Sunday, July 26, 2009

July Team Challenge

The theme for the July Team Challenge is SPARKLE!! Here are the entrants. FEST members log into the Yahoo Group & select polls from the left menu to cast your vote for this month's winner. The winning shop will be featured here on the FEST blog next month. Good luck!

1. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27135986
2. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27480168
3. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13226128
4. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27638136
5. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27699694
6. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27729006
7. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27779236
8. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28113106
9. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28137803

Winner of June Team Challenge

The June Team Challenge theme, in honor of the start of the season, was "Hurricane". Try making some hurricane inspired craft or art... not an easy task! Christina of Purplesmurple was up for it! Check out this amazing piece, The Trees Fell Down After the Storm, that won the challenge for her:

The hurricane had passed, but the storm left many memories of that fateful day. Trees had fallen, power lines were down, people were lost. Yet, beauty could still be seen in the most unusual places.

Original acrylic paintings like this aren't the only type of work you'll find in the Purplesmurple shop. Christina says she loves to paint ANYTHING! I particularly like this set of toasting glasses. They would make any occasion extra special!

But I've saved the best for last... Christina has an amazing talent for custom portraits! This has to be one of the most wonderful ways to capture a moment in time.

Christina enjoys custom work, not only through beautiful portraits like this, but also children's name art, family trees, personalized holiday ornaments and murals. See more of Purplesmurple talents on flickr, twitter, and her blog.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Interview with Fragiacomoglassart




Who are you?
I'm a stay at home mom and lifetime crafter/artist. I love being a mom and alot of the crafts I've learned to do and have done is because of being a stay at home mom. Learning to make things with the kids, needing to make things for the kids, scouting crafts, all those things have been a big part of my life. Without some type of art/craft anything, I think I'd go crazy!

What do you create?
Glass Art! Brightly colored beads, small sculptures of animals and deserts.

How did you get started?
When I was a little girl my grandfather would take me down here to florida and Disney. I would stare at the glass artists in awe. Years later we took the family to kentucky for a race, my daughter raced BMX. We didnt have anything to do one day and found out about the glass school there. We went and toured it and it rekindled that love for glass. About 5 more years later I discovered it was something I could do at home with the purchase of a kit! April 5, 2006 I lit my torch for the first time and have been doing it ever since!

What is unique about your products?
They are made by me! LOL Lots of bright colors, they always remind me of mexico! No special patterns just as many bright colors as I can get on them!! I love that!


What has been your biggest challenge in developing your business?
Advertising, I really dont like doing it and it takes so much work!

What is your favorite feature on Etsy?
Treasuries! I love them. I love how someone can take one thing of mine and put it in a treasury and then someone else take the same thing and it has a whole different feel. I love to go look through all the treasuries and see all the color choices and all the different handmade things! AWESOME!

What other interests do you have?
I have done alot of scrapbooking in the past. Its been a while now but with a new baby (9 months old) and a new grandbaby (3 weeks old) I'm determined to get back to it! I also like to work in the garden and lately have been painting brightly colored bird houses for the back yard.

Where in Florida do you live ?
I love florida! I grew up in massachusetts and couldnt' wait till I grew up so I could move here! I live in lake wales for now but would love to live closer to our daughter and son in lakeland. I love that there is NO snow and very little cold. I love love love the heat!!!


What are some other sites to find out more about you and your art?
Facebook and I have a fan page on face book for fragiacomo glass art,
My blog glassymom.blogspot.com and I also have a lot of pictures on beadartists.org but I haven't updated in a while there. There are TONS of pictures tho. I'm also on artfire as glassymom


What animal would you like to be for one day and why?
A cat! Cats always sleep and look so peaceful. When they wake up from their 18 hours of sleep they dont look tired or exhausted, they look rested. I want that.......for one day! or at least 10 more hours in my day!! LOL


What makes you laugh?
My husband and oldest son like to make me laugh till my stomach aches and I have to beg them to stop. Its usually about our old chihuahua and his loooong life of craziness!

Sue's beads, jewelry, sculptures, buttons and vesssels are the most beautiful glass art I have seen on etsy. You must go and see it to Ooooo and Ahhhhh!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Interview with Pamwares


Introduce yourself please.
i am pam. i have a marketing degree from USF and have been doing marketing for the last 15 years. i'm married with pets - no kids. i asked my husband out on first date because i don't like to wait around. i love mexican food. i am simple - it wasn't always this way. i like staying at home on the weekends relaxing and doing my own thing. i'm glad i found etsy and took the plunge to make my stuff and do my own thing at pamwares

What do you create?
Aprons mostly. i love to cook so I use aprons all the time. I thought they would be fun to make so I took a couple of sewing classes and started making them. And on the side I like to make jewelry. I mostly make it when I go camping. I spread out on the picnic table in the sun and create.



hollywood cobalt blue necklace

How did you get started?
i have always been creative and wanted to design stuff. my mom thought I would be a dept. store window designer when i was younger. i just see things, ideas i guess and i try to put them together. the aprons just came out of trying to have a creative outlet without breaking the bank. my day job is talking, typing and dealing with people. when i came home to make my aprons i am using my head and i have no one to justify anything too. it is me, the sewing machine, and the material. i don't even have to talk. not a huge talker.
What is unique about your products?
my uniqueness is the fabrics and the combination of them.


Garden Party Apron
What has been your biggest challenge in developing your business?
time. like everyone else i need more of it.
What is your favorite feature on Etsy?
i have a few...i like the forums, the storque and looking at what is selling.
What other interests do you have?
i have lots of pets...3 dogs, 2 cats and 2 birds...they keep me busy. my husband and the pets love to go camping. i also love my house. i have always wanted to have a house of my own and i finally do. i get to put all my design ideas to the test in my house. it is fun.
Where in Florida do you live?
i live in Gulfport - south st pete. we moved here 5 years ago from Key West. gulfport has key west character but i can afford the house. i do love key west - not going to lie about that. it took some time to get used to living there but once i did...it is a place like no other.
What are some other sites to find out more about you and your art?
i blog but i'm spotty at it. trying to get better.
i'm on flickr but spotty as well.
facebook - i'm on there all the time.
What was an embarrassing moment in your life?
Falling off my bike in key west because i had too much wine on christmas evening. it was sad!
Where would you go if you had a time machine?
A time machine would be awesome. i would go back to the time when king henry and all his craziness with Anne Boyle was happening. the truth is i would just love to dress in one of those beautiful gowns. speaking of outfits...i would also love to be a Las Vegas showgirl...again i love the outfit!
Choose a movie title to sum up your life’s story.
Sex and the City! a tv show and a movie - fabulous! i love the clothes, the friendship, the fighting, the sex and the romance!


Minnie Mouse Apron

I love her fabric combinations !

Friday, July 3, 2009

July Fest Team Giveaway!



It is that time again! Aren’t you excited!
The July Fest giveaway is sponsored this month by Sue of Fragiacomo Glass Art. Sue makes fabulous lamp work beads and has graciously decided to share some with our lucky blog readers.
As you can see she has a wonderful sense of play in her color choices. These beads would make a fabulous necklace for summer!

The giveaway is for a set of 5 lamp work beads wound on a 1/16 mandrel (small hole) and they measure aprox 15mm each.They are made with a spring green base and lots of bright exciting colors.

You can visit Sue in her Etsy Store to see more of her wonderfully happy work.http://www.fragiacomoglassart.etsy.com/


HOW TO ENTER:If you would like to enter to win these beautiful beads, just visit Fragiacomo Glass Art in her Etsy shop, or any of the Fest team members listed to the left on this page and find a favorite item you want others to know about.Tell us what you love about your favorite item in the comments section of this post & why it is perfect for summer. Remember to add your email address so we can contact you if you are the winner! Winner picked on 7/25/09!Simple and Easy!