Certainly not I. I adore handmade things! I "smith" my own gold, knit my own scarves, and sew my own duvets. I rarely "chef" my own meals...but that avoidance is another story entirely.
One of the greatest things to happen to the handmade art world in recent history is Etsy. If you haven't explored it's crafty depths, I suggest you click now. (No need to navigate away; just open a new browser window. I promise ArtJewelryMag.com and Etsy.com can play nice together on your screen.) Etsy is an online collection of independent artists gathered for your shopping (and/or selling) pleasure.
On it you'll find:
- finished jewelry
- jewelry components
- tools for jewelry and other handwork genres
- sculptural objects
- fiber creations
- yarn, fabric, and other raw crafty ingredients
- unique clothing
- antique and vintage items
- craft supplies
- artwork
It's that last point that brings me to my blog today. Usually Etsy leads me to jewelry, but this time I ended up with fresh artwork for my home instead. Earlier this week I received in the mail some of the prettiest artwork I've bought in a long time. And I love-love-love that it's handmade, one-of-a-kind, and completely mine.
I found the artist, Racheal Anilyse, through the "Suggestions" feature of Etsy. As you browse the wares available on the Web site, you can click on your favorites. Then, Etsy will suggest new thing you might like based on your preferences. That led me to a sweet little illustration of a red bee balm flower that Racheal had for sale. I emailed her with a request of 4 more unusual flowers to go along with the lonely bee balm. I was met with an enthusiastic response, and a mere few weeks later I now have my handmade garden!
Racheal even liked the flowers so much that she turned the images into a notecard set. What a great way to spread the "handmade-ed-ness" around! I suppose it's sort of like sculpting a beautiful ring, and then creating a mold from it. More than just one person gets to enjoy your creation and labor that way.
Have any of you tried Etsy? Do you sell, buy, or simply find inspiration?
Do you have and tips or tricks about how to stretch your handmade capacity, or are you strictly a one-off creator? Tell me your handmade stories!