Devonshire Time -- It's All About the Clock

 

24 inch Devonshire Large Wall Clock

 by Klocktime on Etsy.com

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this wall clock!  It would go so perfectly with my kitchen.

Angie

Wordless Wednesday Featuring Posh Dots

Would You Buy This?

CLICK ON PICTURE TO PURCHASE.

Take a look at this DARLING pillow! Would you buy it? Why or why not? I'll tell you what. If you have an Etsy shop, or another website, where you sell handmade items, and you purchase this pillow, I will feature something from YOUR shop! Easy as pie. Any takers?

Friday Feature No. 31 -- Featuring Nesta Home

I know, in some parts of the world it's already Saturday, and I haven't gotten to my Friday Feature yet! Well, I'm on California time, so I still have a few minutes before it's no longer Friday. I hope you will all forgive me for posting this so late!

After drawing three names and having to keep moving because of no email addresses, we have a winner from the Smile Moon feature. Congratulations to Helen, who won the pair of swords and the puzzle cube from Smile Moon! Thanks Jeffrey, for a great interview and giveaway! I'm so happy to see that more of you are following our blog! Woo hoo! I hope you noticed the "Holiday Photo Contest" in the next post down. I want to see your great photos!

Today, we are featuring Nesta Home, a shop on Etsy with some wonderfully eclectic finds for your little nest. Tandie is the owner of Nesta Home and was featured on Etsy's "Storque" in an article called "Quitting Your Day Job". So with that, let's get to know Tandie a little better.

TDB: Where did you get your start in "crafting"?
Tandie: I've always been involved in designing and making things... When I discovered Etsy I nurtured those ideas and brought more of them to life.

TDB: What is your favorite medium to use in your crafting?
Tandie: I love the camera. In college I wanted to go into film. It took my love of photography to a whole new level. The choreography of images, sound, and motion allowed for so many possibilities to tell a story.

TDB: What is your best-selling item?
Tandie: My Alone in the City Series Prints. They are inspired by the time in my life I lived in London. The experiences I had while living and working there make up a huge part of who I am. I think these pieces really connect to that.

TDB: What do you do aside from selling on Etsy?
Tandie: I don't do much outside of Etsy at the moment. I pick up a few side projects here and there but I’ve been lucky to of had some great opportunities selling on and off of Etsy.

TDB: If you suddenly came into a million tax-free dollars, what would you do with it?
Tandie: I know I should say 'Give it to charity' but... I'd love a house on the beach?! Who doesn't right?

TDB: What's the inspiration behind your work?
Tandie: A lot of my inspiration comes from my travels and from my studies. I studied Sociology, Art and Film Studies in college (I couldn’t make up my mind) and always was interested in different cultures.

TDB: Please share three random facts about yourself.
Tandie:

Here we go:
1) I spent almost 15 years of my life playing Volleyball. I actually know Misty May really well and competed against her a lot growing up. Our high schools competed against each other in the California State Volleyball Championships. (she won of course).
2) My college mascot was an Anteater. Zot Zot Zot! (that’s the sound and Anteater makes apparently)
3) My business name comes from Bob Marley’s middle name. Only close friends and family know this… Shhhhhh!!!

***************************************************************************

Well, that was fun! Now for some more fun. Tandie is giving away TWO 8x10 prints of your choice!

To Enter: Please visit Nesta Home and then come back here and commet on what your favorite item in Tandie's shop is, and why it's your favorite.

Only one comment per person please. Be SURE to leave a valid email address or another good way to get ahold of you.

Deadline to enter is Thursday, October 30th at Midnight PST. Giveaway is open worldwide.

Friday Feature No. 28 -- Featuring Michelle Brusegaard

Happy Friday! It's been a long week that has flown by! I know that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but my brain is becoming toddler-addled, due to having a toddler around who sometimes can run me ragged and make me forget things! :-)

Congratulations to Katherine B., who won the $50 gift certificate from Amazon.com! Congratulations to Michele, who won the $75 gift certificate from Red Ruby Rose.

I have to tell you, it was such an awesome thing to read all the wonderful comments about what you all are thankful for, or about someone who helped you out in some way. If you ever get frustrated with life, come back here and read the comments on the Amazon.com giveaway post! It will help you to be grateful and just feel super blessed!

Today, we are featuring Michelle Brusegaard, from Minneapolis. Michelle's shop has caught my eye several times, as I see her things in Etsy Gift Guides and treasuries alike. She is a very talented individual and I'm sure you will agree once you see her shop!

Let's get to know Michelle a little better.

TDB: What inspires you when it comes to crafting?
Michelle: I most frequently get inspired by new materials--a new paint medium, a new ink color, or a new pen. There's so many more possibilities with new tools and supplies! I spend a lot of time indoors at my computer, so when I do something simple like walk to the coffee shop (which is 3 blocks away...)I get a ton of new ideas just stepping back for a moment and looking at the foliage.

TDB: What is your favorite thing to create?
Michelle: This is an impossible question for me to answer. I am actively working on batik, screen-printing, oil painting, illustrating, card-making and photography. I tend to get tired of one and then switch to the other for a bit, which is most likely why I have taken up so many art forms. That said, I think I just realized what my favorite thing to do is: draw. Drawing is at the core of pretty much every creative thing I do, and it always sounds like fun to me.

TDB: What makes you smile?
Michelle: Right now? Last week my brother and sister-in-law found their cat that had been missing for 388 days, about a mile away from their house.

TDB: Who has been the greatest positive influence in your life, and why?
Michelle: I am just going to say "my family," as if they were one giant person. My grandmother introduced me to craftiness; my parents support it; and my husband has always encouraged me to apply for shows and keep at it. And my best friend Joj, who comes to all the craft shows as my booth buddy.

TDB: You're coming up on your 2 year anniversary on Etsy. What advice would you give to a new seller, that you wish someone would have told you back then?
Michelle:
1. List, list, re-list everyday, 2 or 3 times a day!
I'm sure you've heard it before, but I do believe it's the key to success! I once read a forum post where someone was recommending it--she compared it to purchasing an advertising slot on the etsy showcase, which costs $14/day. I'd purchased showcase spots before, and had gotten some new hearts, but not always a sale. Then I read about this re-listing business and thought I'd give it a try since it's only 20 cents, so maybe 60 cents a day on advertising, and my sales have gone way up since then.
2. Have a flickr account and a blog. It's a great way to share your work and a bit more about yourself.
3. Make things custom! People love something that's customized especially for them.
4. Be patient. It takes awhile to get the sales going. And while you're being patient, make new products and work on your techniques. Then when you do get busy, you'll have everything all figured out.
5. Don't forget to enjoy yourself. If you want to be your own boss, be the kind of boss that holds office olympics involving paper clip tossing and paper airplane making.

TDB: What new skill would you like to learn?
Michelle: Encaustic painting, hands down. It just looks so cool!

TDB: If you could have three wishes, what would they be?
Michelle: I have a bad habit of wasting wishes, I am always saying things like "I wish I had a coke," or "I wish I had the weekend off." But I will take the high road here, and wish for world peace, an end to poverty, and good health for everyone.

Thanks for sharing with us Michelle.
**********************************************************

Michelle is giving away winner's choice of either a photo or a print from her shop.

To enter:

Go visit Michelle's shop on Etsy, then come back here and comment on your favorite item in her shop. It doesn't have to be a photo or print, but certainly may be!

Deadline to enter is Thursday, October 9th at Midnight PST. Giveaway is open worldwide.

Please leave one comment per person, and be sure to leave a valid email address. If you don't leave an easy way to get ahold of you if you win, we will choose another winner.

Have a great weekend!

Angie