Meet Etsy Artist: paisleybleu

Shelley is the mother of 4 year old fraternal twins, who works nights full time as an RN2. Her children have been an excellent test market for her baby inspired creations, which evolved from wanting something hipper than the typical pink, yellow, and blue designs. "I work all night, come home, play with the kids, throw on pj's and sew," she says of her hobby turned second job. Eventually she'd love to turn her Etsy endeavor into her sole income and work at home, so she could spend more time with her kids. She recommends her fellow artists never give up. "Even when it seems like there are new laws and regulations staring us in the face, together we can make a difference." Please check out her shop: http://paisleybleu.etsy.com/ and website: http://paisleybleu.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Baby Boutique Artist: jkalea

I found the most unique baby gift on Etsy the other day - totally by accident while searching for "sushi." I'm not a big fan of diaper cakes (mostly because I've never seen them done quite like this), but I'm a sucker for anything Asian and JKalea's sushi gift pack is right up my alley. I don't even have kids, but her presentation is so clever and fun I'm in awe. It's everything you need for baby including diapers, blankets, clothing, and toys wrapped up like sushi. Wow. Almost makes me want to have one of my own...

JKalea is a busy Mom, who admits Etsy helped unlock her creative side - and saved her sanity. Not surprisingly she finds inspiration in her "spirited, focused, hilarious toddler Sophie and my talented cousin Heather (who introduced me to Etsy)." She describes her craft as "intricate gift wrapping," but it's so much more - designing original ways of presenting a myriad of presents in one cohesive package. I have never seen something so practical look so fun. "I find Etsy to be the most creative and inspiring concentration of artistic talent I've ever come across. I love seeing the variety of ways and things that people create," she says. I was surprised to find out that she has only been creating her wonderful treasures for just under a year as a "hobby to support my horrendous addiction to buying gorgeous ribbons and all things handmade (my feedback rating is 75% from purchases, 25% from sales)." In fact, she hopes one day her Etsy sales will exceed her purchases. "Love what you create," she advises. "The rest flows from there." Please check out her shop: http://jkalea.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/