TeamBPAL Charity Sale

TeamBPAL is happy to announce our first-ever team sale, and this one is for a good cause: every item currently at teambpal.etsy.com will benefit the Sea Turtle Restoration Project which is providing aid to the sea turtles affected by the BP oil spill in the Gulf.







The Sea Turtle Restoration Project fights to protect endangered sea turtles in ways that make cultural and economic sense to the communities that share the beaches and waters with these gentle creatures. With offices in California, Texas, Costa Rica, and Papua New Guinea, STRP is leading international efforts to protect sea turtle populations worldwide. STRP is a project of Turtle Island Restoration Network, a 501c3 organization.

Sea turtles are a window into how we treat our oceans and our environment. The same factors that are causing declines of sea turtles - unsustainable fishing, coastal habitat destruction, pollution, and overconsumption of natural resources - are the same ones contributing to the decline of our oceans.

Protecting sea turtles is more than just about protecting these gentle creatures, it is also about returning to balance with the natural world.

Please help TeamBPAL support this cause while treating yourself to some lovely handmade items!

Friday Spotlight: Otter's Daughter Designs

Welcome to our next Friday Spotlight! Every other week, we feature a new interview from one of our TeamBPAL members.

This week, we interviewed Coral of Otter's Daughter Designs.




Tell us a little about the items in your shop. What do you make?
I make jewelry from stone, wire, metals and sometimes stray things (like watch part vials) that catch my eye. I’m just beginning to branch out into more complex wire work.

What is your creative process?
My creative process is a bit all over the map. Off the top of my head I can name three main methods I use. The simplest is that I sit down with my tools and see what speaks to me. Some days it’s a certain shape, some days it’s a certain combination of colors, some days nothing is feeling talkative but those are pretty rare.

The second way is new; I only started using it when I started working more with wireframes. It starts with me just doodling in my idea book – I don’t call it a sketchbook, I doubt anyone but me would be able to recognize anything in it! I doodle freeform shapes until one of them catches my fancy and then I work with and refine it until I have an actual design. It usually goes through another refining process once I actually get my hands on the wire so the final piece rarely looks like much like the original sketch.

The third way is when I see something (or read something, or have a conversation about something) that sparks off an idea. Occasionally, when I am very lucky, it sparks off a cascade of ideas and that’s when I end up with a series of conceptually related pieces. I’m working on one now that I’m very excited about – it’s centered around the Firefly/Serenity universe.


Which Etsy Teams do you belong to?
TeamBPAL is my first and thus far only.



Mechanical Temporal Displacement Device Crash Kit: Series E


When you are not creating things, what do you do?
Mostly I’m a soon-to-be more than full time student. I’m entering a compressed program this July that gets me through my Master’s of Education, student teaching, and licensing all in a single year. I’ve the distinct feeling it’s going to eat my life but when it’s over I’ll be done - more importantly I’ll be employable!

I’m also an avid amateur gardener (testing the waters of permaculture this summer), a weekend pirate (somewhat similar to the SCA), a fire spinner, a computer gamer and in what little time I have left after all that I write Sci-Fi.


Tell us two random, interesting things about you.
When I was five I was on the Bozo the Clown show. Proof that before I read Stephen King’s “It” I actually liked clowns.

I have two cats – Siddhartha, who hates nearly everyone but me and Vishnu, who is submissive to everyone and just wants to be loved. Both are female. Obviously I fail at names.


What has been your proudest moment since opening your Etsy shop?
My proudest moment was being asked by a friend to make the jewelry for her wedding. It’s a huge honor to be asked to take part in creating someone’s wedding day. It was also more than a little intimidating but luckily she loved what I made her.



Sylph of the Summer Evening


What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Make things because you love doing it, not to get rich. While you might eventually make some money, maybe even a good living, it’s going to take time. If you love what you’re doing then the process itself is satisfying and anything else becomes a welcome bonus.

What handmade possession do you cherish?
There are a lot of handmade things that are dear to me but I would have to say the one I most cherish is a wooden talisman carved by a close friend.

If you could have any item on Etsy regardless of price, what would it be?
I’m absolutely in love with this jacket, though I want it in dark brown. *makes grabby hands*

What other skill or talent do you wish you could possess, if you had not taken this creative path?
I wish like mad that I had some talent for drawing – I have none at all. I try to share the pictures in my head in other ways and I think I do pretty well; but I still think it would be easier if I could just draw!



Where can we find you on the web?
On Facebook I’m Coral Ann Gilbert
On Live Journal I’m Dragon_Mintz
On Twitter I'm Ottersdaugther

Thanks for the interview, Coral! Have a great holiday weekend, for those of you in the U.S.! We'll return once again in two weeks.

Friday Spotlight: StoneTotem

Hello, and welcome to our next Friday Spotlight...on Saturday! Every other week, we will feature a new interview from one of our TeamBPAL members.

Let's learn a little more about Jackie of StoneTotem.

Tell us a little about the items in your shop. What do you make?
I make "intentional jewelry" and pendulums. I work with stones in an intuitive way to create pieces that can help support personal and spiritual growth, though of course many people buy my work just because they like the way it looks.

What is your creative process?
My studio is on the second floor, right next to a stand of spruce trees. I feel like I'm in a tree house! It's important to me to be surrounded by beautiful things when I'm creating. I have an altar on my desk, pictures of things I love, notes from friends, and an inspirational quote taped to the wall; I have sculptures and stones and my paintings all around me. Sometimes I play music when I'm creating - chanting most often. I smudge the space and myself (for those who don't know, it's a ritual of burning incense to purify), and I get to work. I pretty much let the stones tell me what to do. Sometimes I have an idea that I want to make something specific, for example a third chakra piece, or something with a specific type of stone, or a word I've stamped on metal. From there I just go through my boxes until I know I've got the right stones. Then I have to see how they all fit together. My moon is in Capricorn - I think that dictates my style, which is on the minimalist side and very earthy. I especially love doing custom work, because I'm thinking about the person when I'm finding stones - that feels very intimate on a soul level and is a deep honor - even when the customer isn't looking for that metaphysical aspect.
Which Etsy Teams do you belong to?
Just this one


When you are not creating things, what do you do?
I'm a full time mom to 2 teenagers who keep me running. My daughter is an actress and my son a musician, so their lessons, rehearsals and performances keep me very busy. I recently started taking yoga classes, and have been focusing on my health with pure food and exercise. I spend far too much time on the computer... shopping and chatting. I also have a vegetable garden, and flower gardens and about an acre of land to mow and keep up. I've been reading memoirs like crazy lately... Oh, and I love thrift store shopping!

Tell us two random, interesting things about you.
In my mid-20's I lived in New Orleans and was a hot glass major in art school. Hot glass is the most magical experience, I think, anyone can ever have. My true love is color and painting, but glass is WOW! And, my son was born at home, on purpose. The midwife arrived 5 minutes after he was born, so it was just my husband and I birthing him. It is by far the best thing I've ever done.

What has been your proudest moment since opening your Etsy shop?
The first time I was ever in a treasury was thrilling, but I think that getting feedback from customers who are really touched by my work has to be the best part.



What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Hang in there! Make sure your photos are the best they can be and give detailed descriptions so that people know what they're buying, and to show you care. If your work is good, people will find you.

What handmade possession do you cherish?
I don't know - I don't really cherish things so much. It would most likely be a sash that I made for a movement therapy class when I was in Art Therapy graduate school - with a goddess and "jewels" and gold thread embroidery. It hangs at the top of the windows next to the desk where I make jewelry.

If you could have any item on Etsy regardless of price, what would it be?
Well, I can't have this because it's sold... but I'd have to win the lottery anyway to get something like this!

What other skill or talent do you wish you could possess, if you had not taken this creative path?
Everyone in my family is a talented and accomplished musician except for me. My daughter sings, my son plays drums, guitar, bass, recorder, and percussion, and my husband plays clarinet. I am so non-musical that it's painful. I feel left out sometimes because music is such a powerful medium and I'd love to share in it with them.






Where can we find you on the web?
Right now, I am only on etsy. Very soon I hope to take my website live - but I am still working on it. When it comes into being, it will be www.stonetotem.net.



Thanks for the interview, Jackie! Have a great weekend, everyone! We'll return in two weeks with another spotlight.

Friday Spotlight: Gracie's Treasures

Hello, and welcome to our next Friday Spotlight...on Saturday! Every other week, we will feature a new interview from one of our TeamBPAL members.

Let's learn a little more about Sara of Gracie's Treasures.




Tell us a little about the items in your shop. What do you make?
We love to make clothing of all kinds, with an emphasis on natural fabrics, corsetry and tailoring. I also hand embellish laces and fabrics, and make flowers out of fabrics. We make a lot of wedding gowns and evening/formal dresses, but it's not limited to that. We've also made individual garments like jackets, cloaks.. That kind of thing. We also create special costumes upon request, which is always a lot of fun.

What is your creative process?
For sample projects or for my own ideas, I can be inspired by movies, places, music, books, a fabric or a historical figure. Pretty much anything and everything. For clients, I listen to their ideas about what they like, the event or place they're going to wear the finished outfit to and then look at their body type or measurements. From there, I get a lot of ideas about the style, what kind of seaming or tailoring will flatter them best and fabric suggestions are a natural progression. Once we agree on that sketch, my mother sews the garment in her workshop and sends it to me if necessary for any hand finishing or beadwork that needs to be done.

Which Etsy Teams do you belong to?
Just TeamBPAL for now, though I might be interested in joining wedding, fashion or LA specific ones down the road.



Bettie

When you are not creating things, what do you do?
I'm a freelance writer and a full time mother to two small children. My life is fun, full and very varied.

Tell us two random, interesting things about you.
I don't know about interesting, but I can do random. I'm a compulsive reader, and love to settle down with a cup of hot tea and a new book. I'm from England, and have a degree in Religious Theology, which my mother told me I'd never use in my chosen career. She was right!

What has been your proudest moment since opening your Etsy shop?
Well, I'm a little embarrassed to say that I haven't really focused on my Etsy shop until recently, but being included in Treasuries always makes me proud. I also do a little happy dance every time I get a convo from someone, telling me they love something I made. On the other hand, we've been doing this in a bricks and mortar capacity for well over a decade now and I've had some 'best ever' moments. I think the most memorable (aside from particular clients) was having one of my dresses be a finalist in Conde Nast Bride & Setting Up Home magazine's Best Of British Bridal Awards in 2000. Each category had thousands of entries, and the finalists were selected by a panel that consisted of editors, journalists, designers and celebrities. It was the only awards that were chosen by a panel as opposed to just votes, so that was a huge deal for me.



Dita


What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
I'd tell them to do their own thing, believe in their work and be original above all else. Originality is integrity, and if you don't have that you don't have anything.

What handmade possession do you cherish?
I have some handmade jewelry pieces that I love and wear regularly, but my most beloved item is a satin and lace corset and skirt outfit my mom and I made for my wedding. It was so incredibly special, and every single part of it was everything I could have dreamed of, regardless of who made it. There's something so perfect about having something made just for you, exactly as *you* want it to be down to the last detail.

If you could have any item on Etsy regardless of price, what would it be?
A signed first edition of Where The Wild Things Are, signed by Maurice Sendak.

What other skill or talent do you wish you could possess, if you had not taken this creative path?
I'd love to be able to *really* sing. That would be rad! Alas, my 6 year old is our Rock Band lead singer. Hahaha.




Thanks for the interview, Sara! Have a great weekend, everyone! We'll return in two weeks.

Amber Design Challenge

Seeing how different people interpret a given theme is always interesting, and can often times kick creativity in gear. It also brings a team together and, well, it's just fun. The theme for TeamBPAL's first design challenge was amber. It could have been the color, the stone, the smell...anything! The theme was put out there, and I'm happy to say that the team really came through on this one! We've got 10 entries for our first challenge, and they're all absolutely amazing! (It doesn't hurt that I absolutely love amber, either.)

This is sort of an informal contest. The winner gets to pick the next theme. Feel free to vote for your favourite in the comments! Voting will end at midnight (central time) on June 4th so that I can spend the weekend tallying things up.


Clicking on the photo will take you to the artists shop. Enjoy!

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Friday Spotlight: Kogi's Custom Clay

Hello, and welcome to our next Friday Spotlight! Every other week, we will feature a new interview from one of our TeamBPAL members.

Let's learn a little more about Megan of Kogi's Custom Clay.





Tell us a little about the items in your shop. What do you make?
I make functional ceramics that are highly decorated and colorful. I say that I hate glazing with wild abandon but I seem to do quite a bit of it. Most of my work is now low fired ceramics but I still use High fire for my custom pieces. The custom pieces are usually mugs though they can be anything like an urn, bowl, plate, etc. I love the mug form and usually go back to it for starting any line.

What is your creative process?
I think the greatest struggle is finding out what I am trying to say with my pieces. I love painting (oils) and printmaking (linoleum block) and both of these loves are blended to form my work. The color layering have gone through a seemingly endless series of tests to arrive at the palate I have chosen for a line. Then there is the design of the paintings themselves and the carving I will end with before bisquing the piece. Then the stages that I layer the glazes must be tried. Hopefully my experiments net successful results though in the beginning of a new direction they end up bad, bad, bad...LOL

For my custom pieces I have the client send me as many images as they can then I select from these to form an interesting visual design. I think the scariest part of any custom design is right before I sit down to carve. It’s a sort of blank page where I freeze just a bit.

Which Etsy Teams do you belong to?
Team BPAL and that’s about it. My more that antiquated tech knowledge makes me a bit slow to keep up with trends...LOL After all, I’m working in a 13 century medium.





When you are not creating things, what do you do?
Um.....I am always at the studio and when I am not I am snoozing and online. Seriously, there are some days that I would stay all night except they won’t let me in the building from 1am-5am.

Tell us two random, interesting things about you.
1) I always wear overalls. I am kinda known for them. No waistband, they hold lots of stuff, and I can wipe my clay covered hands on them with no worries.

2) I was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS a year ago.

What has been your proudest moment since opening your Etsy shop?
Having repeat buyers. I love it when someone a year or so later comes back for another custom item. It is so very gratifying!





What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Re-list a few of your items every week to keep people searching that main category aware of your shop. That has been the greatest help for me.

What handmade possession do you cherish?
Oh they are all pots of course...LOL! I think my most cherished item is a hand built cup from the Israeli desert that is 6,000 years old yet still has the fingerprint of the maker.

If you could have any item on Etsy regardless of price, what would it be?
Oh I am not sure. I don’t let myself look because I do not let myself buy.

What other skill or talent do you wish you could possess, if you had not taken this creative path?
That’s a hard one. Probably painting or print making? I am very satisfied being a potter though so have no regrets.





Where can we find you on the web?
Website: meganratchford.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kogijiki
Facebook


Thanks for the interview, Megan! Have a great weekend, everyone! Our amber-themed team challenge is up next, and we'll return in two weeks with another spotlight.

Friday Spotlight: Sihaya Designs Jewelry

Hello, and welcome to our next Friday Spotlight! Every other week, we will feature a new interview from one of our TeamBPAL members.

Let's learn a little more about Chris of Sihaya Designs Jewelry.




Tell us a little about the items in your shop. What do you make?
I make gemstone, wire, and mixed-media jewelry. I am inspired by all kinds of tales and fancies-- my inspirations run the gamut from mythology to faerie lore to naturalism to steampunk. When I began my store, I almost exclusively did bead and wire jewelry, but have been expanding my jewelry repertoire with work in resin, metal stamping, forged elements, and soon, metal etching. I adore the handcrafted, one-of-a-kind look of mixed-media and collage jewelry, so I'll be expanding my work in that arena.

What is your creative process?
For the most part, I let my materials guide me in what they would like to become. My daily process is to lay out all of my bead containers, choose a focal bead or beads from a specific colorway, and then go from there. Usually the gemstone or focal will speak to me and things will come together rather organically. It's only been fairly recently that I've begun to sketch down ideas for things I'd like to do. It's helpful, but sometimes the finished product looks nothing like my original sketch notes! I also have a folder of saved clippings and photos that I use for color inspirations-- flowers, autumn leaves, vintage ephemera. But the most important part of my creative process? Tea. Tea is the magic spark that makes the creativity happen.

Which Etsy Teams do you belong to?
I am currently a member of TeamBPAL & the Pagans of Etsy Street Team. There's also an up-and coming Resin team being formed of which I anticipate being a member. It has not yet been approved by Etsy yet, but should be ready to go live soon!





When you are not creating things, what do you do?
When I'm not creating things, I'm helping other people create things. I work a few days each week at Terra Firma, my local bead and metals shop. I count silver, I help customers design their projects, I create sample projects for our customers, and I field questions about metals and stones. It's been such a great resource for me and I've learned so much in the short time I've worked there. But when I'm not in jewelry mode, I'm usually snuggling one of my three kitties or relaxing with my husband, Jason.

Tell us two random, interesting things about you.
-- I have been a tribal bellydancer for four years now, and I dance as one half of Verve Tribal, a professional ATS-inspired improv tribal troupe in the Baltimore/ Washington DC area.

-- Right now, I have fuchsia hair. My friend Maggie jokes that she always knows when it's spring because that's when my hair is pink!

What has been your proudest moment since opening your Etsy shop?
I think my proudest moment is one that re-occurs every time when a customer emails me to tell me how pleased they are with their jewels. It makes me feel so fulfilled that what I love to do makes other people feel happy and beautiful.





What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Work on your photography! My views and sales increased exponentially when I started paying more attention to my presentation-- shooting in natural light, reflecting accurate colors of the gems, and displaying my pieces in a pleasing way. Also, never under-estimate the power of a simple and sincere "thank you for choosing my shop" in every package you send out. Your customers are the ones who put the food in your fridge-- don't forget show gratitude for that! Happy customers are repeat customers, and repeat customers are the foundation of a successful Etsy shop.

What handmade possession do you cherish?
My wooden athame, which was hand-carved by my dear friend, Bridget, and inscribed with my three personal runes.

If you could have any item on Etsy regardless of price, what would it be?
I am positively drooling over this leather choker. I have a leather corset it would match PERFECTLY. Droooool!

What other skill or talent do you wish you could possess, if you had not taken this creative path?
I have always, always wished I could play the piano. I could only get through Piano III in school; my hands are simply too small to reach beyond a seventh!





Where can we find you on the web?
Sihaya Designs Blog: http://sihayadesigns.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sihayadesigns
Web portal: http://www.sihayadesigns.com


Thanks for the interview, Chris! Have a great weekend, everyone! We'll return in two weeks with another spotlight.