Feature #4

Tiffany Teske's art is as intriguing as her method for creating it. Here's what she has to say about it:

To begin this unique photographic art I capture an image on slide film. The slide is then projected onto Polaroid pack film which is peeled prematurely. The “waste” side of the film pack, which contains processing chemicals, is then placed face down onto wet watercolour paper and brayed (rolled over with a print making brayer). The result is a one-of-a-kind hand-pulled photographic transfer of the original slide image. The original image can be transferred an unlimited number of times but the resulting transfer will always vary from the last.

I picked this picture because I know several women who are pregnant right now, so it's been on my mind lately and also because I absolutely loved being pregnant. It was one of the best periods in my life and I even loved my round baby belly. The soft, warm, muted tones of this photo are a beautiful depiction of this special time in a women's life. Check out Tiffany's other photos (like one entitled ferntebrae that illustrates the relation between nature and the human body) at her Etsy shop http://tiffanyteske.etsy.com/ or by clicking on the picture above.

Sew Crafty...

With over 30 years of experience Karen Copeland is our featured artist today! She is a crafty mother of four!

Karen is inspired by fabric and enjoys searching Etsy for new prints. Her shop is full of all sorts of unique items, however "Ella Funt" happens to be my favorite! Fitting, don't you think? She's sooooo soft and cuddly, I want to put my arms around her! Please check out Karen's site http://soandsewcrafty.etsy.com/

Karen was introduced to Etsy by her sister who had recently gotten into candle making. When asked what was the first thing Karen could recall creating she responded "I think it was Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, made from folding old reader's digest then spray painting them and putting a Styrofoam ball on top and decorating!"

Some more of my favorites from Karen's shop are "Sammy the Scarecrow", and a husband and wife set of bunnies "Rupert and Renee".

I'm certainly glad Karen joined the Etsy community, and I'm sure after you visit her shop you will be too!

Anything is Possible...

Today’s featured Etsy artist is Zoe Stewart. You can find this eclectic shop at http://zoestewartuk.etsy.com/ My favorite item in Zoe’s shop is this quirky looking little creature, Henry. I love all the little details that make him special, like his squinty eye, puffy looking mouth, and little button tag near his bum. I sent Zoe some questions to answer so that I’d have a little more info on her and her shop. One question in particular sealed the deal on choosing Henry for this feature:

Q - What inspires your products/creativity?
A - Children, I love how innocent children are and how they think anything is possibly, so I get them to draw things for me and I make them into toys, and teddies, the eyes are brilliant! Also my husband, he doesn’t have a clue how to sew, and just suggests the most random things and sometimes that inspires me to create other things…I hang cut outs from magazines, postcards, pictures, photo’s of anything on the walls of my studio and it always helps to keep these beautiful things around me….

Zoe also has an adorable apron and a lavender scented heart sachet (it woud be too sweet hanging in a quaint country cottage) listed in her shop. She’s adding more creations to her shop soon, like friends for Henry and more lavender goodies for Christmas. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! Click on the link or the picture above to check out her shop.

Features

I mentioned in an earlier post my excitement about discovering a community of people making and selling handmade items on the website http://www.etsy.com/ There are lots of people selling on the site that are passionate about their craft and I enjoy listening in, getting tips, and sometimes even contributing to their conversations in the Etsy forums. Recently, I read a thread that a women started in which she challenged Etsy sellers to commit to 90 days of featuring other Etsy sellers in their blogs in order to raise awareness of this awesome site and promote our handmade products. Like all Moms I'm busy (I have a wonderful 2 year old, work in an office 3 days a week, and own and operate Elle Belle) and was a little afraid of committing to 90 days of posts but have decided that the enjoyment of getting to know other Etsy artists, introducing them to you, and getting the exposure that this will bring Elle Belle is definitely worth it. So here we go, 90 different Etsy artists in 90 days (+ little bits and pieces about our own crafts and events mixed through out) starting with Entyqua (dba Becki's Designs) - http://entyqua.etsy.com/
Although jewelry shops are common on Etsy, it's uncommon to find a shop with a fusion of materials and a range of design like the Becki's Designs shop. She has a beautiful variety of jewelry styles that are inspired by "glass boxes at thrift stores with old jewelry in them. Nature: Trees, seasons, fish (my aquarium) water, rocks and wood". The diverse selection ranges from delicate crystal strands, my personal favorite a necklace that mixes chunky wood and faux pearl beads, to this stunning smoked crystal wire wrapped ring.

There are several reasons I specifically featured this ring. It's elegant and sort of edgy at the same time. Just looking at the smooth coils on the band makes me think about how comfortable it must be to wear. Becki's not only artistic with her jewelry, but also with the pictures she uses to display it, they're as fun to look at as the jewelry. I also really like that she has included a picture of the ring on a sizer so that you know for sure what you're getting ahead of time. Click on the picture above to check out the listing for this ring and the Becki's Designs shop.