This weeks featured Etsy Artisians

I apologize for missing the last few weeks. Tax time has been getting the best of me, too much to do!

Here is the next batch of 5 Etsy artists. If you're an Etsy artist and would like a feature spot contact me!


Sweet Shawty's Accessories
How did you get started in your craft?
I've always loved to create things. Even when I was a little girl I would sit and try to make things (usually back then I was usually making this out of Legos). I get my talent from my Great-Great Grandmother. I have so much fun creating with my art. It's so exciting to me to see things come to life step by step. I've made different types of items. I really like to dabble in as many media as possible. I try to make items that people have never seen before.
Tell me about your featured item.
This is my favorite item in my shop. I actually carry one of these purses myself and I like it so much because it adds fun and color to my day! My daughter loves to take a Kool-aid juice bag in her lunch for school and I was thinking one day that there has got to be something that can be made from these instead of just throwing them away. The first item I actually made was a change purse. And from there I've made sizes of purses, wallets, notepad holders, key chains and even a Christmas stocking!
What inspires your creations?
I get my inspiration from my husband. We actually feed off each other. My husband is an artist and when he is at home painting and using his talent it inspires me to go create myself. For my years I neglected my talent. I never made time for it. But he has helped bring it back to me, for which I am very grateful!

JaK random art & design
How did you get started in your craft?
I have been crafting and making art in one way or another my whole life. I got into making cuffs out of recycled records mainly because I would go to a lot of record shows with my boyfriend. I would scour the bargain bins looking for cool album artwork which I loved from a graphic designer standpoint. I wound up with a lot of records over time that were not playable so I wanted to find new uses for them. So I started making jewelry and home accessories.
Tell me about your featured item.
I love sugar skulls and their roots in Mexican Folk Art. I love folk art and the way it has built the culture we have today and how far it can reach across generations, race, and continents. I create unique, eco-friendly, handmade jewelry. Made from recycled or found objects, each handmade piece of jewelry is a one-of-a-kind, wearable work of art.
What inspires your creations?
I can be inspired by so much, sometimes a color can inspire me other times it can be a series of events. Most of all seeing others being creative is what inspires me the most and pushes me to try harder and not give up.


dharma designs
How did you get started in your craft?
I'm an artist and writer and heart - and a hippie - but when I looked for jewelry to fit my style I couldn't find any, so I figured I'd make my own. Every time I wore one of my pieces someone stopped me to ask where I got it and it grew from there.
Tell me about your featured item.
It's my personal favorite, but I think it really illustrates my style as well. I love to mix different colors and textures, especially beads that are chunks or nuggets vs smooth, polished, or faceted. I like the organic feel of natural beads. Right now brown and green is my favorite color combo (it reflects an earthiness), followed by green and teal.
What inspires your creations?
Nature, spirituality, different cultures, art. I love to light some nag champa incense and a few candles, put on my Tibetan muusic CD, and make a pot of homemade chai. That really helps me unwind. :-)


butterfly mosaics
How did you get started in your craft?
I have been creating since I was little. I have always had a love for creating funky art. I just graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a focus on science and math, so art is mhy escape from all the logic!
Tell me about your featured item.
My favorite item in my Etsy store right now is my button flowers. My button bouquets definitely represent my artistic style. They’re a little quirky, but fun.
What inspires your creations?
My inspiration usually comes from what is going on in my life. Currently, my inspiration comes from children. Right now I am a long term substitute teacher and my students are so fun and full of happiness that it inspires me to create bright and whimsical art.


Jeweled Elegance
How did you get started in your craft?
I was never able to wear jewelry growing up as I was highly allergic to most metals. I began creating jewelry so I could wear it. Also, as a person who embodied both eastern and western stylistic tastes, it was difficult to find fusion pieces that bridged those different looks. I initially designed wire-wrapped and beaded pieces, which sold well and I liked, but found the more unique materials, like wood, plastic, handmade papers and fibers, could tell a more narrative story and reflect more of the personal philosophy of the wearer. My customers buy because they like that uniqueness combined with the versatility of the designs' simplicity. I have an art degree and gallery experience, so it was natural to expand from jewelry, and I now have a line of knitted/crocheted accessories and home decor all with the same philosophy.
Tell me about your featured item.
This is a personal favorite. I spent the first half of my life in Asia and all my work has a simple gracefulness to it stemming from that early cultural exposure. I like this earring line because it draws on Japanese culture, has the warm simplicity and natural element of wood, is lightweight and easy to wear and really embodies my philosophy of "graceful - feminine - unique".
What inspires your creations?
The natural world, especially birds and nests lately, is always a source of fresh ideas. I also find Gilded Age turn-of-the-century design, Art Nouveau, medieval themes/pageantry and Asian art infinitely inspiring.