Weekly Featured Artist - Megan of Studio M.M.E

I am amazed at this week Featured Artists work - so unique!! My favorite piece is the first picture in the post, you can find it HERE wouldn't it just look perfect above a little lady's bed??
Be sure to check out the many other gorgeous pieces in Studio M.M.E shop.


Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
I am currently a senior at Minnesota State University Moorhead, earning a dual degree in art and creative writing. I am a classical trained artist who specializes in pen and ink drawings (although my professors are pushing me out of my comfort box for my last semester). My art is reminiscent of 19th century illustrations and 16th century etchings. It is also heavily influenced by the work of Edward Gorey. Most of my pieces illustrate European fairytales. However, with my creative writing background, I have started to write my own tales to illustrate. In addition to my prints, I also make 2" pinback buttons that feature my work, so that I can wear a little bit of the Victorian age wherever I go. Then, to make things even more hectic for me, I recently started to make handmade envelopes from repurposed children's books. In this way I sometimes feel like the Renaissance woman on campus, juggling two degrees, a business, and a part-time job.

How long have you been creating your craft?
I've been drawing since the age of four. Never on the walls, though. My father is an oil painter so I had a lot of artists' books around the house to inspire me. It wasn't until this February though that I started making my envelopes.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
RSS feed everything! When I started my business, Studio M.M.E., in January, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought it would be the easiest thing in the world to make a website and get people to buy my artwork. Boy, was I naive. It doesn't matter how nice your website is if you don't market it. Now I hand out business cards to everyone. I spend an hour each morning on Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, my blog, and google analytics. It's exhausting. Thank goodness for RSS feeds. Those will save you HOURS! If everything automatically updates when you post something on Etsy, then you don't have to go to each one and update it manually. It took me only two days to figure out the importance of this simple trick.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating and why?
I absolutely loved making this piece HERE. It combines my favorite things: time travelers and details. I had a blast hiding art history references and drawing the time period clothing from 1880 and 1960 respectively. (Their cameras are time period as well.) Plus, it's a self portrait of myself and my boyfriend, so that made it extra special.


Is there a basic household item you use when creating that seems to work as good if not better than the 'actual' tool?
My mother keeps buying me Emory boards, assuming I'm using them on my fingernails. In actuality, they work amazingly well for polishing up the bevel cut on mats. I use the finer side and get rid of any extra burrs.

What is your favorite candy bar and why?
Oh goodness, this is a hard one. After much deliberation I'd have to say Kit Kat. When I was little, I knew the jingle by heart. Heck, I still do. And you get two candy bars in one! How can you argue with that?


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues, where in the great wide world would you go and why?
Mongolia. I honestly can't tell you why but for some reason that place has been calling to me for years. I don't even want to climb the mountains. I think it's just the allure of the unknown. It's one of the last untouched regions. I don't even know if their food is good. All I know is that whenever I hear the word "Mongolia" something inside of me gets excited.

Weekly Featured Artist - Erenia of Crimson Sea Dragon & Lippy Lop Shop

This week we are featuring Erenia who has two shops with etsy, Crimson Sea Dragon and The Lippy Lop Shop where she sells all kinds of fabulous things like jewelry, decor, paintings, toys, purses and so much more!!

Sales from selected items from The Lippy Lop Shop will be donated to a charity to benefit Autism.

Tell us all about yourself and your art/craft?
I craft on all levels. Ideas just burst from my mind and shoot out through my hands. I make clothing,jewelry, toys, accessories, and mixed media art sculptures. Pretty much I am a complete weirdo (as my sister Ruby would say). I love family time, road trips, good music, trying foods from around the world, and extreme sports.

How long have you been creating your art/craft?
I believe I was born creating. I would play in the yard all by myself. I would pick plants and flowers and make things with the natural elements around me. Sometimes I would make these multi-layered mud pies and decorate them with flowers, twigs, and leaves. That pretty much fueled my mind to create many other things. I was bout 3 when I did the mud pies.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learned about your art/craft & selling it?
People will compliment your creations but won't take you serious if you are under priced. So value your work and watch how people flock to your shop!

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
I made this art piece called Tree of Self. It has a tree made of wire and little findings that represent pieces of me dangling from the branches. It's in a wooden box with two Plexiglas sides to see the tree. The outside is painted green to show that I have achieved balance in my life, and some I painted Mehendi tattoos all over the box because the are of Henna tattoos is beautiful and shows a side of me that others can't see with their eyes.


Do you have any training in your craft?
Well, I come from a very crafty family. My gramps is 107 years old and he just recently gave up his craft cause he is too tired, but I learned from him and many others, so yes I have had training.

Is there a basic ‘household’ item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual ‘tool’?
Ok here is my confession. I usually don't use tools when I am crafting. I just grab whatever I can find and use it. Sometimes a butter knife works better than a scraper. Sometimes I don't even know what some tools are called cause I rarely use them, whatever works!

What is your favorite candy bar & why?
Caramelo, it has the gooiest caramel inside, of course!


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
Back to Europe. I lived in Italy for 3 years and didn't get to travel to the near surrounding countries. I miss it soooooooo much!

Weekly Featured Artist - Michelle of michvanetta

For this weeks Featured Artist it was almost too hard to choose the photos to use to go with the interview as all of Michelle's pieces are stunning!! You really should take a look through her shop 'michvanetta' to see her earrings, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, hairpins, bangles and more!!! Oh and you can stay up to date with Michelle over at her blog too.

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
My name is Michelle Vivado and I’m the sole creator behind michvanetta.
Mich is an abbreviation of Michelle and Vanetta is my middle name, the combination of the two is definitely unique.
I’m a thirty something mother of two gorgeous little girls aged 6 and 2, and amongst all that I do for them and my husband I need a little “me time” for creating and meeting other creative, like minded people.
I live in Eltham, a leafy suburb of Melbourne, it’s a lovely community, an artistic community and a wonderful place to raise children.
I come from a very creative family, my mother knits beautifully and most of the women in my extended family create in one or many forms.
I create jewellery and more and working from my little work bench is very satisfying. It's always overflowing with wonderful and unique beads, that I really find hard parting with.

How long have you been creating your craft?
I’ve been creating jewellery and more for around 6 years now.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is to not be so shy about speaking about what I do if asked and hand out business cards to those that do ask. It has many benefits and often results in lovely comments (which is always nice) sales and/or custom orders.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
At present I’m really having a lot of fun creating my magnet sets, I have so many wonderful buttons in my huge stash and I love playing with them and seeing what different colours and different shapes will work with one another.


Is there a basic ‘household’ item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual ‘tool’?
I can’t say I do use any household items whilst creating, as I only create with my jewellery tools.
When starting out, I didn’t own a jewellers cutting tool so I went to my husbands tool box and used his pliers…I wouldn’t dream of using them now.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
I haven’t eaten a candy bar for nearly 4 months, not because I’m a freak, but due to being on a cleansing diet under the care of my Naturopath. In saying that I do get tempted all the time and you’ll often find me drooling over a Mars Bar ad.


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
There are so many places in the world I’d love to visit and re-visit. If I have to choose just one it would be to go back and visit La Paz in Bolivia, South America. My husband is Bolivian and we would love to take our girls there and show them around. Show them where daddy grew up and to have them meet his extended family. It’s a beautiful country, vast like Australia and the sights, smells and hospitality are truly mesmerizing.

Weekly Featured Artist - Cath of Chunky Chooky

This weeks Featured Artist is fellow Aussie and mum Cath. Cath is the driving force behind the fun and funky Etsy shop Chunky Chooky and with a tag line like 'Funky threads and cool things for small people' how can you help but take a look at her creations???

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
Hello, my name is Cath, I live on 9 acres just on the edge of a a little town called Bellingen on the mid north coast of NSW, it's a beautiful town in a valley surrounded by hills and trees and waterholes with a river running though the middle of it. We did the tree change from Sydney about 9 years ago and we are very happy about the move. I live with my partner and 2 year old daughter and our big black dog Zac. My daughter is my inspiration and I started sewing again after she was born and a friend gave me some fisherman pants from a recent trip to Thailand. So I made my daughter another pair of fisherman pants then lots of people wanted them... then I started making monsters and toys.
I pretty much taught myself how to sew after learning the basics years ago but as soon as I started again I knew I would love it. In the early days there was a lot of unpicking and frustration and trial and error but I kept moving forward and had lots of encouragement from friends. I love felt, denim and bright colours and I love vintage fabrics too although when I buy them I find it so hard to cut into the fabric...like I am destroying something really old...so I end up hardly using it just collecting it...

How long have you been creating your craft?
I have been creating Chunky Chooky lovelies for about a year.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
The biggest lesson I have learnt is patience! Especially with Etsy - its so huge - and my shop is like a speck in the ocean. I am confident my product is good I just have to get it out there a bit more!

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
I love creating the softies and the little stories that go with them. I think part of buying handmade is to have something as unique as possible, so sometimes the designs are a little similar - although I never use a pattern I just free hand draw onto the fabric- but the stories are all very different - and they write themselves- I just look at the finished softie and the story just pours out of my fingertips...


Is there a basic ‘household’ item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual ‘tool’?
I am also a big fan of the chopstick as a stuffing poker.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
I really am a bit of a chocolate snob. I think if I am going to eat it I want the good stuff- Lindt chocolate from Belgium.


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
I have travelled a lot but it was about 10 years ago so I would return to some places and go to some new places. I would do a round the world trip -it would take a year -I think my ultimate place would be Morocco- to the Grand Bizarre- to me heaven on earth- all those lovely shiny things and all that silver and all those carpets... then we would pop over to Turkey for similar reasons. Then we would spend a few months travelling and eating around Italy my the cobblestone streets, admiring the gargoyles.... A month back in India as well- including a camel safari- plus Africa- again on safari but staying in one of those really expensive places where giraffes come up to the window and you can feed them-my daughter would love it ( and so would I)... then on the way home some deserted beach in Thailand or Vietnam to relax after our long journey...then home to the farm, I would miss my dog.


Thanks to Cath for sharing with us - you can follow what the Chunky Chooky is up to at Cath's blog HERE and if you head over soon Cath is hosting a great giveaway for one her Tweeters HERE.

Weekly Featured Artist -Kylie of Tiges and Weince

It's been a while since Giggleberry's last Weekly Featured Artist and even a little while since I've posted at all... but now that our new bub Harrison has started to settle into a routine I have come up for some blogging air and who better to feature than a fellow Aussie Etsian, Kylie of Tiges and Weince who makes and sells "all things baby".
I love the bright and fun items Kylie has on offer like her matching gift sets for bubbies and her funky change mats, bibs and nappy compacts. Check out her shop at www.tigesandweince.etsy.com.


Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
My name is Kylie, I am 33, live in Melbourne Australia, married to my wonderful husband Daniel, and the mother of my angel (well 99% of the time) Hudson who is nearly 10months. I have an extensive back ground in fashion design in both ladies and children's wear, but my passion has always been in children's arena. I am inspired by bright colour, clean design, and anything that makes me smile. Design, sewing and pattern making is what I know how to do well so to venture in making my own baby accessories and other odds and ends felt very natural.

How long have you been creating your craft?
For about 12 months, and the last 3 months I have decided to put all my energy in and take growing this business very seriously.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
MMMMMMMM this is tricky to answer. Well I have learnt that I have to be to some degree a little unemotional about what I design and make, while I learn what the consumer wants. This is the hardest thing I believe an artist has to accept, not everybody loves what you love. In regards to selling it, well that's a journey I am still on, ask me again in 12 months.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
I have always loved my 'Baby To Go' boxes as I couldn't think of a better gift all packed away in a noodle box. Recently I have loved making my nappy compacts as they are just perfect when you have a quick errand to do and don't need a whole nappy bag. I made this for myself before I decided to sell them, as I found them very handy.


Is there a basic 'household' item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual 'tool'?
I use my dining table as a cutting table. It's a great size and height.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
Asking me for a favourite is a challenge when you are speaking to a chocoholic. I can't narrow it down so I will have to say BIG Kit Kat with Caramel, Boost Bar, and Bounty. However when I was in Canada I fell in love with this bar called "OH HENRY", it's a shame we can't get them in OZ.


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
I have traveled quite a lot so it's hard to pick like the candy bar, but I am still and always will be in love with the beauty of Paris. The language, fashion, architecture, art, Louvre, red wine and of course Nutella Crepes. I love how the streets wind around and nothing is grid like so you always find something new.

Thanks Kylie for spending some time to share a bit with us!! You can keep up to date with all the new and fun things Tiges and Weince is up to through the blog at www.tigesandweince.blogspot.com

Weekly Featured Artist -Tracey of Ginger Kitty Designs

Thank you to Tracey of the gorgeous etsy shop Ginger Kitty Designs for being this weeks Featured Artist. I 'met' Tracey through my etsy street team Fabulous Artistic Moms and have fallen in love with many of the items in her shop.... in particular her great wine charm sets that I have got my eye on..... Tracey also hand-makes and sells earrings, bookmarks, necklaces and bracelets - head to her shop and have a look around!!

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
My name is Tracey Barker, I am 40 years old and a proud mother of 2 beautiful boys. I work in finance during the day and I design my jewelry at night.
I design necklaces, bracelets, earrings, bookmarks and wine charms. I handcraft all of the items in my store and I can customized most of the pieces to suit the buyer (different bead colors, charms or findings, etc.)

How long have you been creating your craft?
I am fairly new to designing and to Etsy! I started designing jewelry as a way to thank loved ones and little gifts for my boys teachers - in a handmade way. I was told that they loved my creations and that they would love to buy more - so I recently opened my Etsy store.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
Well, two lessons actually.
~ What I like is not always what others like. I have tried hard to "step out of my comfort zone" and make pieces that others will really enjoy.
~ Patience - We live in a "fast food" society and we all tend to want instant gratification. Unfortunately, when starting a new business, it is not always instant. I have learned to pace myself and have faith that my store will do well.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
For my store, I really enjoying creating the bookmarks with all different charms. I have always been an avid reader and love bookmarks!
On a personal level, I enjoyed making my mother a special bracelet. She was diagnosed with breast cancer around the holidays this year and it meant alot to me to be able to make her a special bracelet, just from me to her.


Is there a basic 'household' item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual 'tool'? Well, it is not really a household item but my children's hands! Sometimes I need an extra set of hands when finishing off a piece and I ask them to "hold this here, put that there" - they love being part of it.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
My favorite candy bar is an 100 Grand Bar. Crunchy, chocolatey and gooey...yum - what's not to love?


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
Anywhere tropical! My family loves the outdoors, swimming, beaches, shell collecting, etc. So I would love to go anywhere tropical and enjoy the warm weather! (As I am writing this it is snowing again here in Rhode Island!)

Weekly Featured Artist - Marianne of Crochet by Momma J

What a collection this weeks Featured Artist has on offer in her shop Crochet by Momma J!! There are Afghans, Hangers, Sachets, Appliques, Diaper Bags/Clutches, Baby Booties, Baby Blankets, Bath Items and Hats/Scarves - surely you'd be able to find something amongst all these gorgeous handmade goodies that you or someone you know can't live without??

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
My name is Marianne Jackson, and I live in Georgia (USA) with my husband of 15 years and 3 beautiful daughters (ages 3, 7 and 13). My craft is crocheting.

How long have you been creating your craft?
I began crocheting when I was pregnant with my now 7 year old. A co-worker of mine taught me during lunch breaks and I just fell in love with it!


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
The biggest lesson I have learned (am learning) is patience. Selling is not easy (haven't had one in a LONG time), but I am being patient and just trying to get myself out there for people to see.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
I think the first blanket I designed was the most exciting. I had always done things from patterns, and I had so much fun creating my own and seeing that it actually looked good.


Is there a basic 'household' item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual 'tool'?
Nope - I stick with the tools of the trade.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
Gotta be Snickers - I mean chocolate, caramel, nuts - who could ask for more?


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
Greece. I have always wanted to take a cruise to Greece - ever since I was a child.

Weekly Featured Artist - Anastasia of Percival Road Designs

This is the perfect time to have Anastasia from Percival Road Designs as the Weekly Featured Artist because for the month of January (2009) she is offering FREE postage within Australia and for international buyers - Buy 3 items & receive FREE postage!! What deal, hey?? what a great chance to stock up on gift tags, notebooks, greeting cards and maybe find the perfect Valentine card??

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
I'm Anastasia from Sydney, Australia. I'm a mum to two young boys and wife to Andrew.
I love to do lots of crafty things but mainly I play with paper, both new and vintage papers and make sweet paper goods!

How long have you been creating your craft?
Ive always enjoyed crafting but must admit I got back into I once I started blogging – I was totally inspired by all the craft blogs! So the past 3 years Ive been crafting on a regular basis and 10 weeks ago I started selling on Etsy!


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it? Being a newbie selling online I'm learning everyday but one thing that I learnt straight away is, if you sell online then you need fantastic images/pictures of your products – its so important!!

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
I just love paper! So anything made with paper and I love vintage ephemera, ribbons and all things wonderful – that’s when I have the most fun!


Is there a basic 'household' item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual 'tool'?
I do a lot of old fashioned collage (paper and glue) so I use heavy books – thick and large dictionary’s, magazine stacks to flatten my paper tags and collage cards overnight!

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
Peppermint Crisp – delicious and not too fattening haha well compared to other sweets!


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
I love big cities – walking, exploring, eating – it would be a toss between Paris or New York ….I love overseas travel!

For more information on the In's and Out's of Anastasia's paper world check out her blog Anastasia Drawing and Dreaming.

Weekly Featured Artist - Lou of Buttons by Lou Lou

This weeks featured artist is a fellow Aussie mum, Lou of the the etsy shop Buttons by Lou Lou. You just must take a look in her shop at her amazing range of fabric covered buttons that she has made into all kinds of items like hair clips & bobby pins, earrings, hair elastics, brooches, sewing buttons and even gorgeous home and office supplies!! All of Lous handmade items would make perfect 'just because' gifts and with her gift wrapping added on it couldn't be much easier than that!!!


Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
I live in Melbourne, Australia. I am a mother of 2 boys aged 2 1/2 years and 5 months old. I am having a break from my usual work for a little while to be at home with my boys.
I love looking for all of the beautiful fabrics for my buttons. Cute pictures, classic polka dots and stripes, beautiful florals. Some things for children, some for adults and of course finding some for the boys.
While I was learning to make these buttons and products there was a lot of trial and error. There are a lot of different types of buttons available to cover in fabric but some don't have a big enough loop on the back (shank) for my elastics, some have a shank that can't be taken off for my hair clips, some are too time consuming to make or are designed so that it is impossible to get the picture in the centre of the button. Finally I have found the ones!
I also needed to experiment with attaching the buttons to my accessories so that they were safe for children. My sister has bought button hairclips before that were just glued to the clip - they fell off even before my niece wore them - so I use a metal craft wire to securely attach the button. Some people just slide a button onto a bobby pin - which of course will just slide back off - and this is fine for adults. I have had to use bobby pins with a flat pad so I can glue my buttons to the bobby pin. I always use a jewellers glue so they won't come off.
When selling my products the hardest thing is always the pricing - how much of my time can I charge for but still sell them!


How long have you been creating your craft?
I started making 'buttons' just a few months ago so I am very new to this craft. I decided that they would be a lovely present for my older son's friends, my niece, the older sisters of new babies that were arriving. I started making them for myself, other people wanted to give them away as presents as well - and it has just exploded from there. Who would have thought just a few months ago that I would have made well over a thousand fabric covered buttons in such a short time.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
It is such a learning experience and as I am so new to it am am learning so much more all the time. Once Christmas is over and I have a little more time (hopefully) then I can look at everything again - my supplies, my prices, my stockists, etc. and try to get things on track for 2009.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
It is hard to know which products I like creating the most as all of them are special to me because I use my often precious little time to make them. I think I like whichever buttons have my favourite fabrics - although that is most of them because I choose it all!
I like my products when they are finished. When I have glued a whole batch of magnets or earrings and I am packing them up all finished and beautiful ready to sell - a good sense of achievement. I love to wear the earrings because I have a bit of an earring addiction. I love to give the clips and elastics to little girls and the magnets the adults. I could go on and on. I really enjoy making them because I like them all.


Is there a basic ‘household’ item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual ‘tool’?
There's a couple of pens and pencils at home that come in handy for my button making - but not used as pens and pencils. I have 2 refillable led pencils that I use (no led) to help me push the backs onto the buttons with the hairclips. I can get under the hairclips and get to the edges that need to be pushed down. I also use a wide pen with a flat bottom to push in the button backs that are hard to get on. I get a bit more strength when I can hold the pen with both hands and push instead of just a couple of fingers on the tool.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
My favourite candy bar is a cherry ripe - although there are about 20 others that come a very close second! It is just one I have loved for years and still enjoy.


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
If money, time and responsibilities were no issue...hmmm...I would start with a long sleep - it's busy with babies! I have a couple of holidays - maybe small towns in france and italy, go back to London to look around and shop and remenisce ( I lived there for a few years before my boys were born). But I would always come back home to be near my family and friends. I really like living in Australia.

Weekly Featured Artist - Bella of Francisbel Boutique

I met Bella through my the FAM (Fabulous Artistic Moms) team and think her work is simply gorgeous (my favorite items are her 'Ruffle socks'). Bella was so kind to be this weeks featured artist - Thank you! Pop into her shop at www.francisbel.etsy.com and take a look at her great range of things.

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
My name is Bella, I have been married for 15 years and have a 14 year old son. My craft is all about creating tote bags, little girls dresses, burp cloths, pillowcase dresses, hair accessories, ruffle ribbon socks and more. I'm always creating and adding new categories to my selling list.

How long have you been creating your craft?
I have been doing crafts for about 15 years...And selling them for about 10 years.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
The biggest lesson I have learnt is everything has to be make with a lot of patience and with plenty of time, nothing has to be made in the hurry, and for selling is never do a custom order without be pay BEFORE...

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
I love all the sewing part, I enjoy sewing all day long It is my big passion!


Is there a basic household item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual 'tool'?
Yes, I use clothes pins for holding the ribbon in place when I make my headbands.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
I love Baby Ruth's


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
I would like to go to the Great Wall of China, it would be great be in that place.