Papaververt

Today I have the wonderful Patty Benson from Alameda, Ca of Papaver Vert . I fell in love with this little coaster set and I know you will too! She has so many other ingenious wool products in her shop-You can also check out her personal site here- www.papaververt.com
What are your favorite materials to use?
I really love wool, which I know is obvious. I love it in many forms, not just yarn, but as raw wool roving that I use to make my pillows with or as wool fabric used for sewing. I remember going to fabric stores as a kid with my mom and always gravitating to the wool yardage! I also like muslin fabric which is great to manipulate and create patterns with and lastly I love threads and embroidery threads...anything to do with needlework.

Who are some etsy artists that you admire?
I really dig Penguin and Fish...i just love those kitties!
Mudpuppy - his work is so clean and simplistic. He's also a really nice guy!
Tinctory - her smocked designs just blow me away.
GooseGrease - her little custom dolls are just so clever. I love that she can capture a whole family and her photos are great.
Yokoo - her designs and photography are amazing. A great blend of product and marketing.

What are some of the websites you most frequently visit?
I'm always stopping by The Sartorialist . I get such amazing ideas and inspiration from his photographs. I also frequent dooce.com for a dose of humor, the New York Times for news and the Home section, Bread & Honey a yummy food blog and The Style Files for ideas, interior shots and homes that make me drool.

Clotheslinedesigns

Today I am pleased to welcome Jen Lindsay of Kutztown, PA from clotheslinedesigns
on Etsy. She has a very simple and straightforward line. She makes and sells these gift sets like you see below...a onsie, stuffed giraffe and playmat in different fabrics. I am really drawn to her fabric choices and her mix of patterns and colors. You must check out her shop.

What inspired you to make this product?
I recently had my first real experience with children by having one of my own. Until then, I had seen them around, but they were always a great mystery to me. Now that my son is over a year old every new stage he goes through is like a surprise to me and I'm really enjoying it. Not being the natural born mom type (and a graphic designer) I was very drawn to fabrics and toys and clothing that had a modern day twist to them. A friend of mine gave me a fabric mat as a baby shower gift and I used it every day all the time. When he was a newborn it was an essential (especially with our hardwood floors). I would take him with me all over the house and set him down on the mat next to me: the bedroom, the living room, the computer room, the kitchen. And when he was a little older we’d pull the mat out for tummy time. For those of you who don’t know what tummy time is, it’s a developmental stage in an infant’s life where they need to spend time on their stomach in order to build up muscles necessary for holding their head up and eventually sitting upright. So in the end I wanted to make a product that was both useful and hopefully pleasing to the adult eye.

Where do you live and how does that influence your art?
I’m from a small town in Pennsylvania called Kutztown. It’s got a strange blending of two very different cultures; the old ways of the Pennsylvania and the progressive ways of the local University. It’s a nice combination. I was a student at the University, and am slowly becoming a townie. I settled here because I love it. There are lots of influences and a big underground art scene. I’ve also collaborated with a few friends and some new ones to form a craft group called Z-Town Made: www.z-townmade.blogspot.com. We’re six different crafters who have a mutual appreciation for each other’s work and have chosen this area to call home. We meet weekly and help each other figure out the world of crafting, share influences, drink some beers and have a good time. It’s the one night out a week I have these days and I love it.

What inspires you on a daily basis?
Crafting is relatively new to me, but growing up my mother sewed. I think in the 70’s people did that sort of thing more often. She’d make my clothes and gifts and curtains for the house, that sort of thing. It’s easier and cheaper now to go to the mall and buy something on sale. But there’s a certain charm and deeper more sustainable feel to hand made. I’m not sure where my crafting will take me, I get the feeling I‘ll be expanding store into other ideas. But for now, when I can find the time, I enjoy sitting down to my machine to make pretty (and useful) things.

Collier Leeds

Today I am pleased to introduce Mary Oswald of Virginville, PA, from Collier Leads on Etsy and www.collierleeds.com
She makes these outstanding handcrafted dog collars. I always admire high quality collars because I have 4 dogs and only two currently wear a collar because it is so hard to find one that is attractive, comfortable and good quality. If you are looking for these same qualities in your collars you must check out Mary's shop.

What inspired you to make this product?
Several years ago I visited Leeds Castle in Kent, England where they have a dog collar museum, probably the only one in the world. The collars on display span over 5 centuries. I was so impressed with the design, quality and importance placed on the collars I wanted to adorn my own dogs with something as special. Unable to find the qualities I desired, I decided to make my own.

What inspires you on a daily basis?
I am inspired daily by the search for excellence. I am always looking at my work and wondering how I can make it better. I am constantly tweeking. It can get very frustrating sometimes but in the end I know it will be worth it. My work has changed dramatically since I first started and I would imagine it will evolve more still.

Where do you live and how does that influence your art?
I live in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch country. It is not uncommon to do business with the Mennonite community or see the Amish traveling in their horse and buggies. They have a real need for sturdy leather products because of the farm work they do. The utilitarian quality of their leather goods helps to remind me that my art is functional and used on an animal. I must keep that in mind when I design each collar and the choice of materials I use.

Necklush

I love the artistic concept of Necklush on Etsy- run by Troy and Stephano of NYC. These pieces are amazing and so different and interesting- I am just gushing now! Get yourself one and make a statement!

What inspired you to make this product?
Stephano just came up with Necklush, it was a magicial moment... He was buzzing around like Edward Scissorhands cutting fabric all day, shreads and threads flying everywhere... and suddenly- BANG! Necklush burst into the material world like a new religion! I came up with the name over quesadillas at our favorite Mexican restaurant and we put them up on Etsy that day and we simply haven't stopped. We are still in awe at the reception we have received. The fact that we make it all by hand, and have such a crazy reaction in such a short time means we are very fortunate, and we thank the gods every morning! People are wearing Necklush everywhere! Lithuania, Poland, Tokyo, Australia, Sweden... it's very, very cool!

What inspires you on a daily basis?
We feel very lucky to have connected with fun and creative people all over the globe. Inspiration comes in little emails spread out all day long, the inbox is addictive when you are getting requests for your handmade, heartfelt creations!

Who are some Etsy artists that you admire?
Etsy is an amazing place. I am very grateful to have found it, and I am only now realizing how big it's audience really is. And it is only going to get bigger. It is like a folk art universe on here, and I feel right at home! My favorite people on Etsy are : CricketsCreations, Kittybutt, and JamesAnthony!

Greenwich Letterpress

Today, I am pleased to introduce you to Beth Salvini of Greenwich Letterpress of New York. I spotted this great card that Beth makes one day on Etsy. I love architecture and I think this is a clever way of showing it off as art on a card. Beth also has her own site at www.greenwichletterpress.com
What inspired you to make this product?
The idea for this card was silly. One night I was looking through some clip art books and I saw the Falling Water image. I turned to my boyfriend and said in a very cheese ball tone, "You're always Frank Lloyd Wright!" The joke between the two of us is always, "That would be a great greeting card!" Then a few days later I sat down and designed it. It was his idea to do part of the impression without ink, so I guess we collaborated on it.

What inspires you on a daily basis?
I am very inspired by popular culture. Since I was a kid I have been into collecting magazine clippings, watching tv and movies, listening to music and learning about art. When I went college all of that blended in with the paintings I made. Now it all turns into greeting cards, which for me makes sense. You can consume greeting cards as easily as you can a magazine or a candy bar. Its more accessible. I really like Andy Warhol and I think somewhere in my mind its all comes back to that.

Where do you live and how does that influence your art?
I live in Brooklyn. Living and working in New York City you see everything or at least have the opportunity to. I do feel like I have seen it all. That's where the pop culture cards come from, it is easier for me to draw attention to something that already exists in culture then to try and make it from scratch. That might be a cynical New York thing.