Meet Mollie of Etherealgirls

Meet Mollie of Etherealgirls

You can visit her shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5102410

♥ How many years have you been an artist?

I am not sure that I can define how long I have been an artist. I have ALWAYS made things; yep, I cannot remember a time when I was not creating something. From mud pies to magic, I like to make things!

♥ How many years have you worked with glass?

This is an easier question. I began working with glass on February 25th,1977--Yikes, that is 32 years ago! I would like to say I was born with a glass cutter in my hand, but really I was a teen when I signed up for a stained glass class at the local community art school and LOVED it--I have made glass my material of choice ever since.

♥ What triggers ideas for new projects?

The possibility of perfection. Lately I feel like I am caught in the Etsy world of supply and demand. I work a full-time day job aside from making glass, so most of my glass time is spent staying on top of making and listing pendants/necklaces. It really has become just a production, and much less artistically creative and passionate than I would like. Once in a while though I make something that is nearly perfect--the perfect color choice, design, and execution; that keeps me going and inspired.

♥ When do ideas come to you? How often?

Via materials and always. I am always making things--with a long list of "if-I-only-had-more-time" ideas looming. Along with glass fusing, I am currently playing avidly on my torch; experimenting with metal etching, and longing for a long weekend to open the package of BronzClay that has been stored in my refrigerator since September.

♥ What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?

All my waking hours and a few of the subconscious ones too! I am not sure it is work though--it feels more like play.

♥ Do you create daily?

Without a doubt; though sometimes it is just the perfect cup of coffee I am making! But that is the catalyst for all good things.

♥ How important is it for you to create art?

The process of making things is important to me; whether the finished product is defined as "art" is not. I take great joy in the transformation of materials; sometimes good, sometimes bad--but always interesting.

♥ Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice?

Have you given up certain luxuries?

Could I have chosen to do something more profitable--yes! Did I? Nope. Despite making material items and selling them, I am not into owning things. Once you own a kiln and a torch and a computer, what else do you need? I actually feel pretty blessed to live my simple life.

♥ Describe your studio.

"To the bat cave!" Enough said.

♥ Tell me something about you.

My husband is my best friend; we have been together for 27 years (and yes the glass came before him and he knows it). He is very supportive of all things creative and spends his free time building Greenland kayaks (his tools and kayaks take up even more space than my glass stuff). Add in a few remarkable kids and a couple of equally remarkable dogs and you have the makings of a life worth living. My day job is working for Rings & Things, Wholesale; a small, hometown business that got big without losing its small business values. I dreamed of working for R&T as a teen, and eventually my dreams came true. It is a great place to work and I could not be happier; I get to play with the coolest jewelry stuff and make things for the online store, catalogs, and magazine ads. Pretty cool.

Meet Shelly of Hana Sakura Designs

Meet Shelly of Hana Sakura Designs

You can visit her shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5246940

How many years have you been an artist?

I've been an artist all my life. There hasn't been a single moment where I haven't felt the need to be creative in some way. When I was only 5 years old, I was already drawing my little heart out. All the other little kids would be outside playing on the monkey-bars or playing on the swings. I would be the one who would be inside just drawing away! :o) I think my first picture was a horse with saddle & bridle. (My Mum still has it in my baby book). So the answer to the question, is, I've been an artist for over 30 years now!

How many years have you worked with glass?

My fascination with glass started in 1991, a year out of high school. I got a job at a "The Stained Glass Cabinet Co." in Traverse City, Michigan. I don't know how I lucked out getting a job there, but I did. They taught me EVERYTHING about making stained glass. I've made cabinets, church window panels, suncatchers, kitchen/bathroom cupboards, breadboxes, lamps...You name it, I've done it. (And I have lovely glass-scars to prove it!) I just fell in absolute LOVE with glass from that point on. They did fuse glass there, but, I was more into the stained glass at the time. Only recently did I get hooked into fusing. Dichroic glass is just so incredible to look at and play with. I bought a little bit just "to try" and the rest is history! Now, I'm a full-blown Dichroic addict! (And I don't need any help, thank you very much. I'm happy being addicted!) ;o)

What triggers ideas for new projects?

Oh, everything and anything triggers ideas for me. Most of the time, it's something I see in nature that inspires me (like the colors of some pretty flowers or a butterfly). I could just be talking to someone...Having a "normal" conversation and I'll either hear or see something. Or, I'll be outside playing in one of my flower beds or rose gardens. An idea just "Pops" into my head! It's really weird! There's been times where I'm fast asleep, dreaming away.....Then I'll wake up with an idea for a pair of earrings or a certain color combination for a new floral pendant. I have to write/draw it immediately or I'll forget it by morning! When we were back in Hawai'i two years ago, the gorgeous blue water around Punalu'u Beach on Big Island inspired me to make bright-bright blue jewelry. You just never know where an idea is going to come from.

When do ideas come to you? How often?

They come to me all the time! I think I eat and sleep dichroic glass, I really do! I'd say I get a new idea probably 5-6 times a day, it just depends. We were watching a movie on TV the other night and during a really exciting part, something triggered an idea, so I had to pause the movie (DVR) and go run into the other room to draw it! I think the only time ideas don't come to me is if I'm sick with a cold. I'm especially creative with the ideas if I'm listening to some nice relaxing music.

What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?

Thinking about my art is probably 24 hours of my day! Even when I'm at work, supposed to be "working", I'm daydreaming about my jewelry! (Shhh...Don't tell my boss. Although, I think she already knows). She's always catching me staring off into space! ;o)I probably work on my jewelry about 2-4 hours every night after I get home (from the real job). Unless, of course, it's TV night Thursday and I sit in front of the TV all night long. Most of my jewelry making time is during the weekends. I love it and never get tired of it!

Do you create daily?

I go in "spurts" with the creating. I did create daily when I first started, but not so much now. I have a good supply of jewelry on-hand at any one time, so I don't need to create constantly. I sell my jewelry at two different art galleries here, and I need back-up supplies at all times. The only hard part of having a "cushion" of jewelry is I either want to keep it all for myself, or list it all on Etsy! And I have to hold myself back a lot of the time. When it's slow (like right now) I do make up a lot of things at once. Last night, for example, I made 50 new pendants. That way, when it's finally nice outside, I can use what I made up already so I can go out and Play! ;o)

How important is it for you to create art?

It's a BIG stress-reliever for me. I feel it's very important. It's my way to unwind from the day. Most people eat or shop when they're stressed, I create dichroic jewelry! It's just amazing how relaxed I get while making this stuff. And when I cut myself, it doesn't even bother me. I just keep on going! I love being creative! And it doesn't have to be with just jewelry making, either. Creating anything makes me happy. (Painting, gardening, drawing, etc.). Making art with my own two hands is just so cool and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice?

Have you given up certain luxuries?

No, I wouldn't say a sacrifice at all. It's not a sacrifice if you're doing something you love and it makes you happy! :o) There isn't a single luxury that I've given up or even need. I'm very fortunate to have a hubby who helps me out and lets me live my dream. He's very good to me and I'm thankful for the life we have and the ability we have for me to do this. (dichroic glass isn't exactly a cheap medium.) The only thing I'm sacrificing is I have to work a "normal" job instead of doing this full-time. Our goal is to allow me to do this as a real job. Maybe someday, that dream will come true! In the meantime, I'm just having FUN right now!! :o)

Describe your studio.

Well, it's a total disaster right now. I wouldn't want anyone to see it (so please call me first before coming over!). We have an "extra" bedroom in the basement that we use as my art/glass room. I have glass everywhere! Oh, it's so bad right now, I really need to clean and organize! I have two pretty good sized windows so I can look outside at the birds and the neighbors (need to keep my eye on those folks, you know). I have two large stainless steel tables that I use for stained glass and fusing. My kiln is on the end of one of the tables along with my light box for taking photos of the jewels. My other table has pieces of dichro scattered everywhere! Ugh. I have my glass grinder on another table over there....My "Bobcat" torch and Oxygen Concentrator over there....Oh! It's just a mess! But you know what....I don't know of ANY artist who is truly organized! Most artists are messy-messy! And I'm definitely one of them! If I actually clean stuff and put them where they need to go, I'll never find anything! It's organized chaos! Yeah! That's it! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!! ;o)

Tell me something about you.

Well, I'm a big goof-ball, in case you couldn't tell! I love making people laugh. Putting a smile on someone else's face is one of the best things in the whole world! Spreading happiness to people makes me happy! :o)But, if you must know....I'm married to my hubby, Dan. We met in college. I was going for Graphic Design & he was in Plastics Engineering. (my nerd-boy). We got married in Maui in 1997 on a lava cliff overlooking the black sand beach. "Ah...". We just love Hawai'i. Anything & everything to do with Hawai'i. We love going on little adventures. Like sailing off the coast of Lana'i, boating around the Great Lakes (we live in Michigan), hiking the lava flows at Kileaua volcano, hiking Mt. Rushmore & the Badlands. We just love being together! He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. ("Aw"). We have three "fur-kids" that we love more than anything. "Hana" our golden retriever (the biggest 85 lb. BABY you'll ever meet!), "Kali" the little buff tiger kitty and "Jack" our orange tiger kitty. Those guys sure keep us on our toes, let me tell ya! :o)I love gardening and have several flower gardens around my yard. (You'll notice a lot of my flowers in the picture-backgrounds of my pendants). Recently, I've gotten addicted to rose gardening. Love the flowers, hate the thorns! (although, I have outsmarted the things....I now have 4 rose bushes that don't have any thorns! Ha! Take that!) My rose gardening addiction started when we had a drugged-up neighbor kid climb my 6 ft. fence and try to get into my house. A couple weeks later, I planted a VERY thorny climbing rose bush where he climbed the fence. I pity the poor fool who tries to climb my fence NOW! That rose is gorgeous, but nasty!! Woah, buddy! I hope you've learned a little bit more about me. I'm surprised I didn't write a novel. I tend to talk a lot! So you all got off pretty easy, I'd say! :o) You all take care!

Meet Cher of Talentedlady

Meet Of Cher of Talentedlady.

You can visit her shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=74612

-How many years have you been an artist?

Since 2000 (maybe even as a child)

-How many years have you worked with glass?

Since late 2006

-What triggers ideas for new projects?

I look at the glass and decide what I'd like to create. I've started getting into larger pieces which are more challenging than the jewelry peices.

-When do ideas come to you? How often?

I try to work on glass a couple of times a week. Other times I work on painting porcelain and at other times it's marketing.

-What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?

40-50%

-Do you create daily?

No, about 4-5 days a week.

-How important is it for you to create art?

It's very important. If I'd realized how much I love art and had created it for a living years ago I would have been much happier.

-Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice? Have you given up certain luxuries?

I think it's a luxury to be an artist.

-Describe your studio.

I have converted a bedroom into my work space. I also spill over into the kitchen. I've always been a space hog.

-Tell me something about you.

When I was young I felt I hadn't found my niche in the workworld. I didn't realize I could be a working artist. Also, my mother was quite a gifted artist and I felt I never quite measured up. She was very encouraging of my artistic talent though and what I lacked in self confidence I made up for in tenacity. I could and still can work at something for hours trying to get it right. I trully didn't realize that I could make money with my creativity. Granted I haven't made it to "the big time" yet but that still could happen!

Meet Shannon Of Pigatopia

Meet Shannon Of Pigatopia

You can visit her shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5264850

How many years have you been an artist?

I have been doing art my whole life. I only started making art to sell to help noah's ark pot bellied pig rescue in new port richey florida about 5 years ago. Since then I have donated art to not only Noah's Ark pbp rescue but many other like: Pig Placement Network, Noah's Wish, Farm Sancturary, Awbar, EFA, CAR. In January I started a blog www.pigatopia.blogspot.com which allowed me to help many, many more rescues and sanctuary's.

How many years have you worked with glass?

I started painting glass first about 3 years ago. I wanted to start etching glass so I bought a drimmel with some diamond tip bits about 2 years ago. I love free handing portraits on glass and I am very fast at it.What triggers ideas for new projects? My mind never stops. One must come up with new stuff or your art will become stail and boring. most of what I have done so far has been portriats but more recent I have been getting request for logos and tattoo designs.

When do ideas come to you? How often?

The ideas never stop I am always working on 2 or 3 projects at a time. It helps keep me motivated and prevents me from getting bored with my own art.

What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?

during the week I spend 2-3 hours a day working on art but I spend 8 hours a day on my projects on the weekend. I make art 7 days a week. even when I am on vacation I take my art with me.

How important is it for you to create art?

I have to create art to help me cope with stresses from every day life. I also have to keep making art to help animals The more art I make the more aniamls I can help.

Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice?

Have you given up certain luxuries?

I do not feel that I have given up anything in my life, if anything I have gained. I have meet many wonderful people, Made many, many awesome friends. along the way I got to see the faces of some of the animals I have helped. If you have ever helped an animal in need then you know the look I am talking about. It makes it all worth while.

Describe your studio:

My art studio is wall to wall projects. I find something I want to make then bring it down stairs and sit on the couch. at times I hog up the whole coffee table with my projects. I sit and work while listening to the TV. I love making art I try and keep challengeing myself to do better.

Meet Sheryl Of Quotentials

Meet Sheryl Of Quotentials

You can visit her shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5107405

How many years have you been an artist?

I'm only recently becoming a little more comfortable with calling myself an artist, but I have always been creative. As a small child, I remember collecting shells from my neighbor's driveway, making something of them, and selling them back to her. I guess that makes me an entrepreneur, too!

How many years have you worked with glass?

When I retired after 29 years of teaching six years ago, I began a small decorative and mural painting business. I only began working with fused glass less than 2 years ago after taking a 2 hour seminar on what it was. The lady who taught the seminar was actually just trying to sell kilns, and it worked. I was hooked!

What triggers ideas for new projects?

So many things trigger ideas. Sometimes, a color combination I see in a store window or in a magazine will do it. Often a phrase or quotation will trigger something. That's actually how my business name came about. Quotentials is a combination of the words "quotation" and "potential."

When do ideas come to you? How often?

As I'm sure it is with most creative people, the ideas come faster than I can put them in motion. Because I am so affected by words, my ideas often come when I am reading. I collect quotation books, and can read them for hours. At other times, an idea may come to me when I am looking at beautiful fabrics or photographs. I'd say they come all the time. Right now I am working on an idea that came to me in the middle of a dance lesson, a set of sushi plates that interpret 4 ballroom dances: waltz, rumba, tango, and cha-cha.

What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?

I spend most of my day thinking about it. I think it drives my family crazy. I try to sit down and relax, and the first thing you know, I'm up and at it again.

Do you create daily?

Unless I am engaged in something that keeps me from it, I have to create something everyday, or at least experiment with a new technique. Even on the experimenting days, I create. Unfortunately, often what I create is a MESS! But, that's what makes the successes so rewarding. What could be better than finishing a day having created something fantastic?!

How important is it for you to create art?

This is a topic one of my good friends and I have talked about. She is ultra organized and efficient. I admire her structure and efficiency, and I hope she admires my ability to live in a chaotic environment. Today was a day for cleaning up my "studio." I told her I was going to do it her way...take everything out, get rid of everything I didn't need, and put everything away in just the right place. Of course, you know what happened! I took it all out, and the ideas started coming...Now the mess is bigger than it was. Obviously, it's REAL important to me!

Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice? Have you given up certain luxuries?

As a teacher, I could be creative and encourage creativity in others in a fairly comfortable career. I didn't have to sacrifice much except time. And, now that I am retired, I have the opportunity to indulge my creative urges without having to worry about putting food on the table. From watching my 2 sons, who are also creative, try to make a living in creative fields, I see that my life has been blessed. I have had the best of both worlds.

Describe your studio.

My studio is spread out all over the place. The kiln and wet tools are in the garage, my cutting and assembly area is the breakfast room, and my Etsy stock is spread out all over the dining room. Thank goodness, my husband doesn't mind eating on TV trays.

Tell me something about you.

In addition to glasswork, I have a passion for ballroom dancing and for spending time at the beach. My husband and I began ballroom dancing not long after I began fusing glass. We are both trained musicians, and that work and practice ethic has followed us into dance. We have learned enough now that we no longer have room to practice here at home, so we get up really early every morning and go to the local mall to practice. At first the mall walkers were a bit confused. For music, we take an IPod. He wears the attached headphones, and I wear the bluetooth ones. We do look pretty funny. But, I'm a brave soul. As for the beach, we recently lost our perfect little beach cottage to Hurricane Ike, so I can't indulge that one as much right now, but I eagerly look forward to the day we can begin rebuilding and creating new memories.