Our April winner will be announced shortly. For our May giveaway Natashia of Skyeblue85 is giving away a $30 credit for her store. She is an artist and her shop feature painted canvases, glassware, etc. You may even find the perfect gift for Dad! Remember Father's Day is coming up soon......
1. Visit the SkyeBlue85 etsy shop and tell her what items you would like to buy with a store credit.
2. Follow the Bluegrass etsy team blog if you are not already a follower. Let us know you are following by commenting below. (one chance to win)
3. Subscribe to the Bluegrass etsy emails from this blog if you are not already a subscriber. Let us know you have subscribed in a comment below. (one chance to win)
4. Post about this contest on your own blog and leave us the link below for your blog. (one chance to win)
5. Tweet about this contest from your twitter account and leave us your twitter name. (one chance to win)
6. Make a purchase from SkyeBlue85 for 3 chances to win. List the transaction ID in three separate comments below.
7. Like the Facebook fan page for SkyeBlue85 for an additional chance to win.
This contest will end at midnight on Tuesday, May 31. The giveaway for this month is open to US residents only.
To find more handmade items from the Bluegrass Etsy Street team simply log into etsy and search "teambluegrass".
On June 6, six members of the Bluegrass etsy team set up at the Celebrating Life Through Art Craft Faire in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The event was organized by Donna Williams, who is also a member of our team. Donna was super sweet to work with and even though we had not met, she called out our names as we pulled up the driveway! What a nice reception!
The event was great! We had a steady stream of traffic and the sun was shining all day. We had a very nice lunch and were treated to lots of live entertainment. As an added bonus, Talon Winery was set up at the event and they offered wine tastings, plus wine by the glass or bottle.
Members of the team attending this show were: Dawn Shroyer of Kentucky in Focus (mommiedawn) Kim Ries of Creative Eye Studio Libby Goldsmith of Maylees Garden Jessica Brown with The Pink Needle Carolyn Campbell and Robin Green of Cowgirlrosie and Brenda Herp with Iris in Bloom If you didn't get a chance to make the show, you can click the links above to see some of their fine work!
There is another show in Shelbyville on September 12 (to benefit the Shelby County HS Band) and we are in the processing of signing up for booths. We'll post an announcement as that show draws near. We would love to see you there!!
Team Members: If you are participating in any shows this year, we'd love to hear about it. Also if you have photos of your booth and a description of the show, we can post it here. Just send your pics and details to Kim Ries (kimberven@earthlink.net). Thanks!
Many thanks to Devin who got this interview together on our Facebook page. I copied and pasted from there. Thanks so much to our superstar Jama Watts for participating
!
1)How did you first hear about etsy :
I'd heard about etsy a while back from a friend who was purchasing items and thinking about opening her own store. Last year, when I made the conscious decision to promote myself better, I opened my store in July. It took me a while, but I really enjoy it!
2)Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art!:
I'm a single mother of one fantastic little girl, own a small gallery/coffee shop in Lebanon, Ky, work part-time at the local public library and am very involved in the community with our Arts & Humanities Council, Main Street Committee, Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and other organizations. I like to be busy!
I'm a jewelry designer, focusing primarily on beading, but I also do wire work, silver clay, resin, bead crochet and anything else that strikes my fancy. I'm too ADD to really focus on one medium and I LOVE to learn, so I'm always buying books and magazines to learn new techniques.
3)How did you get started as a designer?:
I started out as a painter and sculpter, getting my art degree from Campbellsville University. Like many artists, I ended up with jobs that had nothing to do with my degree for a while. I kept painting in my spare time, but wasn't doing anything career wise or promoting myself.
In 2002, I was pregnant with my daughter and working as a web designer/office manager for my mom's computer programming & repair business. My OB kicked me out of my art studio and I needed to find some sort of creative release. I bought some beads, beading wire and inexpensive tools, figuring that I could create jewelry and have something to wear or give as gifts. I found I really enjoyed it and started snatching up every beading book and magazine I could find!
4)What inspires you to create?:
I have to create. I can actually feel when I haven't been able to produce something. I think that's just something inside me that has to be released. As for a muse or something to that effect, I have music going 99.9% if the time that I'm working. I find inspiration in music, artwork and nature. Sometimes, it might be the thrill of learning a new technique of a challenge, but the inspiration comes from those three key items.
5)How long have you been a member of Bluegrass etsy and how did you hear about the team?
I joined the BEST team right after joining etsy, probably in August or September of 2008. I searched through the etsy team listings, hoping to find a group of Kentucky artists. I couldn't be happier that I found you guys! 6)Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?:
Always push yourself beyond your comfort zone. There's nothing wrong with perfecting a technique and working on your favorite items, but you don't want your art to become stagnant.
