Member Artisan Feature: Bellabugs

  

Meet Grechen, owner/operator of Bellabugs, specializing in children’s clothing and accessories. Louisiana born and raised, Grechen has been creating handcrafted baby items since the birth of her daughter, and she continues to be inspired by her children.

She enjoys mixing and matching fabrics and offers boutique quality items at affordable prices. Her favorite creations include her pillowcase dresses (above), but be sure to check out her adorable onesies: “Little Dive High Heel Shoe Onesie” and “Little Dude Tie Onesie.”

When asked about her biggest challenge as designer/artist/business owner, she cites a common one: managing her time. Grechen offers the following advice for other artist/sellers: “Constantly look for new and creative ways of drawing buyers in.”

To learn more about Bellabugs, visit:

Her Etsy shop: http://www.bellabug08.etsy.com/

Her blog: http://www.bellabug08.blogspot.com/

Feel the Love! Handmade Louisiana mentioned in the TP "Wish" section!

For HL members in the New Orleans, be sure the check out the Times-Picayune's Wish supplement ('the guide to fine local shopping') in the August 6 edition.   Both the Handmade Louisiana blog and Miss Malaprop's blog (http://missmalaprop.com/) were mentioned on page 11 "Online Shopping News."

So what does it say about Handmade Louisiana? 

" This locally focused blog links to dozens of online purveyors of whimsical handcrafted products and craft bloggers, as well as its own group shop on etsy.com, that online bazaar for all things crafty.  Handmade Louisiana's monthly themed "Craft-A-Long" feature encourages lurkers to break out their own hot-glue guns and sewing kids in hopes of winning a free ad on the blog. "

And for HL members in other parts of the state, be sure to share your news with us, either via the portal  (click the tab above) or via email.

Member Artisan Feature: Ditsy Gypsy

Have you ever found yourself rushing through the airport and you were stopped in your tracks but a really cool, one-of-a kind suitcase? Not yet? That may soon change.

Meet Susan, creator/owner of Ditsy Gypsy. Susan has been transforming vintage suitcases into works of art by paining and decoupage for the past year or so.

Although new to suitcase venture, she is not an art newbie. She says, “There's a joke amongst my family that I was born with a paintbrush in one hand and a pencil in the other. I guess it's just in my blood...my father's an artist, too.”

Susan finds inspiration everywhere. “I've been inspired by a commercial on television, a bird flying overhead, a light bulb, an icon...the potential for art is everywhere,” she explains. Among her favorite creations is a lotus bag that she secretly wished she could keep for herself.

When asked why she loves the work she does, she replied, “It's the chocolate for my soul. It helps me relax, and it makes me feel good.”

The mother of seven, Susan’s biggest challenge is finding the time to create.

Her words of wisdom for other artists:

"Art = Individuality. Don't ever be afraid to assert your individuality!”

Susan’s connection to Louisiana began early. She grew up here and is raising her family here. “There are things that I'd like to see different, but there's a beauty here you can't find anywhere else,” Susan reminds us.

To learn more about Susan and her work, visit her online shops:

On Etsy: http://www.ditsygypsy.etsy.com/
On Artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/DitsyGypsy
On Craftisart: http://www.craftisart.com/ditsygypsy

You can also find Susan on the following sites:
http://www.facebook.com/theditsygypsy (personal)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bossier-City-LA/Ditsy-Gypsy/191380784469 (fan page)
http://twitter.com/DitsyGypsy
http://www.myspace.com/artsymama5
http://ditsygypsy.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ditsygypsy
http://s878.photobucket.com/home/DitsyGypsy

NOTE:  a portion of the proceeds from Susan's robot bag (pictured above) will benefit the Gulf Oil Spill Cleanup.    To learn more, visit the Handmade Louisiana page on Etsy:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/handmadelouisiana

Member Artisan Profile: Lisa Raspino Handcrafted Jewelry

Timeless, captivating, and stunning are three words that come to mind when I view the artisan jewelry created by our member, Lisa Raspino. She is the artisan behind Lisa Raspino Handcrafted Jewelry.

Lisa has been creating jewelry since January 2005, but her creative roots go back to her childhood years when she would craft jewelry from parts of vintage jewelry using her dad's pliers and her mom's tweezers. These days, her pieces often feature pearls, gemstones, and sterling silver. Lisa's current favorite item is Dainty Baubles . These beaded orb earrings are a favorite for two reasons: First, she spent many hours perfecting the skills needed to weave the beaded spheres. Secondly, the earrings were one of the first pairs she created using her own round, handcrafted, sterling silver ear wires.


Lisa draws her inspiration from many sources, including nature and color. She loves finding new jewelry components, creating her color combinations and the feel of the materials in her hands. When asked what were her biggest challenges as an artisan, she replied, "My biggest challenges include 1) finding the time to create -- I'm a busy Mom of three boys and I have a part time job and 2) FOCUSING! (I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and often the ideas come at me faster than I can implement them)."

What piece of advice does Lisa have for other sellers? "Persistence! Trust in the creative process, as much as the business side. I've felt compelled, for lack of a better word, to create a particular piece all the while thinking, 'oh, this will never sell.' And yet it does. From a practical, business aspect it might not have been the best use of my time and materials, but as an artist, obviously I struck a chord.", she said.

Future plans for Lisa include learning to work with PMC (Precious Metal Clay) and creating soldered jewelry. Several years ago, Lisa took semi-private fine jewelry lessons with local jeweler, Alan Hill (of Symmetry Jewelry in N.O.) . "He taught us to saw and shape metal, create bezels, set stones and solder". Lisa loved those classes and would like to get back to creating jewelry using those methods.


To learn more about Lisa and her jewelry, please visit her:

Website- Lisa Raspino

Online shopping venues- http://lisaraspino.etsy.com/
http://lisaraspino.artfire.com/

Blog: Jewelry by Lisa

Member Artisan Profile: Splendiferous Fiber

Meet Wendy, owner/artisan of Etsy shop¸ Splendiferous Fiber. Her shop features hand painted scarves, MiniPurses and totes.

She says she has been creating for as long as she can remember. Wendy started sewing her own clothes in the 6th grade and has been, in her words, “a creative clotheshorse ever since.”

Wendy’s favorite aspect of her work is the variety. “It’s always different, seldom boring,” she explains.

Wendy draws much of inspiration from nature, in addition to pure color. A Louisiana resident since 1981, much of work is inspired by local plants.

When asked about her favorite piece, Wendy says she is currently fond of her scarves, especially the bronze oak leaves on sky blue. (pictured below)

Wendy’s biggest challenge is marketing, especially promoting her items to people she doesn’t know.

Her advice for other sellers is to “find a niche (and always color-match your sewing thread).”

Other skills Wendy would like to learn include free motion machine quilting (“I know the basics, but need improvement and a more cooperative machine”) and entrelac knitting.

A talented fiber artist, Wendy currently has eight pieces touring the country in several different shows. She is a two-time time Merit Awardee at Tom Peyton Arts Festival in Alexandria, La.

She also teaches classes at Delicious Art in Alexandria and is the Costume Mistress/Designer for Red River Dance Theatre, also in Alexandria (Nutcracker is November 29 & 30).

To learn more about Wendy and her art:

Visit her Etsy shop: http://www.splendiferousfiber.etsy.com/

Wendy’s blog, which includes exhibition information, can be found at: http://www.splendiferousfiber.blogspot.com/

Her fiber art online photo gallery can be found here: http://public.fotki.com/wlstarn/

Member Artisan Profile: Spanish Moss Vintage

"A potpourri of aged items that whisper of memories from another time."

Meet Tina, owner of Spanish Moss Vintage! She’s been a crafter all her life and opened her vintage shop on Etsy in May 2008.

She is inspired by anything southern, including nature, literature, music, and the Louisiana landscape. “I have lived in Louisiana all my life and know that it is a very complicated state,” Tina explains, “but I choose to see all the positive aspects of the state - food, music, art, people, landscape, literature.”

When asked about her favorite shop items, she says, “My favorite collectibles are interesting ashtrays to be used for anything other than smoking. I have not had a cigarette in over one year. I personally collect postcards (deltiology) of motor courts, Louisiana, and cards for each state. I also collect Louisiana souvenir figurines.”



Her biggest challenges include learning the background about the vintage items she encounters, as well as trying to discern the next hot new collectible item.

Tina retired with 24 years in public school where I was a speech, language and hearing therapist in Natchitoches Parish. “I spent many years being a people helper and loved it but it was a very serious profession that I gave 100% of myself to. I now want to spend the last half of my life exploring the creative side.”

Her advice to others sellers is to “be true to yourself and explore your creativity and ignite your imagination.”

What creative skills would Tina like to learn? “I would love to be a great seamstress but I remain a real novice,” she says.

On the personal front, Tina has been married to her wonderful husband for 28 years. They have two sons in their 20s. She explains, “my other 2 children are a Border Collie named Scout who is 4 years old and a yellow Lab named Ace who is a year and a half old. We are crazy about these dogs.”

In her spare time, Tina enjoys reading: “My favorite author is James Lee Burke and I adore the Dave Robicheaux series where he is a New Iberia police officer. Tennessee Williams makes me swoon!”

What’s next professionally for Tina? Without elaborating, she said, “I plan to put some of my own creations in the shop soon.” We’ll just have to check back to see what she means. ;-)

To learn more about Tina and Spanish Moss, check out the following links:

http://spanishmoss.etsy.com/
http://spanishmoss-tina.blogspot.com/

Member Artisan Profile: GAR Sticks and String

"Man enough to Knit, Strong enough to Purl" - the tag line says it all.

Meet GAR, one of our younger – but certainly no less talented – members of Handmade Louisiana. GAR creates hand knitted and felted items for his Etsy shop, GAR Sticks and String. He began creating at the age of 11 and has been working steadily at it for 3 years now. How did he get started? He explains, “My mom has always been artsy and when a knitter opened her home for lessons we jumped the opportunity.”

When asked where he finds inspiration, GAR again credits his mother: “My mom is really creative. Not so much me. Just tell me what to do and how to do and I'll get it done.” (Disclaimer: this writer, and customer of GAR’s, disagrees when he says he's not creative. I purchased on of his plushies, a felted hedgehog, for my teen son. The quality and craftsmanship is impressive indeed!).

His favorite material is wool, and he finds knitting relaxing. His favorite piece is the lily baby booties.

When asked what challenges and obstacles he faces, GAR replies, “Just trying to get through teens years. Bringing less drama along as possible and trying to set a good example for my peers.” His words of wisdom for other artisan/sellers: “Never give up, promote, just love people, and pictures matter a lot.”

What’s next for GAR? Llamas, purses, more baskets, gloves and so much more. Perhaps pottery, too. “I’ve done a little pottery and loved it but that was a couple years ago,” he says. “I would love to go back to that.”

Although his mother is from California and his father is from Ohio, GAR has a strong connection to his birth state (Louisiana, of course). “I love that people are SO friendly and love you the second they meet you down here.”

His family is a major influence, rightfully so. “My dad and mom are always there for me and my sister (13 months older than myself) just loves to be around people. We serve God with the best of our ability at an amazing church and have found MANY awesome friends there,” GAR explains. “I personally hope to be the salt and light of the world and be a leader and an example giving hope to a fallen world.”

His creations can be found in his Etsy shop: http://www.garsticksandstring.etsy.com/

Visit his blog at: http://www.garsticksandstring.blogspot.com/

He also sells offline to family, friends, and word of mouth. When asked if there was anything else he wanted us to know, he said, “Well, I love all my customers and sincerely appreciate them. I give glory to God that he gave me this talent!”

Member Artisan Profile: Butterflies & Rainbows

Butterflies and Rainbows features handmade custom clothing for babies and toddlers (even adults too). Artist and owner Candice has been creating for years, but was really inspired by the birth of her first child five years ago. She now has two children and loves dressing them in her incredible, one-of-a-kind outfits. “I love creating new outfits for my children and I love when they are excited about wearing them,” she explains.

Candice’s favorite materials include cotton and cotton blends, but “any beautiful fabric will do and I probably have most of them,” she says. Candice jokes, “buying fabric is a sickness for me.”

She cites her family’s support as a key component to her success. “I have a great husband that supports me greatly in this endeavor of my life and two wonderful children that make me so proud to be their mother,” she says.

Her biggest obstacle, however, are time constraints. “Being a stay at home mom to a beautiful girl and a rambunctious little boy, it is hard to find time to fill orders and make new things to offer,” she explains. Occasionally, Candice will put her Etsy and Artfire shops on a brief hiatus while she fulfills orders and develops new product lines.

One of the favorite aspects of her craft is the time alone that she needs to release her creative juices and make extra income for her family. Candice is currently working a new fall line, in addition to creating items for adults to enjoy as well as children.

Her favorite piece of advice for other sellers is: “Do your best and you will shine!” When asked what skill she’d like to learn, Candice replied that she’d like to design her own patterns.

Although she moved to Birmingham, Alabama two years ago because of her husband’s employment, Candice’s local connections run deep: she’s originally from Lafayette. “Louisiana is dear to my heart,” she explains, “because it is where I grew up and it is such a diverse place.”

Candice’s creations can be found on Etsy (http://www.brkids.etsy.com/) and on Artfire (http://www.brkids.artfire.com/). She also sells offline to friends and family or by word of mouth. Most of her items are custom made, so if you see something you like, she invites you to ask. She can make almost anything!

To learn more about Butterflies and Rainbows, visit her ...
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/cdoucet1
on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cdoucet1229
on her blog: http://www.brkidsonetsy.blogspot.com/
and on: http://picasaweb.google.com/candice.doucet