Networking on Etsy

Since I list my items on Etsy, I've come to the realization that networking is a BIG necessity in that type of community.  Without connecting with other artists and taking part myself in the social media they provide, I found that my traffic was greatly slowed to my Etsy site.  I took a look at all the "Teams" that Etsy hosts and found that, after just a few minutes of searching, there were thousands of Teams that I could be a part of.  I actually thought to myself, " I could totally sign up to a bunch of these and I'm set".  But after a few minutes of really digging into what these teams were, I realized that it wasn't just the act of clicking "Join Team" but the actions that follow. 

Some teams just seem so dormant..stagnant..or just holding groups for Etsy vendors with no direction.  That wouldn't work for me, I needed something "more".  Thinking on what would work for me with the resources I had,  I had come to realize that I had totally forgotten about my membership to a team I had already belonged to.  I had been with them for years,  first as a vendor but then later as a fan.  The Fantasy Artists of Etsy (FAE ) has a stellar group of artists I had admired for a long time.  So, I made the decision to be an active part of the FAE Team once again and not just a silent watcher from the distance.  With this decision came the first step of taking part in their current exibition of work.  The Midnight Dark and Dreary Exibition was taking calls for work and I decided to answer that call.  I submitted two pictures of my work.  It took a few tweeks to the images, but finally they were accepted for display.

So whats the lesson I learned?  That in order for you to have an active Etsy site, you need to be active yourself.  You can't just sit back and let your "tags" do the work for you.  Altho, they do drive traffic to your site to a certain extent, you need to do a bit more than that to be successful.  That also holds true for Etsy Teams.  You need to make sure you pick a team that fits your site, your style and your product(s).  Without this "fit" you can't comfortably participate in discussions or other team activities..and no participation, means that your team suffers as well your site.

So, when the FAE Team asked me to promote the exhibition I was more than happy to participate.  I encourage you all to take a stop by the Fantasy Artists of Esty site to view the current exhibition titled "Midnight Dark and Dreary", which is very appropriate for the upcoming Halloween holiday.  Click on those listings that speak most to you. You know those listings, the ones that make you go "Oh Cool!", those are the ones you need to click on and see how they're made or find out the story behind them. But don't stop there,  tweet them or even post them on Facebook... it's free, but it also helps out the artist involved, and it only takes a few seconds, plus you just might make an artist smile.

Fall is here!

With the season change, I felt inspired to whip up some images via Gimp.  Made Grandmother Witch and Witch Baby Otto..the latest relative to the two is Aunt Batty.  She is very proper in her attire and always stirs her cauldron with pinky up of course..as you can see by her stiff posture and wonderfully kept hair.

I decided to show you the before and after photos so you get a feel as to what was changed and what wasn't. Aunt Batty is quite a smart lady. You see with a snap of her fingers she can change from her "muggle" form to her true image. In all these years I don't think anyone suspected a thing about her. 

And of course this image, as well as the others, are available on my etsy shop for purchase for your Halloween Holiday scrapbooking/mixed media needs.

Me and My Frugal Crafting Purchases.. Revisted

Original Post:

Ok..so I've been promising a new review for a while now and I think it's about time I post one.  This next "tool" is really quite multi-functional and VERY economic.  So, a little test first, are you game? Ok..so here goes...

Take a look at these two pictures...

are they different? or are they the same?

I'll let you think about it for a minute, and no I'm not trying to trick you..:)..

Ready?  Ok..they're both. Yup..Both are teflon sheets..same material..same size.  But they are different in the fact that you will pay double the cost of the first one for the second.  

The first item is a teflon sheet from a very successful ebay seller who sells them for heat transfer presses for T-shirts and the like. A 15"x15" sheet usually sells for around $5.  The second is Ranger's Utee Non-Stick Crafting sheet, which Tim Holtz and the like have been praising the daylights out of em in the past year or so.  The Ranger sheet retails for around $16.

I felt that Ranger's price was way too high and wanted an alternative source.  That's when I scoured ebay and the web for a similar product, because I was pretty darn sure that Ranger wasn't  solely manufacturing the item.  I found a generic one listed by 3447joseph  on eBay which was VERY cheap and right in my price range. It didn't take him long at all to ship it to me and I was ready to go and test it out when it arrived.

This Teflon sheet was just as thick as Ranger's and held up to the same abuse that they claim their item can handle. It is still holding up very well after months of use. The generic sheet is very heat resistant and will not burn under a heat gun. It also makes a wonderful paint pallet, just gob on the paint directly from the bottle or tubes. Once you are done, just let it harden and you can easily peel off the dried paint. This also works well for glues and acrylic mediums. If you had thinned down your paint just simply rinse the sheet off under some warm water and wipe dry. This sheet is also flexible enough to use as a mat for embossing powders or glitter. Once you are done sprinkling the powders just fold up the sheet to pour the excess back into the bottle. As far as sharp objects are concerned, I would still use a cutting mat, but for oopses it holds up well under an exacto knife or claying blades.

So folks, I hope you can see that just because an item is too expensive doesn't mean we have go without. With a little research there are viable alternatives to crafting tools...just gotta find em and not expect the "Name Brand" to be the only source for us.


All the best!


Update:  After revisiting my post some years later..I find the information I originally wrote about to still hold true.  Unfortunately the eBay vendor to which I linked to is no longer selling.  Therefore I have researched a similar vendor  "Turnone-Graphics " and found their prices to be very reasonable. Yes, prices have increased..but still it is quite a bit cheaper than the heavily advertised versions.  Something else I never mentioned as well is that you have a variety of sizes to choose from when purchasing these sheets off of eBay.  You could customize your sheet size to match the exact working surface of your worktable area, something you cannot do with the Ranger sheets.

Happy Crafting~ Cindy

Monster Swap Entry--phew!

Wow..time sure does fly by. It has been a while since my last post.

Last month was a horrible one for me and my family, my mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had passed away in a a matter of a couple of weeks. I had committed to submitting an entry into the Monsters Swap before all the news hit us and wanted to finish my design..I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but it wasn't until we were back home that I was able to get my hands dirty.

When I first started working on him, I was only able to do bits and pieces at a time. So many memories of making things in the past and being so proud of them, I'd have to share them with Mom...but now that has changed and I was no longer able to call her up and share. So, I would end up sculpting the head and be really happy with it...then I would say to my self, "Well Mom..what do ya think?".. and I would repeat that a few times at different stages of completion. Sometimes I would just hear silence, sometimes a ladybug would appear on the window (mom loved lady bugs), and one time I swear I heard her laugh and say, "Oh Cin!" as if she knew how excited I was about it, but yet she really didn't see why.

Punkin Head was a good distraction project for me. At times I would get lost in the details of making him and would change my mood of sorrow and loss to one of excitement. I was SO thrilled with the idea of making actual pumpkin "guts" and couldn't wait to get started on that part.

I used a variety of materials in this guy. His head was at first sculpted from polymer clay over a core of tinfoil bound by floral tape. His teeth and tongue were formed from paper clay. Both were covered in a few coats of gesso and acrylic paints. Punkin's body and arms were formed out of paper mache and his legs were simple bamboo skewers. His feet needed to be heavier in weight to keep him balanced, so I again used polymer clay. More layers of paint were applied, and I decided to apply a few washes of paint to dull up some of the more vivid colors on him. His "guts" were formed from string, paper clay, acrylic paint, and acrylic glaze.

I felt like all the above work was just fine, however something was missing. After a day or two of staring at him..I decided upon two things. One, if one's cranial "guts" were pulled out and placed in a bowl, I would bet that person wouldn't be too concerned with hygiene and therefore would be more than likely drooling all over the place...~cue more acrylic glaze~ Two, how exactly did one's "guts" get into the bowl? ~enter rusty spoon~ (Yes, I am just that warped at times ...and this is where Mom would say again "Oh Cin!") The playful twist on the whole theme is that poor Punkin Head was in fact the one that was holding the spoon!

If you would like to see more entries for the Monsters in the Closet Swap please visit wildatheartart.blogspot.com and scroll down. It's truly amazing to see how all the different participants had interpreted the theme differently...and OMG the talent these lovely people have..amazing!

Artist Interview: Laurie McAdam

Just as I had promised I have found another wonderful amazing artist in the realms of Etsy. Laurie McAdam is a very gifted, but very busy woman. I had recently contacted her to see if she would be interested in an interview and she was thrilled with the idea.
Laurie generously offered the following:
“What do I do for fun? I have a store on Etsy where I create whimsical sculpey critters and trinket boxes. I have a full time job. I work for The Modesto Bee, a daily newspaper in Modesto, California and draw every day for our readers enjoyment. This is my job and Etsy is my playtime. I sell my work on Etsy not for profit but for sheer enjoyment. The money I get for my critters and boxes pay for my supplies but not my time. I get many emails from people asking how I can sell my work for such little money. The reason is, I do not charge for my time. I use the best supplies I can find or make or purchase and all the creative time I put into them is free of charge. I am motivated and inspired by so many artists on Etsy and am honored to belong to such a fine co-op. The artists on Etsy are so generous with their talent and are quick to answer questions and do custom work at the drop of a hat. When the art arrives, more likely than not, there is a tiny thank you gift enclosed and a personalized note. The great thing about Etsy is that the products are not found in retail stores and each purchase you make helps an artist and provides a gift from you to family or friends that is truly one of a kind. My studio is overflowing with art from fellow Etsy artists and sitting in my studio surrounded by this art and creating things of my own is what life is all about! “

Laurie had also added that outside of Etsy she had also designed a portrait of Clay Aiken and has seen it applied to “hundreds of T-shirts at American Idol concerts across the country.” She has also sketched the Scott Peterson murder trial and her drawings were broadcast on television stations across the world. Laurie also pointed out that she has published 4 children's books and currently is working on her 5th. Her most current book is on her Etsy site titled, “Aliens, All Mixed Up”.

She has offered the readers here that are interested in learning more about her American Idol experience to visit her website at http://www.mcadamstudios.com/

Lauries etsy site is http://www.phirefly.etsy.com/

Monster In The Closet Swap

How appropriate for the fall season! Yup, I'm hooked into this from the very start and can't wait to get going on it...and I will definately post pictures to keep you updated on what I sent along and what I received.

I also encourage you all, if you are interested of course, to join in on the fun. But...you need to hurry if you would like to sign up..the deadline is fast approaching. Please visit Odd Imaginations Blog for more details.

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

An awesome story, an awesome idea for a project...check it out..

Maureen Carlson Story Necklace

Artist Interview- Fairyrealm

During some recent down time, I had the wonderful opportunity to come across an amazing art doll creator. I was enchanted with the wonderful expressions, costumes and skill that went into these creations. Curious as to who this person is, I contacted Fairyrealm's artist and asked if I could do a brief interview. Rima was delighted to participate in the questioning. At first I had about 5 or 6 different questions to ask..however, when she sent me her response it was way more interesting than cut and dry answers. So, it is with great pleasure that I post her story here exactly as it was sent to me, may I introduce to you...Rima of Fairyrealm....

"I had worked for years with ceramic clay. I began to try my hand at sculpting small intricately detailed clay figures but was not happy with the results. One day I came across photos (online) of Wendy Froud's work. I was amazed and inspired. I became determined to teach myself some polymer clay techniques so that I could create my own version of the world of fairy. After some mistakes (and a mermaid whose head rested on her left shoulder for lack of an armature). I began to buy books and recently purchased a DVD created by Wendy Froud. All of these have helped and inspired. Best of all purchases was Wendy's DVD.At some point I stop and look at a piece and see a million thing that need improvement but know that I really need to stop before I ruin or over do it. I just have to make a mental note of the things to be improved and say "I'll do better next time". Somehow it's never better enough!I find the art works of both Wendy and her husband Brian Froud to be two of my greatest sources of inspiration. I also love the writings of J K Rowling. Her stories are steeped not only in mythology and folklore. What an extraordinary imagination she has. I love the fact that her books are multi leveled and can be read not only as wonderful modern day fairy tales but as sensitive insights into human nature and social conditions with a smattering of political commentary too.", "Here is the link to my etsy store-http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5142095 "

If anyone would like to contact Rima, you could either drop me a line here and I will forward the message along, or visit her profile at her Etsy shop.

Thanks for viewing!

PCAGOE's August Challenge is Under Way!

Take a look and vote at http://www.pcagoe.com/ in the August Challenge. There are some VERY nice entries this month.... Unfortunately I was unable to enter, but check back in the next few months. The secret is out for the next three challenges...I know for sure I will be entering Octobers challenge.

Check out my interview...

Yup...I had the opportunity to be featured on PCAGOE's website...here's the link.... http://pcagoe.com/2007/08/25/clbcreations-featured-artist/

Mica Shift

I previously posted about a technique called Mica Shift. At that time I invited fellow artists to send me their pictures of what they have done with this cool, yet simple, way of working with clay.

Maureen of "Maureen Thomas Designs" , Gina of "Mosaico" , Lori of "Cutesis" and Polly of "Snowdovedesigns" all happily provided me with pictures of their interpretation of Mica Shift. You can see more of their work at all of their Etsy shops, links are provided above.

The Latest...

Hello Friends...well, I've been a bit behind lately and I'll tell you why.

I have managed to take on another roll at PCAGOE and have volunteered for the Managing Position for the Store Standards and Guidelines Committee. This will initially be a big task getting things underway and organized, but it can be done. As soon as the ball is rolling, routine tasks should seem second hand and should take little time on my part as well as for my fellow committee members. And let me tell you, they have been a big help in this adventure.

So, as a result of all this new work I'm doing...I haven't had much time for my other clay tasks... But as a litte tid bit to tide you over, I have added a couple of new links that are geared towards beginner and intermediate skill clayers. One is simple, something that most of us need to do, it's how to clean your pasta machine. No, no...it's not "get out a wipee and go over the machine"..there's quite a bit more to it than that...check it out down in "Clayers Links". Also, there is a link to take you to a site where they explain how to do the Mica Shift method. Very interesting indeed. If you decide to try out this technique, email me with a picture of your item and I will post on my blog here along with your contact information.

Alrighty...good luck and happy claying!

PCAGOE on Etsy

Check out my Etsy Treasury list I made for the PCAGOE group. It's also my entry into the Etsy poster contest. The contest is a pretty neat idea to not only get the word out about Etsy, but to give some promotion to shops too. Here's the link explaining the contest... and here's the link for the actual Treasury List... "Poster of PCAGOE Beauty" Check it out, it's a great way to see the wonderful talent of my friends on the PCAGOE group.

Voting is Over...

Thanks to all who have participated with entries as well as with voting...it was a close one.

Marcia from marciapalmer.etsy.com was the winner for this months challenge. Jump over to http://pcagoe.com/ to see the runner ups as well as to who won for participating in the voting.

Keep checking back to see what the next PCAGOE challenge will be.

Win FREE Stuff! Vote in the PCAGOE June Challenge

Ever wondered what a PCAGOE artist looked like? Come find out by voting in our June Self-portrait Challenge. PCAGOE (Polymer Clay Artist Guildof Etsy)is having it's monthly challenge and you can vote and be entered to win a polymer clay supply kit from our sponsor: http://www.polymerclayproductions.com/

Come check out the entries and vote by noon Etsy time on June 28th!http://pcagoe.com/

You too can be a winner!!!!!!!!!

Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou...

I had a wonderful time out at the Old Campground Craft Show in New Lenox. Even if the weather did play havoc with the crowds and vendors...I still enjoyed the experience. I will definitely be back at the next show there.

I wanted to thank all of the people who had visited my booth, you were all such a joy to chat with. Being an artist, you tend to be a harsh critic about your own work, however I received so many compliments on my work yesterday. Thank you. Words of encouragement are what make you go on to do what you do best..and I definitely enjoyed hearing them all.

Some guests were asking if I had a website. With that request I directed everyone either to this Blog or to my Etsy site. I will be updating my Etsy site with new items shortly. And as always, if you have and idea for a dragon or another subject, please don't hesitate to contact me. I always love doing custom designs.

Artist Interview - Lori Degenstien ...

Lori Degenstien

I came across Lori's site while searching through Etsy. I was very impressed by not only her creativity but also her skill and execution. Lori's pendants are definitely something you should check out.

1.) Do you have any links you wish to display? (etsy, ebay, blog, etc)

Please display my Etsy store link: http://thecharmlady.etsy.com/ (My blog isn't up and running yet, but the link is http://thecharmlady.blogspot.com/)

2.) How would you describe your artistic background?

I've never really considered myself an artist. I just love to make stuff! My mom used to sit my sister and I down and let us do crafts so I guess that's where it all really started. Over the years I've done so many different things including crochet, knotted hemp jewelry,beaded jewelry, custom Italian photo charms ( I still do Italian charms from time to time) and now polymer clay.

3.) What brought you to using polymer clay?

I began experimenting with polymer clay about 10 years ago. I used to make myself all sorts of fantastic beads to use with my hemp jewelry.I had a hard time finding beads that would fit onto hemp twine so I decided to make my own! It wasn't until about 6 months ago that I got into the pendants and rings.

4.) How would you describe the item(s) you make? And what is the inspiration for these items?

I make clay pendants and rings using a transfer paper technique which bakes the images right into the clay. I am inspired by the colors and textures in nature, florals, paper and fabrics. Polymer clay is so versatile and wearing poly jewelry is such a great alternative to the typical jewelry you see in stores today.

5.) If you could give some advice to an up and coming poly artist,what would it be?

My advice to anyone just starting out with polymer clay would be to do a lot of research and definitely experiment with all the types of clays and techniques out there. It took a lot of trial and error for me to find all the materials that worked best together.