Moving out :)

Hi old friends!

As you might have seen, my blog is kind of dead for some time now.

I am overwhelmed with being a mommy and my shop(s) and my offline business so even if I still make cards occasionally I still don't have time to post about them all.

I want to redirect you to keeping in touch with me:

1. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creation.faeries
2. Wedding blog: http://yellowbirdwedding.blogspot.ro/

I am updating these regularly and if you need to speak to me you can always contact me directly!

See you soon!

Etsy feature: Dream Papercut with Dmytro and Iuliia

I was just thinking the other day that I should probably update you guys on what I've been up to lately: photo shoots!
We've been "inviting" good looking people for test photo sessions. You can see more of what we've been doing here: https://www.facebook.com/WeddingFaeries

Then I remembered the very talented Dmytro and Iuliia from Ukraine contacted me about a blog feature some time back :). So I will show you their work in this post.

'Dmytro and Iuliia' by creationfaeries

shop feature

Branches Heart Handmade Orig... DreamPapercut $3.75	Retro Car Handmade Original ... DreamPapercut $25.00	Animal Planet Handmade Origi... DreamPapercut $29.00
LOVE Word Handmade Original ... DreamPapercut $20.00	Higher than Sky Handmade Ori... DreamPapercut $30.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

And a small interview:

1. Who is behind DreamPapercut?
Our names are Dmytro and Iuliia and we live in Ukraine. We love creativity and handmade things, because by looking at them you can feel the inner world of the person who made them. So this encouraged us to share our handmade works with other people. Our craft is creating hand-cut paper silhouettes, all from a single sheet of paper where every piece is interconnected.

2. Your paper artwork is amazing! How did you start creating them?Our story begins from the childhood, when we attended creative classes such as painting, drawing and paper craft. Growing up and studying at university we didn't pay much attention to creativity, but it always lived in our hearts.
Once, we created a greeting card with hand-cut elements for our friend’s birthday. It was the first realized step on how much creativity occupies an important place in our lives. After that, we took interest in paper cutting art and started creating paper cut silhouettes.

3. Where do you get your inspiration from?All of our works are made with love and a lot of soul. Each piece is inspired by nature, life and people who like our works. Our inspiration often comes when we go for walks in parks or the forests just to enjoy the nature surrounding us. Often we meet with our friends to help us relax and get new energy to create new original works.

4. Tell us 5 items you like the best from your shop.All paper cuts in our shop are unique, intricate and the most favorite for us.

5. What are your top 5 favorite Etsy shops?
www.etsy.com/shop/createdbylaurie
www.etsy.com/shop/mattsart
www.etsy.com/shop/amberalexander
www.etsy.com/shop/MimimiCards
www.etsy.com/shop/DreamwoodArtDesigns

6. What advice would you give to other Etsy sellers?
You should listen to your customers and use their advice and requests but do not lose your own way.


So what do you think? Pretty amazing huh? I haven't come across many artists that do this and I never even had the chance to see the silhouettes in person but I bet they'd make for a really unique anniversary or birthday gift{wink!}

It's done! Solar System baby mobile :)... and a giveaway!

Phew!
Katy contacted me at the end of March to request a Solar System baby mobile from me. I was super excited to do it for her as it was something completely new and a challenge :).
I had NO IDEA it would take me so long to complete! The pattern itself was not very hard but VERY time consuming.
On top of that I had to re-do a couple of planets because of the wrong counting/stitches.
When I thought it's done, I had the framing issue... I didn't realize the weight of the planets will affect the frame. It did! so we had to come up with some engineering and make it hang straight (as much as possible).

We'll take the final photos tomorrow...but I had to show it to you today!

And stay tuned for a short video with some steps on how we made it!


Also, if you like our items, you have the chance to WIN them in a giveaway hosted on BB&CP's blog! (http://www.blauzonsews.blogspot.com/).

Here's what you can win: 3 crocheted bees + a pair of clay earrings.

Etsy Featured Seller: Nicola Baker

I'm back with a new feature today... a LOVELY shop full of interesting artsy stuff made out of paper! Her paper bowls are just divine! Have a look here:

'Nicola Baker's goodies' by creationfaeries

Abstract Paper and Dye Colla... nicolabaker1 $80.00	Paper Bowl, red, brown and t... nicolabaker1 $32.00	Paper Bowl, white decorative... nicolabaker1 $24.00
Handmade greetings Card, boy... nicolabaker1 $5.00	Tuscan Landscape Original Co... nicolabaker1 $80.00	Paper Bowl, red and orange ... nicolabaker1 $24.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Here's the interview she gave me for the feature:


1. Who is behind Nicolabaker1?
My name is Nicola Baker and I live in the North East of England in a place called
Durham with my husband and our two young sons.
Durham is a lovely city, but what has struck me over the years is that all of the
shops are generic and what they sell is generally the same. In fact not just in
Durham, in most of the UK. That’s why over the past ten years I started to make
more and more of my own pieces of art – it’s just lovely to have something different
in your home. So, initially from making things for my own house, I started to sell my
work in shops and galleries.
Now that can be pretty limited to just where you live so I feel why can’t anyone, no
matter where in the world have some lovely pieces of art, whether that be a
gorgeous handmade paper bowl, some fabulous mixed media pictures for your
home or as a beautiful gift or lovely individual handmade cards? That's why I
decided to open my Etsy. There are so many beautiful shops on there, it's inspiring
to see people doing something they obviously love and created and actually making
a living from it.
2. Your paper bowls are amazing! How did you start creating them?
Thank you so much. I started making my paper bowls quite a few years ago now. It
was a combination of things really. At the time I was attending an evening pottery
class and also working on some paper collage artwork, experimenting with different
materials and mediums in conjunction with it. I loved the way clay could be
manipulated and how depth could be added to a piece by exploring different textural
elements with it. So, I decided to experiment with paper, working with it to create the
form of a ceramic bowl, but adding different textures to it. It's exciting to see how an
idea can develop organically by adding different elements; it can take on it's own
life. I love working with paper, it's so versatile and for that reason each piece is an
individual work of art.
3. Where do you get your inspiration from?
My products are inspired by textures, colours and techniques I have discovered
mainly while travelling. My house is my canvas; sometimes I'm guilty of creating art
that I would like to own, but hopefully that resonates with other people too.
4. What are your favorite materials to work with?
I love working with paper, inks, natural dyes and seeds.
5. Tell us 5 items you like the best from your shop.
I just love this paper bowl and paper and dye collage as they look so simple and
delicate.
In contrast, the vibrant colours in this collage are so striking and I love how paper
strips can be used to create the topography of the landscape. I like to create a
“made you look” moment. If Tuscany wasn't mentioned in the title, it could be a
random pattern of strips; I'm giving the game away slightly but once you know the
inspiration, the colours become more apparent.
I choose this card as I think it's a little piece of art on it's own, again on first glance it
looks simple, yet different materials have been worked together to add depth to it.
I love how this paper bowl has been manipulated to give it structure and depth. The
colours are quite striking, yet have a natural, earthy feel to them.
6. What are your top 5 favorite Etsy shops and why?
There are so many fabulous shops on Etsy and it took a while to
narrow down, but here they are;
1. LUMINOLOGY http://www.etsy.com/shop/Luminology this shop
has
2. FLOATING THREADS http://www.etsy.com/shop/floatingthreads
Amazing prints of Jo Jobson's pen and ink illustrations of much loved fairy tales. Jo
offers a unique perspective of these tales and draws you in through the intricacy of
her work.
3. SIGNATURE BY NATONIA http://www.etsy.com/shop/SignaturebyNatonia
Lovely yet simple silver jewellery
4. BERGEN HOUSE http://www.etsy.com/shop/bergenhouse Vintage items for
the home is so popular now, however Chelsea at Bergen House offers items which
have been sought out and have been thought about before buying them. They are
truly stunning!
5. LUNAR LOUNGE DESIGN
http://www.etsy.com/shop/lunarloungedesign wonderful furniture for the
home, many are on my wish list.
7. What advice would you give to other Etsy sellers?
If you are having a bad day or a period where you are struggling with ideas or sales
then view it as a bad period, nothing else. Don't dwell on it. As an artist you put so
much pressure on yourself and self doubt can easily creep in, but without this selfcritique
would our products be the best they can be?
Also, know your market, be patient and keep doing what you love. If you make
something with passion, the money will come. A bad day is temporary, but your
creativity is permanent.
––
Lastly, don't underestimate the power of social media and how it can help your
business. The world is our marketplace now and there's never been a better time to
sell your work. The goalposts have changed – leaflets and business cards aren't as
important as a good web presence and Twitter account. It's one more thing to learn
and get to grips with, but those who do will find they not only build their sales, but
accelerate them.


If you had patience to read so far, there's something else! Nicola offered 15% off her entire shop for all my readers between 1-4 June! (use this code:  Laura Blog1)

I hope you got some lovely inspiration from today's feature! Let me know by dropping a line :)

Bump contest and travelling notebooks

I was browsing the FB this morning and saw my friend Adriana has posted a photo of her baby bump for a contest: Organic in Romania.
It doesn't have to be a "current" bump but you have to have a small baby. I'm guessing Marc is "small" enough... so I am posting some photos of my last year bump (Gosh it went by fast!).

The contest also states the belly should be covered and it should be accompanied by a dad or brother or both.
Since daddy was with us just for the last stretch, I am uploading the big belly photos... and one from December 2010 photo shoot.

Nice memories! I am glad the contest made me dig out some photos from last year... I almost forgot about them.

And now, since I am digging out photos... I found the ones I made for the travelling notebooks (I mentioned them some time back). We're a bunch of crafty girls that "swap" sketchbooks. We're each leaving something for the others.

That's it for today.

Big hugs!