Treasurefield

Today I am featuring Alisa from TREASUREFIELD
I love her fresh take on polymer clay and am especially loving these earrings of hers- classicly modern and so right now! She has a whole line of faux gemstones. Check her stuff out.

What inspired you to make this product?
I saw something else that made me think of this. I love when that happens!
And faux finishes & faux aging are so much fun with poly clay.

What inspires you on a daily basis?
Almost daily I see something I want to interpret in my own way, whether in nature or made by another artisan -past or present. Just the desire to be creative inpires me!

What are your favorite materials to use?
Paint, paper, pencils and polymer clay. :)

Who are some etsy artists that you admire?
That would be hard to narrow down; there are so many! But I most admire the ones who come up with original designs and techniques.

What are some of the websites you most frequently visit?
Polymer Clay Daily http://polymerclaydaily.com for all the latest in poly-clay creations & news
Daily Art Muse http://dailyartmuse.com for all things "art"
D.J. Pettitt's blog http://djpettitt.blogspot.com/ just for the beauty of her paintings & collage
and Twitter.com to learn from and keep in touch with a world of interesting people!

Sewlutions by AMO

Today we have Arlene McFarlane-Harper of Sewlutions By AMO
I love these wallet cuffs that she makes. My favorite is pictured below. You can also find her on her own site- http://sewlutionsbyamo.com


What inspired you to make this product?
I am always trying to find functional yet stylish solutions that make life easier. My cuff with secret pockets are the perfect answer for people on the go or who like to travel light.

What are your favourite materials to use?
I love working with leather and wool.

What is your process in creating your art?
My mind is constantly being bombarded with creative ideas. They seem to come while I am driving or just before falling asleep. Sometimes it is a picture in my mind; sometimes it is just a tag line for promoting. Whatever moves me is what I will sketch or jot down on paper. Later I do a 3-D mock up in paper to work out the mechanics before I draft a working pattern.

The Original Rings of Catherinette Rings

I see the distinct styling of Catherinette rings everywhere these days. Daniel Proulx of Montreal, Quebec, Canada really knows you to get his signature rings "out there". He is giving us a sneak peek of a new ring made with a Chrome Diopside gemstone. The color is just dreamy, right?


What inspired you to make this product?
My name is Daniel and I'm the creator of the Steampunk & Cyberpunk rings
that can be found in my ETSY shop : www.CatherinetteRings.etsy.com .
When I started to make rings I always go for the more complicated designs.
My goals were to make wearable & durable wire sculpture . At that time i didn't know anything about steampunk but oneday a friend told me I should look into that because my rings were very similar in style. After some research I went to one of my material suppliers and bought antiqued metal beads and wire. I came up with the the current design . I have been inspired by mechanics, futuristic and a friend.

What are your favorite materials to use?
I really like to use gemstones and clock parts . I recently created a new model in which I drill by hand a tiny hole into Amber and inlay old vintage clock parts .
I also like unusual and rare gemstones such as Chrome diopside and Sphene titanite .
I don't have these in my shop yet, here's a preview of my latest ring with
Chrome Diopside that I made for myself.

Where do you live and how does that influence your art?
I live in Montreal and I believe that the diversity of culture and architecture has an influence on my inspiration. Like in my city, I like to mix old with new .

Kate Cusack - Zipper Jewelry

Today I have the lovely Kate Cusack of Brooklyn, NY from Etsy. I am in love with this cuff and the simplicity and genius of her designs. She also has her own website- check her out!

What inspired you to make this product?
I made my first Zipper Pin in 2002. I had recently finished designing and creating costumes for a children’s dance theater company and I got my hands on bags and bags of zippers. At that point in fashion, pins and brooches seemed very in style. I was originally inspired by the idea of the Chanel flower, and thrifty/resourceful decoration of fashion from the 1940s. Because of wartime restrictions on materials, designers were forced to be more resourceful with extra pieces of fabric to decorate their garments. I always love these kinds of designs because there is a bit of a self-referential notion, and there is a simplicity when an entire garment from body to decoration is made from only one material.
I made a Zipper Pin for myself and wore it on my jacket. I was working in the visual merchandizing department at Tiffany & Company at the time and the woman who I worked for, admired my pin. I was working there to design and create five marie-antoinette-style wigs made entirely from plastic wrap (that you’d use to cover left overs with) for the store windows along 5th Avenue and 57th Street in Manhattan. I made the second Zipper Pin as a gift for the woman who’d hired me when the project was complete, as a thank you.

What are your favorite materials to use?
Zippers are exciting to me right now because of their connection to fashion and to costume design by association, but they are appealing in form because of how the metal teeth sparkle and how the linear construction potential is endless. A line can be shaped into anything. A zipper is simply a line.

Who are some etsy artists that you admire?
I admire my good friend and art-jeweler Margaux Lange. (www.margauxlange.com) Margaux has created a compelling body of work using the bodies of Barbie dolls as her inspiration and main material. She creates unusual, beautiful jewelry that is compelling and even a bit creepy at the same time. I admire Margaux for the reputation she has created for herself and her work based on an iconic doll that most girls disregard before they turn into teenagers. She is constantly balancing the creative side with the business side of her jewelry and achieving great success.

What are some of the websites you most frequently visit?
notcot.org
nytimes.com
http://greendragonladyvintage.wordpress.com/
http://www.curiobot.net/
http://www.coolhunting.com/

What is your process in creating your art?
I think it’s always important to explore and brainstorm whether in 3D or 2D. Sometimes an idea comes just from handling a material and pinning it on a dressform, but other times, an idea can come from drawings in a sketchbook. Being sensitive to your own creative timing is important also. Sometimes my brain is only able to follow through on an idea I started months ago, sometimes I dread the idea of just executing an idea and instead I want to create a new one.

EmilyPeacockTapestry

I have had this lovely cross stitch pattern in my favorites on Etsy for some time. I want to make this- as soon as I finish my other projects. Emily Peacock of Cookham, Berkshire, UK is the girl behind the design you can find her on Etsy or at her own site- www.emilypeacock.com
She carries other similar patterns that you will love- check her out!
What inspired you to make this product?
I was inspired by the fact that so many crafts are experiencing a revival. I have always enjoyed a range of crafts, but particularly love to do tapestries. There was nothing available that seemed to inspire me or break with tradition and so I set about changing that. Working with your hands is so grounding and there seems no reason why people who love to create would not try something different. If you can follow a knitting pattern or do a cross stitch, you can make a tapestry... what's important is that the designs must be attractive, relevant and fun to do. I also love to create objects that I will use and enjoy. I have turned all my designs into pillows and they really influence the look of my home. I am now so hooked on creating my tapestries, I feel lost if I don't have one to work on!

What inspires you on a daily basis?
I don't like to limit myself to one theme. I enjoy being in the flow of life, aware of trends and what other people are doing and interpreting them in my own way. I keep my subject matter uplifting - my designs are about love and humanity and positivity. Yesterday, for example, I took a walk in Portobello Road in London. This area is world famous for it's individual and highly creative shops and stalls. Walking without searching, but just absorbing and enjoying, left me feeling energized and inspired. I have some ideas and themes I want to explore, but these ideas will inevitably be fed by what I have seen and experienced. It's important to open your eyes to the life and beauty around you, then you realize the possibilities are endless.

Where do you live and how does that influence your art?
When I began designing, I was living in the South West of France. The heat and colour were intense and the bright colours I use reflected that. The nature around me played a part in 'The Meeting Place', 'Stars over Corn ', 'Primal Sun ' and 'In Bloom' . Now I am back in the UK my life is more urban. My background is in graphic design and so I am more tuned into typography, retail trends and the man-made rather than the natural. Even in overcast England, my colors are still bright and eye-catching, so this is a personal choice, an expression of who I am and has little to do with geography. I find that the technique of stitching onto a blank canvas with vibrant colors really lifts the spirits and brightens the environment around you. My designs are not for the conservative or those that wish to blend in!