Shopping List Saturday....Sunday Style

Lisa Jones

Virginia Rose Kane

Road Side



Paper Cut and Die

Elsa Mora

This week I have been really amazed by some of the paper cut artists on etsy. The first image is not an etsy artist but had to include her work for the sheer beauty. Her name is Lisa Jones, she attended Sydney College of Fine Arts and is an accomplished artist, showing her works internationally. Although, she utilizes a laser cutter to do her cutting the thought process is the same as if she were cutting paper. Virginia Rose Kane is an artist that was a former botany student, her works are all hand cut. What I find interesting about her work is the way she layers the paper to create another story within her paper cutting. I have included works by Paper Cut and Die, who is from Toronto, and cuts her work using x-Acto blades and scissors. Then, there is Road Side.....all I can say is "Amazing"! Her work is quirky, beautiful and smart. She has a great blog that you should check out too! Then last but not least, there is Elsa Mora who has an etsy store but sadly it is empty right now....I can wait, it will be worth it! Her work is nothing short of "magical". I linked to her blog that has become one of my favorite reads. She actually has two blogs, one for paper cutting and a main blog. She is so talented, showing her work in galleries internationally too. Her paper cutting blog is incredibly informative, linking the reader to other paper cutting artists, tutorials that include videos, books, and supply sources.Plus more images of her work that will blow you away!

All worth checking out! You can find the list of other bloggers who make Saturday lists in the right sidebar of Charlotte's blog. Cheers......

Wow.........Etsy Front Page

Wow, (I said it again) I can't believe how insightful I was today! I walked my son to school and on the walk home I was saying to myself that I need to check on my other etsy shop. I have two stores, Helicopter Studios where I sell children's items and Heilo Studios where I sell metalwork. I use the word sell but I haven't sold anything. So, when I arrived on etsy.com I was checking out the front page as I always do and voila! There at the bottom was a piece from my Heilo Studios store. I have not looked at this shop in months, I have had some success with my children's toys but no luck with my metalwork. One of the reasons I started making my Discovery Totes was that I needed a break from metalworking and with all my research noticed that etsy is filled with jewelry shops. Although, I have been working at my jewelers bench making all my Christmas presents I have not worked on anything to sell. I am feeling the urge to work with metal again and this front page spot may have just propelled me!

Shopping List Saturday

joettamaue

Retro Wale

Jenny Elkins

I can't believe this week has gone by and I have not posted anything since last Saturday! I guess that happens to the best of us. I really have been focused on some home projects this week, I have not worked in my studios much either. This week has been a week of moving around art, and purging "stuff" out of my house. It feels great to clean out and organize, something I needed to do for a while and have finally put it first on my priority list.

This weeks shopping list is a small group of amazing items. I really try hard to find stuff that I have not seen before. I could see these together in a corner of my home, they compliment each other beautifully! Enjoy!
You can find the list of other bloggers who make Saturday lists in the right sidebar of Charlotte's blog. Cheers..

Shopping List Saturday

michelemaule

leahgiberson

groundwork

CWYSART

Well, here it is another shopping list Saturday. I have been feeling a bit worried about future of my etsy store with the law that may come into effect on Feb. 10. It will be absolutely ridiculous if it passes, but in the meantime, myself and thousands of other etsy sellers are squirming while we wait for our fate. I have a gut feeling that it is so silly to require every maker to send their product out for third party testing that it just will never happen. Believe me, I am all for testing for lead paint in toys and want my children to have safe toys. But, that is one of the reasons I began making my work, so my children would have toys that are handmade with love and that are way above any standards a manufacturer in China would ever require. So, with that being said..... my etsy choices for my list this week are ones that gave me a feeling of separation and solitude in this new year. All of these paintings made me feel alone but "happy" at the same time. This work makes me want to wander away to a quiet place to sit and think. Enjoy!

You can find the list of other bloggers who make Saturday lists in the right sidebar of Charlotte's blog. Cheers......

New in my Shop

I posted some new "Nest" Discovery Totes just before Christmas but, have been too busy to blog about them. Showing here is a yellow cotton and grey wool fabric tote that opens up to a mommy bird on her nest of eggs. The eggs are hand felted and can be removed or tucked into the nest. This tote is most loved by girls between the ages of 6-9, that is my personal observation from being at art shows with my totes.

Gingerbread Houses

Last week was crazy busy with the last days of Kindergarten for my son and my dad visiting from California. I was shopping for K's teacher, trying to get parents to come help with all the celebrations and making all of my Christmas presents. Friday was the grand finale of it all, I had to help 23 Kindergartner's plus one 3 year old make gingerbread houses. Lucky for me I have an incredible husband I recruited and a handful of other parents who helped get the job done. They had a blast, I love to just stand back and watch children create without showing them what to do, they have the most amazing results. These are just two of the houses, they all turned out really great! We used an ice cream cone for the trees and were limited a bit with the candy details because of nut allergies in the classroom. All and all a fun day for the kids, and that's all the matters!

Shopping List Saturday

PalominoMorgan
Yoote

cocoondesigns


ouryellowhouse

austulabee

This weeks shopping list was pulled from etsy sellers who have "hearted" me, helicopterstudios! I have been in the Children's Gift Guide since the Etsy toy contest and have received tons of hits on my shop. It has been really great! I always check out a shop that "hearts" me and I wanted to post a collection of shops that "heart" me and guess what..... I heart them (how sweet). No, seriously, I always find the coolest shops that way! Esty is rocks!

The stores I have selected are some of my favorites. I don't know if I would have found them otherwise. I try to spend time looking at other shops but.........an hour later I am over stimulated with so many beautiful handmade goods. I have been trying to keep myself on a time budget and the computer is a time sucker for me.


You can find the list of other bloggers who make Saturday lists in the right sidebar of Charlotte's blog. Cheers......

Making Christmas out of metal

This is a picture of half of my studio space, I share it with myself.

half metalworking and half sewing and fabric

This week I have been super busy "making" Christmas. What this means is making presents for my friends, family and this year--my son's kindergarten teacher, co-teacher and guidance counselor. I had to make something for Mrs. Graff the guidance counselor, she was responsible for getting my son and myself through the horrible separation anxiety we suffered at the start of school. So, I am back at my bench doing some metalsmithing this week and I have to say it feels really good. I went through a time when I really did not want to sit at my bench and think. Now, I have this out pouring of ideas that make me excited to work with metal. I think I might work on a new series for my other etsy shop "Heilo" and pull most of whats in there. I need to start fresh. Maybe, it's because my toy making may come to a halt in February if this law passes.

HELP........IS REQUESTED

I don't know if you know this but there is a chance handmade toys will cease to exist! The US government is making some changes and are trying to pass a law that will require all toys made in the US go through safety testing by an outside party. This would shut all indie designers like myself down. There is no possible way I could afford to have my product tested.....costing approx. 150-3000 dollars for each item. Please read more about this insane idea that could dramatically change my path and the path of many other children's toy and clothing makers.

Sign the petition TODAY!! SAVE HANDMADE TOYS!!!!

Find your congress personand senators and write a letter like the sample here.Particularly if they serve on the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection or the House Committee on Small Business.
-Send an email directly to the CPSC.
-Vote for amending the law on Change.org, digg style: With enough votes it will be presented to President Obama in January!
-Place the Save Handmade! button on your blog or website to help spread the word to everyone you know who cares about protecting the little guy and preserving beautiful items made with love for our children.

Shopping List Saturday

Well, it was an exciting Friday.... I came in 5th place out of 60 etsy sellers in the Holiday Toys Contest. If you didn't know this was going on I will fill you in--Etsy Admin. put together 60 etsy sellers for sellers/buyers from the etsy community to pick their favs. I was wondering if anyone would even vote for me since the picture they displayed was one of my Discovery Totes in the closed position. It did not convey unless you clicked on the image, I guess people wondered what it was and clicked! I felt very honored to be a part of the contest. Now they have my "Day for a Hike" tote on the front page of the Gift Guides under "Children". Nice advertising. So I will end this post by saying I am going to use the "mini store" as my Saturday Shopping List, too convenient I must say. Please check it out if you have not already, there are some really beautifully made gifts that could be cherished by a child for years. Thanks again to all who voted for little ol' me. You can find the list of other bloggers who make Saturday lists in the right sidebar of Charlotte's blog. Cheers......