An interview with the lovely Shelley of Lemon Tree Studio

Ever since I joined etsy, my number one inspiration has been Shelly of Lemon Tree Studio! With almost 3000 sales in her main shop, Lemon Tree Studio in just under two years she is doing amazingly well! She also has a fairly new vintage shop that has also been doing well since opening. She makes some of the sweetest fabric fancies I've ever seen!




Onto the Q and A's:

1. You have a small child and a busy shop - how do you keep it all together?

Who me? Keep it all together {ha-ha!}. Some days are brighter than others, but I am grateful and lucky to have the support of a sweet hubby....blessed to have the freedom and independence of creating at my own pace....and surrounded by things that inspire me daily. This helps me stay focused and makes me want to keep dreaming up new, creative ideas. Of course, having a 2 year old makes crafting during her waking hours nearly impossible {and that's ok!}, but I am teaching Lilyana some crafty skills...one day we will both be sewing together!



2. What inspires you to make things and what started this for you? Have you always made things or was it something that came together one day?

I am inspired with random things around me...it can be stacks of fabrics, books & magazines, being outdoors, daydreaming, brainstorming, and I have an obsession with vintage textiles....I am always inspired by their design and color, and constantly building up my stash.

I remember being 7 or 8 years old {and a tomboy} and creating very intricate worm and bug houses...I think this was the start of the whole craft bug! For as long as I can remember art was always my favorite outlet.





3. What is your creative area like?

My creative area has taken over the entire upper level of our house! I have a roomy office that I store all of my fabrics and sewing supplies...this is the room I am in the most, since most things I create are stitched. There are piles of "things" EVERYWHERE. There are days I can barely get to my desk without leaping over mounds of new fabric!

I have a little studio where I keep all of my paper crafts and where I do all of my scrapbooking...this room is my favorite little nook, but it is also the most neglected!



4. What's your favorite song right now and why?

My favorite songs right now are.....always......anything and everything from Dave Matthews Band. It was love from first concert. Been to several and I am mesmerized by the music and lyrics. As for a favorite? So hard to choose, but I am going to say "41", {by DMB of course}!



5. Tell me about a new skill you'd like to learn in the future - related to crafts or otherwise :)

I would love to learn how to read a crochet pattern and make something of substance. I can do a few fun things with yarn, but I how fabulous would it be to run around town with a handmade sweater on? I have always wanted to work with resin too....and I am AMAZED with some of the things people make with felted wool and soap. The talent I see on etsy never ceases to amaze me!



To see more of the lovely Shelly and read some of her day to day musings, check out her blog My Lily Eden.

xoxo

An interview with Tim of Fantastic Toys

I discovered Tim's etsy shop some time ago and originally wrote a little blog feature about him on Paper*Cakes. There are a LOT of plush sellers out there but I think Tim is the best of the best.. the quality of his workmanship and the details in his designs are amazing! Tim is also not limited to the "cutesy" style, making lots of fine art toys as well.



I was lucky enough to win a limited edition reindeer plush from Tim's blog last Christmas and after Chrstmas was over I couldn't put him away so he lives in my studio now! (you can see the little white reindeer in the photo above) Tim sells his plushes on etsy, and he also has a blog where you can get updates on what is going on in the world of Fantastic Toys. Please be sure to visit him!



1. So tell us a little bit about yourself, where you're from and what you do aside from making softies.
I live and work in Minneapolis MN. Besides making toys I enjoy watching movies and walking around the local lakes during the warm months.



2. How did you get started sewing super cute plushes? Was there any one event in your life that lead up to your career now or was it by accident?
A few years ago I fell upon the world of plush and decided to give it a try. I grew up wanting to be a children's book illustrator so it complemented my drawing skills perfectly. I was starting to lean to the 3-d art rather than 2-d so making plush and paper toys was inevitable.



3. What inspires you to come up with new designs and characters?
I look to the past for my ideas. I usually do a lot of research before diving into a project. I like finding something old and giving it a modern spin for a new generation.



4. What is your favorite thing to create?
The toy I'm creating at the moment. I like having a variety of things to do weather it be paper toys or plush.



5. Where do you do all of your creating? Do you have a studio, or a little corner of your home? Is it an inspiring place to spend time?
I have turned my 1 bedroom apartment into a studio/apt. More studio than anything. As long as I keep it organized I find it inspiring. It has good light and there is usually a few projects sitting around waiting to be finished.



6. Tell us about a goal or a new skill that you would like to learn in the future, related to your craft or otherwise.
Screen printing is something I would like to learn. I have some project ideas which would require me to learn screen printing before I could finish them.



Tim is also currently offering a few freebies (patterns, and PDFs) on his website so be sure to check those out as well.

An interview with LoveLeeSoaps..

If you haven't seen Loveleesoaps around etsy... then you must have been living under a rock! I know there are tons and tons of soap makers on etsy, but these soaps really set themselves apart from the crowd. They come in the cutest unique shapes and colors. Ever wondered where you can buy soap shaped like french fries, robots, or even baby birds in a nest? At LoveLeeeSoaps of course! At only 19 (and still in college to boot!) Leeana has sold over 3000 pieces on etsy, and her soaps have been featured on Martha Stewart.



1. So how did you get started making soap? Was there something that inspired you,
was it by accident or by plan?

It was completely by accident! I was at our local craft store and picked up a
soap making kit and immediately feel in love with making soaps. I researched
and read books which helped me learn more and more. I made soap as often as
I could and eventually I had so much there just was not any more room for them in my shower! My mom had an Etsy shop called WildOliveKids that I helped her maintain and take
pictures for. She always pushed me to start my own and I am so glad that I did.
I cannot believe how far I have come in just a short amount of time and I am so thankful.



2. You make some of the most uniquely shaped soaps I have ever seen on the market,
do you use traditional molds?

Very few are made using traditional molds. My dad makes some molds
that are used to make the bars and I make a lot of the fun shaped molds.
I also had some custom made molds for designs that are not released yet.



3. Where do you get your inspiration from for new soap shapes and colors?

I get inspiration from so many different things. It just kind of clicks. For example
I saw a post about unicorns below and I will definitely will be making a unicorn soap now!
I love working with fun shapes and bright colors. I am especially inspired by circus
and candy themed items!



4. What is your favorite item to create?

This is a hard one! I would have to say the Blue Bird Nest Soap SetI am hoping to make some new color choices for the birds soon.





5. Tell us a bit about a new skill you would like to learn,
or a future goal (related to soap making or not)

I still have a lot of researching to do but in the future
I would love to learn how to make cold processed soaps.



See LoveLeeSoaps on Flickr and the LoveLeeSoaps Blog.

An interview with Chelsea Ann Redinger AKA Ittybittybirdy

I'm SO happy that Chelsea Ann agreed to do an interview for me... she is one of my best Internet pals and she makes the sweetest creations! She has an awesome sense of style and she is a great friend to have :) I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

Chelsea Ann is based out of Portland, Oregon and she has two lollishops, keepsake cakes and ittybittybirdy - check them out!



1. What inspires you as an artist?

I have found that many artist, myself included find it difficult to embrace their own unique style. We are inspired by others and we try to mimic or incorporate aspects that we admire into our own work. My work has always been "cutesy" and I struggled with excepting who I was as an artist for way to long. I graduated with Interior Design and the whole way through my instructors tried warping my artistic talents into the traditional commercial style. It was an extremely challenging time. I thought it was going to be a creative outlet for me and instead it became something I despised and in the end I started to rebel against. I started to embrace my cartoony, whimsical style... my grades suffered but my personal happiness was well worth it. I grew up in a home where no one pushed me to pursue my artistic talents. It has only been in the last year that I have really started to explore myself as an artist. I'm trying new things, and more and more becoming comfortable with who I am as an artist. It has truly been the most exciting and fulfilling adventure, and blogging has played a huge role in both documenting my growth as an artist as well as gaining new friends who are a daily source of inspiration and support.Growing up my only medium was drawing. I painted ceramics when I was very young but mostly I just loved to draw. My drawing style has always been more imaginative than realistic. Crafting has been a big jump for me. My creations are primarily inspired by the love of candy.Both the sugary kind and the visual kind. I like to make creations that seem almost edible. My creations are constantly evolving as Ileane more more techniques. However I am trying to transition back into drawing a bit. I would like to start to incorporate my drawings into my keepsake Shop. I'm currently working on creating some paper dolls, and I would love to make coloring book pages and maybe just some larger fine prints ( maybe of my houses) you can see a few of my drawing by visiting my art folder in flickr



2. How long have you been collecting lovely vintage clothes, and where do you find all of your gorgeous dresses? Your style is so awesome!

Gosh thanks! Well I was always wearing dresses as a girl. Both for school and by choice. At the age of 13 I was still wearing very young style holiday dresses. Then I transitioned into to awkward 70s style stage of shiny polyester shirts... not a good look for me. By college had started to develop my own unique look. I refused to dress in sweat pants and flip flops like most college freshman. Instead Always wore hats and red lipstick. It was this look that caught the eye of my now husband in a class of over 300 students. But my look now is the most me. It incorporates my love for vintage and girly dresses,and the sweetness of youth all into one. Its whimsical and unique and truly my own. Project Dress Up has really been an exciting adventure so far. It has allowed me to use part of my wardrobe that was stuck in my closet, just waiting for special occasions. Most of my wardrobe is from thrift shops. I hardly ever pay more than $10 on anything. I still have so much that you haven't seen just waiting to be altered. Shopping with friends can be fun... my friends will find something and hold it up as a joke and I fall in love. I guess I'm just a bit odd, but it works for me.




3. What do you enjoy creating the most?

The lollipop lane gingerbread houses are my favorite to create because each one turns out sweetly unique. It's really fun to imagine what it would be like to live in such a magical little world. I also love custom work. There is something that changes in the creative process when your creating something with the intention of fitting it to someone else's personality.


The Lollipop Lane house that Chelsea Ann made for me..


A teacake with a little chickie on top!



4. We all want to grow and change as artists (and people!). Tell us about a> future goal you have or a new skill you want to learn

I would really love to learn to sew, paint, and also learn more about graphic design. I would love to have formal training in these areas.At this point art is more of a hobby and like many others I want to be able to transition it into a career. But my biggest goals are to one day own my own boutique, a dream I have had since I was a young girl.And perhaps my next goal is a bit silly but I would be so honored Tobe on the Martha Stewart show one day.


Notecards available in her Keepsake Cakes Lollishop

Vintage Dresses for little Girl's avilable in her Ittybittybirdy Lollishop


5. What made you want to become an artist?

Was there a certain event in your> life or has this always been something you wanted to do?Like I said before I grew up with pencil in my hand... and while I was always interested in art, it hasn't been until the last few years that have really started to follow my heart and pursue my love for creating. Blogging was really a start to my personal exploration of crafting that I had never before known was going to be such a big part of my life. But like I said before I think it is time that I start to reflect on my drawing and even perhaps pick up a paint brush. I think will always be evolving as an artist. I love my work know but I'm not sure that I have truly found my style or my niche. Art is part of my soul, as my talents grow and evolve so do I as a person. It's process and I'm loving ever moment, and even more I love sharing it with the blogging community as I love seeing what others are creating and their creative processes. Our Artwork truly reflects who we are.I've never been good with words, I'm pretty surprised I have been able to keep up a blog with my anxiety about my writing... but each creations says so much about me. I hope if ever I was to meet a blogging friend they would think I was just as sweet as the items I make. Their is so much kindness and generosity in blog land. So many of you have changed my life and I would like to think that I have done the same for a few of you.


Rosette Pins available in Chelsea Ann's Lollishop

Lollipop Lane Gingerbread House


Thanks for reading! Check out Chelsea Ann's BLOG here

Woodland Friends...

A few finds, all from Esty. Click on the images to visit the items! This post is very image heavy so please give it time to load.