Meet our Team Elites Treasury Challenge Winner for our "Fields of..." Tobey from BeeLovelyStudios , Painter of silk and distributor of baby raspberries.
What term would you use to describe your creative talent: artist/craftsman(woman)/creator/other:
I don’t really identify with a label, but creator makes sense.
Why is it you see yourself in this way?
Expressing myself creatively is important to me. I don’t consider myself an artist because I’m driven more by the process than the end result. I don’t make art; I happily/obsessively create whatever it is I’m feeling.
What made you come to Etsy?
I am a loyal Etsy customer and love supporting creative people. When I found something I love to do, I wanted to share it with the community I have grown so fond of.
How did you begin with this creative process and how does it add to your life?
Like so many things in my life, I was initially inspired by my mother to try dyeing/painting scarves. We both have an obsession with color and simple shapes, so it felt natural. I love playing with the color and experimenting with dyes, waxes and applications. It’s added a lot of chaos to my already chaotic life (full time career, toddler, lack of house cleaning ability), but it’s also added a wonderful bit of creative spice that I like to keep in the back of my brain during long meetings at work!
Were you creative before this time? If so, what other creative arts do/did you dabble in?
I am a trained goldsmith but the fine work caused me to develop tendonitis and I had to stop. I’ve dabbled in all kinds of creative arts like writing, wheel thrown pottery and knitting.
Can you remember the first creation that you made?
I remember a clay crèche I made in grade 1. It was just a bunch of blobs of clay, but I felt very proud!
Is there something else that you made that you are particularily proud of?
My proudest creation was a smithed silver bowl with panels of “plique-a-jour” enamel (like stained glass) I made for our grad show when I graduated from jewellery school. Whenever I feel down on myself I remember the night of the show and looking at the light glowing through the panels in a myriad of colors.
What is your workshop/studio like, and could we have a glimpse of your work-space?
It’s my messy kitchen! I stash supplies wherever they’ll fit, then whenever our kitchen island is clear (not very often) I try to squeeze in painting one or two scarves.
Is there something in particular that you find inspiring?
My mother. She’s creative but down to earth. Color is my main source of inspiration when creating pretty things, though.
Do you have a particular customer (on or off the internet) that you remember particularly well for good reasons?
I loved meeting with this one passionate woman when we designed a ring for her fiancé. It turned out beautifully and I just loved how engaged she was in the design process.
How important do you feel creating treasuries are in supporting your Etsy shop?
I’m not sure how important it is since I haven’t made a sale yet, but I really love doing it and supporting the community. Digging up new treasures is so rewarding and inspiring. It’s important to me to support other artists in what they’re passionate about.
What is it you look for when creating treasuries, a certain color or object?
I think of a word, a feeling, a color and then build around that. Some of my favorite treasuries have been built around something less tangible like “storm”. I also think it’s important for artists/creators to price their work according to how much they put into it, and not how little they think a person might be willing to pay. Too often sellers under-price their work and it undermines what the others are trying to accomplish – running a creative home business.
What is your method for creating stunning collections?
I like to look at the treasury as a whole rather than just separate items. Everything has to fit and be balanced to the eye. Good photography and composition is better than fuzzy, careless shots, but I know how hard it is to take great pictures. I often find myself rejecting items just because the background doesn’t fit with the whole or there’s too much clutter in the photo.
What is working for you to help promote your Etsy shop?
I don’t have any sales, so nothing yet!
Do you use Facebook and Twitter, and how important are these?
I have not started using those yet, but I do have a Twitter account and mention new scarves to my few friend followers when I add them.
Tell us more about you, what is one thing we would never guess?
I’m a gamer, although I have less time to play lately. I also work in the gaming industry, as does my husband. He’s got the creative job there though!
Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?
Growing my store and my knowledge of how to promote it is an interesting journey, and I look forward to my first sale… and more! Thank you for the opportunity to share my story with you.
Ginny, I really enjoyed getting to know more about you and your beautiful shop! It was a pleasure talking with you today!
What term would you use to describe your creative talent: artist/craftsman(woman)/creator/other:
I don’t really identify with a label, but creator makes sense.
Why is it you see yourself in this way?
Expressing myself creatively is important to me. I don’t consider myself an artist because I’m driven more by the process than the end result. I don’t make art; I happily/obsessively create whatever it is I’m feeling.
What made you come to Etsy?
I am a loyal Etsy customer and love supporting creative people. When I found something I love to do, I wanted to share it with the community I have grown so fond of.
How did you begin with this creative process and how does it add to your life?
Like so many things in my life, I was initially inspired by my mother to try dyeing/painting scarves. We both have an obsession with color and simple shapes, so it felt natural. I love playing with the color and experimenting with dyes, waxes and applications. It’s added a lot of chaos to my already chaotic life (full time career, toddler, lack of house cleaning ability), but it’s also added a wonderful bit of creative spice that I like to keep in the back of my brain during long meetings at work!
Were you creative before this time? If so, what other creative arts do/did you dabble in?
I am a trained goldsmith but the fine work caused me to develop tendonitis and I had to stop. I’ve dabbled in all kinds of creative arts like writing, wheel thrown pottery and knitting.
Can you remember the first creation that you made?
I remember a clay crèche I made in grade 1. It was just a bunch of blobs of clay, but I felt very proud!
Is there something else that you made that you are particularily proud of?
My proudest creation was a smithed silver bowl with panels of “plique-a-jour” enamel (like stained glass) I made for our grad show when I graduated from jewellery school. Whenever I feel down on myself I remember the night of the show and looking at the light glowing through the panels in a myriad of colors.
What is your workshop/studio like, and could we have a glimpse of your work-space?
It’s my messy kitchen! I stash supplies wherever they’ll fit, then whenever our kitchen island is clear (not very often) I try to squeeze in painting one or two scarves.
Is there something in particular that you find inspiring?
My mother. She’s creative but down to earth. Color is my main source of inspiration when creating pretty things, though.
Do you have a particular customer (on or off the internet) that you remember particularly well for good reasons?
I loved meeting with this one passionate woman when we designed a ring for her fiancé. It turned out beautifully and I just loved how engaged she was in the design process.
How important do you feel creating treasuries are in supporting your Etsy shop?
I’m not sure how important it is since I haven’t made a sale yet, but I really love doing it and supporting the community. Digging up new treasures is so rewarding and inspiring. It’s important to me to support other artists in what they’re passionate about.
What is it you look for when creating treasuries, a certain color or object?
I think of a word, a feeling, a color and then build around that. Some of my favorite treasuries have been built around something less tangible like “storm”. I also think it’s important for artists/creators to price their work according to how much they put into it, and not how little they think a person might be willing to pay. Too often sellers under-price their work and it undermines what the others are trying to accomplish – running a creative home business.
What is your method for creating stunning collections?
I like to look at the treasury as a whole rather than just separate items. Everything has to fit and be balanced to the eye. Good photography and composition is better than fuzzy, careless shots, but I know how hard it is to take great pictures. I often find myself rejecting items just because the background doesn’t fit with the whole or there’s too much clutter in the photo.
What is working for you to help promote your Etsy shop?
I don’t have any sales, so nothing yet!
Do you use Facebook and Twitter, and how important are these?
I have not started using those yet, but I do have a Twitter account and mention new scarves to my few friend followers when I add them.
Tell us more about you, what is one thing we would never guess?
I’m a gamer, although I have less time to play lately. I also work in the gaming industry, as does my husband. He’s got the creative job there though!
Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?
Growing my store and my knowledge of how to promote it is an interesting journey, and I look forward to my first sale… and more! Thank you for the opportunity to share my story with you.
Ginny, I really enjoyed getting to know more about you and your beautiful shop! It was a pleasure talking with you today!
1 comment:
Thank you so much, Aimer! I enjoy building treasuries around your themes - it's a lot of fun!
And thanks to everyone for reading and checking out my Etsy shop!
Post a Comment