February's Feature Artist - Lindsey

The Brat team would like to introduce to you, February's Artist/Seller of the month;

Lindsey of

Swimming In Fountains ,

*Baubles for Everyday Wear*

Wire & Twisted,

*Wire Wrapped Creations*

*Tell us a bit about yourself?

After eight years in the Navy, I landed in Central Massachusetts with my dog. My last tour was teaching NROTC Midshipmen at the College of the Holy Cross. I was lucky enough to find another job in the same town and have been working as an Engineering Product Manager for just over three years now. Although I enjoy my day job, I needed a creative outlet. So when my sister suggested I stop by one of the wholesale bead shows that are abundant in my area, I did and was hooked. I think the most enjoyable part of my jewelry business is buying the stones. I love learning about them - where they came, their chemical make-up, what stones are associated with others. I never knew there were so many types of natural stones out there until I started working with them; and the natural colors of them never cease to amaze me.

Aventurine Wrapped Pendent

*What inspires you and where do your ideas come from?

An idea can start from one simple stone. Once the seed of an idea is planted, I become obsessed with finding the best combination of colors and textures. The most frustrating thing, and I’m sure we have all been there, is knowing exactly what you are looking for, and not being able to find it. I think most of my ideas center around color, shape and texture. It may take me a few tries to find the right combination that makes the finished piece pleasing to my eye.

Snail in Turquoise Necklace

*What are your favorite materials?

Natural stones combined with colorful crystals. I work mainly with sterling silver, although sometimes I think the design calls for gold. I use a lot of wire and I enjoy finding what new ways I can securely wrap something. (I haven’t stepped into the realm of soldering my jewelry, but someday I will…

Amy Hoops

Amethyst Sun Necklace

*What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists on Etsy?

-Keep working at finding your niche. Don’t try to make it all – keep your designs within a certain style so your customers can recognize you. -Treat your customers as you would like to be treated – communicate, communicate, communicate!-Market yourself .-Don’t expect immediate success on Etsy. You have to work at it almost every day.I think that my shops are still in flux, but I can look at other Etsy success stories and work toward making one of my own. My shop has come a long way from where it began, and I am still trying to improve it. My ultimate goal is to be recognized by the Etsy community (and I don’t just mean ‘getting on the front page’. I recognize other seller’s styles when I see something in the Time Machine or in a search. I’d ultimately like to be recognized by buyers and sellers that same way.

Garnet Twist Earrings

*Why should people buy handmade?

I take a lot of pride and responsibility in the pieces that I sell. I want the people who buy my pieces to be as happy about them as I was making them. You just don’t get that level of commitment when buying something that was mass produced. I want to support the other artists who feel the same way I do. There are so many creative people in this world; why would I limit myself to a brand name just so the person next to me knows who I am wearing? I would miss so much if I did that…

Lacy Leaf Earrings

*What features/services would you most like to see on Etsy?

This is a tough question. I think that Etsy does a great job at making necessary changes when we tell them what works and what doesn’t. I think Etsy is as useful as we choose to make it. So, I can’t think of any changes that I’d like to see from them at the moment.I think a better question for me is “what would you like to see happen with your jewelry business?”
Festival season is right around the corner and I am very excited. This will be my second full summer of festival season and I have my schedule pretty well solidified. The jewelry market really is a tough one, so I’ve been making sure my pictures accurately represent my jewelry. It helps both on Etsy (yet another lesson learned from fellow Etsians) and so I have great portfolio to submit to the juries. Here’s hoping to a successful 2010! Before I get too wrapped up in festival season, I’d like to redefine myself at home by creating a studio for myself in the house. Right now, my studio is the dining room table. I am organized to an extent, but I want to be able to easily see the materials that I already have. So, my next goal is to change out my den into a sort of studio for my jewelry making. I love rearranging, so to pull apart the den and make it functional is going to be A LOT of fun for me!

Simply Sterling Hoop Earrings

Autumn Pearls

*Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I am an Engineering Product Manager by day. It allowed me to get my jewelry business up and running and now supports my jewelry habit. I don’t expect to make millions in my jewelry business. I will continue to create new pieces as long as I enjoy what I am doing.

Pretty Purple Hemetite Bracelet

*Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I am an Engineering Product Manager by day. It allowed me to get my jewelry business up and running and now supports my jewelry habit. I don’t expect to make millions in my jewelry business. I will continue to create new pieces as long as I enjoy what I am doing.

Fluorite Dangle Earrings

*Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I am an Engineering Product Manager by day. It allowed me to get my jewelry business up and running and now supports my jewelry habit. I don’t expect to make millions in my jewelry business. I will continue to create new pieces as long as I enjoy what I am doing.

Wood Jasper and Gold Leaf Necklace

*Read any good books lately?

I am always in the middle of a book. Right now, I am reading one by Barbara Kingsolver – Pigs in Heaven. She has written some favorites, Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer. I’ve been waiting for Diane Gabaldon to finish the 6th book of her Outlander series, though. She is a great story teller and is very well written. My mom is reading it now and will hand it over to me when she is done. They are the types of books that I just can’t put down, even when I know I should be doing other things.

Cherry and Sterling Tear Pendent

*Where would you like to be in ten years?

In ten years, I would like to be traveling around the country to various shows, selling my jewelry. I have found that I really enjoy being face-to-face with my customers. I never thought that I would love that side of my jewelry business, but I look forward to the Festival Season every year! In all practicality, though, I will probably be doing the same thing I am doing now – selling at shows and online all year, while working as an Engineer during the day. I enjoy the way it has all started to work out.

Simply Pearls in Olive

*How did you come up with your Etsy Shop Name?

Years ago, on hot summer nights, I used to drag friends to actually go swimming in fountains– back at the University of Michigan or in Charleston where I was stationed for a little while. I threw around a few different ideas for a shop name, but once I came up with Swimming In Fountains, I liked how it rolled off the tongue. I was a little concerned that it didn’t have anything to do with jewelry, but I kept it anyway… if people find me and like my pieces, they will come again.

When I started selling jewelry, I was making more standard, simple pieces (stranded or linked), still focusing on color, texture and finding fantastic stones. When I starting making my wire wrapped pieces, I noticed they really showed my personality. I loved how they were turning out! I saw that other Brats had multiple shops, so I thought I’d open another one specifically to showcase my wire wrapped pieces. I came up with the name, Wired and Twisted, as a play on words. In addition to describing my wire wrapped style, it expresses how I feel sometimes, especially after one to many cups of coffee. I still love making my original pieces, so I won’t be phasing those out. I think my customers appreciate my original jewelry as well as my new designs.

Smokey Mauve and Gold Crystal Earrings

*What is the connection between being a Crafter and being a Brat?
I think that putting your artwork out there on the web (or in a craft show) takes a lot of courage, forward thinking, and self esteem. Although he never specifically said it, through his involvement in the Marine Corps and his personality, my father taught me not to be afraid of anything and to go after what I wanted. I enjoy traveling and meeting new people; I speak my opinion; I take pride, whether in my country or myself and my work. I learned all those traits through my military upbringing and I believe they are necessary traits of being a successful crafter. My father always did it all… why shouldn’t I?

I have a Facebook page under ‘Jewelry Designs by Lindsay.’
Everyone on facebook should become a fan! I will be running a special while being a Brat Feature. I run other specials throughout the year, so anyone can follow my shop through the page to keep updated on new listings, sales and promotions. I have all my past pieces in albums also, so if you see something that is not in my shop, let me know and can wrap up another one. My show schedule listed on the Facebook page, too. Most of them are in the New England area, but I sell at a festival in my hometown of Canandaigua, NY. I would love to meet any fellow Brats or Etsians that are in the area!

Thanks for stopping by and getting to know one of our FAVORITE Brat SELLERS!

Brat Pack of Etsy - Feature Artist - Liz Edgar ♥

Liz Featured Brat Jan 09 ♥♥♥

here is the forum thread....

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6015569

Her Shop;
http://lizedgar.etsy.com/

Her Blog;
http://lizedgar.blogspot.com/
To view a photo gallery of other jewelry she has made, please visit:
http://myspace.com/lizedgarsshop

1-Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, and personal stuff).

My name is Elizabeth, but I go by Liz. I was born in Salt Lake City, UT, but pretty much grew up in San Diego, CA. My dad was in the Navy. During my first year of life he was sent to Vietnam. Mom says he was different when he came home. He was stationed to San Diego when I was a toddler. I wasn’t’ a brat who moved every few years, but a lot of my friends were. We had a common thread that drew us together. Dad went to the Philippines on his last cruise when I was five. We stayed behind in San Diego. He finished out his career and retried a chief.

I have one sister. She is career Navy. She is a chief and will be in the Navy 14 years this February. We are fortunate that she has been able to stay stationed in San Diego the last few years. There was a time when she was in Oklahoma. We are very close. She has a son whom I have helped take care of when either she or her ex-husband was sent out to sea. I am married to a Military Brat. His father was Army and Navy. He is not in any branch of the service. I have three children. My sons are 19 and 14 years old and my daughter is 10. My oldest completed Marine boot camp last summer. For now he is stationed at Camp Pendleton.

2-What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?

I totally loved creating as a child. Making mud pies with dandelions were a specialty. I had the standard finger paints and play dough as a kid. One year I got a Spin Art set for my birthday. I made a bazillion pictures with it. I remember the cardboard macaroni tree spray painted in gold I made in kindergarten for Christmas. My mother cherishes that tree. I think my favorite was the bean mosaic I made in elementary school. My mother still had it hanging up when I was a senior in high school. I have an Associate’s Degree in Child Development. I like to say I majored in cutting and painting. I have crocheted, cross stitched and latch hooked. I have worked with pellon and felt making finger puppets and props for teaching. I got into the craze of puffy paints and made decorative sweat shirts and t-shirts for family members.

3-What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?

I first got into jewelry making when my daughter’s friends brought their beads to a sleepover a few summers ago. I worked with hemp and knotting. I dabbled with elastic string. I prefer bead stringing wire. I started out making bracelets for myself to match the colors of the clothing I had. I received many compliments. My confidence in jewelry making increased and I began making jewelry for friends and my children’s teachers as gifts. One of my friends and co-worker suggested I start selling the pieces I have made. In March of 2005 I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. I made inspirational bracelets to keep my spirits up. Thank goodness it was stage 1 and operable, but at the time I had no idea what I was getting into. While waiting for results between biopsies I kept myself busy making jewelry. It was a great stress reliever.

4-What are your favorite materials?

I really like using glass beads of all shapes and sizes. I like fiber optic because its cat’s eye resemblance. My most recent favorite is glass pearls. I just love their shininess and the array of colors they come in. I prefer bead stringing wire, but have worked with nymo thread.
I also enjoy making ribbon bookmarks and cell phone charms. I love the search for colors that complement each other. I also like adding charms to personalize the bookmarks and cell phone dangles. I have a few favorite bookmarks I have made for myself to use in the books I am reading.

5-What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists on Etsy?

I learned about Etsy from my sister. She had heard about in on a morning radio show. The show was flagging online sites that don’t get much recognition. I did a lot of searching on Etsy to see what others were doing in their shops. I opened my shop in June of 2007, but didn’t list anything until August of 2007. I liked what I saw and through the forums and I found that I wasn’t the only one who was new to the whole thing of selling my handmade items. I have really been blessed with joining the Military Brats team. I have found so much love, support and belonging. I really appreciate the kudos I receive from other members. It is very encouraging. I am also a member of the San Diego East County team. SDEC started out as a really small group, but we are increasing as the weeks go by. A few of our members are also members of the Military Brat team. It is really neat to have local folks to meet and share with.

6-Why should people buy handmade?

I feel handmade items are made from the heart. I know with the items I make I put a lot of thought and time into each piece I create. Handmade in my opinion represents the person who makes it. Handmade is more original than assembly line products. I love unique items and feel handmade is the best way to achieve that uniqueness.

7-Where do you do your creating?

Initially my work area was either the living room floor or on my bed. I kept my materials and supplies in storage containers stacked in my bedroom. As my collection increased I moved my work area to the kitchen. I took over the kitchen table, but still left a little room for meals. Now my work area is in the living room. I have rearranged the living room and my work area a few times. At Christmas time I took down my work table to have room for our tree.

8-Apart from creating things, what do you do?

When I am not creating, I take care of my best friend’s baby boy. I have been taking care of him since September 2008. He is 7 months old. Before that I was working at my daughter’s elementary school as a noon duty. I would supervise the children during lunch time and their lunch recess. I did that for three years. I did teach preschool for approximately six years. I left teaching when my daughter was born.

9-Read any good books lately?

I love to read. I was hooked on the Twilight series. My girlfriend and I read the books together last November and December. I have read the Harry Potter series. I dabbled a little with Stephen King’s books. I really like Susan Wiggs. She writes romance novels, but they are not raunchy. I have a Nicholas Sparks book in the waiting. I have read most of his books. I am currently reading “The Shack.”

10-In ten years I'd like to be…Hmm, I haven’t given much thought to where I would be in my life in ten years. I will be celebrating my 40th birthday next month so I would be 50 then. I am happy with who I am. Of course, I would like to be healthy and have my kids near. I would like to be a grandma and spend lots of time with my grandchildren. As for crafting, I am sure I will be doing it in some shape or form. I don’t foresee feeling the need to own a boutique or shop to sell my wares.

11-How did you pick your business name and your etsy avatar?

My Etsy shop name is my name. A friend of mine whom I had given many of my handmade bracelets to totally encouraged me to sell my jewelry. She would rave and flaunt the bracelets I gave her. She called the bracelets she had from me the “Liz Edgar Collection.” Bingo! My shop’s name is LizEdgar. As for my avatar, I wish it was a picture of one of my cats. I have always had cats in my life. I love frogs, too. As a kid I remember going to the frog pond and stepping in the mushy mud to find frogs. So, my avatar is a kitty with a frog hat.

12- What has being a brat at Etsy meant to you?

Being a brat at Etsy is totally awesome. We have a common thread that ties us together. At first I didn’t think I qualified as a brat since my family didn’t move around like other brats. Being a brat at Etsy has given me an extended family. Thank you so much.

BlockheadRadio/BlogTalkRadio Interview....AFTER THE INTERVIEW

It warmed my heart to see such a great turn out for our interview with Artisans Teams and Groups, with host Lily (http://www.tulipstreasurebox.etsy.com). You were all great both on the air and in chat. Lily's show is on every Saturday at 1:00 Eastern Standard Time. I understand that our sister team HOMEFRONT will be interviewed on Valentine's day, so I hope you will make time to visit Lily's show (Artisan Teams and Groups) again. I've asked Lily to be an "honorary brat" in our group and I hope she will accept the invitation. Also, I know many of you are members of other teams, so I hope you will alert your team leader to this wonderful way to promote!

If you were not able to join us while the show was live on the air, you can still hear the interview at your leisure by clicking on the BlogTalkRadio picture on the right-hand side of this blog page. You won't be able to know what was going on in "chat" at the time, but you can hear the interview, some of your fellow brats, and some pretty great music!

Thanks again Brats! You all are awesome!

Patti

Featured Brat ~ Double Brat ~ lavenderlizard and lavenderladybug !

Double Brat Featured Artist ~ Lavenderlizard ~
The Military Brats of Etsy Global Street Team
~ November 2008 Brat Feature ~
every few weeks we feature one of our members, this time we are proud to Feature:
lavenderlizard and lavenderladybug

Double Brat with two stores!

See her etsy shops here;

http://www.lavenderlizard.etsy.com/

and
http://www.lavenderladybug.etsy.com/

Here is her blog…..http://lavenderlizard.blogspot.com/

Her flickr photos here;http://www.flickr.com/photos/14254353@N03

See the post on our Bratty Blog here;http://etsymilitarybratteam.blogspot.com/

also posted in my blog;http://justsoterryann.blogspot.com/

Photos of her work between questions.

1-Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, and personal stuff).Hi! My name is Elizabeth Kalka, but everyone calls me Liz. I live in San Antonio, Texas (Military City USA), which is just perfect for a Brat! I’m married to a great guy (served in the US Navy), and we have 4 sons who range in age from 2 to 12.I consider myself a Texan (part of my family arrived in Texas in the 1700s, and both of my parents were born and raised here), although I was born in Boulder, Colorado. After 20 years in the Air Force, my father retired, and we moved to the Dallas area, where I lived from the age of 10 until I left for college. Then I spent 12 years in Austin, where among other things, I attended the University of Texas (Hook ‘Em!). After my husband and I married, we settled here in San Antonio.I started The Lavender Lizard with accessories, scrubbies and crocheted necessities about 18 months ago, and this year I opened The Lavender Ladybug, which I envision as my supply and destash shop.

2-What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?I learned embroidery stitches while I was a Brownie when we were stationed in La Paz, Bolivia. I still have the first thing I made – I raided my mother’s sewing basket for buttons to embellish it. The “fabric” is very coarse, like burlap, and I signed it with my initials.

3-What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?I am probably most inspired by yarn – different colors and textures make me think of different objects. For instance, I found this great fluffy, orange, tweedy yarn, and I thought “I just have to make pumpkins out of this!” So I did! The problem is I have more yarn and ideas for it than I have time….

4-What are your favorite materials?Well, yarn, of course! I also cross-stitch, and I am in the process of designing cross-stitch embellishments for The Lavender Ladybug.

5-What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists on Etsy?Patience, for sure! Also, it’s important to know that an Etsy shop is not static – you must spend time listing, photographing, editing, writing, learning, promoting, networking, renewing, blogging, checking the forums, mailing (hopefully), and keeping records. That’s after you have spent time creating in the first place.

6-Why should people buy handmade?Handmade = love! I have always cherished handmade gifts, and I love to have one-of-a-kind items that someone cared enough to make. Buying handmade is supporting an artist, and I can’t stress the importance of that enough!

7-What features/services would you most like to see on Etsy?I would love to be able to organize my favorites – I’m forever hearting items, like I’ll go on a hearting spree through Pounce or the Treasury, but good luck finding them again. I don’t have the patience (or time) to check the pages of my favorites.I would also love the ability to organize my shop without renewing items and put items into more than one shop category.

8-Apart from creating things, what do you do?Well, I parent my boys, which keeps me quite busy. I have served on PTA boards for the last 6 years (this year, I am the treasurer for the middle school PTA). I have a weekend job in retail. And every night before I go to bed, I have to read, no matter how tired I am.
9-Read any good books lately?Just finished “The 39 Clues” (Rick Riordan, the author, also lives in San Antonio), and I’m looking forward to the next one in this series (Put down the book, people – I’m going to win the prizes!)I’m also working my way through the Bones series (although I found I could not stand the TV series based on these books! Weird, huh?) My favorite place in the world is a library.

10-In ten years I'd like to be…Watching my 2 oldest sons graduate from college, DS3 graduating from high school, and seeing my youngest son enter teenage hood. Professionally, I would love to publish some of my original crochet designs.

11-How did you pick your business name and your etsy avatar?Both The Lavender Lizard and The Lavender Ladybug were named with my favorite color in mind. Also, when I was growing up, my nickname was Lizard. My friend Photoshop and I created both of my avatars.

12- What is the connection between being a Crafter and being a Brat?It doesn’t surprise me that a lot of Brats also craft. It must have something to do with the ability to be creative on the fly, to adapt to new situations quickly, and to use crafting to stay grounded in our lives. Growing up as a Brat, I was terribly shy and hated meeting new people. I still feel that way sometimes, but I also found that I can relate to most people on some level because of my life experiences. I think that’s probably true of most Brats!

~Liz

Featured Brat - indigobaydesigns and littlepinkplum

The Military Brats of Etsy Global Street Team

~ Fall 2008 Brat Feature ~

Every few weeks we feature one of our members, this time we are proud to Feature:

indigobaydesigns and littlepinkplum
Double Brat with two stores!

See her etsy shops here;
http://www.indigobaydesigns.etsy.com/
http://www.littlepinkplum.etsy.com/
Her flickr photos here;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30849866@N07
also posted in the blog;
http://justsoterryann.blogspot.com/

1-Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, and personal stuff).

My name is Janet and I’m married with 3 kids. I live in El Cajon, CA (same place as our team leader oceankisses and also lizedgar). I am an Army brat and was born in Maryland. I graduated from high school in Japan and then my father was transferred to Arizona. A friend of mine was living in San Diego and asked me to share an apartment with her. So I moved out here and that was almost 20 years ago.

2-What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?

I remember in elementary school gluing Popsicle sticks together to make a picture frame, and then gluing macaroni shells onto the Popsicle sticks. My teacher spray painted the frame and I gave it to my parents. It was something all the kids in my class made to give to their parents for Christmas.

3-What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?

With my pocket mirrors, I look at various types of paper and try to figure out if that particular paper would be a good design for a mirror. And I make a lot of pendants based on what my two daughters like or ask me to make. I have recently started to experiment with my original drawings and digitally coloring them, and hope to turn them into mirrors and pendants soon.

4-What are your favorite materials?

Paper and more paper. I also like fabric. I sew a little and just made some lavender sachets to give as gifts this Christmas.

5-What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists on Etsy?

One important lesson I’ve learned from other artists on Etsy is to take great pictures since that is what is going to catch the eye of a potential buyer. That is something I still need to improve on, but I have come a long way from when I first started listing.

6-Why should people buy handmade?

People should buy handmade because it’s not a mass produced item that a million other people are going to have. You’re getting something very special that had a lot of attention, caring and pride that went into making it.

7-What features/services would you most like to see on Etsy?

One feature I would like to see is to be able to block non paying buyers from returning to your shop. I would also like to see Etsy become just as well known as the other “E” site. When I tell people that I sell on Etsy, I usually get a blank stare.

8-Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I love to read and I usually go to the library at least once a week to check out books or to get on the waiting list for the latest bestseller. I’ve been a stay at home mom since my son was born 3 years ago, and I spend a lot of time chauffeuring my kids around to school, after school activities, etc. They keep me busy.

9-Read any good books lately?

I just finished reading a book by Anne Perry. I love her Victorian murder mysteries.

10-In ten years I'd like to be…

... happy and successful at whatever I’m doing. I would also like to have some wholesale accounts. I just completed a small order for a boutique in Los Angeles, and I would love to sell my pendants and mirrors to more shops.

11-How did you pick your business name and your etsy avatar?

For littlepinkplum, I chose that name based on my favorite colors and the “little” part comes from me being not quite 5 feet tall. Indigo Bay is the name of a beautiful island resort near the Indian Ocean. I would love to vacation there someday.

12- What has being a brat at Etsy meant to you?

Not only is there a common bond of being crafters, but there’s also a special connection because of our unique background as brats.

September's Bratty Birthdays

Happy September everyone... Happy Labor Day too! BUT, MOST IMPORTANTLY...

This is going to be fun, because... Brats love to celebrate!!! Recently I volunteered to help out on the Brat team and have now become the "Brat Birthday Secretary!" Each month I'll be contributing a "Happy Birthday" post to celebrating members!

After much research and interesting Brat Shop exploration, I'm proud to announce the following Military Brat Members celebrating birthdays in the month of September. Click their name links and go wish them a great day as each arrives!

♥ W.Rabbit - September 8th
♥ Angee Art~WonderWorks~Visualicious - September 12th*
♥ T.L.Sexton0913 ~ Mr. Moon's Originals - September 13th*
♥ Craft Manor - September 18th
♥ Mother of Jackals - September 20th
♥ Not That Jaded - September 21st
(*same artist shops)

Happy Birthday to all ... ♥ Angee
P.S. There were a few members that didn't divulge their birthdays in their profiles. If you were left out and want to be included, convo me your b-date anytime.

A Brat Treasury by LocoBead

LocoBead dedicated a Treasury to all the Brats! Here's a screen shot and you check out the real deal here.