Interview Thursdays

Hey readers! Sorry I'm posting so late today- my internet's been down today and this is the first time I've been able to get online.

This week, I'm interviewing Karen from KarensCraftSupplies. She sells supplies for Scrabble and glass pendants and is one of the only supply shops I buy from. Her prices are very fair and she has a wide selection of items to choose from.

Here's the interview:

1. Please tell me about yourself. Hi, my name is Karen and I own KarensCraftSupplies on Etsy. I lived in Japan for 4 years back in 2004-2007 and I fell in love with the Japanese arts and when I moved back, after getting all settled in, I started selling my Japanese art and starting making glass pendants with Japanese fabric and chiyogami paper. I struggled looking for supplies, so once I found out where to get the supplies, I decided to share them with the online community. Thus KarensCraftSupplies was started.

2. What can you tell me about your store? I sell everything you need to make glass tile pendants, scrabble tile pendants and bottle cap pendants, as well as making these into magnets.
What types of items can one find there? Many different glass shapes, many types of necklaces, including chains, organza ribbons, wire necklaces, nylon chokers, glues, glazes, magnets, gift tins and decorative paper. How long have you been in business? I opened up December 2008.

3. What or who inspires you? Living in Japan inspired me as they have such beautiful art. I also sell Japanese Temari and Japanese Chabako Boxes at my other Etsy shop AsianGiftAccents

4. Where would you like to see your business go in the future? I would like to get my own website going..and have more time to sell the actual end products!

I hope y'all enjoyed reading the interview! Be sure to check out KarensCraftSupplies and keep her in mind next time you need pendant making supplies!

Interview Thursdays

Good afternoon readers! I'm running a little late on the blog post today, so sorry!

This week, I interviewed Heather from Beautiful Soaps. I've purchased several things from her in the path and I just love all of her products! My favorite is the tea tree oil soap. I use it to make my own laundry detergent.

Here's the interview:

1. Please tell me about yourself (background, interests, how you got into soap making, etc.)

I've always been beading, sewing and crafting something or another but never thought about getting into soap making. One day I really wanted to smell like incense, so I started browsing though the handmade shops to find an opium bar of soap. I didn't find it but I did find lots of other wonderful treasures. After spending a small fortune on buying handmade soap (I sometimes still do!) I decided I could make my own.

I researched everything I could on soap making and then took the plunge. I made my first bar of opium poppy seed soap and it actually turned out. After that, I was hooked. I purposed in my heart that I would never copy work from anybody else, with the small exception of 'inspiration' and wondered if it would be possible to come up with all my own recipes. I've never had a problem :-) Ideas will come to me daily. I love soap making!

2. What can you tell me about your store? What types of items can one find there? How long have you been in business?

I've been selling on Etsy since 2007 in my "HeatherRai" shop and opened up "BeautifulSoaps" so I could concentrate just on handmade soap. I am a sucker for a natural bar of soap. Natural color, essential oils, clays, aloe vera, butters, and luxury oils. These are my absolute favorite bars for personal use. I do make a little bit of everything. I get bored very easily. My shop also carries natural laundry soap, balms, butters and lotions. Someone told me when I first started that I'd eventually be doing all these extra things, and they were right.

3. What or who inspires you?

I am inspired and excited by natural goodness. I love every herb yielding seed, within seed. I am very passionate about natural health. I get sick to my stomach thinking about all of the corporations in this world who will put every cancer causing, sick chemical filler into our food and health products just to make a dollar! Soap making is my way to make a difference :-)

4. Where would you like to see your business go in the future?

I am not a futuristic person. I have a hard enough time deciding what to do from minute to minute. I hope that I'm still making soap and learning about herbs and gardening. I pray that I'll be a kinder person and sharing my knowledge and learning new things with anyone who wants to talk with me.

Heather also included a picture of her first bar of soap to share with readers.

Hope you enjoyed the interview. Be sure to check out Beautiful Soaps and see all of the great products that Heather has to offer.

Interview Thursdays!

Interview Thursdays are possibly my favorite day of the week! I love getting to know some of my favorite sellers better is just so great to me. It's nice to find out what other artists do and what their goals are with their shops.

This week I interviewed one of my favorite sellers, Marcy from Eclectic Orchid. I've bought 3-4 beautiful necklaces and a gorgeous pair of earrings from her. As a jewelry maker myself, I must say that her work is excellent!

Here's the interview:
1. Please tell me about yourself (background, interests, how you got into jewelery making, etc.)


I am originally from a small town south of New Orleans. I moved to the Charlotte area a little over 4 years ago with my husband, daughter, and son (okay, he’s actually a dog but he doesn’t know it). I have a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. I used to manage a group home for physically and developmentally disabled women, but left shortly before my daughter was born and am now lucky enough to be a full time stay-at-home mom and craftster.

I love to craft, play with my daughter, read, listen to music, spend time with my family, take pictures of anything and everything, make jewelry, make jewelry, make jewelry….haha.

I have always dabbled in the arts since I was young, taking painting classes and experimenting with photography. A few years ago my mom wanted to take a jewelry class and thought my sister and I would enjoy it as well. I learned basic techniques that day. I would pick it up now and again, but for the most part had no time to enjoy it. After my daughter was born, I was going through some boxes and came across my old jewelry supplies. I originally started making jewelry again to break the monotony of being home all the time. I realized how passionate I was about it and that’s how Eclectic Orchid came to be.

2. What can you tell me about your store? What types of items can one find there? How long have you been in business?

My store is my passion, my hobby, my love. It is my creative refuge, a place to translate my dreams into works of wearable art and tell fanciful stories. My jewelry and accessories range from simple and delicate to extravagant and sometimes over the top. I love color and whimsy and always try to incorporate a bit of both into each piece. I also love vintage components because I feel they tell a tale and incorporate them whenever possible. Eclectic Orchid has been open since August 2008.

3. What or who inspires you?

I draw inspiration from anything and everything. I see creative potential in everything around me: my family, nature, movies, music, art, words, colors, love, life, etc.

4. Where would you like to see your business go in the longrun?

I am not really sure. I hope that it will continue to flourish and grow over time. It makes me happy to share my art with others, so as long as I get to continue doing that I will be thrilled.

Well, I hope y'all loved learning more about Marcy. She has such beautiful designs and I know you'll love them, just as I do!

Be sure to check out Marcy's beautiful designs and take advantage of her Summer Sale going on now! :)

Interview Thursdays

Happy Thursday, readers!

Each Thursday, I'm going to interview one of my favorite Etsy sellers. I'm going to try to pick someone each week that I've purchased from so I can give a little bit of a review, too.

This week, there is a special BONUS at the end so be sure to check it out! ;)

This week, I interviewed Lisa Rusmiselle of EYESview. She makes wonderful collage image sets to make Scrabble pendants and much more. She has a great selection of designs and is always adding more. EYESview is my favorite shop to buy pictures for my Scrabble pendants. Lisa offers many different sizes and always emails them very quickly. I've never had so much as a formatting problem with her images.

I interviewed Lisa yesterday and I really enjoyed reading what she had to say. It's so nice to get to know an Etsy artist better!

1. Please tell me about yourself (background, interests, how you got into digital art, etc.)

I'm Lisa and I am a work from home mom. I have 3 handsome boys (13,10 and 10) and am married to John an amazing, supportive husband. I am an avid digital scrap booker, I love photography, and I am a late blooming artist. I am a bit of a new comer to digital art.


I started my venture into the digital art world when I stumbled onto digital scrap booking. I was a traditional scissors paper scrapper for years but when I saw digital I was HOOKED. I sold off all of my stamps and scrap booking supplies and used the money to buy a new computer with LOTS of Ram and found a copy of Photoshop elements on Ebay. I learned the basics of digital scrap booking and then decided I wanted learn to make those kits. I self taught myself on Photoshop elements and then I upgrade to Photoshop CS3. Then I discovered Scrabble tile necklaces on Etsy. I was amazed by all the images and decided that I wanted to make those; they reminded me of little tiny scrapbook pages. I plunged head first into Photoshop illustrator took classes online and locally and I fell head over heals in love with digital art.

2. What can you tell me about your store? What types of items can one find there? How long have you been in business?

My store is a bit on the eclectic side; you will find a wide variety of images. I try very hard to have something for everyone. The bulk of my shop is made up of Collage sheets I am currently expanding into Digital Clip art and doing more Scrap booking kits. I am also trying to get every collage sheet I have into all sizes I offer until then I do offer free resizing if a size that is not listed is needed. I have been in business on Etsy for 1 year and it has been an AMAZING year!!! I have been so blessed to meet so many wonderful and kind people!

3. What or who inspires you?

Pretty much anything and everything inspires me. I am a “Color junkie” I just LOVE color! Right now I am having a pretty big love affair with blue/brown and pink/ brown, such gorgeous combinations!! One of my favorite artists is Charlie Harper, I was first introduced to his art in a science book I had in elementary school that was full of his illustrations. His illustrations are full of Clean lines and very contemporary in style. I just loved flipping through that book looking at all the pictures of birds, animals, and plants. You will find his art has inspired some of mine.

4. Where would you like to see your business go in the future?

I would love to see my business continue to grow and expand in new directions. This is what I do; it’s not just a hobby. I spend LOTS of time while the boys are in school and after they go to bed working on making new graphics. I have to admit it feels more like “playing” than working most of the time. I am in LOVE with making art. I am continually taking classes to hone my skills and learn new things that I can use to enhance my business. Etsy is an AMAZING place with lots of wonderful artists and I am so lucky to be apart of it.

Here is an example of the images Lisa offers. I love this one!
BONUS!! Like what you see at EYESview? The first person who comments on this post will receive 1 FREE sheet of images (up to a $2.50 value)! Just include your email address and the name of the sheet you'd like when you comment and I'll pass it on to Lisa.

Hope you enjoyed reading about this week's featured seller, Lisa of EYESview. Be sure to check back next week for an interview with another one of my favorite sellers!