Exploring Color at 10eisha and a Giveaway Too!

Since I created my Facebook fan page two weeks ago, I was introduced to so many talented artists and wonderful shops I had no idea about. A few shops in particular captured my attention and I will be featuring a few of them in the coming weeks.

The first shop that really caught my eye was 10eisha. Artist/crafter, Teneisha (what a clever shop name!) creates fabulous hair accessories and plush toys but the colors are what struck me. Her items are so vibrant, and Teneisha is a Master of mixing and matching! Yes, the "M" deserves to be capitalized!

Earlier this week I asked Teneisha if she would tell us more about herself and her shop, and fortunately, she agreed. In addition to taking time to answer my questions, Teneisha is offering Nature Manipulated's readers a chance to win one item ($12 and under) from her shop. Find out how you can win after the interview ...

NM: How would you describe your work?
T: Very colorful

NM: How long have you been making hair accessories for?
T: Since February 2009…I’m a newbie! However, I was selling plush monsters and puppets for a few years.

NM: How did you get into this line of work/hobby?
T: I made my own birdcage/fascinator for my wedding and I enjoyed it so much that I said, "You know…I could do lots of these…in crazy colors!"

NM: Do you do this full time?
T: I would like to. I have been unemployed for almost 6 months, so I guess you could say this is my full time job. Right now I am gearing up to start doing wholesale as well as craft fairs, swap meets and so on.

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
T: I love all the small fascinators. They are such an easy accessory. You can stick them on anywhere and forget about them, yet everyone else notices them. I get a ton of compliments every time I wear one outside of my house. I think they also set a tone for your outfit. There are some that I feel like I have to throw on matching heels with and some that work perfect with jeans and a t-shirt.

NM: What are some of your favorite handmade shops or items online?
T: I love the supplies sellers that hand make their items. I’ve recently been getting my brads this way. Aimoobaroo is a great one.

I love love love the wristlets from meringueshop. I have one in black and white and one in red and white, and I get a ton of compliments on them. You can carry your purse without even realizing its there!

I’ll also give a shout out to Briana Edelman Designs. I got my wedding necklace from her and it was such a high quality. It also came in a great box that I have been using since!

And last but not least, Etsy Hacks. These hacks will change your Etsy selling life!

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
T: I do a little bit of everything. The one that gets me the most purchases I think is Offbeatbride.com. I advertise in the tribe on that site which is a pretty direct marketing approach. I also do occasional one day $2 Facebook ads. I was trying Google AdWords for a while but I suspended it for now. I have a Facebook Fan Page and a blog. I also stay involved in the Etsy community forums which I think is a great way of networking.

NM: What advice can you offer other handmade sellers to boost their sales?
T: Stick with it! I know that Etsy is really slow right now and a lot of newcomers are discouraged. Just keep making what you make and get as much stuff up there as you can. Talk to people in the forums. Just stick with it.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
T: I tried ArtFire and Ebay for a while. I actually did well on Ebay…Its just a pain to add items. I’m hoping to get out into real life venues soon.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
T: I have a blog called Dumpster Ninjas. We have multiple contributors but I am the main admin. We blog about art, design, ideas, crafts or whatever seems inspiring at that very moment. I’ve started featuring a lot of Etsy sellers and we seem to be getting more traffic.

NM: Tell us something interesting about yourself.
T: I have a degree in Industrial Design (Product Design) which I always forget pertains to exactly what I do with crafting. I always forget that product design doesn’t have to mean shoes and cars. It can mean handmade items and functional art!


Business Information:

Name: Teneisha (aka 10eisha)

Business/Shop Name: Hair Accessories for the Brave

Location: San Diego, CA

Website URL: http://www.teneishabydesign.com

Etsy URL: http://10eisha.etsy.com

Blog URL: http://dumpsterninjas.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/10eisha

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hair-Accessories-By-10eisha/120030310942?ref=mf


Hope you enjoyed learning about Teneisha and her shop. Now, ... for a chance to win one item ($12 or under) from 10eisha, leave a comment with your favorite item from Teneisha's Etsy shop. Tell us why you like it and make sure you leave your contact information (email, Etsy username, Artfire username or link to your Facebook page). One entry per person. All entries must be submitted by July 31, 2009, 6pm ET.

Weekly Giveaway March 23-29 - Plush Goodness

Enter this week's giveaway for a chance to win Sophie the Squirrel from Plush Goodness

Sophie Squirrel valued at $25.00

Sophie Squirrel is a gentle soul who loves spending time in the trees bird watching, or looking for butterflies. Plush Goodness' Leeanna Butcher made Sophie in response to all the squirrels who are constantly running back and forth along the top of her fence, teasing her dog as they go.

Sophie Squirrel is made from dark gray heathered fleece, with cream fleece, printed cotton, felt, and hand embroidered accents. She is dark gray on the front, cream colored on the back and measures 14 inches wide by 7.5 inches tall.

How it works:
Every Monday, Nature Manipulated hosts a giveaway from a fabulous Etsy or Artfire shop. For a chance to win the prize you must leave a comment on NM's blog (to this post) with the following items:

1) A link to your favorite item in the featured seller's shop
2) Your contact information (email, Etsy or Artfire shop URL)

If you do not include BOTH items in the comments your entry will not be included.

The contest will run through 11:59 p.m. Eastern, Sunday, March 29, 2009. The following Monday, I will pick the winner at random and contact the winner via email or Etsy convo.

One entry per person.

Leeanna is in the midst of fulfilling a childhood ambition - having a room to herself that's full of stuffed toys. Leeanna spends most of her days in her sewing studio, creating new one of a kind plush designs from multitudes of sketches. She is a huge fan of cartoons and animation, as well as fairy tales and nursery rhymes, which lead her to receive a BFA in Character Animation from the California Institute of the Arts.

Leeanna was taking a break from a painting she was working on one day a couple of years ago, and decided to make a hand sewn plush from a doodle in her sketch pad, a bunch of leftover felt, and a small sewing repair kit. As soon as she finished sewing up this creature she'd created, Leeanna knew that was it: she was hooked-which is ironic when you consider that she absolutely hated the sewing portion of her Home Economics classes in Jr. High. To this day she still hasn't learned how to sew clothing.

Now totally addicted to buying fabric, and a passionate member of the plush community, Leeanna loves to collect other artist's plush as much as she loves creating her own.

Post a link to your favorite item from Plush Goodness, along with your contact information (email, Etsy or Artfire URL or username) for a chance to win a Sophie the Squirrel.

PlushGoodness.etsy.com
To learn more about Leeanna and some of her favorite things, please stop by her blog at leeannasthread.blogspot.com

Nature Manipulated is not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged items. The prize will be shipped directly from the featured seller and Nature Manipulated is not responsible if the seller does not produce the item or do so in a timely fashion. Once the winner is selected, Nature Manipulated will notify the winner and provide the winner's shipping information to the featured seller. From that point on, all questions or concerns regarding the prize should be addressed to the featured seller. By entering the requested information in the comments, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of this giveaway.

Good luck and hope to see you again next Monday for another great giveaway, and throughout the week for other great features and posts.

Ladybumblebee is a Magical and Colorful World of Children's Toys

Who doesn't like toys? Ladybumblebee's owner and crafter, Diana says she makes children's toys but I'm not a child and I surely would buy one. They are so cute, how could you not want one? No matter how old you are. I came across Ladybumblebee one day while searching for toys to buy for my nephew. The pictures of toys were so enticing, I had to enter the shop. I think I spent half an hour there debating with myself which would be most appropriate for a little boy, all while trying to keep my personal preference out of the equation. I still have not purchased one but now that I found out I have another nephew on the way, I will surely have to. After all, I do need baby shower gifts. What a perfect idea!

In the meantime, as I still try and decide which toy to get, I decided to interview Diana. Below are the questions I asked her and her responses.


1. How would you describe your toys?
My toys are amigurumi toys which are crocheted in rounds, increasing and decreasing when necessary to form shapes. They all wear knitted dresses or sweaters. I wanted to get some knitting on each as I love the combination of crochet and knit together.

2. How long have you been making children's toys for?
I've been knitting and crocheting for many years but only started making children's toys since November of 2007. I have two little grandkids that love plushies so I took it upon myself to learn the amigurumi method from the internet and it took off from there.

3. How did you get into this line of work/hobby?
I have always loved crafting quilts and paintings for children's rooms so this was a natural progression. Making these animals is joyful and fun and it keeps a smile on my face!!! My husband gets a kick out them also.

4. What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
I have a hard time picking a favorite because each is my own creation. They 're all my children!!! I'm partial to the pigs, cows and frogs. They are extra cute!!

5. What are some of your favorite Etsy shops or items?
My favorite shops are Spotted Dog Studio which has great artwork!

The Daily Pincushion has beautiful pin cushions, very imaginative!

Babycakesdnd - wonderful whimsical artwork

DZfantasy - great sculpted dolls

6. How do you attract people to your shop?
I usually go onto the promotions section of the forums and promote my shop when I add a new listing. I try to spend at least a half hour or more adding my link onto different threads. I'm not sure it works but I do it anyway. I give and get lots of hearts from participating in the forums. I've also given some of my animals to charity auctions and sent along lots of my cards hoping to make new customers.
I also try to keep my shop visually pleasing to the eye so that people will come back.

7. What advice can you offer other Etsy sellers?
The advice I would give is to be patient at first. Keep at least 30-40 things listed. Keep working on your shop until your photos are just right, and last but most importantly, try to keep the focus on selling one type of thing as opposed to many different things in your shop. I mean if you're selling hand made dolls, don't sell hair clips and slippers in the same shop. I think the shops that keep their focus look much better and have a much stronger impact on the prospective buyer.

8. Are your items available anywhere other than etsy?
My items are only available on etsy for now.


Business Information

Name: Diana Benitez

Business/Shop Name: Ladybumblebee

Location: New Jersey

Etsy URL: ladybumblebee.etsy.com

On My Way to Sock Monkey Jungle

If there is anyplace in the world I want to go when I am down and out, it's Sock Monkey Jungle. Bluesaphire's Etsy shop, Sock Monkey Jungle is one of the greatest I have seen. I visit her shop several times a week just to put a smile on my face. Seriously, I do! Her sock monkeys are incredible. They are colorful, cheerful and absolutely adorable.

I've shown Bluesaphire's shop to several of my co-workers and what was their reaction? They smiled too. Unfortunately, they were not willing to purchase one. It strange how people are willing to spend money on things that bring aggravation but not on things that bring ONLY happiness.

To get back on track, sock monkeys fascinate me. There seems to be a sock monkey craze going on. I see more and more of them popping up. Great for a person obsessed with monkeys (like me)! But what is it about sock monkeys? Why monkeys? Why socks?

Since I couldn't figure out the answers for myself, I decided to ask Bluesaphire a little bit about her shop and the monkeys she creates.


1. How would you describe your shop/business?

I would describe my shop as fun and definitely cute! I specialize in making good quality Unique Sock Monkeys that are great unpredictable and personal gifts to give, and also to love and own for yourself!

2. How long have you been making sock monkeys for?

About 5 years ago I dabbled and tried but never got the *look* I wanted. After many failures, I kept trying. Eighteen months ago, I mastered my goals and have been making little lovely monkeys ever since, including custom orders and requests. :)

3. Does a sock monkey represent anything? Why monkeys?

Sock Monkeys are a traditional sock animal that has been made for many years. When times were hard and people were poor monkeys and elephants and all kinds of animals were created from socks to give to children. They are now a very collectible item. Antique sock monkeys are well sort after. My monkeys are very collectible too! Why monkeys??? Why not?!! They are soooo cute!

4. How did get into this line of work/hobby?

Well, I liked the sock monkey tradition and loved looking at the traditional type, red-heeled sock monkeys, although they were not pulling my heart's strings to own one and love one. So, the idea came to me to make the same type but funky, non-scary and cute.

5. Where does your inspiration come from? What sorts of things inspire your work?

Colors and textures are an inspiration. Feedback from friends and customers are also my inspiration, and watching people giggle when they see or hold them is another. Children who love them unconditionally! :) Lots of things always inspire me.

6. Which is your favorite monkey? Why?

I cannot possibly choose a favorite, as each one I have made, I love. They are all equally adorable to me. Each face is different and I see little characters in each of their eyes. I love them all!

7. What do you like to do when you are not crafting?

Shopping for craft items, lol! Spending time with my family is most important of course, but my monkeys are my second biggest love.

8. Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?

I am considering a new website but for now I am happy to sell just on Etsy, as it's where I am settled with good friends.

Custom orders are welcome! If I can help you create your own character to love, then I am more than happy to be of service.


Business Details:

Business/Shop Name: Sock Monkey Jungle

Location: United Kingdom

Etsy URL: bluesaphire.etsy.com
Blog URL: sockmonkeyaddict.blogspot.com



Thanks Bluesaphire!

Interview with Etsy's elephantine

I've been eyeing elephantine's shop for quite awhile now. Owner/crafter Rachel has such adorable plush toys and paper goods. Her designs are so simple yet leave a lasting impression. Before I even purchased something from the shop, I new it would be my next feature. Shortly after I sent Rachel an message asking if she would answer a few questions, I purchased two cards from her shop.
Today I received the two cards I ordered. Now I have physically seen her work and I must say, I'm impressed. Not only are they cute, they came so nicely packaged. Each one in its own sleeve with an adorable elephantine seal.
Now that I am looking at my new cards, there is no better time than now to post my interview with Rachel. Here it goes....

1. How would you describe your shop/business?
My shop is a mix of the cute and the quirky - I try to create things that make you smile, but I also try to make them a little unexpected. I like having a personal connection to buyers, and always include a little note to them so they know I truly appreciate their support. I also have been working on creating a range of goodies so that my shop has variety and can be perfect for all sorts of people and occasions. When it comes down to it, though, it's really just all about sharing little bits of happiness.

2. How long have you been crafting for?
I've been into art my whole life - my dad's a painter and my mom's a graphic designer - but I really got into crafting within the last four or five months. I was looking for a new hobby after graduating from college, and making toys and paper goods turned out to be a really fun way to spend my time.

3. How did get into this line of work/hobby?
I saw a lot of other crafters, on etsy and elseware, and was very inspired by their work. Besides that, it really was just one of those things that happened - I picked up a piece of felt, started fiddling around with it, and it eventually it managed to turn into a little creature.

4. Where does your inspiration come from? What sorts of things inspire your work?
Definitely other etsy sellers. I constantly see shops that I am amazed by. I also read tons of blogs written by all sorts of people. It's hard for me to pin down specific examples, but Japanese pop culture is one of my big inspirations.

5. What is your favorite piece? Why?
My siamese twin plush is my most loved piece. It's two little guys in one, it's happy but lonely at the same time, and I get to think up a double name.

6. What do you like to do when you are not crafting?
Work, sleep, eat, play. I don't have any out of the ordinary hobbies - I like to enjoy the little things. I spend time blogging and also writing fiction - that's my one huge life goal, to write a novel.

7. Are your items available anywhere other than etsy
Yes; they can also be found made-to-order on www.elephantineplush.com

One more small bit of information: I'm currently working on a new project that I'm very excited about. I'll soon be selling a pack of goodies (including things like a yeti plush, notecards, etc.) and 30% of the proceeds will go toward adopting + supporting animals at the Woodland Park Zoo here in Seattle. Look for the pack and more info soon in my shop!


Business/Shop Name: elephantine

Location: Seattle, WA

Website URL: www.elephantineplush.com

Etsy URL: www.elephantine.etsy.com

Blog URL: www.elephantine.typepad.com

Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/rachelchew/


I hope everyone enjoys elephantine as much as I do.