Featured Handmade Artist- TheBloomingThread
Hello!!! Welcome to this week's Featured Handmade Artist!! Please allow me to introduce you to Ryan, from TheBloomingThread!
I just love the hand-stitched items in her shop! I have a real appreciation for all things stitched and sewn since I've tried to sew, and failed miserably...
One of my most favorite items in Ryan's shop atually not sewn-- it's this lovely little necklace:
Violet Garden - Tiny Botanical Bottle Necklace w/ Sage Green Vintage Rhinestone
Don't you just love it? I love that there is this teeny tiny dried violet blossom in there. So feminine and pretty... Here are a few other favorites from her shop:
Hi Ryan! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi there! My name is Ryan and I'm in love with hand stitching! live next to a small town, in a smaller town that's surrounded by rolling green hills, farm life & vineyards, sunshine and the ocean just north of Santa Barbara, Ca. (Tough, I know!) I'm fortunate to also be surrounded by a creative circle of family and friends. I work for an Energy Resource company doing accounting and date entry reporting that monitors our resource usage. So you can only image how happy I am when 4 o’clock rolls around and I get to scoot home and use the more creative side of my brain!
What is the first craft project you remember making?
Haha, oh man…this is such a great question! Those shoe box dioramas were the first thing that popped into my head! My kindergarten teacher (Mrs. Jarvey!) was so awesome. She always gave us great craft projects and really encouraged us at a very young age to explore being creative. I’ll never forget her. She helped us enter our elementary art shows, and really gave us a sense of freedom to express ourselves in ways past Crayola. We did clay projects and visited a studio space of one of the kids who’s dad was a professional sculpture, created paintings, paper-mache. I remember even making our own crayons! And let me say, this was no art school, or private school by any means! Just a public school teacher with a heart of gold.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Inspiration is everywhere! I’m inspired by the mood of a song, a scene from a movie, the brick detail on local coffee shop around the corner. Really, I know that sounds cliché but it’s so true. Most of my inspiration comes from being outside. There is just something so spectacular about rich color and texture that keeps my creative mind going.
Can you describe some of your creative process?
If it’s forced, it usually doesn’t get far off the ground. I try to keep an open eye and mind for new designs and projects. When something strikes me, I jot it down, sketch it, imagine it…give it the chance to evolve and take root. Then execute! It’s not always a clean, organized process but it translates my ideas pretty well.
What is your most prized handmade possession?
My boyfriend painted me a 3 piece canvas set of flowers from an Arizona Tea can. I know that probably sounds so dorky but they have the most beautiful scenes on their cans! He painted me the “Georgia Peach” design close up. So the flowers fill the frame of each canvas and continue onto the next as they are mounted aligned. This shop actually makes some super cute things from the AZ cans too! www.etsy.com/people/FunkyRecycling
If you could give one piece of advice to a new etsy seller, what would it be?
I’m still very new so the best advice I can give it to stay plugged in with the updates and features happening on Etsy. Etsy always has “Featured Seller” and “Quit your day job” interviews loaded with great artist and creative minds that can give solid pointers on what helped them along the way. I like that old saying of “not having to reinvent the wheel again”. Also, join a team. I’m on ETTEAM and its awesome! They’re so fun and excited about Etsy, it helps really become a part of the “Etsy Community”. It also doesn’t hurt to have the extra promotion and traffic to your store.
What are some of the ways you promote your work?
I try to use and wear my own creations. I have a messenger bag with lots of detailed stitching that’s become my favorite go-to carryall..and I always get asked about it. I also:
Blog: TheBloomingThread.blogspot.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TheBloomingThreadFanpage
Twitter: @BloomingThread
Store: TheBloomingThread.etsy.com
What are three websites you couldn’t live without?
Etsy (duh!), Ebay, and Pandora. The rest are far too many to name.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Time goes by way to fast, so I really try to focus on the where I am in my life at the moment and absorb as much as I can. So to answer the question, in 10 years I hope I’m happy, healthy and have a sweet little home with little ones dancing at my feet and absorbing all the blessings I have then too.
If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
Haha, that’s an easy one. To have a better memory! So, brain power I guess!
Thanks so much Ryan!!! It was a pleasure doing this interview with you!
Please be sure to stop by www.TheBloomingThread.etsy.com and check out the rest of Ryan's awesome designs!!!
Is there any shop that you think should be featured? Would you like me to feature your shop? Please feel free to send me an email aprilbern at gmail dot com!
Hope you have a wonderful day! Hang in there-- only one more day until the weekend!
-April
http://www.creativeapples.etsy.com
I just love the hand-stitched items in her shop! I have a real appreciation for all things stitched and sewn since I've tried to sew, and failed miserably...
One of my most favorite items in Ryan's shop atually not sewn-- it's this lovely little necklace:
Violet Garden - Tiny Botanical Bottle Necklace w/ Sage Green Vintage RhinestoneDon't you just love it? I love that there is this teeny tiny dried violet blossom in there. So feminine and pretty... Here are a few other favorites from her shop:
Hi Ryan! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi there! My name is Ryan and I'm in love with hand stitching! live next to a small town, in a smaller town that's surrounded by rolling green hills, farm life & vineyards, sunshine and the ocean just north of Santa Barbara, Ca. (Tough, I know!) I'm fortunate to also be surrounded by a creative circle of family and friends. I work for an Energy Resource company doing accounting and date entry reporting that monitors our resource usage. So you can only image how happy I am when 4 o’clock rolls around and I get to scoot home and use the more creative side of my brain!
What is the first craft project you remember making?
Haha, oh man…this is such a great question! Those shoe box dioramas were the first thing that popped into my head! My kindergarten teacher (Mrs. Jarvey!) was so awesome. She always gave us great craft projects and really encouraged us at a very young age to explore being creative. I’ll never forget her. She helped us enter our elementary art shows, and really gave us a sense of freedom to express ourselves in ways past Crayola. We did clay projects and visited a studio space of one of the kids who’s dad was a professional sculpture, created paintings, paper-mache. I remember even making our own crayons! And let me say, this was no art school, or private school by any means! Just a public school teacher with a heart of gold.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Inspiration is everywhere! I’m inspired by the mood of a song, a scene from a movie, the brick detail on local coffee shop around the corner. Really, I know that sounds cliché but it’s so true. Most of my inspiration comes from being outside. There is just something so spectacular about rich color and texture that keeps my creative mind going.
Can you describe some of your creative process?
If it’s forced, it usually doesn’t get far off the ground. I try to keep an open eye and mind for new designs and projects. When something strikes me, I jot it down, sketch it, imagine it…give it the chance to evolve and take root. Then execute! It’s not always a clean, organized process but it translates my ideas pretty well.
What is your most prized handmade possession?
My boyfriend painted me a 3 piece canvas set of flowers from an Arizona Tea can. I know that probably sounds so dorky but they have the most beautiful scenes on their cans! He painted me the “Georgia Peach” design close up. So the flowers fill the frame of each canvas and continue onto the next as they are mounted aligned. This shop actually makes some super cute things from the AZ cans too! www.etsy.com/people/FunkyRecycling
If you could give one piece of advice to a new etsy seller, what would it be?
I’m still very new so the best advice I can give it to stay plugged in with the updates and features happening on Etsy. Etsy always has “Featured Seller” and “Quit your day job” interviews loaded with great artist and creative minds that can give solid pointers on what helped them along the way. I like that old saying of “not having to reinvent the wheel again”. Also, join a team. I’m on ETTEAM and its awesome! They’re so fun and excited about Etsy, it helps really become a part of the “Etsy Community”. It also doesn’t hurt to have the extra promotion and traffic to your store.
What are some of the ways you promote your work?
I try to use and wear my own creations. I have a messenger bag with lots of detailed stitching that’s become my favorite go-to carryall..and I always get asked about it. I also:
Blog: TheBloomingThread.blogspot.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TheBloomingThreadFanpage
Twitter: @BloomingThread
Store: TheBloomingThread.etsy.com
What are three websites you couldn’t live without?
Etsy (duh!), Ebay, and Pandora. The rest are far too many to name.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Time goes by way to fast, so I really try to focus on the where I am in my life at the moment and absorb as much as I can. So to answer the question, in 10 years I hope I’m happy, healthy and have a sweet little home with little ones dancing at my feet and absorbing all the blessings I have then too.
If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
Haha, that’s an easy one. To have a better memory! So, brain power I guess!
Thanks so much Ryan!!! It was a pleasure doing this interview with you!
Please be sure to stop by www.TheBloomingThread.etsy.com and check out the rest of Ryan's awesome designs!!!
Is there any shop that you think should be featured? Would you like me to feature your shop? Please feel free to send me an email aprilbern at gmail dot com!
Hope you have a wonderful day! Hang in there-- only one more day until the weekend!
-April
http://www.creativeapples.etsy.com