Fall Colors Slideshow for ESST

Get to Know!

Get to Know...ArtfulMosaicSupplies!

What is the name of your shop?

~Artful Mosaic Supplieshttp://www.artfulmosaicsupplies.etsy.com/

What do you sell? ~All types of supplies for mosaics! I sell handcut china tiles, handcut stained glass tiles, handmade 3D ceramic embellishments for mosaic and other art, images under glass, glass gems/cabochons, MDF bases for mosaic projects and anything that would look great in a mosaic.

What's your favorite item/line that you sell? ~I enjoy them all.Give us an idea on how to use your products.

Do you have a picture of YOUR OWN project? ~That's difficult to answer because my products can be used in so many ways. For example, people use my MDF bases not only for mosaic work but for collage and other types of mixed media. My supplies are pretty versatile and my buyers have great ideas!Here is an example of my most labor-intensive project to date which shows how to use stained glass and my handmade ceramic embellishments:http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20544131

How did you choose your user name? ~I just like the word "artful." Artfully done, an artful way of presenting something, artful blogging, etc. A nice, classy word.

Street clothes or Pajamas? ~Anything goes!

Biggest indulgence or guilty pleasure? ~No guilt...rock concerts!

Favorite food?~Avocados

Favorite non-craft website? ~No particular favorite. I have many interests.

Favorite craft website (not Etsy)? ~I think 1000Markets is a cool site.

What is one thing that nobody would know about you. ~I wanted to be a marine biologist.

What are your plans/goals for 2009? ~To continue building my customer base in my shop and create cool art. Create a website and a blog. Travel. Get organized in general...wishful thinking on that one!

Where else do you sell? Other IDs, sites, local shops, etc ~My other Etsy shop:http://www.calicoskies.etsy.com/~In it's infancy:http://www.boundless.com/

Handmade Movement Giveaway!

It's the one year anniversary of the Handmade Movement and we are planning a HUGE celebration! There's going to be 3 single giveaways all day long and then the final giveaway is valued over $300.00! What an exciting day it will be! Come join us on Sept. 24 and join in the fun. Go to: The Handmade Movement: Home of the Sneak Attack for more information and to see the single giveaways that will be available! And that is where you can sign up for the drawings.

This is the final giveaway package:

Featured Seller!

I recently purchased two bracelets from Lisa at www.laruefashions.etsy.com and just LOVE them both!

Look at the photos, aren't they both awesome?

The purple and silver one is like a cuff bracelet.

Check out the second one! It's made with rubber O rings! RUBBER!

Lisa works hard to make sure you get exactly what you want! She wants to make sure the size is correct, that the clasp is what you want and the colors are perfect for you! Take a few minutes to stop by her shop!

I've been fleeced!

I'm all into this felting thing, so I look around for bargains! Wow, what have I done? I purchased a pound of raw fleece, right off the sheep! Little did I know!

The above photos are of the raw fleece, it's sheared and put into tissue paper and sent to me.

First thing I notice is the smell! I pick it up and you can feel all the oils on it. I start to wash it, the mud and dirt just poured out of it. Next, I wash it in Dawn dishwashing liquid to remove the dirt and oils.

The next photos are of the fleece after it's been washed. You'd be amazed at what you find in this stuff. Like straw, food, seeds, brambles and well, okay, the occasional um, dingleberry. If you know what I mean!

The next step would normally be carding. It's necessary to remove impurities and such. Well, I don't own carding tools and they are too expensive to purchase for just one project. I used an old dog brush. It's not as fine toothed as I would have liked, but it worked. You might find a small piece of straw still stuck in it, but it did a pretty nice job. Just look how the finished wool looks! It's so soft and I must admit, smells a whole lot better! I have so much of this that I was forced to put the leftover into a scented garbage bag so my house would stop smelling like a barnyard.

Featured Seller

I wanted to show some amazing pieces of pottery! The first is a leaf, made using a real maple leaf!

The second item is a tiny bowl with sea green glaze.

These came from Carol at: www.carolbroadleypottery.etsy.com

Carol explains her process: "I always use maple leaves because they have such a pretty shape with all the points and great veins. I press the actual maple leaf into the clay, fire it with the leaves still on the clay (it just burns away). Then I color it with an oxide wash over the fired leaf, and fire it again to make the color permanent."

Stop by her shop and have a look at many other wonderful items that Carol makes! She's such a great talent and a great person to boot!