Archive for About Us

The Exciting Adventures of Elizabeth in India

// February 13th, 2013 // Comments Off // About Us, Blog, Uncategorized

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So as you may or may not know, I have just got back from a two week holiday with my boyfriend in Goa, India.
On whole, the trip was a wild combination of chaos and serenity. The first taste of chaos we encountered was the taxi ride from the airport to our hotel. The roads are hair-raising to say the least! We had at least one near miss whilst over taking another vehicle, and the roads are mostly dominated by young men riding motorbikes and scooters, wearing no protective gear whatsoever, and over/under taking at every opportunity. The terrain in Goa is dry and dusty but lush and green at the same time, with palm trees everywhere, which made for some rather beautiful photographs.
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The beaches are beautiful, white sand and clear sea. We discovered Mandrem beach which was extremely quiet and very serene.
Near Mandrem Beach
I saw a starfish for the first time, and hermit crabs too! The sea is warm and lovely to swim in.

Starfish on Mandrem Beach
The Indians in Goa are extremely friendly and helpful, and most speak good English too. Although everybody is trying to make money from tourists, so at some points of our holiday we were being constantly pestered by people trying to sell us jewellery, drums or other ‘handicrafts’ as they call them.
We hired a moped for 200 rupees ($3.72) a day and used that as our main mode of transport to get to the beaches and discover new restaurants and the villages and towns that surround Calangute, where we were staying. The wide range of food on offer is amazing. Two of you can eat a delicious three course meal and have drinks in a nice restuarant for less than $20 – everything is so cheap!

Our shadow of the moped
Mapusa market held every Friday was vibrant and bustling, with its plethora of goods on sale ranging from cauliflowers and onions to ribbon, ancient antiques to modern t-shirts. Sellers have low tables or spread sheets on the floor to lay their goods on. The textiles and fabrics on offer were tremendous – The saris and pashminas are so beautiful and the wide variety of ribbon available is fabulous. Words cannot fully express the colours, sounds and smells of the markets in India. They are something else!
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The highlight of my holiday had to be riding on the back of an elephant, although every single second of my first experience of India was truly fantastic!
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Friday Crafty Recap | Year 2012 Issue 1

// October 26th, 2012 // Comments Off // About Us, Blog, Things Crafty Classes, Tuesday Shmoozeday

Greeting All!

I’ve been away from my weekly posts for a while as I had knee surgery, but I’m back now and excited as ever to be posting regularly. Now that I’m back I’ll be posting every Friday under this heading. You can meet here to get the a recap of the past week as well as links to some awesome stuff.

So Join me every Friday for a Crafty Recap and enjoy some online fun and frivolity – right here, only on Things Crafty!

 

 

If you are not already a member of the community, click here to sign up today. It’s free and you’ll get access to great information, discussion, live demos and more!

 

This Week On Things Crafty

Thanks for stopping in and checking things out. We are always adding new things, so I’ll be back next week with another recap. If you enjoy this post, share it. If you think something is interesting say so, and if you want more, come back and visit. We’ll be here and as our motto says, helping you with you creative journey.

See you next week!

Martiel~

 

 

Design Team Features | Experience Something Transformational

// August 15th, 2012 // Comments Off // About Us, Art Jewelry, Beads, & Glass, Blog

I love talking about our Design Team. They are a group of amazing artisans and crafters and each of them are wonderfully unique! This week I spoke to Design Team member Laura Bracken about jewelry and art and all things creative. Here is what she had to say about her journey to becoming an artist.

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Martiel: What is your art and how did you learn it?

Laura: My main focus is designing and fabricating jewelry.  I initially learned jewelry “on the streets”, so to speak, by trying to imitate designs I saw in books and online and by reading as much as I could about various jewelry-making techniques.  Since then I’ve learned that taking a class or two can be VERY helpful.  I feel both ways (self-taught as well as formal instruction) have huge benefits.  When you teach yourself, you tend to experiment more and work outside the box often stumbling upon new ways of doing things.  When you learn from an experienced craftsperson, you learn ways of working that can save time and effort and create finishing touches that may have previously been missing.

 

Martiel: What do you think is the most interesting thing about your creative expression?

Laura: Surprising people, making them smile.  Being able to share something that is new to others is an outstanding and rare achievement.  I manage upon it once in a blue moon, but continue to strive for it like some holy grail of jewelry making.

 

 

Martiel: What circumstances led you to sell your art/creations online?

Laura: I’m painfully shy and socially inept, so the idea of going out to sell or market my work in person scares me to death.

 

Martiel: If you could use only 5 words to describe your work, what would they be and why?

Laura: Organic, Experimental, Geometric, Minimalist, Transformation

  • Organic because often a design takes on a certain life or personality that strays from the original design and wants to just be a certain way.
  • Experimental because I like asking “what if” when designing and creating.
    Geometric because I like working with lines and shapes, mainly, throwing a bit of bold color in for accent.
  • Minimalist because I prefer clean lines (and shapes) and usually clear distinctions in monochromatic tones.
  • Transformation because I like taking an element and transforming it into something unexpected.

 

Martiel: If you could be color, what would you be and why?

Laura: Red because it’s usually vibrant and bold.  It’s a striking accent color and on its own creates the idea of energy and passion.  Although red possesses the qualities of a fine leader, it also seems to play well with others and is very inclusive.

 

Martiel: Anything else interesting you’d like to share?

Laura: I derive great pleasure from watching things transform into other things. To watch a sheet of metal as it’s worked with a hammer, or watch glass melt to be shaped into a bead, or to work clay into a structure and have a piece of fine silver artwork emerge from the kiln the next morning. To be able to take a few raw elements and alter them into a design that makes others happy is my supreme pleasure. I’m preoccupied by the idea that nothing enters our planet and nothing leaves our planet, yet the things at our disposal are constantly being transformed from one shape, design, function, and aesthetic to another. It’s like no one OWNS anything – we’re all just borrowing things from the planet, they pass through our hands after a certain length of time and move on to another person and eventually another concept.

 

Martiel: If someone want’s to buy something from you, how do they find you?

Laura: They can go to my website.  http://www.BrackenDesigns.com

 

Did you enjoy Reading about Laura? Share your thoughts on her profile or just stop in and say hello!

 

About the Author

My name is Martiel Beatty, and I am anthropologist, a life-long fiber artist and blogger. I have posted regularly on many sites as well as my own blog, Sewmantra. I am a Things Crafty Design Team member and work as the Social Media Manager for Things Crafty where I post reviews on products, books and arts-crafty stuff. Furthermore, I provide content on new cool things happening – and I share this with you though, you guessed, social media. I also own and operate my own online shop, Sewmantra and am the founder of the South Potomac Arts League in Central Maryland.

Martiel’s Online Stomping Grounds

Design Team Features | From A Small Seed Grew An Amazing Tree

// August 9th, 2012 // Comments Off // About Us, Blog, Crochet, Knitting, Needlearts, Stich, Felt

Mary Ann Hoth is a fiber artist who has been cast into knitting and has undertaken her art with a rather unconventional approach – but don’t let this fool you – she loves it!

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Martiel: What is your art and how did you learn it?

Mary Ann Hoth Designs (MAH Designs): I DON’T KNIT! To be honest my fingers don’t knit, crochet, draw or sew! So you could have knocked me over with a feather when the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit impressed upon my soul the necessity for a Prayer Knitting Ministry in my church! For 3 months I watched dvd’s and read books on knitting. I was in uncharted waters! Knitting had it’s own terminology. Dare I decode words like: Casting On, Binding Off, Yarn Over, Decrease, Garter Stitch, Increase and Pass Slipped Stitch Over! Try saying “Pass Slipped Stitch Over” three times fast! My yarn shop experience was between Dorothy entering Oz and falling down the rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland. I felt like a small child walking into an Old Fashioned Candy store for the first time! Yarns resembled fluffy cotton candy and creamy taffy! So many of the yarns looked like edible treats and they were calorie free! A dear friend at church, through God’s intervention, taught me how to knit! As of December 2009, the Prayer knitting ministry has given over 350 shawls, scarves, blankets and prayer bears! In addition to the Prayer knitting ministry, I have been handknitting and designing for the last 2 years now design my own knit patterns and have my very first e-book out. I try to keep my patterns at $1.10 so everyone can afford them.

 

Martiel: What do you think is the most interesting thing about your creative expression?

MAH Designs: The most interesting thing is creating my own patterns and selling them. It’s amazing to see your concept come to life and then have other people knit your patterns using different yarns and tensions. It always amazes me to see their end product.

 

Martiel: What circumstances led you to sell your art/creations online?

MAH Designs: Friends kept encouraging me to sell my patterns. I would knit one of a kind items and instead of asking me to make them one, they kept asking for the pattern. I didn’t think anyone would actually pay for any of my patterns, but then I opened a pattern store on Ravelry and to my surprise my patterns sold!

Martiel: If you could use only 5 words to describe your work, what would they be and why?

MAH Designs: Classic, luxurious, inspired, elegant, heirloom: These words best describe my patterns from baby blankets to shawls, cowls and scarves.

 

Martiel: If you could be any kind of yarn, what would you be and why?

MAH Designs: I would be Alpaca Silk. It has a glossy sheen and elegant drape, it adds that “where’d-you-get-that?” professional polish to your handknits.

 

 

Martiel: If someone want’s to buy something from you, how do they find you?

MAH Designs:  Just a couple places…

 

Did you enjoy Reading about Mary Ann? Share your thoughts on her profileor just stop in and say hello!

 

About the Author

My name is Martiel Beatty, and I am anthropologist, a life-long fiber artist and blogger. I have posted regularly on many sites as well as my own blog, Sewmantra. I am a Things Crafty Design Team member and work as the Social Media Manager for Things Crafty where I post reviews on products, books and arts-crafty stuff. Furthermore, I provide content on new cool things happening – and I share this with you though, you guessed, social media. I also own and operate my own online shop, Sewmantra and am the founder of the South Potomac Arts League in Central Maryland.

Martiel’s Online Stomping Grounds

 

Design Team Features | Lea-bit of Everything Led Her to Beads!

// July 11th, 2012 // 1 Comment » // About Us, Art Jewelry, Beads, & Glass, Blog

 

This week I’m featuring Design Team member, Lea Avroch. She is a bead artist – and an extraordinary one at that. I cannot really speak to her talents as her work speaks for itself. However, I do hope you read through her interview and see how she came to be so amazingly awesome at making these incredible beads. Enjoy!

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Martiel @ Things Crafty (M@TC): What is your art and how did you learn it?
Lea @ LA Jewelry Designs (L@LAJD): Like most crafty people, I enjoy several; beading, knitting, making upcycled garment, but my absolute favorite is making lampwork glass beads. I had been making jewelry for many years and would often find myself wishing I had a particular bead. So I took a beginner class at the local art league and was immediately hooked. I’ve never looked back.

M@TC: What do you think is the most interesting thing about your creative expression?
L@LAJD: For me, it’s watching the molten glass transform itself into a tiny work of art. By working with different glasses, some of which have a high silver content, you can manipulate the glass to created all sorts of cool designs. Use 1 type of flame for 1 effect, another and you get something completely different. It’s like the Forrest Gump saying; “It’s like a box of chocolates. Ya never know what you’re gonna get.”

 

 

M@TC: What circumstances led you to sell your art/creations online?
L@LAJD: I love to create, but the idea of walking into a shop or gallery to try to sell my creations is enough to put me over the edge so I decided to try online sales. I’ve found it much easier to interact with my customers in that way & have met some wonderful people.

M@TC: If you could use only 5 words to describe your work, what would they be and why?
L@LAJD: Creative, fun, colorful, unique, bold.

M@TC: If you could be any glass bead, of any color or shape, what would you be and why?
L@LAJD: I would be a beautiful lentil focal bead made with fine silver, bold and beautiful!

M@TC: If someone want’s to buy something from you, how do they find you?
L@LAJD: Here is where you can look me up…

http://www.LAJewelryDesigns.etsy.com
http://www.LAJewelryDesigns.artfire.com
http://www.LAGypsyDesigns.etsy.com
http://www.facebook.com/LAJewelryDesigns
http://www.facebook.com/LAGypsyDesigns
https://twitter.com/#!/lajewelrydesign
http://lajewelrydesign.blogspot.com/

Did you enjoy Reading about Lea? Share your thoughts on  her profile or just stop in ans say hello!

 

About the Author

My name is Martiel Beatty, and I am the writer behind these features. Each Wednesday, I also publish a feature on my own blog, Sewmantra, which is separate from Things Crafty. I work as the Social Media Manager for Things Crafty as well as a member of the Design Team where I create and post reviews on products and books and provide content on new cool things happening which are shared with social media. I also own and operate my own online shop, Sewmantra and am the co-founder of the South Potomac Arts League in Central Maryland.

 

 

Crafting With Kids

// July 10th, 2012 // Comments Off // About Us, Blog, Kids Crafts

Do you have ideas for crafting with kids? Are you looking for ideas for crafting with kids? Come share and find ideas on the Things Crafty Network discussion Kid-Friendly Craft Ideas!

 

 

You don’t have to be a kid to participate, just a kid at heart. So bring your youthful spirit, a little humor, a lot of energy, some crazy glue (because who doesn’t need crazy glue?) and your creativity to exchange and share all kinds of cool and interesting kid-friendly crafts and projects.

Looking for other discussions that are may be a little more adult-speed? Don’t despair, we have something for you too! Just visit the discussion boards anytime for some inspiration, new friendships and great project ideas.

See you around TC!

Martiel
Your Things Crafty Social Media Chic!

 

Design Team Features | Simple. Just Add Glitter.

// June 27th, 2012 // 1 Comment » // About Us

 

Do you love Things Crafty? I do! I’d like to introduce the first post of its kind to hit the proverbial pages of the Things Crafty blog – Design Team Features.

In each Design Team Feature you can expect to learn about the member, what he or she does as an artist, how they learned their art, some other fun tidbits about them and where you can find the member online.

Today, I want to tell you about Danee Kaplan. She is one gifted gal – she has the gift of creativity, a way to charm a rubber stamp so that it loves some paper and a love for all things mixed and media! I was able to meet up with her and this is what she had to say about her creative undertakings.

 

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Martiel @ Things Crafty (M@TC): What is your art and how did you learn it?  

Danee K. (DK): I mostly do mixed media, paper crafts, and rubber stamping but I dabble in all forms of arts and crafts.  I’ve been crafting and creating since I was a child.  My grandmother is very talented and always had a project going.  She has been an incredible inspiration for me.  I started with embroidery when I was in elementary school and knitting lessons.  I’m all self-taught except for a few online classes that I have recently taken. 

 

M@TC: What do you think is the most interesting thing about your creative expression?  

DK: The most interesting thing about MY creative expression is the feeling I get when I look at something I’ve created and it excites me…really excites me.  Either I love the way it turned out or I love what the process has taught me.

 

M@TC: What circumstances led you to sell your art/creations online?  

DK: Almost all of my adult life people have told me that I should sell my work so blogging seemed like away of sharing my art in a way that is easy and personal.  I’m dabbling in selling stuff on Etsy.

 

M@TC: If you could use only 5 words to describe your work, what would they be and why?  

DK: If I could choose 5 words they would be:

  • Detailed- I am super detail oriented.  I just made prize ribbons and decorated them with little wires that I glued tiny 1/8 inch paper-punched stars to…it’s all about the details.
  • Sparkly-I almost always use Martha Stewart Fine Glitter, Glass Glitter, Swarovski Crystals, flat-back rhinestones or something else (ribbons, threads, tinsel, etc) with bling or sparkle.  
  • Cohesive- My elements are always cohesive with something to tie the items together-color, texture, shape, pattern…. 
  • Unique- I think my aesthetic is pretty unique. 
  • Charming- While I do see artists whose work is much more charming than mine but if I have to label my aesthetic as something it would be closest to charming.  It does depend on the project of course. 

 

M@TC: If you could be medium, what would you be and why? 

DK: Glitter- because I Love glitter, bling or a little sparkle somewhere on my projects.  It is almost my trademark. 

 

M@TC: Anything else interesting you’d like to share?

DK: I am a nurse by education and we are teachers.  You will find my blog is often wordy because I end up teaching a little bit about a new technique, artist I love or product I love.  I don’t do sponsored posts but I worry someone might think they are sometimes.  

 

M@TC: If someone want’s to buy something from you, how do they find you?

DK: Here are the places you can find me…

 

About the Author

My name is Martiel Beatty, and I am the writer behind these features. Each Wednesday, I also publish a feature on my own blog, Sewmantra, which is separate from Things Crafty. I work as the Social Media Manager for Things Crafty as well as a member of the Design Team where I create and post reviews on products and books and provide content on new cool things happening which are shared with social media. I also own and operate my own online shop, Sewmantra and am the co-founder of the South Potomac Arts League in Central and Southern Maryland.

 

Did you enjoy reading about Danee? Let us know or share it!

Do You Want To, or Currently Sell Crafts Online?

// June 13th, 2012 // Comments Off // About Us, Blog

Are you interested in selling your creations online? Are you currently selling online? Then you have a resource on Things Crafty!

Visit http://thingscrafty.ning.com and join the community, (it’s free). Then browse the discussions for all the cool help you can find.

Plus, make sure to stop in and check out Crafting Resources. You can find information on pricing, photo help and lots of other things. Including a new series being shared under the heading Shop Talk – the place to go to discuss anything and everything about running a craft business online.

Have questions? Go to the ning community now and post you inquiry and the Design Team will there to help you in a jiff!

 

PLUS get exclusive access to cool articles and content provided by none other than the design team!

 

About Us

// September 25th, 2011 // Comments Off // About Us

Things Crafty is a place to learn, imagine and create. Things Crafty came out of a partnership of two crafty women, Ilysa Ginsburg & Kira Slye. Ilysa & Kira have worked together since 2006 when they met online when they formed the PCAGOE, http://www.pcagoe.com, which is a guild that formed out of an etsy street team. They discovered they only lived 6 hours away from each other in Florida while working on the guilds website. So when Ilysa had this idea to do a videocast & podcast she thought Kira would be the perfect person to help bring it to fruition. Polymer Clay TV was born from this and is still going strong after 4+ years. Although polymer clay is a passion of Ilysa & Kira’s they both love to create with all kinds of mediums and explore new materials and crafts. Wanting to share their passion of all Things Crafty with the world, the new online show Things Crafty was born. Things Crafty will feature projects and techniques, interviews, book and product reviews, artist interviews, events and so much more! Plans are in the works to bring you some live events with authors and artists.

 

 

                           Ilysa Ginsburg                                                                
                            

                                  Kira Slye

 

 

Ilysa is an award winning artist whose work can be seen in several books and magazines. Ilysa has been creating her entire life and loves to challenge herself to try new things. Kira has also been creating her entire life, she is a high school art history and Photoshop teacher,whose work can also be seen in books and magazines. Ilysa & Kira’s work is very different, just like their personalities, but they embrace this as you will see on the show. While Ilysa works more with bold and bright colors and in a large scale, Kira works in muted tones and in a smaller scale. This makes Ilysa & Kira the perfect team as they can each bring a different perspective.

Welcome Things Crafty first ever contributing artists team, you can read more about each of their talents and see more of their work by visiting their pages on the website. What a talented bunch of women! They will be sharing their latest projects, endeavors and reviews with the community. Make sure to sign up for the community to be eligible to win prizes, get free downloads and links to projects and videos.