Meet Etsy Clothing Designer & Artist: Bonzie

The young talent behind Bonzie feels most at home working in her "quaint wooden studio in the sunny South East of Ireland." Aside from Etsy she also does custum work through private commissions, creating some of the most beautiful handmade and upcycled clothing with a victorian vibe. "I am always attracted to things of an antique nature," she admits. "I love deconstructed, frayed, textiles; I always feel like it has more character. If I have to work on a piece of new fabric, I usually end up manipulating it to look like something out of the famine!" She describes her style as "a blend of steampunk, romantic, vintage, gothic, baroque, venetian -basically anything which will allow me to indulge in my love of old!" A stickler for details, she is "allergic to anything of a plain nature." She has been a creative soul from the very beginning. "I can remember my nan entertaining me with an old cornflake box and some crayons. (Creating) was all I wanted to do when I was young (and funnily now that I'm older too!) Creating for me is not a luxury, its part of who I am and I must do it for sanity." Her art is her passion, and although she's managed to make a success of her Etsy shop, she also works in other art related jobs "as a means of subsidising (her) ability to continue with (her) craft." For Bonzie Etsy is a means to indulge in her passion and reach a wider audience. "It is a real high to know that somebody in Canada, America, Australia, etc., is wandering around in one of my pieces." She attributes her success to her involvement in the Etsy community. "Most of my successes have been as a direct result of making many fabulous friends on Etsy. They are my support group, from pimping me in the forums to adding me in there treasurys, we all look out for each other." Please check out her shop: http://Bonzie.etsy.com
-Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com