Feature Friday: Angela Latham - Spool of Plenty

Today we feature the sewing skills of Angela Latham of Spool of Plenty. Angela has lots of knowledge and tips about etsy forums and chatrooms and is a great help to our Bluegrass etsy team. She has traveled a great distance to attend our team meetings. We are happy to have her!


How did you first hear about etsy?

My sister in law in Florida told me about etsy.

Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!

I don't know that I could pick a favorite! I really Enjoy sewing and embroidering right now but I dabble in other things too on the side.


How did you get started as a designer?

My Grandmother was always sewing and quilting so I guess I picked it up from her. I took some classes in High School and went on to graduate from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design. Now that I am a stay at home mom, I use my free time to make things to put in my shop and give out as gifts.


What inspires you to create?

Colors and Fabrics. I constantly have ideas for all kinds of things bouncing around in my head! Sometimes it can get overwhelming!

How long have you been a member of Bluegrass etsy and how did you hear about the team?

I think I signed up for the team in September of 2008. I was on the etsy team page when I saw there was a group in KY. I have been to two team meetings now and it really helps me stay motivated.

Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?

Do what makes you happy. Make your own unique style and stand out!


Anything else you would like to add?

Shop Local when you can to support small stores and the Handmade world!



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Thanks Angela for letting us learn a little more about you!

To see more of Angela's creations, please visit her Spool of Plenty etsy shop here!

Wandering Whimsies Front Page!

I just want everyone to know that our very own Wandering Whimsies has made the etsy front page! Her item Country Christmas Trees was grouped with others picked from Etsy's categories! How exciting! Congrats Wandering Whimsies!

October Team Giveaway: Part 2

Our lucky winner of the first October giveaway from Whimsy Beading is Linda K of California. Congratulations Linda. Kelly and Joey will be in touch with you when your prize ships!

We are so excited to announce Part 2 of our special giveaways for the month of October! This too-cute giveaway is generously donated by Angela Latham of Spool of Plenty.


Personalized Burp cloth and Bib set - valued at $12

You choose the bib color and the fabric to customize this prize! SpoolofPlenty will contact you with the details when you win!


How to Enter?
To enter, please visit Angela's Spool of Plenty shop. Come back here to leave a comment and tell us what you like about Angela's shop. If you tweet about the contest let us know for another chance to win. If you post this contest at your blog, leave a comment with the link for yet another chance to win. Finally, if you are not already a subscriber to our blog, enter your email in the subscribe box for another chance to win. Just let us know that you have become a subscriber.

This contest ends on October 31. We'll post the winner here, so stay tuned! Good luck to all and thanks for playing!!

Feature Friday: Toni Johnson of Vernon Ave

Today we feature the talented Toni Johnson of Vernon Avenue. If you love handbags (and what woman doesn't?) you need to check out her work. Toni was recently featured in the Autumn issue of Haute Handbags!

How did you first hear about etsy?

I found it on the internet about 3 years ago.

Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!

I have been making things and being creative for as long as I can remember. I love art classes as a child and grew into it naturally. My Mom gave me the freedom to be creative and paint murals on the wall, have a purple mohawk and "redesign" my clothes too. So, it has been ingrained into my everyday life. Maybe the purple mohawk was not the best idea but it was an outlet. I love to paint, draw, bake, sew and pretty much anything I can get my hands on.


How did you get started as a designer?

See above! ha! I started in high school making my own purses and changing my clothes to my liking. Then I moved on to design school.

What inspires you to create?

Travelling and seeing new places inspires me. Also, the history of handbags. I like to go back and look at the different cultures and learn about all different types of bags.

How long have you been a member of Bluegrass etsy and how did you hear about the team?

I have been a member about 9 months. I learned about them by reading stories about the street teams on The Storque.


Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?

Make what you love and the rest will come. Try not to make things "just" for money.

Anything else you would like to add?

I think etsy is a wonderful thing and it has given so many artists and people a community to thrive on on it's own terms.

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To see more of Toni's colorful and unique handbags, visit her Vernon Ave etsy shop! They make great gifts!

And check out Toni's fun posts at her HandmadeMoonshine blog.

Feature Friday: Danielle Hammon of Lovelettersdesigns

Today we feature a new team member and jewelry artist, Danielle Hammon of Lovelettersdesigns.


How did you first hear about etsy?

I believe I saw it on a blog a few years ago. I’ve wanted to have my own shop ever since but it wasn’t until a few months ago that I took the plunge and decided to do it.

Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!

I am the Design Director for Underwired Magazine, a local women’s magazine in the Greater Louisville/Southern Indiana area. I decided to start I make earrings to sell on etsy about three months ago. I wanted to create earrings that were unique, but also simple and sophisticated. I love the simple elegance of v-shaped earwire to take a fun element or bead and make it a little more grown up. I think there is really something in my shop for everyone. Whether meeting a friend for coffee, or going out for a night on the town, my designs are functional and eye catching. I wear them everyday and get compliments all the time!


How did you get started as a designer?

I have done art for as long as I have been able to hold a crayon. My mom was constantly making things growing up. Our dining room turned into a workshop every year in November as my mom started making Christmas gifts for people, most of which showcased her painting skills. I started making my own jewelry in high school and have kept is as a hobby until now. It hasn’t been until recently that I thought about turning it into something more. I was in a bead store with my sister in July and I thought suddenly “I can do this, I’m going to do this.” I came home, made a bunch of earrings and opened my shop the next day.

What inspires you to create?

I draw inspiration from everywhere... art and design, nature, life. My husband has been a huge encouragment. He has been the push I need sometimes to go out and make my dreams happen.


How long have you been a member of Bluegrass etsy and how did you hear about the team?

I have been a Bluegrass team member for about a month and a half. I met Kim and Libby when they were thinking about advertising with Underwired. At that point I was only a month into my shop. The night I met them I had my first sale!

Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?

I’m more in a place of taking advice rather than giving it right now, but I have learned so much in the little time I’ve been a part of etsy. I guess my advice would be to take advantage of every resource out there. There are so many! And don’t give up or get discouraged.

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Great advice Danielle!
To see more of Danielle's creations, visit her Lovelettersdesigns etsy shop.

Share our Success: WilmothFarms

Our very own Rachel Blanton of Wilmothfarms soaps was featured in the News-Enterprise paper today on October 7th 2009 !

We are so proud of you Rachel! The write up was great and so were the pictures! Congratulations and here is to your continued success on Etsy and Artfire and also Locally! You go girl!

Fall Craft Expo in Shelbyville

Nine members of the Bluegrass etsy team were set up last month at the Shelby County High School Fall Expo. Team members were able to socialize a bit and promote their creations as well as promoting their online etsy and artfire shops. Here are some pictures from the event!



Libby Goldsmith and her great smelling Maylees Garden soaps!



Kim Ries with Creative Eye Studio displays handcrafted jewelry and greeting cards.



Joey and Kelly Graves of Whimsy Beading with jewelry designed for plus sized women!



Becky Keith, Carolyn Campbell and Robin Green display their sewing skills!


Carolyn Mallin showcases her beautiful metalsmithing jewelry talent!


LeeAnn Christenson features her handcrafted kitchen textiles!


Some beautiful purses created by Toni Johnson of Vernon Ave.


Jessica Brown of the Pink Needle displays her sewing talent!

October Team Giveaway: Part 1

The winner of our September giveaway, donated by Tina Mackin of Smackinart is "haptree" of the UK. Congrats haptree, we will be in touch with you to get your address so we can send out your cards and 'zine.

Being that October is the beginning of the fall season, we will be hosting TWO giveaways this month!

The first giveaway for October was generously donated by Joey and Kelly Graves, the beading team behind Whimsy Beading.


Boo To You! October is here, and it's time to trick or treat with a fun necklace from Joey and Kelly Graves of Whimsy Beading! This 20" necklace of fiber optic glass beads in orange and grey, silver spacers and Swarovski crystals spells out every ghost's favorite word and will be a fun addition to anyone's holiday jewelry wardrobe. Valued at $25.00, it's sure to be a sweet treat to the lucky winner!



How to Enter?
To enter, please visit Kelly and Joey's Whimsy Beading shop. Come back here to leave a comment and tell us what you like about their shop. If you tweet about the contest let us know for another chance to win. If you post this contest at your blog, leave a comment with the link for yet another chance to win. Finally, if you are not already a subscriber to our blog, enter your email in the subscribe box for another chance to win. Just let us know that you have become a subscriber.

This contest ends on October 14. We'll post the winner here and then announce the second part of our giveaway.

Good luck to all and thanks for playing!!

Kentucky Wild Weeds: Plantain

Today Jackie Alberti of Glorybeherbals discusses another "Kentucky Wild Weed" - this one is called Plantain.

This is another one of those very useful yard “weeds”. Plantain is EVERYWHERE - be glad because it can really come in handy if you need to treat a wound quickly. Plantain is cooling and soothing and can be used on insect bites and stings, nettle stings, cuts, scrapes, burns, and irritation. Most herbalists suggest plucking fresh leaves and chewing them a little before applying them to a wound. Personally, I am not crazy about the idea of putting anything from the ground into my mouth without washing it first. I like to roll fresh leaves between the palms of my hands until it feels wet. Thus releases the cooling mucilage-then it can be rubbed or laid over the affected area.

The seeds are used as a bulk forming laxative called psyllium.



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If you have any questions about Jackie's articles or want to know more about native Kentucky plants, please contact Jackie at her Glory Be Herbals blog.

Feature Friday: Wandering Whimsies

Today we feature Belinda Johnson of Wandering Whimsies, a talented member of our Bluegrass Etsy Team!


How did you first hear about etsy?

The first time I heard about etsy was several years ago while I was sitting in the school parking lot waiting to pick up my son. I always carry a project to work on, no matter where I'm at, and the lady parked next to me was sewing also. We started talking about crafts and the local shows coming up. I told her about my website and she told me about etsy and her shop.


Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!

I'm located in Radcliff, KY, just outside of Ft. Knox. We are retired Navy and when the US Army offered my husband a job here, we packed up and relocated one last time. I'm now a stay at home Mom with two teenagers (one a freshman and one is a senior) and work full time on my crafts. I have my etsy shop, a .com website, wholesale to specialty giftshops around the country and do several craft shows a year.

My favorite craft is sewing! I love primitive country decor and enjoy designing and creating my stitcheries, little "critters" (such as my sheep) and seasonal items, like pumpkins and snowmen.

How did you get started as a designer?

I was taught to embroider and sew at a young age by my mom, aunt and grandmothers and it's always been something I've done. As an adult, I spent my spare time working on projects and doing craft shows wherever we were stationed.

What inspires you to create?

Anything can be an inspiration! Things I see, something that someone says, a piece of fabric, etc. It stays in the back of my mind until an idea just "clicks". My best ideas seem to happen right before I fall asleep or in the middle of the night! My husband isn't concerned anymore when I get up to write down an idea or sketch a rough pattern.


How long have you been a member of Bluegrass etsy and how did you hear about the team?

I joined the Bluegrass team near the beginning of this year. I kept reading in the forums about being part of a team. So I checked all the teams listed (and there are quite a few) that sounded interesting and I may have common interests with.


Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?

To keep working at what you like to do, don't be afraid to try something new and challenging; and above all, never give up! Keep going even though you may want to quit - success, personal and otherwise, doesn't happen overnight.

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Thanks Belinda for the interview. It was great learning more about you and we are happy that you selected Bluegrass etsy when you were looking for a team!

To see more of Belinda's art and craft, please visit her Wandering Whimsies etsy shop!