Hey friends:
I'm being featured on this blog today! Check out my interview.
http://www.catswire.blogspot.de/2014/01/interview-with-artist-jen-from-jens.html
Monday, January 13, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Friday's Featured Artisan - hARTSenseDesign
Today's featured artisan is Jelena from hARTSenseDesign (http://www.zibbet.com/hARTSenseDesign). She makes beautiful jewelry in her South Dakota home.
1. How did you get started on Zibbet?
A. I joined Zibbet in late October 2013, after I decided to close my long running shop (since Spring 2009) on another e-commerce venue due to certain changes at that venue I felt I couldn't support. I heard about Zibbet from other sellers who felt that this site had much to offer in terms of integrity of vision and quality of customer service. For the first couple of months, I only had 1 item in my Zibbet shop, practically serving as a "place holder" while I was getting ready to migrate my other items. I only filled my shop at the end of December, and am currently working on creating a unified branding across the sites I sell on.
2. I love your jewelry. How did you start making it?
A. By education, I am a textile designer and used to do quite a bit of fine art (mostly acrylics on canvas) and painting on silk wearables. After I moved to an area where I couldn't find anyone to do steam color setting on my silk pieces, and after seeing that the only art supplies shop in town didn't carry much in the way of stretched canvas, I decided to switch to a more "portable" craft. I apprenticed with a local jeweler for a couple of years, and then set out making my wire wrapped, hand knotted and strung pieces. Metal stamping and wire knitting came later, when I wanted to expand my skills.
3. Who are your favorite suppliers?
I love shopping with Rio Grande. Their products are high quality, customer service is excellent, and they have a program where I can send in my precious metal scrap for refining and receive store credit for the value of scrap I sent. Other suppliers I shop occasionally include Nina Designs, a pearl supplier from New Jersey whose family owns a pearl farm in China, and a small gemstone supplier from Israel.
4. You have such beautiful pictures. What is your secret?
A. My secret is my husband. He is my photographer. I don't know much about photography, but he does. He even built his own light box to help with photographing my items. Of course, I often do "post-production" on his photos by editing them with the help of photo editing software.
5. Do you take custom orders?
A. I used to do a lot of custom orders in the first 4 years of selling online. Currently, I am not accepting any custom orders because we moved recently, and our house - including the area I use for my studio - is still in quite a bit of disarray as we are finishing interior improvements. Once we are all settled in, I will probably go back to offering my customers an option to order custom pieces.
6. Do you sell outside of Zibbet? If so, Where?
A. Yes. I have two other shops online. One is on Square Market https://squareup.com/market/hart-sense-design where I offer higher end, mostly one-of-a-kind jewelry and a few wedding hair accessories, and the other one is on Goodsmiths www.goodsmiths.com/hart-sense-design where I sell discounted and discontinued jewelry styles, and am planning to soon add a line of hand knitted accessories. I also sell locally on consignment, and currently have a few bracelets at The Gift Shop @ The Dahl Arts Center here in Rapid City, SD.
7. Any sales coming up?
A. I only have a basic account here on Zibbet, so cannot offer sales or coupons directly through my shop. However, if your readers are interested in one (or more) of my pieces, they can enter code JENSTANGLED in a message to me when they check out, and I will refund them 10% of the purchased item(s) price through PayPal.
8. Any last words for the reading audience?
A. One thing I have learned after all these years making and selling jewelry online, at craft shows, and on consignment is that the crafter needs to believe in him/herself and his/her product. There will be a lot of mean spirited people and/or detractors one will encounter on this road, but one must not let that deter him/her from following his/her passion. Also, sticking to one's principles in everything one does is important, and it will become even more so in the future because integrity in the business world is rapidly declining.
Last but not least, those who want to know me on a more personal level, including the way I am decorating my new house, the food I cook, and places I visit can follow me on my personal blog at http://hartsd.wordpress.com or they can follow both me and my business on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+HartSD (personal page)
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/101757742323024625131 (business page)
Thank you so much, Jelena. If you have any questions, or want to see more of hARTSenseDesign, please feel free to stop by her shop!
1. How did you get started on Zibbet?
A. I joined Zibbet in late October 2013, after I decided to close my long running shop (since Spring 2009) on another e-commerce venue due to certain changes at that venue I felt I couldn't support. I heard about Zibbet from other sellers who felt that this site had much to offer in terms of integrity of vision and quality of customer service. For the first couple of months, I only had 1 item in my Zibbet shop, practically serving as a "place holder" while I was getting ready to migrate my other items. I only filled my shop at the end of December, and am currently working on creating a unified branding across the sites I sell on.
2. I love your jewelry. How did you start making it?
A. By education, I am a textile designer and used to do quite a bit of fine art (mostly acrylics on canvas) and painting on silk wearables. After I moved to an area where I couldn't find anyone to do steam color setting on my silk pieces, and after seeing that the only art supplies shop in town didn't carry much in the way of stretched canvas, I decided to switch to a more "portable" craft. I apprenticed with a local jeweler for a couple of years, and then set out making my wire wrapped, hand knotted and strung pieces. Metal stamping and wire knitting came later, when I wanted to expand my skills.
3. Who are your favorite suppliers?
I love shopping with Rio Grande. Their products are high quality, customer service is excellent, and they have a program where I can send in my precious metal scrap for refining and receive store credit for the value of scrap I sent. Other suppliers I shop occasionally include Nina Designs, a pearl supplier from New Jersey whose family owns a pearl farm in China, and a small gemstone supplier from Israel.
4. You have such beautiful pictures. What is your secret?
A. My secret is my husband. He is my photographer. I don't know much about photography, but he does. He even built his own light box to help with photographing my items. Of course, I often do "post-production" on his photos by editing them with the help of photo editing software.
5. Do you take custom orders?
A. I used to do a lot of custom orders in the first 4 years of selling online. Currently, I am not accepting any custom orders because we moved recently, and our house - including the area I use for my studio - is still in quite a bit of disarray as we are finishing interior improvements. Once we are all settled in, I will probably go back to offering my customers an option to order custom pieces.
6. Do you sell outside of Zibbet? If so, Where?
A. Yes. I have two other shops online. One is on Square Market https://squareup.com/market/hart-sense-design where I offer higher end, mostly one-of-a-kind jewelry and a few wedding hair accessories, and the other one is on Goodsmiths www.goodsmiths.com/hart-sense-design where I sell discounted and discontinued jewelry styles, and am planning to soon add a line of hand knitted accessories. I also sell locally on consignment, and currently have a few bracelets at The Gift Shop @ The Dahl Arts Center here in Rapid City, SD.
7. Any sales coming up?
A. I only have a basic account here on Zibbet, so cannot offer sales or coupons directly through my shop. However, if your readers are interested in one (or more) of my pieces, they can enter code JENSTANGLED in a message to me when they check out, and I will refund them 10% of the purchased item(s) price through PayPal.
8. Any last words for the reading audience?
A. One thing I have learned after all these years making and selling jewelry online, at craft shows, and on consignment is that the crafter needs to believe in him/herself and his/her product. There will be a lot of mean spirited people and/or detractors one will encounter on this road, but one must not let that deter him/her from following his/her passion. Also, sticking to one's principles in everything one does is important, and it will become even more so in the future because integrity in the business world is rapidly declining.
Last but not least, those who want to know me on a more personal level, including the way I am decorating my new house, the food I cook, and places I visit can follow me on my personal blog at http://hartsd.wordpress.com or they can follow both me and my business on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+HartSD (personal page)
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/101757742323024625131 (business page)
Thank you so much, Jelena. If you have any questions, or want to see more of hARTSenseDesign, please feel free to stop by her shop!
Monday, January 6, 2014
Brand New Monday
Happy Monday, friends! Hope you all had a great weekend and a good start to the week. Schools in my area were closed due to freezing cold temps, and they will be closed again tomorrow. No dance for 2 days - what's a mom to do?
How about shop for new items?
As a crocheter, I can appreciate the time and love that goes into a scarf like this. Marie does a great job with the different colors. http://www.zibbet.com/MarieHolmanDesigns/artwork?artworkId=1896007
I love the smell of Apple Cinnamon. Don't know why - I just makes me feel like I'm home. Buy these soy wax melts from Brumalia Candles. http://www.zibbet.com/brumaliacandles/artwork?artworkId=2103889
These handmade cards are to die for! I love Beth's creativity! She also does Valentine's Day cards and Birthday cards. http://www.zibbet.com/BethiesCards/artwork?artworkId=2103061
I LOVE, and I do mean, LOVE, flour sack towels. They are the easiest to care for, they dry quickly and they dry dishes really well. Not that I would use these to dry dishes. These are just gorgeous! http://www.zibbet.com/DustysLittleSewingRoom/artwork?artworkId=2101571
Now, I normally don't promote vintage, but in this case, I couldn't resist. Aren't these lighthouse pins just gorgeous? http://www.zibbet.com/DollHerUp/artwork?artworkId=2104052
Until next time, my friends. Stay warm!
How about shop for new items?
As a crocheter, I can appreciate the time and love that goes into a scarf like this. Marie does a great job with the different colors. http://www.zibbet.com/MarieHolmanDesigns/artwork?artworkId=1896007
I love the smell of Apple Cinnamon. Don't know why - I just makes me feel like I'm home. Buy these soy wax melts from Brumalia Candles. http://www.zibbet.com/brumaliacandles/artwork?artworkId=2103889
These handmade cards are to die for! I love Beth's creativity! She also does Valentine's Day cards and Birthday cards. http://www.zibbet.com/BethiesCards/artwork?artworkId=2103061
I LOVE, and I do mean, LOVE, flour sack towels. They are the easiest to care for, they dry quickly and they dry dishes really well. Not that I would use these to dry dishes. These are just gorgeous! http://www.zibbet.com/DustysLittleSewingRoom/artwork?artworkId=2101571
Now, I normally don't promote vintage, but in this case, I couldn't resist. Aren't these lighthouse pins just gorgeous? http://www.zibbet.com/DollHerUp/artwork?artworkId=2104052
Until next time, my friends. Stay warm!
Saturday, January 4, 2014
And the cold sets in
The next couple days will be some of the coldest in MN history. Yesterday, the governor cancelled classes statewide scheduled for Monday. The last time that happened when I was high school (I will refrain from mentioning the year because it will only make me feel older).
So, I hope all my friends stay warm and do not venture outside unless it is an absolute emergency. I will only go to work if my car starts. Which it probably will because I just got a new battery put in. Silly me.
Tomorrow I get to watch my beloved Packers go against the 49ers. Go Pack!
So, I hope all my friends stay warm and do not venture outside unless it is an absolute emergency. I will only go to work if my car starts. Which it probably will because I just got a new battery put in. Silly me.
Tomorrow I get to watch my beloved Packers go against the 49ers. Go Pack!
Friday, January 3, 2014
Friday's Featured Artisan - Stitch 1 Stitch 2
Today's featured Zibbet artisan is Brenda at Stitch 1 Stitch 2 (http://www.zibbet.com/stitch1stitch2). She sells beautiful knit and sewn items in her Zibbet shop.
How did you get started on Zibbet?
I started on Zibbet about a year ago. Originally I had a shop on Etsy, and sold a few items, but wasn't making enough money to justify all the fees. I liked Zibbet, because I could set up shop and list for free. I recently upgraded to premium seller because I like Zibbet and decided to make the commitment to stay.
You knit and sew. How do you balance the needs of these different crafting genres?
I go with the flow. Whatever happens to pique my interest at the moment is usually what I end up working on. Currently I'm working more with the sewing machine because I have the time right now to "hide" (as my husband says) in my sewing area, but I also have a few knitting projects in progress that I can work on when we're watching TV or traveling somewhere.
I have to ask this - how big is your fabric stash and how big is your yarn stash?
If you were to ask my husband he would tell you they're both out of control. I used to do a lot of sewing for my kids, so I would buy 3 yards of some cute fabric and decide later what to do with it. Often my kids would outgrow the fabric before I could use it, so over the last couple years I've tried to use up what was left and now I try to only buy what I think I'll use; and that being said, I have to admit to buying 25 yards of denim last year because it was cheap and I have a pretty decent stash of bottom-weight fabrics as I've become obsessed with sewing my own pants.
My yarn stash is pretty much the same. I try to only buy what I'm going to use, but sometimes there's that color or texture that just begs me to buy it. I have a good mix of nice yarns and cheap yarns. If I'm designing something or trying a new technique I'll use the cheap yarns to get a feel for it first. My yarn stash isn't quite as big as my fabric stash, I can fit all of my yarns into a large plastic bin, where my fabrics have pretty much taken over my little sewing corner in the basement.
Do you have a favorite fabric or yarn?
As far as fabric goes, anything that's colorful and eye catching. Thinking about my stash, I guess I work a lot with cotton blends or poly-cotton blends. A favorite yarn, if I'm making something for myself I really like Deborah Norville Everyday yarns. I made a sweater for myself out of her yarn a few years ago and it's my favorite sweater.
I love your Make-up/Tablet bag! Where did you find the inspiration for it?
My daughter. She's much more trendy than I am. I run a lot of my fabric choices by her. I found that fabric on eBay and she fell in love with it. I made her a tote bag using a mix of recycled jeans and that fabric; which was a huge hit among her friends and I had just enough left over for the make-up bag.
Do you take custom orders?
I do, but due to the nature of my real job, I'm only able to take custom orders between November and March. My real job has me to busy to even think about crafting the rest of the year.
Do you sell outside of Zibbet? If so, Where?
Right now Zibbet is the only place I sell. However If someone contacted me through Facebook or another venue, I would be willing to work with them.
Any sales coming up?
Not at the moment. I price my items at already affordable prices.
Any last words for the reading audience?
I love what I do, and I do it mostly as a stress reliever. Although I know I may never make enough money selling my products to support my family, if I can make enough to support my hobby, I'm good with that.
Thank you, Brenda, for taking the time to answer my questions. Best of luck to you!
If you would like to be a featured artisan, please contact me.
How did you get started on Zibbet?
I started on Zibbet about a year ago. Originally I had a shop on Etsy, and sold a few items, but wasn't making enough money to justify all the fees. I liked Zibbet, because I could set up shop and list for free. I recently upgraded to premium seller because I like Zibbet and decided to make the commitment to stay.
You knit and sew. How do you balance the needs of these different crafting genres?
I go with the flow. Whatever happens to pique my interest at the moment is usually what I end up working on. Currently I'm working more with the sewing machine because I have the time right now to "hide" (as my husband says) in my sewing area, but I also have a few knitting projects in progress that I can work on when we're watching TV or traveling somewhere.
I have to ask this - how big is your fabric stash and how big is your yarn stash?
If you were to ask my husband he would tell you they're both out of control. I used to do a lot of sewing for my kids, so I would buy 3 yards of some cute fabric and decide later what to do with it. Often my kids would outgrow the fabric before I could use it, so over the last couple years I've tried to use up what was left and now I try to only buy what I think I'll use; and that being said, I have to admit to buying 25 yards of denim last year because it was cheap and I have a pretty decent stash of bottom-weight fabrics as I've become obsessed with sewing my own pants.
My yarn stash is pretty much the same. I try to only buy what I'm going to use, but sometimes there's that color or texture that just begs me to buy it. I have a good mix of nice yarns and cheap yarns. If I'm designing something or trying a new technique I'll use the cheap yarns to get a feel for it first. My yarn stash isn't quite as big as my fabric stash, I can fit all of my yarns into a large plastic bin, where my fabrics have pretty much taken over my little sewing corner in the basement.
Do you have a favorite fabric or yarn?
As far as fabric goes, anything that's colorful and eye catching. Thinking about my stash, I guess I work a lot with cotton blends or poly-cotton blends. A favorite yarn, if I'm making something for myself I really like Deborah Norville Everyday yarns. I made a sweater for myself out of her yarn a few years ago and it's my favorite sweater.
I love your Make-up/Tablet bag! Where did you find the inspiration for it?
My daughter. She's much more trendy than I am. I run a lot of my fabric choices by her. I found that fabric on eBay and she fell in love with it. I made her a tote bag using a mix of recycled jeans and that fabric; which was a huge hit among her friends and I had just enough left over for the make-up bag.
Do you take custom orders?
I do, but due to the nature of my real job, I'm only able to take custom orders between November and March. My real job has me to busy to even think about crafting the rest of the year.
Do you sell outside of Zibbet? If so, Where?
Right now Zibbet is the only place I sell. However If someone contacted me through Facebook or another venue, I would be willing to work with them.
Any sales coming up?
Not at the moment. I price my items at already affordable prices.
Any last words for the reading audience?
I love what I do, and I do it mostly as a stress reliever. Although I know I may never make enough money selling my products to support my family, if I can make enough to support my hobby, I'm good with that.
Thank you, Brenda, for taking the time to answer my questions. Best of luck to you!
If you would like to be a featured artisan, please contact me.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Thrifty Thursday
I scour Zibbet for you to find sales on handmade items. Valentine's Day is coming up, so buy now and ensure your gift will arrive before the most romantic day of the year.
If your sweetheart loves to brew in the kitchen, this is the perfect gift for her. On sale for $27.00 at Sleepy Hollow Prims (http://www.zibbet.com/SleepyHollowPrims). The entire shop is having a 10% off sale.
This beautiful rosary bracelet is elegant. 25% off at Bell Mountain Jewelry (http://www.zibbet.com/BellMountainJewelry). This shop is also offering free US shipping.
Looking to start stocking up on holiday wrap for next year? Try a reusable fabric bag. Hugs and Holidays is having a 25% off sale on all holiday products. (http://www.zibbet.com/HugsandHolidays)
If your sweetheart loves to brew in the kitchen, this is the perfect gift for her. On sale for $27.00 at Sleepy Hollow Prims (http://www.zibbet.com/SleepyHollowPrims). The entire shop is having a 10% off sale.
This beautiful rosary bracelet is elegant. 25% off at Bell Mountain Jewelry (http://www.zibbet.com/BellMountainJewelry). This shop is also offering free US shipping.
Looking to start stocking up on holiday wrap for next year? Try a reusable fabric bag. Hugs and Holidays is having a 25% off sale on all holiday products. (http://www.zibbet.com/HugsandHolidays)
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
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