Etsy Interview with Gulf Coast Cottage PDF

While collecting items for my I Like BBQ collection I came across the most delightful and creative little shop! Jen, fellow Floridian, is the creative mind behind Gulf Coast Cottage PDF. Her shop is stocked full of tasty felt patterns for lots of yummy foods and other fun items. I absolutely love her Backyard BBQ Play Set with its adorable little grill, spatula, tongs and of course delicious steak, hot dog and burger with all the fixin's!

Give us three words that describe your Etsy shop:

Fun, Tasty, Unique

How did you come about making patterns for felt food?

I started by making felt food for my kids, I loved brainstorming new ideas and the challenge. Making felt food is addictive- I figured other moms would like to give it a try!

What's your favorite thing to eat?

Gorgonzola cheese and bacon (not necessarily together, but that wouldn't be so bad!)

What's your biggest fear...spiders? Heights?

Depends on the day. Usually germs :P

How do you deal with artist's block and where do you find inspiration?

I get my inspiration from my kids and everyday life. When I have artist's block- I try to think of new and fun ideas. The better I think the idea is- the faster it gets finished.

Be sure to stop over to the shop for a Buy 4 Patterns Get one Free Sale going on now! Also check out her shop announcement to see how you can get a free pdf to make california sushi roll! Thanks Jen for the interview and my pattern, I can't wait to make it!

Invincible and Cute: An Interview with Water Bears

When it comes to imagination and a dash of crazy (in a good way of course) this artist has what it takes to crank out awesomeness with each swish of his paintbrush. I discovered Water Bears very early after first discovering Etsy and I always find myself coming back to this shop. Tim, the man behind the puzzling name, is super friendly and was first featured on my blog in the alphabet series I did many moons ago. He also graciously agreed to do an interview for me way back then, and I am just getting around to it now. So sit back, read the interview or don't, but I'm betting once you look at the pretty pictures you'll be just curious enough to need to know a little more and end up reading it anyway! I have to know, what’s the story behind the name of your Etsy shop, Water Bears?

Waterbears are awesome. They are some of the cutest most invincible creatures on earth. I thought it summed up the critters I paint pretty well. Check out this link.

Thanks for clearing that up. I'm not completely lazy, I did look it up myself, but it was too weird to be true. I stand corrected! So, tell us a little bit about Tim Boyd, the man behind Water Bears. Is art a full time gig for you?

My family and I own a landscaping business. It keeps me pretty busy especially in the spring. I'm kind of like Batman except I paint at night rather than fight crime. I have a beautiful wife, a gorgeous little girl and two Border Collies. They get every bit of me that is left over at the end of the day.

Give me three words that describe your shop, the paintings and prints you sell.

Funny, Evolving, Wonky

Haha, wonky. Good one! How did you first get started on the track of becoming a successful painter and how long have you been painting?

I have been painting for almost 4 years now but I have been drawing since I was 4. I always wanted to be a cartoonist. I actually did a comic strip in college for a while and published a few zines that only my wife read. One of my professors in college said one of the most important things to me on the first day in class. He looked at all of us eager students and said " So you all want to be illustrators?"...... "Well guess what...you already are. Now you just have to find someone to pay you to do it." I started showing my work shortly after that.

I’m always intrigued by other artist’s work spaces, describe your studio or workspace and what’s your favorite thing about it?

I try to fill my studio with images that will keep my creativity flowing. I hang up doodles, sketches, calendars, photos, patterns, old paintings, etc. My favorite part, however, is the toys. I have a lot of toys in there. Every wall is covered, in some part, with toys. I am inspired by the color and imagination that goes into them.

Your paintings are very graphic and comical in illustration but also evoke a feeling of gritty street art. Where does your style come from? What are some of the influences of your work and other artists or things that inspire you?

I think the hard, clean edges in my work come from my affinity with the Sunday morning cartoons. I am, after all, a cartoonist at heart. I like to tow a certain line in most of my pieces. I like building characters and then putting them in unexpected situations. I like the strangeness of seeing a cute little bunny rabbit in the middle of the woods with toaster oven. I really love listening to kids try to explain what they see in some of my images. They usually have a better grasp than I do. I could list artists that inspire me all day long so I'll give you the short list: Mark Ryden, Jeff Soto, Scott Musgrove, Sergio Arigones, Bret Blevins, Bill Watterson

What is your creative process like from start to finish on a painting? Where do you come up with ideas like a piggy breakfast fairy?

There is nothing better than painting talking food. I don't know why that entertains me so much. Most of my drawings start off as doodles. I have a ton of sketch pads that I am always working in and referring to. But, I'll draw on anything..styrofoam cups, tables, dashboards, other pens. I try to never stop.

How has Etsy influenced your exposure and success? Where else do you sell your prints and paintings besides Etsy?

My wife pushed me to get on Etsy. She is very crafty and has a great eye for talent. She loved the people on Etsy and was always showing me what these people were doing out of their homes. It really is amazing. Etsy has been great for me. There is no better way to be seen by so many like minded people around the world. Its just a cool community. I sell most of my originals at Donna Van Gogh's in Atlanta and Art festivals and galleries around town all year long. Beep Beep and Young Blood carry my prints along with Helix in Athens.

Who are some of your favorite Etsy artists and why do you like their shops?

RustyRoosterMetal just cool stuff

cyberhadji right up my alley

falldowntree whimsical and grungy

hine seriously, who would have thought to make these. So cool.

laurageorge very creative and unexpected

berkleyillustration just pure talent..and also bizarre.

yellena I don't know why exactly but this stuff is beautiful.

What’s your favorite painting that you have ever made?

I made a painting once of two super hero critters standing on a building looking over a sunset. It felt like the end of a good day or the beginning of a long night depending on whatever your mood was. Anyway, I put a high gloss varnish on it before I scanned it in and was unable to keep a quality image for myself. So there has never been a print produced from it. It is the one that got away.

Thanks Tim for the interview and your seemingly never ending collection of funny, evolving and wonky paintings! I never get bored of looking at them, even the ones I've already looked at for hours on end! How do you do that!? Visit the Water Bears shop and grab your favorite bacon-themed, flying toaster and angrily cute critter prints today!

P.S. It's nice to see someone's studio is just as messy as mine! *wink*

That's So Sweet: An Interview with Jane Joss

I stumbled across Jane Joss in the Etsy forums and absolutely fell in love with the work in this shop! I'd never seen anything quite like it: house plants you can't kill, but oh so much more. And soooooo pretty! I mean, this is some high quality home decor that's actually affordable. It's fresh and modern yet timeless and virtually goes with anything! I just had to pick creators Alyssa and Joslyn's brains and find out more about the mystery behind this wonderful Etsy shop. I couldn't contain my excitement. The idea of interviewing didn't really pop into my head, it was just a fact I was so enthusiastic about their shop. Tell us a bit about the people that are Jane Joss, what are you all about? The name Jane Joss is a combination of Alyssa’s middle name (Jane) and Joslyn. We’re former college roommates turned sisters-in-law (married to twins!). Jane Joss started with a free sewing machine and a love of cool fabric. We taught ourselves to sew and started making crafts and home décor items. Our target customer is someone who likes to add unique, natural touches to their home. Most of our customers are women, however we love designing for men, teens, and children as well. We keep everyone in mind when we are searching for fabric and coming up with new design ideas. Your line is so unique and original, I've never seen anything like it. Where did you come up with the concept for your Sweet Leaves? In our search for fabric-related craft projects, we stumbled upon leaves made of fabric. With a little trial and error, we were able to construct our own stems using floral wire and tape. From there we experimented with different sizes, including trees and potted plants. With every new creation, we found ourselves saying, “oh, that’s so sweet”. So, we ended up calling them Sweet Leaves! Describe your studio space and your inspiration in your creative life. Our “studios” are our home offices and kitchen tables. We like to imagine ourselves one day working in a beautiful studio space downtown. We are definitely inspired by nature. We love using green and brown fabric so our designs look like real plants from a distance. Also, fabric prints are a huge source of inspiration for us. It’s fun to add a modern touch to our designs by using bold colors and patterns. We are always experimenting with different textures and colors. What is your creative process like? Our creative process usually begins with a brainstorming session. We discuss new fabric options, style ideas and customer feedback. From there we are off to hunt for the perfect fabric. We have the most fun when we get to work together. Sometimes our “other lives” prevent that from happening, so we end up working separately with a kind of assembly line philosophy. For example, Alyssa will cut the fabric, Joslyn will wrap stems, etc. Assembling our product can take hours or days depending on the item. Each piece involves individually sewn interfaced leaves and hand-wrapped stems. The last step in our process involves Joslyn’s husband, Jeff. He is a talented graphic designer who has graciously designed our logo and e-blasts. He is also our photographer.

Did you try other materials or methods besides what you are currently using? Our first Sweet Leaves involved clipping the ends off existing floral stems we purchased. Although cute, that method did not produce a consistent or cost-effective product. We also tried different gauges of wire and various brands of floral tape before we got it just right. We’ve also streamlined our production process to conserve materials and increase productivity.

For being new to Etsy, you've got a few sales under your belt! Do you sell your Sweet Leaves anywhere else? We’re still new enough to get excited every time we make a sale! Etsy has been a huge learning experience for us. We’d never heard of it until we started our business. When we did, we knew it would be a great fit for us and our product. Word of mouth through our friends, families, and co-workers keep us rather busy. We have so much fun consulting with people and designing the perfect Sweet Leaves for their homes or offices. Children’s rooms are especially fun to do. Next on our agenda… craft/indie shows. Our first is the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar in Oklahoma City on May 9th. We are so excited to get our Sweet Leaves out there!

In what ways do you promote yourselves, online and in the tangible world? We do email marketing to friends and family periodically. We also use word of mouth, blogs, and Facebook and we’re not shy about handing out business cards. Alyssa can usually be found somewhere on Etsy, posting in forums, chatting, or making treasuries, Are there any new additions to the Jane Joss line planned for the future? We are always trying new techniques and styles. We try to stick with our basic leaf shape, but we’ve got a potted plant style that we’re almost ready to debut. We have some Sweet Leaves made from faux suede on the market right now that we just love, and we’re experimenting with leaves made from chenille and corduroy. Bridal bouquets, with a modern twist, are also on our list. Creating new styles and working with new fabrics is our favorite thing about Jane Joss, so we always have something new in the works.

What other creative projects or artistic hobbies are you involved with besides Jane Joss? We are always creating things using our sewing machines. We also both fancy ourselves amateur photographers and interior designers. We love to visit art museums and our favorite thing to do for “girls’ night out” is go see a musical. We both have children, which requires an endless supply of creativity! What would you like to see happen with your Etsy shop or your line in general? We like to envision ourselves in the future working full time on Jane Joss in a beautiful studio, expanding our product line (and customer base) and designing our own fabric. We hope to be there one day because we LOVE what we do!

A huge thank you (so so much!) to Alyssa and Joslyn! Be sure to check out their etsy shop at http://www.janejoss.etsy.com/ and pick up some sweet leaves for yourself!

Have you ever come across a really awesome and magical Etsy shop and been so amazed you just had to know more? You read the profile but it's still not enough...you add said shop to your favorites and spend hours looking at all the pretty things for sale...the mystery eats at you...who is this amazing person who made these pretty things? I must know more!!! I'm a huge fan of the Featured Seller on Etsy, but I feel like there are so many ridiculously cool shops out there, that we miss out on some great ones if we don't go hunting for them ourselves. I constantly search and search, for photography worth a million words, sparkly jewelry I can't afford, art to hang on the wall (which I also can't afford), for super lovable plush and softies. I search for inspiration in the form of color, humor, unlikely pairings, materials and I suppose to check out the competition as well. I'm often left wanting more when I come across a really great shop so I decided to do something about it! Consider this my own special Featured Seller. Here's the first in a new ongoing post series here at MarthaLand. I invite you to send shops my way too, if you find something you love! I'll ask the questions, you get all the answers you ever wanted!