Timothy Adam Designs

A hammer rings out, lights flash and sparks fly and dance. No I'm not describing a battle between old Norse Gods, it just the sounds and sights that accompany a typical day at Timothy Adam Designs studio. This Etsy seller and artisan uses American steel and other metals to hand craft some truly amazing pieces. He makes and designs furniture, but you'll also find his line of cutting-edge jewelry and much more in his Etsy shop. From earrings and stands to display them on, to keychains, pendants and cardholders you can be sure to find a varied selection in his shop. Read the interview provided for a better understanding on what got Timothy started working in metal and what keeps him driven now.

1. How long have you been doing what you do?.

3 years.

2. Being self taught in your field, how did you get started, did you have a background working with metal?

my sister in-law is a furniture designer. she needed some help with a few projects that were all steel. i decided to get certified in mig welding before we started so at least one of us new what was going on. after finishing her projects i just kept welding and creating.

3. Are there any other places people can see your work? Website, blog, myspace etc.

I am in a few galleries in grand rapids Michigan, Boston and North Carolina.

blog: http://timothyadamdesigns.blogspot.com/

4. You've been very successful selling on Etsy, do you have any advice or tips on how to run a prosperous Etsy shop?

To be successful here on etsy you must be unique. you must also be willing to expand into different areas. before etsy (10 months ago) i only made furniture. i had to expand into jewelry to offer a more marketable product. you must also promote your shop, heart people and use etsy as a community.

5. Where do you find inspiration?

I find my inspiration from other artists. believe me i don't copy artists work, but i expand, change and make ideas that i find better.

6.Whats your favorite Etsy shop?

gemmafactrix!!!!!!!!!!!

7. One last question. What, if any, is your favorite metal band? Sorry, i had to ask.

Well heavy metal is really not my style...but a fun little fact: i was the lead singer for a band in school. we opened up for Everclear once.

Be sure to visit his blog, he produced a fantastic YouTube video of the making of a steel entertainment center. Its cleverly titled "A little more spark" and he links to the video from his most recent blog post. It really is astonishing to see the work progress alone its stages toward completion, you have to do yourself a favor and check it out.

In two days we'll have another fantastic interview ready so be on the look out for that, oh and remember BUY HANDMADE!

Sunday FUNDAY!

Don't have a whole lot to say today people. I know, unusual right. I would like to take a brief monent to say thanks to all the fantastic people on the Etsy forums. What a great group, I've gotten so much help there, been able to return the favor and help a few others and had some laughs along the way. If you haven't participated in the forums yet or if you have a question you think is "Too Stupid" go there and just give it a shot. I never thought i would have this much fun in an "Online" environment. Really don't be shy, drop by and say hello, pimp your shop or blog(Oh how i do luv pimping my blog) or just add your two sense to one of the great threads in the "etc" categories, thats were the fun is.

Speaking of fun in the forums I wanted to give a lil' shout out to one of my favorite posters, the queen of "Kook", the woman with the "Plan", and all around fun gal... vintagethisretrothat. I have had a blast on the forums thanks to this one. Now don't worry, there will be a future Showcase featuring her shop, right now I just wanted to introduce her and say "Stay golden vintage, stay golden". Oh, an if you've never attended a thread party thrown by her i pity you, she really knows how to host a soirée. If you missed her 80's dance party or her slumber party be on the look out for the next one, i hear rumors there might be a New Years Eve party...YAY!!! Believe me you don't want to miss it.

So take a moment and have a look see around her shop she's got so many interesting things to check out... its just like, its just like a mini... mall.

We'll be back tomorrow with a brand new Showcase. Be there or be square.

Trollflings

Welcome back people, once again I have something wonderful in store for you. Oddist Showcase will be featuring the work of Etsy seller extraordinaire Trollflings for the next two days. Her hand sculpted pieces range in style from fall off your chair cute to the utterly fantastic. The amount of detail and imagination she puts into her work is amazing. Read the interview below for a little insight on how she keeps her busy shop moving like a well oiled machine and where to go to see more of her work. Enjoy.

1.How long have you been doing what you do?

It will be five years in July of 08

2. Are there any other places people can see your work? website, blog, myspace etc?

There are links to where I sell on my website http://www.trollflings.com
I also have a blog
http://trollflings.blogspot.com

3. Are there any creative projects your working on that you would like to share with us?

No creative projects that I can elaborate on for this year, we will see what happens. I would like to see my trollkids in publication this year because I want everyone to be able to see them, and have a smile or a laugh.

4. I read in your profile that you're a mother of 5. How do you stay organized and find time to devote to your work?

I sleep very very little. I wish there was a way I didn't have to sleep at all. I work until 3 or 4 am, wake up at seven, start all over again.

I am very organized as far as my supplies and tools. I value my tools. Without them I really don't know where I would be! My friend Carie makes them for me so they mean the world to me. Friendship ...

I work really hard on my packaging and it changes all the time, so my packing table is just as important as my studio. I keep a map on the wall so I can remind myself that my trollbabies are all over the planet Earth, making folks happy. It rules. I look up at the map, and think about my children and keep on goin...

5. Your pieces seem very influenced by fantasy and nature. Can you tell us what some of your favorite books and movies are and where else you draw inspiration from?

Oh boy! Well come to think about it, the very first trollfling was a fluke. It was supposed to be a little cat! My husband said "well with that hair, looks like a troll"

and there you have it.

I would have to say my greatest influences as far as being a fantasy artist would have to be Jim Henson. I grew up with the Muppet show. Brian Froud, wow I wish I had just a quarter of his imagination. I hope to meet him someday, just to tell him how awesome he is.

My brother has a lot to do with my sculpting as well. Growing up he could pull any face possible, and some of his old pictures actually end up inspiring my work. I can honestly say he is my biggest fan. I hope to be able to work with him soon, he is a wonderful writer.

My favorite books growing up (and still are)
All works by John Bellairs "The Curse of the Blue Figurine"
Ray Bradbury

My favorite movies are
The Dark Crystal
The Labyrinth
Emmitt Otters Jugband Christmas

I watch them every week like Clockwork.

6. Whats your favorite etsy shop?

http://cartoonpopart.etsy.com

I love this shop because I am married to the owner :D
Yes I am biased. Anyone who knows me knows that my husband is the sun in my sky.

Well there you have it. Make sure you visit Trollflings blog for info on what shes working on and tutorials on how to make great stuff. Just before Xmas she posted step by step instructions on how to make a cool lil' santa elf ornament. Dont forget to stop by her shop even if its just to look around, believe my your day will be that much brighter if you do.

In two days we'll have another fantastic interview ready so be on the look out for that, oh and remember BUY HANDMADE!

andreapratt

Whew, we made it. Sure their were some causalities and some folk'll never be the same, but its over and we can all breath a sign of relief. Another Christmas behind us, we have a whole year to recoup, regroup and recharge, although depending on what you did and how much you did of it, you might feel like you need at least two years before your ready to do it again. I've been there, believe me. All said and done , however, this year was very calm for us and blessedly quite. We went nowhere and no one came to us, ahhhhhhh. I hope for most of you things were similar and Santa baby brought you every and all of the baubles, bangles, things, rings, toys, boys, trinkets, gizmos and gadgets that your hearts desired.

With that out of the way I'm going to try to ease you back into the grind with a showcase of the extremely gifted artwork of Andrea Pratt. Be it with acrylic paint, collage elements, mixed media drawings or digital photography she's know for using just about anything and everything not nailed down in her creative process. By her own account even the bathroom walls aren't safe when the muse has her.

She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me a short while ago so without further ado I present them to you now.

1. How long have you been doing what you do?

I have been working as a freelance artist since 2001 with a year’s recess to earn some money. I have two kids so it’s never been full-time, much as I’d like it to be. I sell in bricks-and-mortar galleries as well as online.

2. Are there any other places people can see your work that you would like to tell us about? website, blog, myspace etc?

Besides Etsy I have a website at http://andreapratt.com and a blog at http://didrooglie.blogspot.com I love blogging and have been doing it for 2 ½ years now.

3. I see that you've been selling on Etsy for a while now, do you have any tips or advice on how to run a successful shop?

Having a blog with a regular readership was what launched me and still fuels some of my sales. Since I started on Etsy I’ve learned to work the system a little, participating on Forums or Treasury now and then, and have found that spreading out my listings (e.g. one per day for three days instead of three at once) is the best way to gain exposure. It does take time and some work. Though I'm never as active on Etsy as many other sellers are, sometimes I’ll take a break from Etsy for a few months to focus on other stuff and when I do that my profile definitely falls.

4. Where do you find inspiration?

Everywhere! My biggest problem is not finding inspiration but focusing it. There are a million things I want to try and creative avenues I want to explore.

5. How did feel when you made your first sale?

Like I could get addicted to this!

6. Whats your favorite Etsy shop?

My favorite high-selling shop is tartx.etsy.com and the shop I most want to buy something from is mvsculpture.etsy.com but I could list dozens more!

Many thanks to Andrea for agreeing to this interview, and thanks are in order to all of you for taking the time out of your busy days to join me here. I appreciate all the positive feedback that I've been receiving and can't you tell how much fun this had turned out to be. It makes a huge difference knowing that there are so many of you out there who acknowledge the work that I'm putting into this project. As long as you keep reading and enjoying I'll keep writing and delighting.

Mary Christmass

Hello and welcome to a very special holiday edition of Oddist Showcase. Why is it a very special holiday edition, well because i say it's very special and its a holiday, duh. We'll be taking a little break from our regular scheduled programing today, but have no fear we'll be back tomorrow with our normal format. I have a great showcase lined up for tomorrow featuring the talented artistic stylin' of Andrea Pratt, make sure you stop by to check it out you'll be glad you did.

Today i wanted to introduce you to a seller who is very near and dear to my heart. The name of the shop is "Panic Attack" and it's run by my wife. We won't be doing an interview with her this time around, but worry not there will be one soon. For now enjoy a lil' samplin' of her work, if you like what you see, let her know she'll be glad to hear from you.

Before i go to enjoy the merriment and festivities that lie ahead i want to introduce one more up and coming artist and future Etsy superstar, My daughter.
Here is her "Artist of the Week" award winning piece titled "Fish". I'll leave you now to contemplate the complexity of this subtle work of art. Enjoy, and see ya tomorrow.

misscourageous

There was a time when just the thought of someone destroying vinyl records would send shivers down my spine. That was before i discovered misscourageous' shop. She hand cuts the records to create her own of unique "pop" jewelry. She also uses bottle caps, jar lids and game pieces in her work. misscourageous, who's name was inspired by a song her husband wrote, creates some of the most interesting and distinct pieces I've ever seen. I presented her with some questions earlier in the week, heres what she had to say.

1. How long have you been doing what you do?

I've been creating my entire life. I started making a few pieces to sell at my friend's store about 3 1/2 years ago. It snowballed from there. Etsy is a fairly new venue for me, and I'll be expanding my Etsy shop after the holidays.

2. Are there any other places people can see your work that you would like to tell us about? website, blog, myspace etc?

I can be found Saturdays at Capitol City Public Market Downtown Boise (April-Oct & mid Nov-Christmas) http://www.capitalcitypublicmarket.om/index.php at the following retailers:
Accessorize Mee in Eagle ID, accessorizemee.com
JuJu accessories in Boise ID, jujuaccessories.com
Cinnabar Caffe in Boise ID
Emma M. in Quincy WA
on the web:
www.misscourageous.com
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/misscourageous/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=835991949
we love etsy: http://etsylove.ning.com/profile/2nuf7slkgoxr2

I'll be starting a blog early in the new year. I'm starting a Boise street team and will be doing a lot of promotional activities.

3. Do you have any other creative projects your working on ?

I've just finished adding a studio in my basement, so I have enough space to work on everything. I just wish I had enough time! I usually have several projects going at once. I'll be working on some new belt buckle designs and new ways of using recycled record vinyl. I've also got some vintage buttons, cork, bike parts and broken china I've been playing with, stay tuned!

4. Your work is very interesting. Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration all around me. I spent many years in the cosmetics industry and color & texture have always been important to me. I love the idea of transformation. I've always related to the ugly duckling story, being tall and clumsy as a kid, so now I always look for the beauty and possibilities in things.

5. How did feel when you made your first sale?

My first ETSY sale? I was pretty excited because it was one of my belt buckles which are made out of jar lids. That same customer purchased a second one two months later!

6. Whats your favorite Etsy shop?

I don't think I could pick just one shop, so here's a few of my fav's
dippylulu for gag gifts
bkmhattitude has the most gorgeous hats
pinkytoast does the cutest pocket mirrors
and charlieandsarah for t-shits

I want thank misscourageous for taking some time out of her busy schedule to answer these questions. I can't wait to see the new projects see mentioned. Especially the new uses for vinyl records, I like that aspect of her work best. Hope everyone enjoyed this interview and got as much out of it as I did. Don't forget to take a look at her shop, while your there be sure to let her know what you think of her work.

In two days we'll have another fantastic interview ready so be on the look out for that, oh and remember BUY HANDMADE!

GirlCalledRic

This self-proclaimed sci-fi geek and fan of English culture has'nt had her Etsy shop opened for long, but already she is doing incredible business. One look at her highly original and humorous work and you can see why. Her work is high quality, you can see that she really goes all out with it. I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions and can't wait to share her interesting answers. So read on and enjoy the interview.

1. How long have you been doing what you do?

I have been sewing for as long as I can remember, but I didn't start making dolls until recently. I made a couple of dolls in November for a craft swap, and everyone seemed to like them a lot. I listed a few on Etsy for the hell of it. I never really thought any one else would be interested in them. I've only had my doll shop for about two weeks now, and I'm really amazed with how well-received it's been. I'm flooded with custom orders, and I can't seem to keep stock around very long.

2. Are there any other places people can see your work that you would like to tell us about? website, blog, myspace etc?

I'm working on a blog so I can post pictures of my custom dolls and other news, maybe some drawings every once in a while. And, of course, insignificant stuff that interests only me (probably... I don't know). You will be able to find it at GirlCalledRic.blogspot.com

3. Do you have any other creative projects your working on that you can tell us about?

I kind of want to bind a limited edition of children's books that aren't really for children. Something like Der Struwwelpeter. I already make dolls that aren't for children, why not corner the market? I also have every intention to screen print some t-shirts. I had some other completely unrelated projects as well, but the dolls are monopolizing my time and I need to concentrate on them. I don't really mind.

4. Where do you find inspiration?

British culture (particularly television, obviously). I've always been an Anglophile. People in general fascinate me. I'd also like to eventually make some robots, or zombies, or something. I'm kind of a sci-fi geek. I also have a problem with the idea of growing up. Yes, as an adult you can have responsibilities, but who says you can't have toys or watch cartoons as well? I'd like to think of myself as the head of the Rebel Age Alliance.

5. How did feel when you made your first sale?

I was so excited. It was totally happiness brought on by the validation of my peers. I still get excited every time I sell something. It's like the item has been critiqued, and someone else loves it as much as I do. My customers totally rock.

6. Whats your favorite Etsy shop?

I can't pick just one! I find something new everyday. Let's just say I did some of my holiday shopping at FatDaddyBakeShop, and I hope I get a t-shirt printed by CharlieandSarah under my tree this year.

Well i hope you enjoyed reading her responses as much as i did. I think my favorite part is when she dubs herself "head of the Rebel Age Alliance" i love it, where can i sign up. I wish her the best of luck in the new year and beyond. Based on what shes doing and how it being received though, i don't think she'll need it.

In two days we'll have another fantastic interview ready so be on the look out for that, oh and remember BUY HANDMADE!

Whats an Oddist?

Hmmmm, thats a good question.First and foremost Oddist refers to my Etsy shop, but theres more to the story then that. Lets see, where do I begin? I grew up in a very urban environment less than a mile or two from Manhattan on the Jersey side of the Hudson river. In the area that I'm from people speak with a thick New York type accent, I guess its from the close proximity. We were only a 10 min train ride from the city. In my town and the surrounding area the locals would commonly drop R's and replace them with A's. So for example Mother would become Mutha' , Father would become Fatha'. You get the idea. This would cause certain folk to pronounce a word like artist as something like "aahtist", which said fast would come out sounding like "oddist". Since i consider myself artistic and I've been referred to as odd on more then one occasion I decided to run with it. There you have it I just thought I would clear that up. Don't you feel better just knowing?

One Post To Rule Them All!

Hi. Welcome to my blog, Oddist Showcase. Oddist being the name of my Esty store. If you've never heard of Etsy a quick run down on what it's all about would go something like this. Handmade and vintage treasures are sold on the Etsy website from a diverse group of talented artist, artisans, crafters and sellers of vintage and retro objects. There's a huge variety of items being bought and sold there, everything from buttons and magnets to artist prints and originals. You can find clothes, dolls, jewelery,pet toys and even adult playthings, oo la la. I haven't even scratched the surface either, and just about everything is 100% handmade . I'll be "showcasing" the shops of these talented 'Etsyans' through this blog. I think it can be a great place to promote myself, and other creative individuals seeking to profit from selling there handmade wares on sites like Etsy.

Every two days you can expect to find a new seller's work being shown here,except Sundays, those are mine . We'll have links to the seller's shop, a little background on them and a short interview which will feature questions about their work, upcoming projects and various aspects of what they do and why. Monday thru Saturday, everyday, thats what you'll find here. Sundays we'll take a lil break and I'll do some freestylin'. I'll cover lots of different topics, like my work, favorite sellers and artist, interest that i might want to share, whatever might come to mind.

I hope you'll enjoy what you see and read here. Feel free to get in touch with me, or the featured guest and let us know what you thought about what you've seen, or even just to say hi and let us know that your out there. I welcome all suggestions, comments and criticism. Let me know what's on your mind, I really want people to benefit from and enjoy this blog. With your help I know it do that and more. Please join me in supporting the handmade revolution.

Thanx.