2/17/2010

Our Journey Begins!

ArtisansGalleryTeam is now an official Etsy team! With over 100 initial members, and 4 team translators, we plan to break through language and geographic barriers to keep the Handmade Revolution, and Buying Handmade at the forefront of Etsy's radar screen. We will create marketplaces for the buyer who wants an experience akin to shopping in a Fine Art and Artisan gallery. Our members have passed a stringent vetting and jurying process, chosen for the quality of work, craftsmanship, artistic voice, and proven excellence in customer service.

Lee (OneClayBead) and Merritt (merritthyde) developed the team concept and jury system. Early supporters were Rachel (GetReadySetGO), Amy (ThePeachTree), Paula (PaulaArt), and Noelle (Xenotees). We now have many team volunteers! PaulaArt and GlazedOver on blog, moonovermaize and PoleStar on Twitter, Munieca on FlickR, PaulaArt and Markhed on Facebook, and our incredible team translators: Munieca, Anakim,Ixela, Marked and Krize!

We are sending customers to our blog here every day now, so, as a way for them to get to know the person behind the beautiful work, how about posting what you love about your art and craft, and, just for fun,

favorite ice cream/gelato flavor?

35 comments:

Kendra Zvonik said...

what i love about my paintings . . . well, my newest work employs upcycled marine canvas that my husband rescues from his work in the boat industry, here in florida. i am enjoying being able to give what would otherwise be waste a new life! painting with a purpose!
i don't eat ice cream or gelato. i am a fruit, natural sugars kind of girl.
thanks again to everyone for this new team effort. it inspires me knowing i have support on etsy.
in return, i am always available to give artistic feedback!

Jill said...

I love the messy, messy, messy about the clay. Love getting it up my arm and on my clothing, which follows naturally I suppose. I just couldn't keep my fingers out of my mashed potatoes when I was a kid.

And the ice cream? None for me, thanks, but do have any sunflower seeds?

p said...

congrats lee and merritt on forming this rich combination of people and shops! hats off to everyone else who has contributed to twitter/fb/translating and the blog!

what i love about my art is finding and working with objects that others might see as pure trash. useless junk that would otherwise go into the landfills is then turned into beautiful functional works of art!

fav. ice cream haagendaaze chocolate/peanut butter

Dawn of LaTouchables said...

I love beautiful cloth in natural fibers, even stuff so old it has holes in it...and if there's color, I start to swoon. If not, I'll add it. Old buttons and handmade wood ones--mix it all together.

I go for the seeds.

Victoria Webb said...

I love the smell of oil paint and the spontaneity that goes into painting. My work is mostly about place, light and color.

Gelato? The best is in Rome and Assisi- and always something with chocolate.

All congratulations to Lee and Merritt for pulling off this fabulous team, very exciting!

StaroftheEast said...

I think this team has a great energy and has made a great start, I'm very happy to be here and look forward to all great things to follow.
We have several shops on Etsy, so we have not one but several favorite materials, it is just great to explore the endless possiblities our own two hands give :)

(starbags)

BlueTerracotta said...

I adore the feel of clay, the magic transformation of firing it, but also fabrics, the texture and intricacy of lace, found objects, discarded stuff, broken pieces. I try to put it all together and make it beautiful.

It's really exciting to be on this dynamic team!

No icecream for me, but I love grapefruits♥

aroluna said...

Caramel..!
Congratulations for getting this fabulous group of people together and thank you for this effort!
I'm so glad of being part of this team!
One of the things I love most about my craft is the feeling of transformation. Being able to start with wire or a sheet of metal and ending with a piece of jewelry that I love, still amazes me after oh so many years...!!!

twolefthands said...

First of all thank you so much for all the hard work you ladies have done to get this fabulous group together! I am still in shock that I am lucky enought to be a part of it!
I love putting in the first and last stitch of a project and seeing the end results!
I love a vanilla soft serve icecream cone and have never had gelato!

Merritt Hyde said...

For me, art is an extension of ourselves and without it we are not complete. For me, the best thing about creating it is sharing it with others. Second best thing - the quiet
Favorite Ice Cream - vanilla

steinschmuckdesign said...

Thanks so much for all your great Work you are doing for this fantastic Team!!!

I adore Gemstones, Metalls, Leather, silk, colors, Vintage, but also very Modern straight line Things.

The thing is I adore Handmade!!!

*Evelyn* said...

I am really happy to be with this team!
Full of good sellers ...
I have always had a passion for sewing clothes for myself, but I also loved unique and original accessories, and I found such joy in creating them, or seeing people wear such.

I do my best to use high quality materials such as, glass beads, Swarovski crystal, and briolette, handmade earwires in copper, sterling silver and brass, vintage lucite beads, Vintage Findings, and satin ribbon, But I also love to try new materials every time.

My favorite ice cream?
certainly the taste of chocolate!

Anonymous said...

I love the smell of gnomes, hot from the oven!

I love finishing a project, no matter what it may be. It is fun to see if the end result is anything like I had envisioned it.

Ice cream? Baskin Robbins Rocky Road, no question!

Lee Wolfe Pottery OneClayBead said...

What I love about pottery the best is how I lose myself in it. All my worries and petty thoughts drop away and there is only the spinning wheel, and wet earth, and silence.

I also love unloading the kiln and seeing what's there. nothing is ever exactly as I planned and it's a new load every time.

gelato: mocha

(It's Lee, OneClaybead on Etsy)

The Itsy Bitsy Spill said...

Lovely post!! Excited to be here and it's wonderful to be part of such a beautiful talented group of artists. Thank you Lee and Merritt!!

My work is about spilling myself across the canvas and allowing the fun begin. Itsy Bitsy Spill is about colorful vibrant pieces of myself and making a dance out of it and sharing it to the world. Art is my life!!

Ohika

Vilte said...

What an inspiring start :)

I love simplicity and sophistication, endless forms and textures, possibilities of being, versatility and organic side of felt.

I love creating. That is was liberates our inner selves.


now, sweet things? :) straciatella or eskimo or the ones with maple syrup and pecans :)

(vilte.etsy.com)

The Itsy Bitsy Spill said...

Oh AND I love love chocolate Vanilla swirl, my favorite!

markhed said...

Hi ALL!

First and foremost: I LOVE ben and jerry's chocolate fudge brownie. It's is SOOOOO GOOD!

SECOND: I LOVE two things about my craft. The first is soldering, I love controlling a powerful flame and having it do my bidding.

The second is the connection I have with my clients, I know it's lame, but every time I sell something to someone it has a little piece of me in it, and I care a lot about connecting with that person. It makes my day to hear someone say they love their piece.

xo
Marie

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

'm loving this--reading everyone's responses--it's exciting and inspiring!

for me-- my love is always tied to the materials of whatever medium i wind up working in. learning to manipulate and watch them change and take on new life..a transformation... it's a fascinating process-- and best of all is getting lost in it for hours at a time!

ice cream is wonderful --but i could eat fudge until the cows came home ( when DO the cows come home?)

RichardA said...

What's not to love about crafting not only the lump of clay in front of you on the wheel, but also a whole lifestyle? Designing pieces, inventing glazes, firing the kiln you designed and built, as well as deciding where to live, setting your own hours so as to leave time for family, gardening and cooking...this is a throwback lifestyle, and thank goodness!
As for ice cream of gelato, anything fruit flavored will do, thank you!

Jennifer Cowgill said...

So very exciting!!!! It was so wonderful to see that team page up on Etsy.

Sadly, I cannot eat ice cream because I have been lactose intolerant for over a year now. But before that, my favorite was anything chocolate.

I really should look at some good gelatto places since I know a lot of it is dairy free!

GetReadySetGO said...

hmmmm, i love having blank COLORFUL canvases that have travelling history. i love to think about where a piece of luggage may have been before it gets into my hands. how many countries has it seen and who was the previous owner? i love giving my luggage new life, even if that means just giving them a good cleaning. it's amazing how much more appealing a piece can be once it's cleaned and photographed to show all of it's best features:)

ice cream..... i don't have much of a sweet tooth. i guess i would have to say vanilla, which i realize is oh so boring. please don't equate my ice cream flavor to my shop or personality!!

thanks for these great opportunities. this blog is up and rolling!!

anakim said...

I love everything about my craft but what I like the most is to see the transformation of wires and sheets under fire into jewelry and the magic of soldering. I feel lucky to create jewelry that makes my customers and me happy at the same time.
I don't have much of a sweet tooth but I love fruits sorbet if it counts:)

Jenny Sea Pinks/ Bubbletime said...

I grew up drawing and painting. Then discovered embroidery when I was about 12 from my Mom and it was like drawing and painting with thread. I love fabric and thread, muted colors and bright colors alike! And hey, my favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip! ~The white kind, not the green. I've never had gelato but have seen the array of flavors and can't wait to some day try it!

Decorate the Diva said...

Hats off to all the ladies in charge and all the hard work that you do!!!

I love decorating, creating something everyone wants, and a lovely glass of wine accompanied by a rich piece chocolate instead of ice cream.
~Renee

Lynn Lunger said...

I love experimenting with all materials, but sometimes I feel I need to focus more. I best love when someone is surprised by my materials. When their preconceived values are questioned.

Favorite ice cream -fig
gelato -mango

Tanner Glass said...

I am so honored to be part of this team, and I am thrilled to be in the company of so many Etsy sellers that I have admired for years!

Basically, I do what I love, and love what I do. It's that simple :)

And any ice cream is good ice cream.

Kanokwalee said...

Thank you so much Merritt and Lee. You all have done a great job. This blogspot is wonderful. The flickr pool is fabulous. The facebook page is great. Twitter... You've done so much!

I love all thing beautiful. I like to capture them in any medium that would show how I see them. At the moment, the mediums are photos and yarns :-) At some point, I'd like to give painting another try.

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you... to Lee and Merritt.

Kanokwalee

WickedSoaps said...

*waves to everyone*

Hey all! Ok, the most important question first...I LOVE mint chocolate chip ice cream. Heaven in a carton.

I think what I love the most about making bath and body products is being able to turn a boring everyday shower or bath into something people look forward to. I don't know about everyone else, but I LOVE getting into the shower with a new bar of pretty soap and jar of my body polish and feel like I'm pampering and spoiling myself!

-Misty

aroluna said...

Wow I love that flickr gallery view, it's amazing!!! Whoever got it there, thank you!!!

p said...

thanks irene!

SignsByDiane said...

I love being my own boss after working for others for such a long time it's so liberating and fun!! To me work is no longer a chore! It's exciting when I get a new idea and I wish I had more time and energy to do everything that I would like to do!!

I was lucky to take a trip to Italy a few months ago and couldn't get enough pistachio gelato!! :)
Diane

debbabcock said...

I love the tactile feel of wet clay and especially porcelain and the way you can softly manipulate rims and forms.

Fresh peach gelato.

Annette Tait said...

I love creating an adorable sculpture then finding the right name and story for him/her. Each story has a positive message so whether the animal is for a child or adult - we can all learn something from it.
And I love knowing that my customers appreciate handmade with love!
I'm very rarely an icecream person (mint choc chip) but I do love sorbets.