Friday Feature- Zandyland

I really hope you enjoy this wonderful artisans shop. She is one of the nicest people to work with and has so many cute thing in her shop that my girls were oooing and awwwing the whole time while we explored her shop with me.

My Shop name on Etsy is ZandyLand. http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZandyLand

I’m on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheZandyLand

Hi, I’m Zandy! I live in ZandyLand which is in Georgia. My knight in shining armor, Daniel, and I will be celebrating our 13^th wedding anniversary this year! He’s busy building my dream castle! We have three beautiful little curly haired blondes, Lucy (4), Bella (2.5) and Ellie (11mos)!

How did you name your business? Do you remember the “A World of My Own” song in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland? You know it, it’s the one that starts off

 “Cats and rabbits, would reside in fancy little houses and be dressed in shoes and hats and trousers. In a world of my own.” I always loved how Alice dreamed of

 a world all her own, so it seemed fitting that I too should dream of a world my own. From that, ZandyLand was born! ZandyLand really is my own little world, and

 I just happen to have a little store where I sell wonderful things made in ZandyLand!

How long have you been doing your art/craft for? Being crafty is in my blood! My Mother is amazingly talented and has shown me how to create things and reuse/repurpose things since I was a child! I dabble in all sorts of crafts and have a delightful time making things. I stumbled upon the felt hair clip craft about a year ago and have fallen completely in love! It started off as something to play around with for my three little girls hair, and now I have a store. I love my sewing machine and my embroidery machine!

What inspires and influences your work? I just have this compulsion to create! God inspires me, look at all the fantastic things he has created! He made all these wonderful things for me to play with and I feel encouraged to try and create too! My Mom, Step-mom and Grandmother influence and encourage me, they are both so creative! They are thrilled to see me take something we had fun doing when I was a child and using it now. They are excited that another generation will be taught to create! I’m also influenced by my children! They LOVE to create things and to learn new things. The joy in their eyes when they do create something or learn something new inspires me!

Where can you artwork/pieces be found? My work can be found in my Etsy Store, ZandyLand! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZandyLand One of my goals is to participate in some of the Georgia Craft Fairs or talk a local shop into carrying some of my hair clips.

What do you do when you’re not creating? When I’m not playing around creating something for The ZandyLand Store, I’m off playing inside ZandyLand with my children and husband! We take our parenting responsibility very seriously and try to lead by example where possible! We love to help the girls look past the normal use of something to see what else something can be used for. We want them to think outside of the box while still respecting the fact that there is a box! We want them to be full of joy and love and to praise God for all that he has blessed us with!

What is your favorite piece(s) that you have created? I’m really enjoying the new houndstooth collection I’ve just released. And the ice cream cones! I also love my Calypso Swing Apron in fushia!

Why did you create this piece(s)? I saw the houndstooth patterned felt and had this compulsion to shape it into something fun and bright! I just had to use that felt! When I saw the ice cream cone hair clips, I just had an urge to make some mint chocolate chip clips and then the girls needed some vanilla with sprinkles! What kid doesn’t love vanilla ice cream covered in sprinkles! And as for the apron, if I was going to have to do unpleasant tasks to make sure ZandyLand stays bright and shiny and full of fun, well, I needed an apron to make it more fun and stylish!

What do you feel is special about your art/craft? What makes my craft special to me is the joy that it brings to see others wearing and/or enjoying the output of my time and effort. It’s a wonderful thing to use your hands and your brain to actually make something and then to see others really like it and want it too! That’s what makes it special!

Are there other forms of art and crafts you would like to learn? And why? Oh my goodness, yes!! I want to learn to paint with Watercolors! I want to crochet and sure wish I had listened to Mom all those times she tried to teach me! I want to dabble a little more hardcore into woodworking and photography. And I really want to perfect my sewing! I’ve touched on most of these and really enjoyed them, it’s just a matter of time before I play with them more! My husband loves to work with metal and wood too, and he is an excellent photographer! Who knows…maybe ZandyLand will expand to include some of these other wonderful treasures one day!

Steampunk Artist Myke Amend

While browsing steampunk art this week I found this great artist. What caught my attention at first was he has a free steampunk coloring page to download for kids. After browsing his site for a while I have to say he is now one of my favorite new artist. He has plenty to look at on his site so take a look Here

Black Ships Ate The Sky - By Myke Amend

Creating for a cause- The Cat Slave

The Cat Slave is a awesome shop full of steampunk treasures and guess what 100% of proceeds from sales, less materials are used to help support C.L.A.W.S. . C.L.A.W.S which stands for Cat Lovers Alliance for Welfare and Sterilization,
founded in 1992 and is a tax exempt org.
C.L.A.W.S. depends on donations to maintain the care of these little felines. So explore her shop and maybe you will find a treasure and help a good cause.

Hand Me Down Designs - Artisan Feature-

I am very happy to be featuring one of my fellow Etsy Maine Teamers. I love her shop and her designs so I was all bubbly when she agreed to do an blog interview so I could feature her. I am sure you will find some thing you just love from her shop.

You can contact her here-

Malaika Picard

Hand-Me-Down Designs

blog - http://handmedowndesigns.com

shop - www.handmedowndesignsme.etsy.com

Twitter - @HMDDesignsME

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HandMeDownDesignsME

How did you name your business?

I work with a lot of hand-me-down clothing, mostly donated by friends and family, so when it came time to find a name for myself, Hand-Me-Down Designs was an obvious, and very appropriate name.

How long have you been doing your art/craft for?

I've been sewing for years and years, but it has been about a year now that I've been seriously pursuing my bag-making business.  In fact, I'm quickly coming up on the anniversary of my very first craft fair.

What inspires and influences your work?

At first, most of my inspiration came from my own personal love of bags and purses and being very particular about what features they included.  As time went on, I found myself seeing special features in other people's work and sought to incorporate some of those ideas into my own.  Many times I get inspiration from the material itself.  For example, I was given a lovely deep red corduroy skirt recently, and from the moment I got it, I knew what I wanted to make from it.  The skirt was cut so that the corduroy lay in diagonal lines, and I needed a design that showed off that feature.  Here's what I came up with:

Where can you artwork/pieces be found?

Of course, I've got my shop on Etsy, but you can also find me live and in person at a number of Maine craft fairs throughout the year.  I keep an updated craft fair schedule on the Sites and Schedules page of my blog. 

What do you do when you're not creating?

I'm a WAH (work-at-home) mom, so, for the most part, when I'm not creating, I'm homemaking.  Being a wife and mom is really important to me, and being able to do my craft while still being in the home is such a blessing.

I also love to read, watch science fiction shows and movies, go for walks, and craft with friends.  Some of my favorite crafts are counted cross stitch, knitting, and crochet, but I love trying all sorts of new things.  I've recently tried my hand at screen printing...mostly to use on my NomMon products, but who knows...

What is your favorite piece(s) that you have created?

I've actually got two current favorite pieces, my Nesting Doll Notebook Cover

and my Lumberjack Mustache Wallet

I'm really enjoying playing with appliqués.  They can add such fun character to a piece.

Why did you create this piece(s)?

I actually started making mustache wallets after discovering all the amazing facial hair items on Etsy.  Inspired by the creativity I saw,  I made a treasury entitled  The Bold and The Bearded.  Being a proudEtsy Maine Team member, I tried to find items made by some of my teammates to put in this treasury, but found a sad lack of mustache mania in Maine.  I decided to take action, created my own Maine-made mustache marvel, and then shared a challenge with my teammates to do the same.  We had such fun!  You can check out the treasury of what we all came up with here.

What do you feel is special about your art/craft?

The thing that really sets my craft apart is, firstly, that many of my items are made from second-hand clothing.  People tell me they really like the idea that I'm recycling while I'm creating.  The other thing is that, while you can tell many of my bags are made from jeans, they don't look like a pair of lopped off pants; they are actually carefully de-constructed and re-made with intentional placement of pockets, features, and embellishments.  I take a lot of care in making sure my homemade goods are professionally crafted.  And, because my bags are made from clothing, they are one-of-a-kind.  I may make more of the same style, but no bag is exactly like another for the simple fact that there isn't any more of the material to make a duplicate piece.  Of course, some of my smaller items may have duplicates, but they are all limited edition for the same reason.

Are there other forms of art and crafts you would like to learn? And why?

I'd really like to learn more about product photography and screen printing.  Both skills will benefit my business, but there really is an art to doing them well.  I get a lot of pleasure from capturing a great shot of one of my creations.  And screen printing just opens up a world of possibilities for me.  Besides, learning a new craft is like starting a new adventure, and who doesn't like adventure?

Five Favorite Local Finds

Five favorite local finds on Etsy. I love to find other crafty crafters and vintage finders in my own area here are five right in my own town.

Canvas Messenger Bag, Vintage Military Duffel

From dappermonkey

Canvas Messenger Bag, Vintage Military Duffel

From RhodaCrooksCloset

set of 5 Reusable snack / sandwich bags with 2 original Stay Fresh bags -
 "Sebago" set with BONUS Milk Money Pouch

From OurSmallGods

Saturdays Child Saturn Patch

From kelolsen

Nursing Necklace Cobalt Blue Vintage Beaded by Adorn

From daisyhillofmaine

Sunflower in glass

Artist feature -Emily Dewbre-Young of Primal Aspects

Today I am happy to feature an artist I found while browsing Artfire. I love her work and hope you nenjoy it as well.


Name: Emily Dewbre-Young
Shop Name: Primal Aspects                                                                  

How did you name your business?

     Its a bit of an odd answer to this questions. It was actually done by starting two lists of words that pertained to any number of things 
that I liked. Then I started with taking a word from each list and putting them together to see if they would flow well together. As well as if they portrayed a phrase that I liked, unusual and meaningful. In doing this I found Primal Aspects fit these best out of what came out of this process. I like most subjects and styles if I can or even can't do them but I feel I tend to see them in my way when they are a completed work. Giving them my aspects on the canvas. When it comes to Primal its not quiet that specific to the word. Animals are one of my favorite subjects, yes, and I would like to think that the everyday person would be able to enjoy my works. That they would be able to in a very basic (or primal) way now relate to one piece or like the way it was done. Not that I expect to sell them all but that I love to hear what they have to say about them. 

     

How long have you been doing your art/craft for?

     Honestly there is no memory for me, of ever having even doodled before I went to Junior High School. Being given the options of a
few different extracurricular class gave me the chance to try art my second year in. That carried on in to High School until graduation. So lets just say 'around' 20 years that I have been doing some kind of art work. :)

What inspires and influences your work?

      Sometimes things are easy enough to just start showing up on the canvas until they become complete. There are times however 
that I have to try to get the creative juices flowing. There are a few tricks that I have found to work sometimes for myself but there are times that it is hard to get a piece to form for me to start working. That is just the way I have learned that most creative thinkers tend to be. Its hard to work if the inspiration and influences isn't there. Most effective ways I have found for me is to set outside and take in nature. Seeing as how I like to do works of animals that usually sparks ideas for them. Anything else usually comes to me when I set and talk to friends or making myself take the time to search for new subject matter. 

Where can your artwork/pieces be found?
     My wonderful husband helps to spread my artwork online around for me. He created a website of my own at PrimalAspects.com as well as we have accounts with ArtFire and Etsy for now as well as deviantArt and imagekind. We do have pages with several of the social sites like Facebook, Twitter, IndiePublic, etc. For the most part, look for PrimalAspects at most places and you'll find me. :)

http://PrimalAspects.com
http://primalaspects.blogspot.com/
http://www.artfire.com/users/PrimalAspects
http://www.etsy.com/shop/primalaspects
http://primalaspects.deviantart.com/prints/

What do you do when your not creating?

     Well of course there is always the time with the family and friends. Aside from that my individual likes are usually reading, spiritual teachings, movies, cooking, its been too hot for me on the gardening front and unfortunately the addicting games on my phone find my 
attention. 

What is your favorite piece(s) that you have created?

     That's a hard one for me to pin point. I have a few that I remember doing over my younger years that I no longer have but 
remember well. One of them was my first water color as well as my first combination of mediums. This piece 
was of a jaguar stepping through some fallen tree limbs and leaves. There has been a few more over the years but this was the first
and one that once I was done gave me the confidence that kept me continuing to do more. 

Why did you create this piece(s)?

       This work was done back in my high school days so I am afraid I don't remember what the spark was for it. 

What do you feel is special about your art/craft?

     I don't know that I would consider my art special with so many of my friends being creative thinkers I have seen some wonderful 
creations. However, I do think that it makes them special when someone finds they like my work enough
to buy it. Its not until then when they have a connection with something I have done that it is finally complete for me. 

Are there other forms of art and crafts you would like to learn? And why?

     The top three would have to be pottery wheel, photography and most of all traditional glass blowing. They seem to have the ability 
to draw me into immediate ideas only with knowing that I am not sure they will work until I try them and find out. 

Here are links where you can find Primal Aspects 

http://PrimalAspects.com
http://primalaspects.blogspot.com/
http://www.artfire.com/users/PrimalAspects
http://www.etsy.com/shop/primalaspects
http://primalaspects.deviantart.com/prints/

A few collections

Here are some wonderful collections I have been recently featured in. So many other talented artist and artisans in these collection. I hope you enjoy and visit their shop to see what other goodies they have.

Ive Got The Blues

  Curated By: Gillgallery

ArtFire.com

Craft Supplies

Sun and Chocolate...

  Curated By: recycledpots

ArtFire.com

Indie Design