From New Jersey LittleOwlSoapCo

As I stated earlier this week, I am hosting another Etsy artist from New Jersey , Garden State. My new guest is LittleOwlSoapCo in which you will find hand-crafted vegan soaps and body washes. You can almost feel and smell these beauties from her lovely shop. Let read more about this wonderful artist...

S: What is your name and what is the story behind your shop’s name?

J: My name is Jen Katehos, and Little Owl Shop is named after the Athena noctua (Little Owl), was sacred to Athena, the Greek goddess of, among other things, wisdom and handicrafts. I'm half Greek, and carry a medallion in my purse with Athena on one side and the Little Owl on the other. When I needed a shop name, I looked no further.

S:How did you find Etsy and what made you join Etsy?

J: I heard of Etsy a few years back on the fabulous Knit and Tonic blog, and in 2007, I started out as a buyer. In 2009, when I started making more body wash than I could use in a decent amount of time, I realized it was time to open at Etsy shop of my own.

S: What inspires you in creating your work?

J: I'm inspired by the chemical process by which soap is made. Combining carefully measured oils, water, and lye, and observing the ingredients from a completely new substance is fascinating to me.

S: We would love to hear your daily routines if there is any.

J: I commute nearly 2 hours each way to work and back, and I do a lot of reading and planning on the train. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted, but usually have an hour or two to take care of some creative business. Then it's dinner with the hubby and time for bed. The weekends are when I get to focus on making soap and experimenting with making lotions, scrubs, and lip balms.

S:What is your favorite book?

J: This changes constantly, but the last book I read that really delighted me was "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessi. It's the kind of book I wish I'd never read so I could read it again all over for the first time. Before that, it was "The Historian" , by Elizabeth Kostova. ( Apparently, I like my books wordy.)

S: What was your last travel destination?

J: Costa Rica for my honeymoon.

S: What do you do to relax?

J: I read fiction, watch ( a lot) of HGTV, knit, and sew.

S: Do you have any suggestions to a new Etsian seller in creating and maintaining their shop?

J: I'm fairly new at this myself, but I know it is very important to reply promptly to convos and to communicate with buyers. People love knowing that you've received their order and that it's on its way.

***GIVEAWAY***

Jen was so generous to offer any of her body wash/lotion sets from her etsy shop for her giveaway. If you want to be a lucky winner please follow the steps. It is pretty simple!

Please visit her etsy shop and post a comment under this post with the LINK of your favorite item from her shop and please don't forget to add your email address.

http://LittleOwlSoapCo.etsy.com

Please also follow my blog.

The giveaway will open to US only and will end July 8 at midnight! The winner will be chose using http://www.random.org/

From New Jersey Hannahshandwork

I started my third week with the state of New Jersey. This week ;different from other weeks, I will be introducing more than one very talented artists from the Garden State. My first guest is Hannahshandwork whose outstanding book bindings took my attention. Her work has a taste of royalty and an eye for detail. Please enjoy my interview with her.

S: What is your name and what is the story behind your shop’s name?

H: My name is Hannah Smith, and my rather unimaginative shop name came from thinking I was going to sell a variety of items when I first opened my shop, and I wanted everything handmade to fit in.

S:How did you find Etsy and what made you join Etsy?

H: I found Etsy through a friend who already had a shop here, who knew I could sew and book bind, and was looking for some way to work from home.

S: What inspires you in creating your work?

H: When I'm designing a book, I usually put out all my leather, materials and embossing tool, and create a book in my mind, to decide what looks best together.

S: Tell us about your daily routines.

H: I wish I was organized enough to have a daily routine, but the only thing that is regular is checking the computer first thing in the morning for transactions or emails, and then checking back periodically throughout the day.

S:What is your favorite book?

H: I love to read, and I don't think I can narrow it down to just one book. I think the books I return to most often, though, are the ones by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

S: What was your last travel destination?

H: My last trip was my most frequent trip: down to Virginia to visit my sister, brother-in-law, and four crazy-but-wonderful nephews.

S: What do you do to relax?

H: I love spending time with family and friends, I love to read, I take long walks, and I visit the library's classic movie section regularly.

S: Do you have any suggestions to a new Etsian seller in creating and maintaining their shop?

H: The only advise I can give others is the same advise I was given myself, and am still trying to apply: Write good descriptions, take fantastic photos, list items often, and don't give up! The more time and effort you give to your business, the more likely you are to thrive!

***FREE SHIPPING***

Hannah was so generous to offer FREE SHIPPING for the week ( ending date July 5th) to anyone who mentions Floweredsky blog in "Message to Seller" section.

From Pennsylvania Karenfaulknerart

I am so excited that I am in my second week of my weekly featured artist series.

This week, I am honored to introduce Karenfaulknerart who creates peaceful and soothing watercolor paintings from Pennsylvania.

S: What is your name and what is the story behind your shop’s name?

K: My name is Karen Faulkner, and as you can see, my shop karenfaulkneart is named after me. Not terribly creative!

S:When did you start your business?

K: I've been painting watercolors for about twelve years now, starting first strictly as a hobby and later selling them locally since about 2004, by word of mouth, in local shops on consignment and taking commissions. I opened my Etsy shop in June 2007 thinking "let's see if I can sell ten or even twenty watercolors". I have never imagined this level of success, recently having reached 750 Etsy sales.

S: What are your motivations / inspirations in creating your work?

K: Nature, emotions, love, healing, serenity.

S: Tell us about your daily routines.

K: I don't always do it in the same order every day, except that brewing is always first. I check e-mails for orders and get them carefully packaged and addressed for shipping. I see if I'm low on inventory of any prints, or if there are any new recently sold originals that I think would reproduce nicely. I paint! The best days for that are when the morning sun is shining in the windows near my drafting table and I can look out and see the birds and flowers. Usually I play music while I'm painting.

S:What is your favorite book?

K: Tough to choose one, I'm an avid reader. I like "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron and return it often.

S: What was your last travel destination?

K: Arizona! It was my fifth time there. It has inspired a couple of my abstract paintings.

S: What do you do to relax?

K: Walk and ride bike on nearby trails, go to gym, cook, plant herbs and flowers, read, listen to music, have lunch with friends. A day with all of those plus creating some art would be an ideal day!

***GIVEAWAY***

Karen was so generous to offer any of her giclee 4x6 fineart prints for her giveaway. If you want to be a lucky winner please follow the steps. It is pretty simple!

Please visit her etsy shop and post a comment under this post with the LINK of your favorite item from her shop and please don't forget to add your e-mail address.

http://karenfaulknerart.etsy.com

Please follow my blog .

The giveaway will open to US only and will end June 17 at midnight! The winner will be chose using http://www.random.org/

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From Delaware ChirpAndBloom

Starting this week , first week of July, 2010, I am staring to introduce wonderful Etsians from each state by the order of statehood dates. I am so happy to get to know all these artists and share their insights with you in creating their work. My first guest is ChirpAndBloom who used to be a sweater designer, currently designing kids' clothing from her own studio in Wilmington, Delaware.


S: What is your name and what is the story behind your shop’s name?

B: My name is Rebecca Harkin, but that feels so formal that I go by Becky most of the time. After years working in a high pressure fashion industry job, I feel lucky to be able to work from home where I can open the windows and appreciate the birds chirping and the flowers blooming.
I’m a gardener and we have birds galore on the property, so the name “chirp & bloom” seemed natural for my children’s clothing company.

S:When did you start your business?

B: I opened the chirp & bloom Etsy store in January of this year, so I’ve only been at it for a few months.

S: What are your motivations / inspirations in creating your work?

B: I read some advice somewhere that you should figure out what your dream job would be and don’t go after any jobs that aren’t a stepping stone to that job. I decided my ideal job would be managing the brand and directing the design of a children’s line of high quality, socially and
ecologically conscious clothing for a fun company with a family-friendly culture. I didn’t find any stepping stones, so I made my own.

Being on my own, I have the freedom to be inspired by whatever moves me. I’ve always liked the 1940’s for its cheerful aesthetic, wholesomeness, thriftiness, and its quilting and needlework traditions. I use vintage textiles like tablecloths, embroidered pillowcases, and printed yardage
whenever I can. I blab about it constantly on my blog: www.threadsandsnippets.blogspot.com.
I’m also inspired by my kids. In my single days, I lived in New York City and gravitated toward
dark, muddy colors. Now I like happy kid-friendly colors and even own pink pants! My garden inspires me too. We have several birdhouses and lots of flowering perennials. Pretty is good.

S: Tell us about your daily routines.

B: I do all the usual mom stuff. I get my two kids ready for school first thing. When the kids are at school it’s work time. That time is almost sacred to me because it is so limited, so no chores, no fooling around. At 1:00, I pick up my youngest from preschool and do errands or go to the playground with him, then come home in time to meet my daughter’s school bus. The rest of the afternoon is all about occupying the kids with crafts or homework, doing chores, making dinner, and maybe sneaking in a little computer time. We eat as a family, go for a walk or bike ride if it’s nice out, snuggle with the kids, then put them to bed. I’m back in the studio or at the computer by 9:00 if I haven’t fallen asleep in one of the kids’ beds. I try to be disciplined and turn in by 10:30, but I don’t always succeed because I really like what I’m doing. It’s always a time crunch, but it’s much less stressful than a demanding office job.

S:What is your favorite book?

B: Right now it’s _The Thunderbolt Kid_ by Bill Bryson. It’s a biography with a sense of humor about growing up in the midwest in the 1950’s.

S: What was your last travel destination?

B: We took a road trip up to Vermont for my cousin’s farmhouse wedding last September. It was rustic and fabulous with roosters crowing during the ceremony.

S: What do you do to relax?

B: Snuggling with the kids at bedtime is the ultimate in relaxation. A glass of wine with dinner to take the edge off is nice. I also like to watch TV. I admit it. I’ll watch any kind of decorating show, Project Runway, What Not to Wear, The Office, Colbert Report. We don’t have a TV in the bedroom, though. I’ll read before bed to wind down.

Anyone who purchases an item from ChirpAndBloom in the first week of July and mentions "Floweredsky" will receive 20% discount.