Friday (Halloween) Fantasy Feature: Lady in the Tower

The first word that came to our minds when we viewed Lady in the Tower's shop was, "wow!" Vivian makes beautiful Venetian masks and ornaments. What we love about her work is its incredible detail and romancic personailty. She sells her masks, to be both worn and used as decoration, at a variety of prices.


We proudly present Lady in the Tower as this Halloween's Friday Fantasy Feature!


Name: Vivian Hutcheson


Etsy Shop: ladyinthetower (www.ladyinthetower.etsy.com)

What do you do? I make masks, mostly in the Venetian tradition

Where do you get your inspiration for your work? Anywhere and everywhere! I use mostly salvaged materials and they will often lead me into a design, as will the particular shape of a form. Ideas come from all over, and I don’t always consciously know how they reach a piece.

Do you have any pieces that are inspired by fantasy? Or are reminiscent of fantasy? Most of mine are. Masks are all about some sort of fantasy. Glamour, magic, disguises, they are all involved.

How did you become involved in your work? I made my first clay mask when I was six. I got back into it, for a while, about 20 years ago but didn’t have regular acess to clay or a kiln so I moved on to other things. I learned how to gild for my day job (custom picture framer) and got to handle some actual Venetian masks. I started making my own from there and have never looked back!

What made you start selling your creations? I started selling to friends and friends of friends in 2002 and did my first shows in 2003.

What is your favorite item that you make? I love them all! The gem encrusted ones are a design of mine that I just adore. I haven’t been able to bring myself to part with the first two I did of that line, I just love them so much!

Which fantasy creature is your favorite: fairy, dragon, or vampire? Dragons, although my first attempt at a dragon form didn’t work that well. I’ll get back to it eventually.

Check out Lady in the Tower on...

Etsy Shop: www.ladyinthetower.etsy.com


Website: http://www.artmasks.ca/


Blog: http://www.greencottagegallery.wordpress.com/


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Ladyinthetower/134581169676?ref=nf


Happy Halloween!

Angie and Sarah

La SuaVoce Designs

Friday Fantasy Feature: Rockin Mama Baby Gear

Rockin Mama's Baby Gear is adorable, unqiue, and truly has attitude. She sells baby booties, diaper bags, burp cloths and other items for babies and moms. What makes Rockin Mama so unique is her syle. "Rockin" pretty much says it all...

We chose Rockin Mama for this week's Friday Fantasy Feature because of the Halloween pieces she sells. Check out her Halloween booties. Many of her other items incorporate fun skull patterns.

Baby Blankie

Name: Celestial Doble

Etsy Shop: Rockin Mama Baby Gear

What do you do? My main profession is bookkeeping. My Etsy site started as a hobby, but is gradually becoming a second business of mine. I make handmade baby gear with Punk and Tattoo style fabrics.

Where do you get your inspiration for your work? My inspiration comes from my personality. I love Punk Rock and Tattoos, and I like to wear & show my personal style in my everyday accessories.

Do you have any pieces that are inspired by fantasy? Or are reminiscent of fantasy? I love goth, tattoo and fantasy inspired things. I try to show that in my items whenever possible. My skull booties are reminiscent of fantasy.

How did you become involved in your work? I have been sewing since I was 6. I have always made little things here and there. My sister gave me the idea when she asked me to make her a diaper bag for her because she said diaper bags in the stores were blah & boring. I remembered when my kids were babies it was also hard for me to find something I really liked.

What made you start selling your creations? After my sister asked me to make her a bag I started talking about the idea of making punk & tattoo style baby gear and I ran into so many other moms who loved the idea. So I started making designs & creating ideas immediately. I met the girl who owns boojiboo here on Etsy at the Harvest Festival here in Las Vegas. She told me about the Etsy community and how easy it was to sell here. I signed up as soon as I got home!

What is your favorite item that you make? Definitely the booties. They are just so small & adorable! I just keep staring at them after I finish a pair.

Which fantasy creature is your favorite: fairy, dragon, or vampire? I love fairies. My grandmother used to tell me that fairies helped her plant her garden. She had all kinds of fairy stories to tell. I even have two large Fairies tattooed on my left arm.

Check out Rockin Mama On:

Website: www.rockinmamabg.etsy.com

Blog: http://rockinmamababygear.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rockinmamababygear

Twitter: http://twitter.com/rockinmamabg

Happy October!

Angie & Sarah

La SuaVoce Designs

The Five Senses of Autumn

"Autumn is beautiful," I thought one morning as I was walking along the winding sidewalk towards my 8:00 am class, English 211. A little cottage-like residence hall stood to my right. It was shaded by a gorgeous forest of turning leaves. The air was fresh. The grass was shinning golden in the sunrise. So first I thought of autumn. And then I thought of Etsy...

I was inspired by the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and feelings of fall to search for items sold by Etsy artists whose pieces encapsulate the "five senses of autumn."

Sight

Fall is filled with bright oranges and reds, but, as the days shorten and cloudy skies become the norm, it also has an underlying grey tone. This photograph, taken by Etsy artist flariat captures the brightness and soft greys of autumn.

Sound

The sounds of fall are abundant: the crunching of leaves underfoot, the cries of geese flying south, or the wind blowing through the tress. This print by Colliebox reminds me of the sound of a fall breeze (and also of me and my twin sister! ).

Smell

Spices, apples, burning leaves. The smells of autumn are rich and magical, like this "Spellbound Woods" body butter by solsticescents . This body butter is "a magical blend of alluring amber, sandalwood, vanilla, cedarwood and just a hit of floral." I wish every fall day smelled like this!

Feel

Fall gives me the excuse to wear my scarves again! The feeling of fall is soft, warm, and cozy. This "Funky Autumn Scarf" by Ellita captures these feelings. It is made from synthetic yarn, so it is soft and light.

Taste

No doubt my favorite sense. The coffee shops and bakeries stock up on pumpkin lattes and pumpkin donuts as fall approaches, but coconut reminds me of fall, too. These absolutely delicious toastsed coconut marshmallows made by haveitconfections remind me of a night out with friends roasting marshmallows by the fire.

Please check out the other great work these Etsy artists do. And enjoy this autumn!

Angie

La SuaVoce Designs

Halloween is Coming

Vampiro Passione Headband

I spent the last half hour updating La SuaVoce's Etsy shop for Halloween. We have a selection of Halloween pieces, from vampires to Harry Potter to fairies. It's the first time we've made so many pieces for a specific holday or event, and we are hoping for some success!

On a side note, I was inclined to make something Twilight inspired for Halloween, but my sister has strikely forbidden me from doing this (she's is a serious Twilight hater). So in case you have an addiction to Twilight (like me) check out our vampire-inpsired pieces. While I can't say they are directly inspired by Twlight, they certainly remind me of a certain vampire book...

Blood Red Vampire Inpsired Earrings

Happy (almost) Halloween!

Sarah

La SuaVoce Designs

http://suavoce.etsy.com/

20% of Profits to Breast Cancer Research Fund This October!

In honor of Breast Cancer Awarness Month, La SuaVoce (http://suavoce.etsy.com/) is giving 20% of our profits this month to the Breast Cancer Research Fund. Every month we give to a new charity, so keep your eyes open!

For all those who have experienced breast cancer in some way: You deserve every bit of respect, and we hope 20% helps in some small way.

Sarah

La SuaVoce Designs

Craft Splurge!

Blick Art Supplies has to be one of the most irresistable places (right up there with Joann Fabrics and Michael's)! This week, bogged down with too much work and too much calculus (not to mention whatever was happening at homecoming), I found the inspiration to start up pen and ink with watercolors again. I did a bit of illustration work (a VERY little bit) in high school with pen and ink, and I've sort of brought it back with the new backgrounds for La SuaVoce's shop.

So $50 worth of materials later (that's a lot for a college student by the way), I'm looking at creating some greeting cards and illustrations...and just go crazy! :)

Happy Weekend!

Sarah

La SuaVoce Designs

Friday Fantasy Feature: Hightower Botanicals

We stumbled across Hightower Botanicals on the Etsy forums, and it wasn't hard to be drawn in by the quality and details in the jewelry. Her pieces are truly unique...and stunning. We are die-hard fans of sterling silver. Silver is a splendid style for the autumn and winter months. Though her pieces are not directly related to fantasy, we felt that her pieces were reminicent of woodland faires, elves, and other mysterious creatures...

Hightower Botanicals makes rings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets, all made with amazing attention to detail.


What do you do? By day I work as an artist assistant in a large studio. I make allot of molds and help fabricate and cast sculptures. By night and on the weekends I make jewelry!
Where do you get your inspiration for your work? I love plants. Especially herbs. Herbal teas and medicinal uses. And I love stones.

Do you have any pieces that are inspired by fantasy? Or are reminiscent of fantasy? I like reading about the folklore behind plants. Allot of cultures used and use herbs for magic potions. In ancient Greece, their was a legend about a beast called the Basilisk. It was described it as dragon like creature with the head of a rooster, body of a serpent, and the wings of a bat. If one looked at a Basilisk in the eyes, they would instantly die. Basil leaves were considered the best cure for a Basilisk bite. As you can see, the name Basil was in the Basilisk. Many of today's names for herbs are derived from traditional uses in medicine. Quite often this mixed in with folklore and sometimes fantasy. A also like to read about the metaphysical properties of stones and the power that they are said to hold.

How did you become involved in your work? I have always made things with my hands. I went to art school for painting. During my senior year I took a foundry class and learned how to cast bronze. I fell in love with the process. After graduation I worked in several bronze foundries in Brooklyn and Queens. I learned how to make various types of molds and learned allot about metal work, casting and chasing wax and metal castings. (Chasing is cleaning up seams and imperfections in a casting.)I've never had any formal jewelry training but my skills as a mold maker and metal worker transferred over to jewelry nicely. A few years ago my friend Robin took me under her wing and taught me how to make jewelry. She taught me so much. And I am still learning new things all the time.

What made you start selling your creations? I guess I've just always been prone to selling handmade creations. In junior high I made lots of polymer clay/ Fimo beads! I made bracelets and necklaces out of them and sold them on the school bus after school. I didn't sell many but receiving money for my creations was an incredible feeling. Before I learned how to solder I made jewelry with stone beads and sold them at Bittersweets when Robin had a store in Brooklyn. After graduating to cast metal jewelry, I began to sell that at her store and it has evolved into Hightower Botanicals on Etsy.

What is your favorite item that you make? My new rosemary hoops are my favorite at the moment! I have so many favorites that they change allot.

Which fantasy creature is your favorite: fairy, dragon, or vampire? H. P. Lovecrafts's Cthulhu is one. I am drawn to the more evil, demon-like creatures!

Visit Hightower Botanicals at her Etsy shop: http://hightowerbotanicals.etsy.com/

Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6124496

Blog: http://hightowerbotanicals.blogspot.com/

Other: Check out this site for more fantasy-inspired silver jewerly! http://www.bittersweetsny.com/


Happy creating!
Sarah and Angie

Picnik's New Spooky Features

Picnik.com has come out with some really great new Halloween features. Picnik is the site we use to edit all our photos. It's user-friendly and free. Check out the new spooky features at picnik.com and use them for your shop...

...Or not!

Happy Halloween!

Sarah and Angie

Friday Fantasy Feature: Jared in Kansas Fine Art Photography

Although Jared's photos are not explicitly fantasy, several of his pieces evoke such a beautiful, ethereal feel that we decided to feature his work for our Friday Fantasy Feature series.

Name: Jared May

What do you do? I am a math teacher in my non-Etsy life, a husband, and father of three wonderful boys.

The piece reminds us of the Lord of the Rings.

Where do you get your inspiration for your work? I am inspired by the beauty of the natural world, and I attempt to capture that in my photographs.
Do you have any pieces that are inspired by fantasy? Or are reminiscent of fantasy? That's tough to answer. I try to leave room for interpretation in my photographs, so I hope that some of my pieces allow people to see that if that's where their imagination takes them, but it's hard to know what other people see. I'd be interested to know.


How did you become involved in your work? I started taking pictures when I was eight - my mom got me started young.

What made you start selling your creations? My wife pointed Etsy out to me, and I figured it was worth a shot. I listed five prints just to see what would happen, and it worked out.


What is your favorite item that you make? My favorites are actually my hand drawn colored pencil ACEOs, which aren't actually in the shop at the moment. I like to do different interpretations of some of my photographs in different colors and moods. They're fun to make.

We're waiting for the unicorn to appear...

Which fantasy creature is your favorite: fairy, dragon, or vampire? I'd have to go with fairies. To me, they represent magic and mystery and beauty, all things I also associate with the natural world.

Check out Jared KS on:

Etsy Shop: Jared in Kansas Fine Art Photography
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5030000

Website: jaredks.etsy.com

Blog: jaredks.blogspot.com

Twitter: JaredKS

Other: flickr.com/photos/jaredks


Angie & Sarah

La SuaVoce Designs