Winner, winner Chicken Dinner!

Congratulations to Annie and Jean of Etsybtsy, they are  the new Tristate Area Summer Team Challenge winner. They won by creating  an awesome treasury as well as inviting two new members that joined our team.
The two shops that Etsybtsy recruited are:  


SecondLookMosaics


MyDreamWedding


The challenge was to:

*Make a treasury of shops that are geographically close to you that are NOT members of our team. 
*Only use one item per shop
*Try to include different categories of items 
*Tag TATeam Challenge. 
*Be creative*Invite at least one person from your treasury to join the team, the person with the most referred members joined wins!!

About Etsybtsy:


We are a "crafty" duo, specializing in quilts and quilted goods. We also like to work with yarns and textiles to create truly unique pieces.


We are proud to bring you quality handmade quilts and other fine handcrafted goods from our farm. Are you are interested in a custom quilt or knit item? Please contact us. If you have an idea for a custom item and are afraid to take the plunge, drop us a line and suggest we make it for the shop. If we like it enough to create, we will put it in the shop for purchase with no obligation to you. We appreciate our customers and thank you for your business. It's a pleasure to create for you.


We are active members of www.backyardchickens.com. If you keep chickens or other livestock, please visit the forums there!

This Month's Tristate Area's Team Featured Artist Friday Shop is: Charles and Wendie Colvin's  Shop http://www.etsy.com/people/eraticus

How did you get started with making and designing jewelry?

One day me and my husband Charles, were in a book store. He showed me a magazine featuring a beautiful bracelet that I fell in love with. He said he could make it for me, and he did!!!! That was the beginning of a beautiful jewelry crafting relationship.


How long have you been selling your pieces on Etsy?

We opened our shop in May of 2010 after I was laid off from my day job.

How do you go from inspiration to finished piece?

We normally find inspiration everywhere! Sunny days, nature, bright colors, anything that would be translated into something you can wear.


What is your favorite material to work with? Why?

Because of its malleability, strength, lack of understanding and color, copper is our most favorite media. Untreated natural copper develops a beautiful green-like patina over time that cannot be imitated or forced. A brand new piece of jewelry made out of shiny copper is beautiful and you can keep it that way by simply dipping it in jewelry cleaner, but if you want the piece to evolve over time, letting the patina be can also bring about very satisfying consequences for that very piece!


Are you working on any new projects? 

I have been thinking about a new media that I am experimenting with. Right now I have hope that I can bring it to life for our fall collection. Stay tuned!!!
Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry?

We just sold it - it was a bitter sweet moment - It is a rustic copper cuff bracelet that my husband made, and I am asking him to make another one so that I can wear it!!!


Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I want to continue to craft, evolve into new media and be able to sustain ourselves by farming and crafting. I am certainly hopeful this can happen by then.

What are your 3 favorite Etsy shops?

JuliesGiftbox: http://www.etsy.com/people/JuliesGiftbox
lenapavia: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lenapavia?ref=ss_profile
kittybutt: http://www.etsy.com/shop/kittybutt

Featured Seller Friday: Meet Lindsay Sapp and Betsy Crooks-Cole from PlumTuckeredDesigns!

What was the inspiration for your shop?
Last New Year's Eve, we decided over a glass of wine that we needed an outlet from teaching. We both enjoy searching for vintage treasures, and decided that we would start a new hobby!

How long have you been selling your vintage wares on Etsy?
Since January 2, 2011. We made it our New Year's Resolution!

What do you love about vintage things?
We both love the story behind the item. Where has it been? What did it mean to who it belonged to? It is fun to picture that item in it's prime.

Where do you find your vintage goodies?
Local Antique Stores. We love shopping in the Catonsville and Ellicott City historic districts near Baltimore. These are great places to visit because they have fabulous historic landmarks that can serve as great inspiration.

What is your favorite time period of vintage ?
Betsy - Loves the 50's, early 60's. "I like the Mad Men aesthetic. The clean lines of mid century modern are appealing to me and my design inspiration."
Lindsay - "I love the 30's and 40's. I'm a big romantic, so anything girly is totally me. I'm a big fan of Grace Kelly, Coco Chanel, anything Hollywood Glam is right up my alley."


Is there anything that you have for sale now that you are particularly attached to?
Betsy loves Jadeite, so she will hate to get rid of the Jadeite Teacup and Saucer we've got up for sale. I am in love with our Vintage 3 Strand Freshwater Pearls, it was a piece out of my Grandmother's jewelry box! If it doesn't sell by the time the listing expires, I think I will just keep it :-)

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
We would both love to go into the Wedding planning business. For both of our weddings, we have incorporated vintage items into our decor. We love planning, crafting, and searching for just the right pieces to fit into the puzzle!

Please Visit Some Of Our Favorite Etsy Shops~!

LoBoheme

TimelessVixenVintage

concarta

isabelleabramson

Our Facebook Link: www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002369570950&sk=wall

Next Challenge featuring Gewgaws & Gimcracks Shop!

tatchallenge10

The next tatchallenge will begin (late start my apologies!)May 26, 2011 and go until June 1, 2011 and will be Judged on June 2, 2011, tatchallenge10 is based on the inspiration of Gewgaws & Gimcracks Shop.

Gewgaws& Gimcracks Shop Link

The secret phrase is “ First Day of Summer”

Official Rules 

An example of some appropriate tags to get noticed might include: Summer, Gemini, Cancer,June, outdoor activities, Parties, barbecue's, pool, vintage, Weddings, Pearls, June's Birthstone, vacation, handmade, June trends, beach, outdoors, outdoor entertaining, hostess gifts, bath and beauty

*Of course be sure the tags you use are appropriate to your treasury theme:)

tatchallenge9 Winning Treasury by Gewgaws & Gimcracks!

The inspiration shop was  PlumTuckeredDesigns shop for this weeks team challenge. It was a close race, PlumTuckered couldn't decide between PatMcWhorter's Shop and GewGaws Shop so they put it to the team to vote.

Gewgaws & Gimcracks

took the challenge in the end doing a plumazing job winning with her fascinating treasury finds and theme! :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/gewgaws

The winning treasury:

Quotes About Art For Inspiration

Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.
::: Oscar Wilde:::

There's no retirement for an artist, it's your way of living so there's no end to it.
 ::: Henry Moore ::: 

 A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.

::: Paul Cezanne ::: 
I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say 'he feels deeply, he feels tenderly.
::: Vincent van Gogh ::: 
The modern artist is working with space and time and expressing his feelings rather than illustrating.
::: Jackson Pollock ::: 
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.

::: Pablo Picasso :::

Next Team Challenge featuring PlumTuckeredDesigns shop!

tatchallenge9

Beginning May 18, 2011 until Monday May 23, 2011 and will be Judged on Tuesday May 24, 2011, tatchallenge9 is based on the inspiration of

PlumTuckeredDesigns

shop.

The secret phrase is “Secret Garden”

Official Rules 

An example of some appropriate tags to get noticed might include: Summer, Gardening, June, outdoor activities, open air soirees, gardening tools, birds, vintage, squirrels, hedgehogs, secrets, hiding places, vintage...

*Of course be sure the tags you use are appropriate to your treasury theme:)