Featured Sellers: Essies

What is your name?Esther (friends call me Essie, Esthertie)

The name of your shop, and link?
Essie’s handcraft cuteness
http://esthertie.dawanda.com
www.essies.net (only in dutch at the moment)

What do you make?
Wallets, t-shirts, tanktops, keychains, litle bags, mosaic products

What drives your passion/inspires you?
People I see in the streets, products in magazines, products of other crafty people, my imagination and brightfull colors.

Do you have a favorite material to work with? Why?I love o work with cotton fabric, it’s multi-purpose. You can make so many things of it.
I also like to work with mosaic stones.

What is your favorite color?
Pink and turquoise, i love fresh and bright colors that make you cheerfull.

Do you have a gallery of works, such as a photo set on Flickr or Photobucket?
Yes, http://www.flickr.com/photos/essies/show/ (i’m still finding out how this works)

Anywhere else we can find your products?
I’m selling my products at a crafty fair october 4th in Tilburg, The Netherlands
And I hope to sell my creations in stores in the future.

What makes your items so great?
They’re; colorfull, cute, make you happy, convenient, comfortable an fun.

Cake or death?
Cake

What is your mission?
To share my happy products with people and give them a happy feeling and a smile.

Please describe the space where you create (ie, sewing room, the forest, etc):
At the moment I use my big couch with a very small table in the living room.
My boyfriend is getting crazy of all the stuff on the couch and there is no room left for him .
Next month we’re moving to a big house and I get my own ’sewing room’ I’m looking forward to it.

Do you have any pets or family involved in your business?
I got one little crazy black&white cat named Skillz.
He’s not involved in my business although he wants to. He always wants to play with the buttons and sleep on the fabrics.

What is your favorite of your current products?
At the moment I love my latest wallet. It’s a small patchwork wallet with a zipper made of different fabrics in the colors yellow, pink and orange.
My preferences change every time I design and create a new product. http://en.dawanda.com/product/1024850-Little-wallet-patchwork-pink

Anything else you’d like us to know?Every week I try to put some new creations in my shop so it stays versatile.
I hope people love my products and in the future I can put some more time in making my own products and work a litlle less for my boss

Featured Seller: Anti-Social Butterfly

Announcing a new feature!!  At least once a week, we will be featuring crafty sellers here!  The seller du jour?  Anti-Social Butterfly!

What is your name?My name is Ester, I’m known online as Esterrific

The name of your shop, and link?Anti-Social Butterfly, www.antisocialbutterfly.etsy.com

What do you make?Currently I’m making a lot of stitch markers and various jewelry, both funky and traditional. Stitch markers, decoupage coaster sets and handmade screen-printed patches are my best sellers.

What drives your passion/inspires you? I’ve always been crafty. Since I was a toddler I’ve had this knack for making things work, even if I don’t have exactly the right materials. I’d find other things that could be substituted and just go with it. That trait has followed me to adulthood. I make things because I truly enjoy the process of creating something with my own hands; it’s extremely therapeutic. I’m inspired by things around me – everyday items like board games and comic books. I spend hours scouring thrift shops and craigslist to find recycled materials to use in my crafts.

Do you have a favorite material to work with?  Why?I’d say a toss-up between beads and paper products. I love decoupage and collages. I also love beads and couldn’t imagine my craft table without beads and supplies strewn all over it at all time. lol Don’t make me pick just one material!

What is your favorite color?Again, I could never choose just one – my fave colors are jewel tone teal and the combinations of black & pink and black & red.

Do you have a gallery of works, such as a photo set on Flickr or Photobucket?Only for my knitting for Ravelry – it can be found on flickr at username: eyeliner.overdose

1. Anywhere else we can find your products? I’m thinking of expanding to DaWanda eventually. I’ve set up shop at Etsy and will continue to list my items there.

What makes your items so great? Besides the fact that I made them? =) They are 100% handmade – and most items are made with recycled material. Each and every item on ASB is 100% hand-made and therefore one-of-a-kind. As a result, each item will have it’s own ‘personality’ and characteristics of a hand-made craft. No two items are the same.

Cake or death? “Uhh, cake please.” “Well, we’re out of cake! We only had three bits and we didn’t expect such a rush!”

What is your mission? To create quirky and beautiful things because I love to. To challenge myself to learn new techniques and crafts and to utilize as many recyclable materials as possible.

Please describe the space where you create (ie, sewing room, the forest, etc): It’s a two-room attic with huge windows, one side dedicated to my sewing/crafting table, the other holds a spare bed for friends or family to crash on if needed.

Do you have any pets or family involved in your business? We have a beautiful black kitten named Wednesday whom sadly, is not allowed in my crafting room. I’m an avid knitter and she loves to eat my yarn and attack my supplies! She is absolutely the center of our world, but when I’m crafting, she has to entertain herself downstairs where my supplies and creations are safe from kitty paws and teeth! =)

1. What is your favorite of your current products?I’m most proud of my newborn cable beanie I made with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn. It turned out absolutely beautiful. It’s incredibly soft (trust me, it’s dreamy!) and the perfect hat to defend against the chilly outdoors. It’s a featured item in my shop and can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10515354

Anything else you’d like us to know? I’m completely open to suggestion – have an idea, but unsure what it would entail? Message me, I’ll be happy to discuss details. Something you love or hate about my shop or items available? Please let me know! I would love feedback of all kinds and both positive and constructive criticism is encouraged.

What, if any, plans do you have to add to your current line? I’m currently working on more coasters of all kinds – digestive tracts, funky artwork, retro pin-up, graffiti art, crosswords, to name a few. I’ve purchased fabric for more rice heating pads and plan to start listing various polymer clay sculpture charms I’ve made into stitch markers, bracelets and necklace pendants, and maybe even Christmas ornaments. I’d like to continue listing photography prints and domino pendants, and eventually as I learn more about sewing, I’d like to add reusable shopping bags and unique Pullip/Blythe (or even small dog) clothing. I’ll definitely continue to use as many recyclable materials as possible in my new items as well.