Meet Etsy Artist: diggsstudio

Renee Diggs was born and raised in Jamaica, but now lives in St. Petersburg, Florida with her husband and 2 kids. She has been drawing her entire life and describes her work as "a recipe of whimsy, with a spice of the islands and a little funk." She tends to focus on three themes: nature & the busy lives of insects, Caribbean culture, and "the faces of my women, which are really important to me. I want to depict women of all races and portray their beauty and confidence and independence." Her inspiration comes from everyday occurrences, like "my kids fascinated by a dragonfly." Seeing the world through their eyes has made her notice the world more closely - and not take anything for granted. As a full time graphic designer, she works primarily in acrylics and markers to create her classic works on canvas and illustration board. Of course, like most of us, she is hopes to transition into Etsy as her full time job. "I want my store to be a place that people bookmark to see whats coming next and of course find fun things to buy," she admits. Please check out her shop: http://diggsstudio.etsy.com
-Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com

Meet Etsy Jewelry Artists: prolifiquejewelry

There are actually two artists behind the chic Etsy shop prolifiquejewelry - one in Florida and one in Arizona. Both have similar styles, but also something "special that each...brings to the designing table." They have their own jewelry lines, but "wanted to explore other ideas (that)didn't fit into either one of our own lines so we created this line," they explain of their 8 year collaboration. "We want education as well as the love of beautiful objects to draw people to our jewelry. We want our jewelry to have meaning." They appreciate nature, Buddhist philosophies, and karma, which is beautifully showcased in their designs. They are stay at home moms and find inspiration in their children as well. "Seeing life through their eyes has been a humble and inspiring experience for us both." Their craft is not only their passion, but their job as well. This is the best job (next to being mom's) that we ever want to do for the rest of our lives!" While they'd like steady sales like the rest of us, "education and understanding (are) just as important to them. They want to encourage fellow artists to follow their dreams. "Life may not always take you on the path that you think you should be going, but life really is a beautiful journey that we are looking forward to exploring." Please check out their shop: http://prolifiquejewelry.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: mercersdaughter

The whimsical realism of this next artist caught my eye right away...

Victoria, the Ohio artist behind mercersdaughter, is 52 - and has been married for 26 years. Her daughter is 24 and her son has been in Heaven for 20 years. Not surprisingly, she is a convert to the Catholic faith and has a "strong devotion to the Blessed Mother." Inspiration can strike from anywhere. "It ranges from seeing an old chair at a yard sale to a relaxing visit with family, looking at art supplies, viewing other's creations.," she explains. In fact, she never leaves the house without her camera and something to sketch on. "The love of art, making things, studying it or teaching it has been a constant thread throughout my entire life. I don't see my art as a job or a hobby; it's much more than that to me." Etsy has been a great experience for her. "I'm so grateful for each and every person I've 'met,' it's been a major plus in my life," she says. "Tell your fellow artists about Etsy," she recommends, "and pass this great opportunity on to them. Helping and encouraging others shines the soul." Please check out her shop: http://mercersdaughter.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: BijousWhimsy

Mandy Saile was born in 1977, in North Bay, Ontario, Canada to a French mother and German father. She graduated from the Ontario College of Art & Design with associate & honors standing in 1999, where she minored in communication & design and majored in illustration. "Creative blocks are not usually a problem for me," the full time illustrator admits. "The only thing that slows me down is that I get too many ideas and want to try too many new techniques at once." In fact she often has 20-30 projects in the works. "The linear and research stage of each picture is my favorite part," she says, "aside from getting to play with colour." Her inspiration comes from her surroundings - nature, music, people and their spirituality. "I feel that art is just an incredible way to share ideas and feelings and I love my job as a visual communicator," she explains. "I think that there is always someone out there looking to connect, looking to feel and to be provoked into thought and that it is an accomplishment when those things happen through a visual medium." She hopes her work "takes people away from their present." Her works are primarily colored pencil and pastel, but she has also dabbled with lino-cuts and watercolor pencils - and is even experimenting with acrylic and mixed media painting. Her latest venture is a series of greeting cards. No matter what the medium, everything she creates is "100% heartfelt, sincere, original and full of wonderful energy." New Etsy, she still has sage advice: "be authentic; only put your best work forth." Please check out her shop: http://bijouswhimsy.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Lampwork Artist: helensharvest

Helen Simon is a 57 year old homesteader in SW Louisiana. She's a self-admitted "Jesus freak, ex-hippy," who has always been an artist. One of her current obsessions is lampwork beads - and she has created some of the most ingenious and detailed examples I have ever seen. Although the koi is my personal favorite, she prefers make flowers and other natural items such as birds and shells. "God inspires me through His glorious creation," she says, "and through the work He does in folks' lives." Most of her waking hours are spent on her craft - always 60 or more a week. Please check out her shop: http://helensharvest.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: brushworks

Tulsa, Oklahoma artist Claudia Kates Doyle is "an old soul at art." Although she has been a professional painter for over thirty years, she is brand new to Etsy. In fact, she just joined a few days ago on May 17, 2008. So far she is enjoying the "inspiration and energy and fun." Generally her work exhibits a contemporary form of Impressionism, but she also creates mixed media and abstract art, and plans to post more works soon. She admits that she never knows when or how inspiration will strike, but when it does, she puts it to work, creating her wonderful art. Please check out her shop: http://brushworks.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com

Meet Etsy Artist: GreenGoddessGoods

Jaimee Smith is "your typical (or maybe not so typical) artist, who enjoys living and creating." She describes herself as "an observer and a documentor of everyday occurrences of the world around us." She feels that with modern day technology and every day stress, many people are deprived of nature and tries to incorporate the simple joys of living green into her art. She is "fearless when it comes time to working with new materials and mediums," and her varied subjects always "come as a whim." Currently she specializes in whimsical pet art, Buddhist paintings, belly dance hair adornments, and gardening. "As long as I am creating something with my hands, I am free," she says. "I have been considering giving up a day job and devote more time to Etsy and selling my wares, but will have to plug along the semi-nine to five for a little longer. A wedding is coming my way in October and these things are so darn expensive!" She advises her fellow Etsians to "be true to (yourself) and your craft and buy handmade items." Please check out her shop: http://greengoddessgoods.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Coming soon...

Hi there! I'm back on track again, so I'll be posting more interviews later this week (just sent off a few Convos last night). I'll be adding a few more things to my Etsy shop as well (this weekend will be GREAT for outdoor pics). I might even start blogging about myself as well. I've had a few requests to pepper in a few stories about myself - and I'd really like to use it as an opportunity to show that life with Fibromyalgia can be just as full as anyone else's. Sometimes there's a rough patch, like the one I've had the last few weeks, but you just pick yourself up and move on. I'm not really feeling any better, but I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired - and I'm so done with sleeping my weekends away. I just decided that I'm not going to lay down and give up. Instead, I'm going to persist. There's just too much wonderful stuff to do! I'm even working on redecorating the bedroom and bathrooms to match the rest of the house (a project I've put off for quite some time). I have some cool plans to make them into a tropical Asian oasis. I may even post a few before and after pictures. HUGS to everyone!!! And THANKS for all of your support! It means a lot - and has really helped me pick myself back up and get back into the swing of things. :-)
-Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com

Fibromyalgia Success

Hi there! It's been awhile, but I'm slowly working on getting back to the blog and Etsy business. I even plan to work on a series of paintings this weekend, depicting the wonders of Bali (time and health permitting, of course). Fibromyalgia is a constant battle for me, and I've been pushing myself to hike 10-12 miles every Sunday for 6 weeks, so I've had a few set backs. I plan to keep the hikes up at least through November, though, in order to be ready for my trip to India and Nepal. I want to trek the Himalayas and enjoy momos and chai at the base of Mt. Everest (I'm being realistic here)! :-) Anyway, I've discovered a great tea from the Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants that actually helps give me energy (I swear I couldn't do my weekly hikes without it). It's their Yoga blend - and has South African Honeybush and nettles. It tastes a lot like chai, so I'm pretty much hooked. I have a link to their website in my favorite links section (I order it in bulk now). The Power Bars also help. I swear, I'd have one foot in the grave without them. I know they've got a lot of fake sugars, but there's some research out there that says that's actually what Fibromyalgiacs need. All I know is that they work for me! I'd be interested to see if anyone else has any good tips with keeping this bugger of an ailment under control...
-Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com

Neglect

Greetings loyal readers! My apologies that I have been neglecting my blog lately. It's been a busy few weeks as my fourth anniversary approaches (hubby surprised me with a FAB getaway to a B&B at the coast), I've started selling in the gift shop at the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, my regular day job has ramped up, and my Fibromyalgia has flared up a bit. Thankfully I'm beginning to get a handle on things (even went for a 12 mile hike Wednesday). I will try to post again this weekend. Thanks for your patience...

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/