “signature” style of Sprout Jewelry, so from time to time, I consider producing my newer, more industrial pieces as a separate line under a different name. But then I worry about saddling myself with the added responsibility of juggling two lines, two marketing concepts… two of everything! So that’s something that I need to resolve. Also, I need to start making bigger investments in the business, beyond materials and such. I hired a graphic designer a few months ago, and that was scary! I was entrusting her to shape the look of my business. But she has really done some great work, so the investment proved to be well worth it.

How do you market your business?
Ads in magazines like Bust, Venus and Craft. Lots of promotion on Etsy. A mailing list. Business cards. A customer appreciation program. Word of mouth is huge too. Whenever someone emails me to tell me they love their new Sprout piece, I tell them the best way that they can thank me is to pass on my website to their friends.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs,zines or magazines?
I read Accessory Magazine. And I’ve been trying to read a lot of books and online articles about marketing and graphic design, to help me improve the “business” aspect of my business!

What inspires you?
I love light fixtures! I’m forever photographing lights in NYC. I really love light bulb encased in cages of metal. I’m working on a new line that is inspired by these shapes!

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
I love the Paloma necklace (first picture) – visually, the shape is just very unique, and the touch of copper that I incorporated is a fun twist. And the Cleo bracelet;(last picture) making it was truly a labor of love, but it came out so well in the end.

Am a fan of these places...
Aside from the obvious (email, etsy, and facebook) I always check the Onion, NYTimes.com, and Feministing.com. Oh, and Perezhilton.com, though I feel guilty admitting it!

Find seller at...
I have a website: www.sproutjewelry.net which will link you to my blog: www.sproutjewelry.blogspot.com and my etsy page: www.sproutonline.etsy.com

Find a Graphic Designer on Etsy on Your Budget

I was first introduced to Gabbie (MissEvilKitty) through IndiePublic
If you are not familiar with Indie Public- have a look...it's a place where Indie artists meet and network. Gabbie has her own group called "How to Get Yourself Out There" she often posts articles that are helpful to Indie business owners. I am very impressed with her advice and am pleased to have her writing for me on Sunday's. Show her some love and leave her a comment here, visit her website which is linked throughout this article or visit her Etsy shop- click on her Etsy mini to the right.

Your image as a shop?
As a graphic designer what grabs my attention is simple NOT over the top design/s .
I know A LOT of people always say I don’t have the money to hire a graphic designer.
You do only you don’t want to get out of your “comfy” zone. Am I right?

I have matured with my designs over the years my latest work at Missevilkitty.com Has to be the best I done this year or the past six years I been online as a tiny shop.
My image right now is simple , vintage inspired and young . Am a young designer am 24 so my “branding image” grabs your attention it looks like i paid good money to get my look. but in reality it took me 30 mins to 1-2 hours to get my look!

Gabbie, how do I find a graphic designer I can afford ?
Etsy has TONS of designers go to etsy.com and then:
Home > Buy > Categories > everything else > graphic design
On the left you well see:
avatar,banner,business cards,logo design,web design
If you need a template look for
Say : business card template .
A lot of shops sell premade packages some vary in the price range of $12-60. Most shops well let you add more items for a small fee make sure to shop around.


Gabbie what should I check for when am graphic designer shopping?
1. Is the design style they offer like yours ?
2. Feedback and sales how long have then been on etsy?
3. Do I get the copyright of the design once I buy it ?
4. Do they offer printed items like business cards , labels and such?
5. Customer service ! send them a convo and see how long they take to get back to you.

Other tips:
Some shops wont re design a design they sold in the past for you so when you convo to request a design make sure to be clear as to what you want .( I had more then 10 customers ask me this and i have to simple say i cant redo that design)

Read shop policies, check to see what kind of payment they accept, how long the turnaround ..
Most places are 1-2 days


- Gabbie designs for three websites which are her own and designs for her Etsy & DaWanda shops. Gabbie enjoys working with people to get that new look. You can find Gabbie's work on Etsy at Missevilkitty2.etsy.com and Missevilkitty.com

Jennifer Love Beads

Name Jennifer Mu

Location JenniferLoveBeads

Business Name Santa Clara, CA
Describe what you sell. Semi-Precious Beads

What are the best sellers in your shop?
Tourmaline, Topaz, Apatite

How do you market yourself?
What is your target market? My target market is individual jewelry artisan

What do you offer that sets you apart from the other supply sellers on Etsy?
I sell high quality and unique beads that are hard to find anywhere else

What is your “real” life like- kids- animals- job-hobbies- interests:
I work for a financial service company as a software engineer. Married about 5 years ago and no kid yet. I like hiking, travling, BBQ, and play Texas hold'em

Where can we find you on the web?
I have a store named jennifertuzi in eBay and an online store www.jenniferlovebeads.com ( still in construction)

Any offers you want to give blog readers?
I would like to provide free shipping for blog readers with order more than $100.