(A slightly related anecdote to prove that you so do not have to be in a great place to begin yoga: My first class was the morning after a friend’s birthday, so naturally I slept in until the last possible moment, unaware that most people arrive 15 minutes early as the classes at my gym start ON TIME, if not a few minutes early. By the time I payed my fee, found the classroom and ditched my shoes, the instructor had of course already began with a calming seated pose to quiet everyone down… but seeing as I hadn’t ever done this before, I had to ask whether I was in the right class, where the mats were and squeeze in between two other beginning yogis in the back row… oh and then find my inner breath or whatever. Nonetheless, when I walked out an hour and a half later, I did feel quieter and stronger inside, plus my body felt like it had just had a deep tissue massage. I still wouldn’t recommend rolling in late… but yoga will be able to work its magic even if you do.)

So anyway, without further adieu, a collection for the yogis!

First up: the pants! I owned three pairs of yoga pants before I ever hit up the studio, (What? They’re comfy!) but this pair, hand silk screened by Nic and the Newfie might just get added to my collection soon.

The varying poses in yoga requires a wide range of motion and the Athena top from Mountain Lotus is perfect! Plus it’s made from a lightweight hemp and organic cotton blend, so you can feel good about the resources you’re using and what you’re putting up against your skin.

A mat to cover your mat? Why yes! Yoga Comfort Co.’s Yoga Mat Runner sits on top of your mat to provide a little extra cushion.

Sure a mat bag is nice, but a mat bag that’s also a purse? Now that’s something to celebrate. Check out this innovative design from LslieArt on etsy.

Since I’m not feeling too chatty, just click on each image to see more from each vendor—here’s to a better day tomorrow!

Greetings from the strange and wonderful creatures that populate The Vickangaroo Toy Company! I first fell in love with these little guys because of their animated faces—and upon closer inspection realized they really are miniature works of art. Aside from their whimsical and ever-appealing strangeness, each one has its own story—as told through the eyes of fictional explorer Professor Morongo Faust.

This evening we sit down with Victor Huang to talk about creativity, being unique and how he molds fabric into friends.

Tell us about your work—why do you create what you do?
I am a toymaker attempting to fill the world with as much nonsense as possible. I create a variety of toys that range from bunnies and crabs to larger, stranger monsters with more legs or teeth than they actually need.

Toys have a tremendous purpose and importance in the world. Whether they are manufactured and sold by the millions or entirely unique, ultimately the purpose of a toy is imbued by its owner not it’s creator. They are meant to be played with. The moment a toy is unwrapped and taken from its packaging it has the opportunity to fulfill any great number of roles from companion to accomplice or confidant to protector. They are an invitation accepted by a significant number of children, or those simply young at heart, to imagine, discover and create.

I am delighted and honored to be a contributor in that experience.

I’m also a printmaker, generally utilizing screen printing, with most of my print work focusing on unusual creatures and narratives involving robots.

Tell us about your process—start to finish.
In November of 2007, I decided that I wanted to make my own toys. I considered the cost of materials and the complicated processes involved for finishing plastic or wooden toys, and ultimately settled on utilizing spare fabric and thread. I had to teach myself how to sew and like most skills in life it required practice and patience, so my first “toy” was an uneven mess of a rectangle, made of orange cotton and stuffed with newspaper.

I generally keep a drawing pad on hand so that I might doodle as much as possible, of course a stack of napkins or a takeout menu would also suffice. Doodling is undoubtedly the greatest practice a person could adopt in the pursuit of creativity. Usually I’ll sketch a fairly simple form, fill it with teeth and add any number of ambiguous limbs. Not every idea is new or very different from that one that precedes it, however if a drawing begins to repeat itself often enough I tend to take that as a sign that it wants be made.

Eventually the work has to begin with making patterns, which I’ve discovered requires a fair grasp of geometry. Understanding the different ways that different shapes can be built is a great boon in creating more challenging and stranger creatures.

The fabric is cut based on the pattern. The pieces are sewn together. The toy is stuffed. I find it delightful that my plans for a toy can be torn asunder in that final step. I may understand the geometry of the parts of the monster, but the stuffing pulls and stretches and until I cut the final knot of the final closing stitch, I remain unsure but optimistic of the result.

What type of environment stimulates your creativity?
I have a cat and prefer to keep him separate from my work, so I’m holed up in a small pleasant room in the basement with half of a ping pong table to work on. It’s nice to be able to wake up in the morning and get started in the sewing room. It’s comfortable, well lit and all the necessary materials are within reach; it’s all I need to make toys. Although inspiration for work can strike anywhere!

What inspires you?
Good Golly, I can hardly fathom what my inspirations are. There are certainly general inspirations such as my own childhood toys, animated films, dinosaurs, octopuses, robots and I sincerely doubt there’s an end to that list. However, I do love discovering new toymakers and artists. Being knowledgeable of what others are creating helps me in challenging myself and creating more and more unique items.

What is your greatest challenge?
While I do have a work space a hallway away, I find that working from home can be somewhat daunting. Honestly, my greatest challenge in being a toymaker is actually just sitting down and getting started. Even with stacks of doodles and unfinished patterns craving to come into existence, I’m quite easily distracted by the idea of lunch or scouring Netflix for a good movie or TV show to play in the background while I consider the possibility of getting started on my work. I think it takes a particular strength of character to work from home; a trait I’m still developing.

How has your work evolved?
I believe it is important to constantly challenge yourself. My sewing work began as two dimensional plushes where the back and front are roughly the same shape. I then moved onto three dimensional plushes; creating cubes and spheres keeping the details while trying to grasp working on creating geometric shapes in fabric. Ultimately I found myself adding teeth, lips and tentacles searching and refining my own style of toymaking. I still am of course! There’s always room for improvement and always more opportunities to evolve. I actually find that creating smaller, simpler toys is very difficult. It’s much more of a process to create a tiny cute toy, that still feels unique.

Tell us about your etsy business.
Honestly, I don’t consider myself much of a business person. I started selling my toys at the end of 2007, after I had decided that my toys were worth selling. Way back when, (four years have already passed by?!) Etsy while certainly sizeable was still somewhat unknown and outside of Ebay, my selling options were fairly limited.

I remember the very “reasonable” prices that I originally set for my toys and I remember the gradual increases over time as I began to take into account how much work would go into some toys. Of course I had my share of mistakes, which unfortunately I think others have had to experience as well. I’d rather not go into specifics, although it is certainly wise advice to make sure the customer’s Paypal shipping address and listed Etsy address match before sending out a delivery.
Selling on Etsy is not my full time job; I have a number of other long term projects that require as much of a time investment as my toys. Since I’ve started selling on Etsy I’ve had a few long stretches where my shop would be completely empty; not the best business practice!

What advice do you have for new etsians?
New Etsians of the world! Don’t expect that because you’ve opened your doors that the sales will flood in. Share your work with the world, but be cautious, patient and prepared for mistakes. Challenge yourselves and offer a product, that doesn’t just feel like a rehash of a trendy object but something that you’d be willing to buy yourself. It can be difficult to be found on Etsy, with so many other sellers seemingly pushing your products to furthest, darkest recesses of the Etsy search pages. Persevere! Keep creating and listing new work and be hopeful.

Where can readers find your work?
Currently, my work is only for sale on Etsy however I am quite optimistic about this new year and selling in other venues, most likely in and around Chicago. My website, www.vickangaroo.com, is also in progress (has been for a while) but I foresee a particularly exciting event occurring when it’s ready. I’m also working on a mailing list: join by emailing “mailinglist@vickangaroo.com” with “mailing list” in the subject line.

T-minus 30 days until Valentine’s! Just sayin’…

As I mentioned, I have a new obsession. Bo Betsy was one of my original inspiration artists in my last post, but I decided to ask her for an interview instead! Cath has quite the variety of work in her etsy shop, but my favorite by far are the marine/floral/abstract pieces in the most fantastic color combinations.

Tell us about your work—why do you create what you do?
I embroider because I can’t stop. I don’t know that there has ever been something I so loved to do that I didn’t want to put it down. Stitching is certainly like that for me. There’s something wonderful about hand stitching… each slow, purposeful stitch adds up to something lasting and beautiful.

What are some of your first memories of the craft?
I first learned to embroider in junior high home economics class. I loved it. My mom recently found an embroidery I did back then—of an easter egg. A sort of sampler with lots of different stitches and colors. Very similar to the colors and variation i use now! When the class ended, so did my embroidery until five years ago, when my baby daughter’s pink sweater with gorgeously bold hand embroidered flowers inspired me to pick it up again.

Tell us about your process—start to finish.
I have been using mainly new fabrics in colors I love for my hoops, which are my current obsession. I’ve also discovered the amazing stash of scrap pool table felt my dad has at the pool hall he has owned for nearly fifty years. It’s 80% wool, super dense, and i’ve got loads of it now in the most beautiful colors—I love the stuff!

Typically, my only “plan” is a color scheme (and maybe a new stitch I want to try out)… I’ll pick the fabric or felt and a few floss colors I love together. Often, i’ll start with a buttonhole stitch flower (I don’t know when I’ll tire of them—I know I will eventually, but for now I’m in love) then embellish it with unique stitches and colorful goodness.

Where do you work?
My happy place is generally on the couch next to the ott-light lamp in our cozy country bungalow. I just have to ignore the voices from the kitchen and laundry area, telling me things are piling up… I’m pretty good at that.

How has your work evolved?
My first beloved project was embroidering one of my son’s drawings onto a handkerchief for father’s day. I’ve stitched a ton of sublime stitching and Aunt Martha patterns and wonderful vintage patterns I’ve found online. I started doing monograms and words on handkerchiefs and pillowcases and have stitched up tons of custom wedding hankies. The amazing Sandy Mastroni, a Connecticut artist who is also on etsy, has allowed me to recreate some of her art in embroidery, which is a joy. I began doing custom portraits of children and babies—and even stitched the faces of three adult siblings onto a duvet cover for their parent’s 50th anniversary.

Something changed in me last spring, and I started going in a new direction. My etsy shop has been directed largely by requests from customers, and I suddenly craved creating and experimenting with stitches in new ways. Most of my work up until this point has been prettying up something functional – pillowcases, handkerchiefs, tea towels, underwear… My current hoops are just decoration. Dare i say “art”?

What is your greatest challenge?
Learning to smile and say thank you when someone compliments my work—instead of rolling my eyes.

What inspires you?
Mmmmm…. Color. I notice color combinations in movie scenes, magazines, fabrics, vintage children’s books—all around me—and incorporate them into my embroidery.

A few embroidery artists have also been hugely inspirational to me. I tend to be a perfectionist in my stitching, which has it’s place, but Aimee Ray’s book Doodle Stitching got me to realize that it’s the imperfect, organic sorts of designs and lines that are the most fun for me to look at. I remind myself of that, and try to stitch in some wonky-ness.

And Carla Madrigal’s amazing stitching… Who could not love it? The stitches, the colors—that is what is the art. Not some design or outline she stitches along. It is gorgeous and freeform and fantastic.

Tell us about your etsy business.
I first happened upon etsy at a crafty wonderland christmas show in Portland. Several of the business cards I collected took me to etsy shops. I’d never known there was a site like etsy out there—and it got the wheels turning. The next May (2008), I opened my etsy shop. I’ll have had bo betsy open for four years in May. It’s changed so much in that time—i’m excited to see what the coming years will bring!

What advice do you have for new etsians?
If your art/craft allows, I would suggest offering custom work. The custom work I’ve done was invaluable for building sales, relationships, and glowing feedback. Working with people to create what they want gives you the awesome chance to make people happy—and let your work and customer service really shine.
I also tell customers that I’d love to have their feedback in the shop after they receive their order… And I always leave feedback for them quickly after the sale, as opposed to waiting for them to leave feedback first.

Where can readers find your work?
A wonderful place called The Marketplace at Rain Dance Ranch, here in Newberg wine country, is carrying my embroidered hoops. And now, an amazing gallery called knack has my hoops. You can find knack nestled into the charming Multnomah Village of southwest Portland.

I should also say that my facebook page is a nifty way to keep in touch with the friends I’ve made through bo betsy. I’d love to see more people there!

This morning I thought I’d share a few of the embroiderers who are inspiring me—enjoy, and look for new work from yours truly soon!

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I’m a typography nut. Typography-inspired embroidery has been my latest project… and while I’m still working out the kinks, I love it! Look for new work in the shop soon, otherwise I found the examples above on Pinterest!

I always admire artists who can create something truly abstract, as that’s something I struggle with. I beleive art has to be made with purpose in order to be art, so I have a difficult time just working with pattern or texture and no subject. I love this simple color progression from Sometimes I Swirl. I say simple because the design is clean and modern and the stitch is repetitive—but after my recent projects, I know this took a lot of work!

There’s something weird and wonderful about a technical drawing reproduced in thread—or any unexpected medium really. Why wouldn’t you want a 9 inch illustration of a Buckminster Fuller Dymaxion Car on your wall? I can’t think of a single reason.

Last but not least, something a little more traditional. I love simple and clean traditional motifs—they always look modern but can work in with any decor style. This miniature version in the form of a brooch by Skrynka is a great example. I told you I was an old soul!

And finally, my own embroidered wallhanging was included in several treasuries not too long ago. Thanks to Lotus and Janneke Hoekstra for the inclusions!

I’ve been doing a lot of shopping lately, and it seems every trendy store I walk into has these beaded leather wrap bracelets. At once earthy and glamorous, I’ve been coveting one for weeks! Instead of buying a piece shipped from who-knows-where, I decided to see what the sellers on etsy had to offer. Lo and behold, I found the very talented Allison Rennemo just a few states away in Denver, CO.

In her shop, Ida Estelle, Allison offers not only the classic brown/metallic combinations, but also green, red, purple, blue…. all in a variety of sizes and patterns. She’s been in business for a few years, sales are picking up and she generously shares her secrets to success! Enjoy.

Tell us about your work—why do you create what you do?
I grew up in a DIY family, so whether I was painting with my mom, working on some sewing project with my sister or assisting my dad with his latest contraption I was used to working with my hands. I love seeing the before and after, so for me, making these bracelets is instant gratification. I wonder what a certain color of leather will look like with a certain metal or gemstone, and voila, there it is!

How did you learn your craft? Tell us about your process—start to finish. How do you source your materials?
I learned to make these by trying a bunch of different processes…a lot of trial and A LOT of error! I had seen something similar a few years, studied it, bought some materials I thought would work at my local bead shop and went from there. Now that I have my methods down, I know what sort of beads and leathers will work for me. When I’m shopping for materials I don’t always know how I’m going to use them…I’m a little impulsive so I when I see stones or metals that spark a feeling of creativity in me, I buy it! Sometimes I’ll use those materials right away, sometimes it will take a few months for me to decide what to do with them.

Where do you work? What type of environment stimulates your creativity?
My dream is to have a room full of shelves, drawers and windows with a huge drafting table (at standing height) dedicated to all my projects and bracelets. I’m working on making this dream a reality but at the moment I work mainly at my dining room table which overlooks the Rockies. Nature is a big inspiration to me and always helps ignite my creativity, so if I can see outside, I’m good.

How has your work evolved?
When I first started making jewelry I was really concerned with what I thought other people would like and stuck to really basic pieces. Now, after making the same style bracelet for about two years, I have found that I need to make pieces that inspire me and reflect my lifestyle. If I don’t love a piece I made and wouldn’t wear it, I wont sell it.

What is your greatest challenge?
It’s challenging to put all the pieces together…sourcing materials, designing, hand making all the product, pricing, marketing, researching new ways to grow a business and keeping up with paperwork can be really overwhelming when you’re doing it by yourself. I love every second of it though!

What inspires you?
I’m inspired by everything. I literally have hundreds of notes written everywhere with ideas and thoughts I’ve had while being somewhere, doing something or meeting someone. I revise the previous question…my greatest challenge? Keeping all my notes of inspiration straight.

Tell us about your etsy business.
My sister introduced me to Etsy about three years ago when she opened her own vintage shop on the website called Extra Virgin Home. She opened her shop about the time I was first interested in making these “awesome new wrap bracelets” I had seen in a magazine. While I was helping my sister with her vintage shop I had been making my bracelets for friends and family. On a trip home about six months later my grandma asked me why I hadn’t started my own shop on Etsy…I thought, a shop for what? Oh, right, my bracelets! So, I made a profile on Etsy, photographed some of my bracelets and started my shop.

My beginner mistake was thinking that’s all you had to do, the “if you build it they will come” mentality. That was not the case. It took me about six months to really get on board with selling on Etsy…posting items everyday, visiting other shops and expanding my product line. I feel lucky that I’m in a place in my life that I can focus on growing Ida Estelle into a full fledged business. Whereas before it was more of a hobby, now it’s my full time job. This next year I’m focusing on expanding my online reach with tools like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.


What advice do you have for new etsians?
I think my biggest piece of advice is to be your own biggest fan! For so long, I would down play my jewelry and I didn’t think what I was doing was that special or unique. Now, I’m 100% on board with what I’m doing and am looking forward to expanding my product line and getting my brand out there.

Where can readers find your work?
Currently, other than Etsy.com, I’m selling my items at a shop in Telluride, CO called Telluride Naturals. I have a few other things in the works, including selling my jewelry at an event called Family Circle Cup this Spring in South Carolina.

Other places you can find me:
Visit the official website idaestelle.com
Buy Ida Estelle’s famous wraps on idaestelle.etsy.com
Follow Ida Estelle’s adventure @ida_estelle
Like Ida Estelle facebook.com/idaestelle

Have faith in others.

Have faith in yourself.

Have faith that it will all work out.

Have faith in your decisions.

Have faith that you are exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Have faith that you’re the only one who knows what is right for you.

Academia sometimes gets a bad rap from artsy types—after all, how can you teach creativity? However, sometimes a university environment is the perfect mix of a safe place for experimentation and just the right amount of challenge. Such was the case for Sarah Sherman of charm LA. Here’s the story of how she came up with her brilliant Sumba mixing bowls (which appeared in one of my gift guides last month), started her etsy shop and graduated—in her own words.

Tell us about your work—why do you create what you do?
Sumba was created for my senior thesis project at Otis College of Art and Design. I graduated last May. As someone that cooks frequently, I noticed that there was a disconnect between how kitchen tools are designed and how they are actually used. This came to my attention one day when I was cooking with my Aunt Sarah who has arthritis in her hands; she spilled the batter to a cake everywhere because it was hard for her to hold. I designed Sumba so it would do three essential tasks at once. Make it easier to pour, it incorporates a tilt to make it easer to mix, and has a lip to make it easier hold.

How did you learn your craft? Tell us about your process.
I learned about ceramics while at art school, so I have only been working in clay for about 3 years. Believe it or not, I had never touched clay in my live till my sophomore year in Product Design. I soon fell in love with the medium and took 3 semesters of ceramic classes with my teacher and my mentor, Joan Takayama-Ogawa. During this time I also became the ceramics departments TA and kiln tech.

In the classes, I learned new ceramics production techniques as wells as hand building and throwing techniques. I designed Sumba in a 3D program called Rhino. Then it was prototyped using a 3D printer, form that I made the molds, slipped casted and fired all the work at my school.

Where do you work? What type of environment stimulates your creativity?
Currently I have been creating my ceramics in my kitchen. I am in the process of converting my basement in to a proper ceramics studio. I don’t have any specific environment that stimulates my creativity, but I like to have a clean working enjoyment. As a ritual I always clean a space before I work. Other wise its hard to focus when there is visual clutter everywhere.

How has your work evolved?
I think my greatest evolution I had in school was my concern for my audience. It is important that my work has integrity, durability and beauty. I would like to believe my work is more user friendly. It is important that my work has integrity, durability and beauty. I now create work for many, when used to paint in high school, I painted my work was only for a small audience and myself. I am now more interested in making things that have utility.

What is your greatest challenge?
My greatest challenge since graduating has been losing my community. Although I still see my friends from school I miss the environment at Otis. There is something special about being surrounded by people that are all creative.

What inspires you?
Other people inspire me, anybody that is masterful at what they do, not just artist or designers, but people that have passion and dedication. They can be found anywhere, from that mom making all of Thanksgiving from scratch, to those surfers on the beach that always seem to have a smile on there face.

Tell us about your etsy business. How did you discover etsy.com? Any beginner mistakes?
I started my etsy two months ago. I heard about it threw word of mouth. I would say that my beginner mistake was not having a pay pal account set up. I had lost a few sales because of that.

Etsy is not my full time job but I would like to make it that way. I am currently a working as design junior for small design firm based in LA. We hope to have a show coming up late march next year at the Pacific Design Center.