Friday Finds 8.20.10

Happy Friday everyone! We're excited to bring you another installment of our Friday Finds workspaces segments. These workspace features are designed to show people that while a high-end, top of the line work studio is really nice, it's not always necessary and that all it takes is a little imagination to turn any place into a sweet workspace and create some really cool stuff. This week we get a behind the scenes look at Jayne from J. Norvelle Design's workspace.

J. Norvelle Designs

What do you create?
I create jewelry from stones that I find walking along the edge of the ocean. Some of the stones are natural polished by the sand and sea, others I will give an extra bit of polish. I then set these stones in silver. I hand forge the silver from flat sheets. Cutting, pounding, heating, sanding, polishing, until the silver is transformed; much as the sea has transformed the stone.

The work in your shop looks awesome Jayne, we love the wave logo! The jewelry boxes made by your husband look great as well ;)



Tell us a little about your workspace please:
My workspace is a small room, about 9 x 10, one wall acts as miscellaneous storage. My husband built my workbench for me. The room is small, but everything is within reach - oddly I still manage to lose tools that are right in front of me.

We always lose things right in front of us ;)


















What inspires you?
I live on the Oregon Coast, my inspiration comes from the ocean. I have lived by the ocean all my life, my family has earned their living from the sea, and we have also lost to the sea. Even through the loss, the sea continues to call me, and I can not resist.


Very cool! Thanks for sharing your workspace as well as what inspires you Jayne! To see more of J. Norvelle Design's awesome work please visit her etsy shop.

senioritis

Well, it's back to school time so this week we pay tribute to orator and educator Robert G. Ingersoll who reminds us that common sense is more important than education ;) To see more of our designs please visit our Etsy shop.






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Friday Finds 8.13.10

Happy Friday the 13th! As we mentioned last Sunday, this week we bring you some Vermont inspired finds. This week's finds are either made in Vermont or inspired by the green mountain state. We hope you like what we found ;)

IMOTIME



Vermont Maple



vsc83



Native Vermont Studio



senioritis

In honor of Friday the 13th, this week we are paying tribute to 4 movie monster legends: Karloff, Chaney, Lugosi, & Carlson. Beware of black cats and anyone with knives coming out of their hand ;) Have a great weekend!






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Featured Artist :: Stormone Originals

This week's featured artist is Stormone Originals!

Stormone Originals - Everything in your life should be Original, Unique like the Perfect Storm.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Stormone Originals: AJ in Oakland, CA
Senioritis: What's up AJ! Are you an Athletics fan or do you prefer one of the other teams out in Cali?

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself AJ?
Stormone Originals: I'm a traditionally trained painter and printmaker who decided to try my hand at tie-dye, batik, and textile stamping.
Senioritis: Sweet AJ, all of your work looks great! Is there one medium you prefer working in over the others?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Stormone Originals: The Godfather!



Senioritis: How would you describe your style AJ?
Stormone Originals: Fun, colorful, easy, and inclusive.

Senioritis: What would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Stormone Originals: Market, market, advertise and market some more!!! Gary Penders the former Director at my day job!
Senioritis: Good tip! As Cyrus McCormick reminds us, it doesn't matter how good our product or service is if nobody knows about it.



Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play AJ?
Stormone Originals: Track & field with American football getting a close second.
Senioritis: Both are great sports; I love watching the track & field events during the Olympics!

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Stormone Originals: Fletch for sure!
Senioritis: Fletch is definitely on my favorites list, Fletch Lives is phenomenal as well!

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote AJ?
Stormone Originals: "Everything is all fun and games till somebody puts an eye out!" Mom
Senioritis: Hmm, I think our mom has told us that one several times as well ;)



Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Stormone Originals: I would build up a larger cache of inventory before opening an online shop.
Senioritis: Good point AJ! Having lots of options for people shopping in an online environment is definitely important. If our online shops only have a handful of items for shoppers to look at it's easy for them to take a quick glance and move on.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Stormone Originals: Lewis Latimer because he was instrumental in Thomas Edison creating the light bulb and was the draftsman for Alexander Graham Bell's inventions as well. He is not very well known and has not been given the credit he deserves as an inventor.
Senioritis: Unfortunately we don't have much pull with the folks who design US currency but a Famous Seniors tribute may be in order for Mr. Latimer ;)

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web AJ?
Stormone Originals: stormone.etsy.com, my blog, my facebook fan page and my team blog, Etsy Artists of Color.



Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Stormone Originals: Is there any contest? Sean Connery baby! Me loves some Sean Connery!!
Senioritis: And Mr. Connery is now leading 3-1! Do any of the other Bonds have a chance? Luckily we've learned to never count out a 007. Tune in next week, same senioritis time same senioritis place, to see if anyone can make up some ground or if Mr. Connery will pull further ahead ;)

Senioritis: Any shoutouts?
Stormone Originals: Shoutout to all the Etsy forums folks who post in ETC.!!!
All the Etsy Team Members in EAOC! Etsy Artists of Color!
Of course a shoutout to the Minnesota Vikings!!!!!! Bleed Purple!


Thanks a bunch AJ! We appreciate you taking the time to let our readers know a bit more about the great artist behind Stormone Originals; keep up the cool work!

Featured Artist :: Autumn Rain Creations

This week's featured artist is Autumn Rain Creations!

Autumn Rain Creations - Live, Love, Create.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Autumn Rain Creations: April Dostert, Oregon, USA
Senioritis: Hey April!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself April?
Autumn Rain Creations: I have been married to my hubby for 21 years and have been a fulltime Mommy for 18 years to 7 beautiful and amazing children. I create things, love nature, and love photography; it is just part of my life. Autumn Rain Creations is my outlet and my business.
Senioritis: That's awesome, we're sure that all your kids keep you pretty busy April :) Do your kids like to create or are they into other stuff?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Autumn Rain Creations: Streetcar Named Desire.



Senioritis: How would you describe your style to someone who has never seen your work, April?
Autumn Rain Creations: Soft, colorful, expressive, real.
Senioritis: Absolutely, we definitely see your work being all these things!

Senioritis: April, what would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Autumn Rain Creations: Don't mold yourself into what others want just to make money. Follow your heart and work hard, success will come. I received this tip from a few Etsy Artists.
Senioritis: Great tip indeed! We've always tried to create designs that we enjoy first and foremost. Some people will like our work, some people won't, either way that's cool ;)



Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play April?
Autumn Rain Creations: My favorite sport to watch is football, my favorite sport to play would be tennis.
Senioritis: American football or World Cup football? I've always wanted to play tennis on a clay court just to see what it's like ;)

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Autumn Rain Creations: Fletch.
Senioritis: Excelente!

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote April?
Autumn Rain Creations: "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all." ~ Author unknown.



Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Autumn Rain Creations: I would have been more organized from the get go, being organized makes more time for creating.
Senioritis: Great point April, when our work area and various projects are organized it's much easier for us to focus on creating.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Autumn Rain Creations: That would be Steve Martin. Life is too serious, we all need to laugh more :)
Senioritis: Steve Martin, excellent choice. Steve Martin with a big nose like he had in the movie Roxanne would probably help us all laugh a bit more ;)

Senioritis: April, where can we find you on the web?
Autumn Rain Creations: AutumnRainCreations.etsy.com, my blog, my facebook fan page and coming soon Autumn Rain Creations.



Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Autumn Rain Creations: Sean Connery.
Senioritis: How can you go wrong with Connery?

Senioritis: Any shoutouts April?
Autumn Rain Creations: To my awesome hubby who doesn't demand that I get out there, leave the kids in daycare, make me forget my ambition, and get an 8 to 5 job. To my sweets as well, all 7 of them; they make me who I am. I know mush mush but that's me :)

April, thanks a bunch for sharing a few minutes with us and letting our readers know a bit more about the artist behind Autumn Rain Creations. Keep up the great work!

Featured Artist :: Drum Chick Designs

This week's featured artist is Drum Chick Designs!

Drum Chick Designs - Hand Carved Stamps and Paper Crafts

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Drum Chick Designs: Candice, Kansas City, MO
Senioritis: Hi Candice!

Senioritis: Candice, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Drum Chick Designs: I am a 29 year old, professional musician and rubber stamp maker. I actually have 2 music degrees and picked up card making while in grad school as a stress reliever. When I finished school I started my etsy shop, which slowly morphed into rubber stamps.
Senioritis: Wow, very cool. We checked out the music on your site and especially like Pan in A Minor and Motzart's String Q No. 1 ;)

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Drum Chick Designs: Um, I haven't seen either, so I'll just say Godfather.
Senioritis: Sounds good. If you haven't seen the Godfather either, please feel free to check out the 1972 trailer.



Senioritis: How would you describe your style to someone who has never seen your work, Candice?
Drum Chick Designs: Fun, cute, unique, and trendy.
Senioritis: Those definitely sound spot on to us!

Senioritis: Candice, what would you say is the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Drum Chick Designs: Just make your business legit with business licensing and collecting sales tax, etc. I've heard this from several people along the way.
Senioritis: Definitely a good tip, always good to be prepared for success.




Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Drum Chick Designs: I love to watch baseball. I'm a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, even though I grew up near St. Louis.
Senioritis: A Cubbies fan? We'll cross all of our fingers for you that they make the playoffs this year ;)

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Drum Chick Designs: Fletch!!!
Senioritis: John Cocktostan ;)

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote Candice?
Drum Chick Designs: "Reach for the moon, if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
Senioritis: Wow, that's a good one indeed!



Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business?
Drum Chick Designs: I would start making rubber stamps from the beginning instead of starting with cards.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Drum Chick Designs: If I had to pick a president, it would be Clinton because I'm proud of everything he did. Well, maybe not everything :)
Senioritis: We would love to see Big Willie on a $100. Would he be wearing sunglasses and playing a saxophone?

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Candice?
Drum Chick Designs: My 2 etsy shops: drumchick99 and drumchicksupplies and my facebook fan page and music page.



Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Drum Chick Designs: This is a hard one! Daniel Craig, I'm weird.
Senioritis: I think Daniel Craig is an excellent Bond; however, my favorite Craig film is still Layer Cake.

Senioritis: Any shoutouts before we let you go Candice?
Drum Chick Designs: My husband Dave for letting me work, and my mom for being my biggest fan and critic.

We'd like to thank Candice for giving us a glimpse into the world of Drum Chick Designs, keep rockin!

Featured Artists :: 2.10.10 - 6.09.10

Hello senioritis blog reader!
Now you know how to greet people in English!

This week we're shaking things up a bit. A wise man once said:

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you
could miss it.

Well, we figured it was time for us to stop and take a look around so this week we give you a quick stroll down memory lane:

2.10: Skribbly Kids
2.17: Heather King Photography
2.24: Digicute
3.3: Jewelry by Tara
3.10: WingAndWillow
3.17: Echoes of Stars' Designs
3.24: Handmade by Anne Potter
3.31: Himawari Designs
4.7: Mich20
4.14: Authentic Arts
4.21: RobinsFlight
4.28: Filigree Photos
5.5: PeacockLane
5.12: Samantha Nowak Illustrations
5.19: jessiemacCreations
5.26: Emelia Jane Photography
6.2: A Little Stranger
6.9: Pause Designs

We would like to say thanks to all artists that have been featured; we and our readers appreciate you taking the time to share some info with us.

We will be back next week with the first in a long line of new featured artists. In our ongoing quest to keep things fun and fresh we're mixing things up with some new questions so be sure to check back .

And now back to your regularly scheduled program...

Renegade

This weekend the three of us over at Senioritis braved the heat and headed out to the 6th Annual Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn. McCarren Park in Williamsburg was chock full of etsy artists as well as other crafters from all over the country. We came across some fantastically creative designers, screen printers, clothiers, photographers, and jewelers, and even made a few purchases. Check out the super crazy neon t-shirt I scored from the great folks over at SEIBEI.




One of the neatest things about this fair, unlike most craft fairs I've attended, was the D-I-Y vibe. Jill made her own canvas tote, using some paint and these great nature-themed stencils. I (sticking with the neon theme) opted for the pre-made Etsy tote pictured below, featuring a shout out to etsy's newest office - in Germany!



The Fair provided a terrific way to check out what some of the most innovative artists across the country are creating this summer. If you missed it this time around, be sure to check out the Fair's website here to see when you can catch it next. And for those non-New Yorkers out there, the Fair also hits Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago, so go try to sell your wares, make some friends, and have a blast with your fellow crafters!

Happy Sunday!

Featured Artist :: jessiemacCreations

This week's featured artist is jessiemacCreations!

jessiemacCreations - Specializing in Whimsical Paper Goodies & More.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
jessiemacCreations: Jessica Allen, South Jersey.
Senioritis: Hello Jessica!

Senioritis: Can you please tell us a little about yourself?
jessiemacCreations: I have been scrapbooking since my daughter was born 12 years ago. I love working with paper goods and letting the creativity flow! Recently I recruited my husband into the paper goodies business and we now work together making paper treats for all occasions! This is our second business venture together; our first is a passion all it's own....We do custom aquariums full time and paper fun part time.
Senioritis: Wow, that's awesome that you guys get to work together in 2 different businesses that you are so passionate about; that's pretty rare in today's society. We had a chance to check out your custom aquariums site, very cool work. Is your daughter a crafter or does she prefer the fish?

Senioritis: How would you describe your style?
jessiemacCreations: Shabby Chic, Nautical, Nostalgic, Whimsical.
Senioritis: That sounds good to us!

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite color Jessica?
jessiemacCreations: Blue.



Senioritis: Are your a righty or a lefty?
jessiemacCreations: Righty.
Senioritis: Hmm...another righty. Is your husband or daughter a lefty by any chance?

Senioritis: Jessica, do you have a favorite quote?
jessiemacCreations: "You're Never Too Late to be What You Might Have Been" - George Eliot
Senioritis: Wow, awesome quote; great words to remember.



Senioritis: If you could have lunch with someone famous, past or present, who would it be?
jessiemacCreations: John Lennon. Not only am I a fan but I'd also like to pick his brain about what it's like to transcend an entire genre and change how the world looks at something.
Senioritis: We would be very interested to hear what Lennon has to say as well.

Senioritis: What's your favorite cartoon, from now or when you were a kid?
jessiemacCreations: Spongebob (sad I know).
Senioritis: Hmm, maybe the interest in Spongebob stems from your passion for aqauriums; Patrick makes me laugh ;)



Senioritis: Jessica, where do you see yourself and your business in 10 years?
jessiemacCreations: Booming! We are in the infancy stages of our second business and we feel that we already have a steady following. If we continue to enrich past experiences and tap into our inner whimsy, we will be well on our way to great success.
Senioritis: Awesome! That's great that you and your husband have the opportunity to apply lessons learned from your first business to your handmade business. It's great to hear that you have already developed a following as well ;)



Senioritis: Are there any websites you'd like to share with us?
jessiemacCreations: Etsy shop
Our new blog
Our facebook fan page
twitter


Thanks for giving us a glimpse into the world of jessiemacCreations Jessica! We think it's awesome that you have not one but two family businesses; keep up the great work!

Friday Finds 5.14.10

Well, after a brief hiatus, welcome back to Friday Finds. I was dusting off my vinyl collection today when I had a bit of an A-Ha moment (not the Take On Me guys). I said to myself, self, let's see what vinyl we can find from our friends on Etsy. Here's a few of my favorites, hope you enjoy ;)

vmgceramics

To see more of vmgceramic's work please check out her Etsy shop.










superpao



BananaFairy59

To see more of BananaFairy59's work swing by her Etsy shop.









senioritis

If there was a Famous Senior that we would want to immortalize in vinyl it would definitely be this dude, Albert Einstein we salute you. To see more of our tributes please visit our Etsy shop.






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