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 Lupin!

I interviewed Laura a while ago, and am just finally getting it posted now :) she makes the cutest little felt creations and has become a very successful etsy seller.

My name is Laura Howard, often known as Lupin, and I make things out of felt. I have my own website ( http://lupinhandmade.com ) as well as shops on Etsy, Folksy and DaWanda, where I sell felt brooches, headbands, masks and other fun accessories as well as colourful crafting supplies. I'm in love with colour and try to fill my shops with as many bright and cheerful things as possible!



I blog most days ( http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.com ), writing about my works in progress, new designs, crafty tutorials and lots of other things that pop into my head :)




1.) Have you always been crafty? When did you first start making things?

I was definitely a crafty kid! I used to have a big box in my room filled with all sorts of odd things that I hoarded in case they could be used for a project - pretty paper, colourful sweet wrappers, scraps of fabric and cardboard boxes.

I used to make a lot of cards and presents for people and lots of dolls houses and accessories for my sisters to play with, like little felt hats for their toys. They find it quite funny that I've managed to turn this into a career!



2.) You make a lot of things from felt - do you like to do any other type of crafts with other mediums?

I mostly work with felt, but this year I've rediscovered the joys of cross stitch, I knit a little bit, bake a bit and I really love paper crafting. I love making cards for people, wrapping birthday gifts elaborately, and making lots of homemade Christmas decorations. It's great having some crafting that has nothing to do with "work" but is just for fun, and I still can't bear to throw away a nice bit of shiny paper...




3.) Do you have a studio, or an area in your home where you work? What is it like?

I don't have a dedicated studio space so I just end up taking my work with me round the house. I have an office space in the kitchen, and often work at the kitchen table for some of the day and then do some sewing on the sofa in the lounge in the evenings while we watch TV. Most rooms of our house have some supplies tucked away in them somewhere - my sewing is starting to take over the whole house!




4.) What inspires you?

I love colour, and often just a certain shade of felt or playing around with colour combinations can spark a new idea. I adore flowers and enjoy the challenge of recreating something so pretty from nature in felt. I also love birds and the British countryside, and have a very English love of tea and cake... themes which pop up in my work quite a lot.




5.) Tell us about a goal or skill that you would like to learn for the future.. related to creative pursuits or otherwise.

I really want to learn how to knit" properly". I learned to knit almost as early as I learned to sew, but have always felt much more confident with sewing and have only ever knitted simple things like scarves. One of my new year's resolutions this year was to try knitting some more complicated things, but so far I've only managed more scarves. I think it's quite possible that all my friends will be getting scarves for Christmas this year!

Shecological

A quick etsy find today.. shecological! Purses, totes, and bags - super cute.





Check out the shecological shop on etsy.

An interview with Rachel Denbow of Red Velvet Art!

I've been following Rachel Denbow for a while now, I came across her scrap booking kit club not long after I became interested in crafting. She has since closed her kit club (sad, I know!!) and is now working with the Red Velvet Art store with Elsie Flannigan and selling classes and some paper on etsy. Her positivity and sweet spirit are so inspiring!



Bio: I'm a work at home mom who really likes playing in the sprinklers with my son and stopping at flea markets during road trips. I enjoy mid-century furniture and giving new life to old things. I eat a lot of watermelon, stay up way too late every night, and try to shop at the farmer's market on the weekends. I have to work really hard at remembering birthdays and calling people back but I'm really good at listening and ask a lot of questions. Thanks for reading!



1.) I'm sure you get asked this one a lot - but how do you do it all? Your kit club, classes, work for the RVA store, and your vintage shop are all amazing! Not to mention, your son and little one on the way!

I have had to really edit my responsibilities these last eight months in order to keep a balanced, happy outlook on life. Some days I wasn't getting enough sleep and never felt like I had any time for myself and STILL wasn't accomplishing my goals. I had to make the decision to quit the kit club and put the vintage shop on hold in order to pursue other ventures that would be better for my family life in a few different ways. Not having to split my attention in five different ways has helped me to do everything I need to do much better.

Spending time with Sebastian is a high priority and I've learned to set aside time just for him and just for work because I can rarely do both at once unless he's occupied with his trains or Dora. It's going to change a lot in November with the addition of baby #2 but we'll find our rhythm again. A new one that will probably change more often than I'd like but it'll still be fabulous!



2.) What inspires you?



Traveling through downtown streets in Midwestern cities. Browsing through flickr favorites. Spending time with energetic people.



3.) Your home is lovely, what got you interested in interiors? How long has it taken you to collect all of your lovely things?

I started paying real attention to design blogs about 18 months ago. We were about to move into a new place with very little real keepers as far as furniture went so I made sure I knew what I wanted rather than filling it up with cheap stuff. Reading apartmenttherapy.com and designspongeonline.com really helped mature that style and help me figure out what i liked/didn't like. Then I hit the thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, etc. and things just presented themselves to me! I hardly find anything so cool these days because I don't need much more. Funny how that worked out.

It's constantly changing in little ways now. I try to edit when I need to and only keep stuff around that I love. My vision for what I want our house to be will always be maturing and changing but not so fast that we have to do a new make over every year. Who can keep up with that?



4.) What is your favorite type of thing to create?

Anything that requires lots of patchwork. Usually that means quilts but I haven't had the patience to sit down and start one lately.



5.) Can you tell us about a goal or skill you have or would like to learn in the future? Related to creative pursuits or otherwise.

I want to be a great knitter. And I want to learn how to take pictures with my camera set to manual.



6.) What is your favorite song right now?

Anything by Elvis Perkins.

7.) Tell us a little bit about the area in your home where you create - what is your favorite thing about it?



My studio is located in the dining room section of our bungalow style home. It's the middle of the house and an odd L-shaped room with only two long walls that aren't interrupted by doors or walk through. It's presented me quite the challenge with arranging things so that we have both a dining space and a studio space but I think I've finally nailed it. I wish we had better lighting there but I'm really thankful that I finally have a designated space to keep my pretty things.



8.) What accomplishment in your life are you the most proud of?

Managing to make life beautiful and happy on a very, very limited budget and learning to be content with where we are right now.

An Interview with Steppie - and a Giveaway!

Herro! I am Steppie; an independent artist/designer, but more importantly, a lover of design with an enormous passion for creativity. I am 23 years old, and I started my business shortly after I graduated from college. I have less than one year of experience on my belt, but am already surprising myself with how much my work has evolved. One thing will stay true with my craft though: I will keep killing you with cuteness... one tee, tote, and painting at a time. :)



1.) What kinds of things inspire you?

I'm inspired by a lot of things: nature, animals, patterns, colors. But often times, it's just me and my sketchbook. One sketch will lead to another, and when I have something that jumps off the pages and makes me smile, I know I've found something. I like to think of my work as modern simplicity -- taking cute creatures + patterns, and infusing it with my own little fun twist.



2.) What is your favorite thing to create?

Ooh, this is a hard one to answer! If you take a peek into my shop, this will be no surprise as it's obvious I love working with a lot of different mediums. I think I'm more obsessed with processes and the materials that are involved in a process. So the idea of bringing charcoal in contact with a piece of wood, or pulling fabric ink across a mesh screen, those are probably my favorite parts of being creative in general.



3.) Do you have a studio, or a corner of your house for crafting?? What is it like?

Considering I just graduated from college last year, the only place I can call mine is a bedroom in my parent's house. While I would love to have my own studio someday, the space I've created in my bedroom to act as my faux studio will have to do for now! Photos of my creative space:




4.) Have you always been crafty? If not, how did you get into making things?

Yes, I've always shared a love for arts & crafts. Growing up, my mom was a wee bit overprotective at the time and didn't let me wander outside the house after school with the other kids in my neighborhood. While some may find this "limiting" for my childhood, I actually found that it helped me become more creative with how I spent my time. And in turn, helped me realize my passion for making things. To this day, I'm more of a homebody, and the thought of spending time indoors with my crafts is my idea of a good day.



5.) Tell us about a new skill or goal you have for the future, related to creative pursuits or otherwise.

A challenge I constantly have for myself is to never limit myself to what I think I can do. It's almost reaching a year since I've started my business, and I'm still learning a lot about myself and what I'm capable of. The next step for my business is to continue concentrating on my clothing line -- I want to introduce more accessories, and even start a baby/kid line! It's all new exciting things from here on out, it's just a matter of time. Oh, if only time could be my best friend!



Steppie has generously offered to give away one of her CUTE panda faced tote bags to a very lucky paper*cakes finds reader! :) Please check out her shop, and leave a comment with your fave item for a chance to win. For extra entries, you can blog about the contest, or tweet it, or post in on myspace/facebook - just be sure to leave an additional comment for each entry! The giveaway will close at Midnight Atlantic time, on Sunday.

Steppie has extended her 15% off her entire shop to any participants/readers until 3rd! She is also offering a free gift with any orders from paper*cakes readers!! Just put "PAPERCAKES15" in the message to seller box at check out. :) Yay!

+ ( BLOG ) : http://designsbysteppie.blogspot.com/
+ ( TWITTER ) : http://twitter.com/xoxo_steppie

Giveaway Winner Update:



Congrats to Lindsey Lu! Watch for an email from Steppie! xo

Etsy Sellers Directory

A little something I am working on :) expect this to grow larger, as the days progress and I have time to make more graphics! Please check out these shops, they are my favorites.

Weekend Deals

Sugar Village is offering Buy One Get One Free in her shop for readers - enter paper*cakes in the notes to seller at checkout.



RikRak Studio is having a sale to celebrate her 100th (or not) blog post! Click HERE for details!



Paper Treats is having a BOGO Sale on All Ice Cream Cups and also has a 40% off sale section in her shop.



Quick Links - More Weekend Etsy Deals

Artful Memories is having a sale in honor of National Scrapbooking Day and offering 20% off of everything in shop - as well as BOGO 50% off paper kits.

Prince Design UK is offering a free gift with all orders placed this weekend.

ARobinsNest is having a weekend sale on this sweet handbag.

Lwhelan is having a sale on some pretty brooches.