Some New Holiday Items in My Etsy Shop

It feels as if my life has been insane, and when things are insane it is hard to find the time to create new things for my shop. I have been decorating my house, making some handmade presents, Christmas shopping, and with my husband off visiting his brother for a couple of days, there is just not enough time during the day. It always makes me kind of sad when I don't have enough time for myself. I did find some time however to make two cute new holiday buckets for a new baby or a babies first Christmas.


Hope you enjoy!

Etsy Feature

Are you looking for the perfect gift for someone special for the holidays? Take a look at the shop Animalicules she offers the cutest softies, which are "knitted or crocheted by hand with lots of love, and they are looking for a loving home." Here is a little more about her and her shop, www.animalicules.etsy.com.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your work:
I love cute stuff and I've always loved stuffed animals, way past the age when I probably should have. I used to teach little kids because I found it more fun to sing songs and draw than to just be with adults. My softies make great gifts for kids but I think they are just as good companions for grownups who need something to make them smile every now and then. They love to be played with but they also love to perch on mantels and windowsills and spruce up a room by looking cute.

How did you come up with your shop name?
Growing up, my dad always used animalicules as a funny word for animals. I think it's a good word to describe a species of cute little critters.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
I think my favorites are the sheep, probably the purple ones since purple is my favorite color. I like the sheep because they were one of the first softies I made up myself, and they look so cute when there's a whole flock of them.

What are your favorite materials to work with?
Yarn because it's so amazing what you can make out of one long piece of string. And buttons because when you turn them into eyes they can give a face a whole different personality. I'm actually obsessed with fabric too, but I'm not as good at sewing as at knit & crochet.

What inspires you?
Anything cute! Real animals, Japanese kawaii stuff, other softies, everything mini. Plus the shapes that you can make from knitting and crocheting because that's the starting point for any softie.

Feel free to check out her etsy shop, Animalicules, to discover more, "softies! Sheep, pigs, owls, and Christmas trees, with more to come. She has lots of ideas for animalicule-themed stuff for the future too." Or you can connect with her through her blog, http://animalicules.blogspot.com/. Have fun shopping!

Etsy Feature

With the holidays approaching I always think it is great to shop handmade. There is so much passion and effort put into creating products for people, it is just something a little extra every buyer gets, which makes handcrafted so great. I came across this etsy shop that does just that. Her name is Risa, and she has the shop, www.createdbyrisa.etsy.com. She has really beautiful jewelry pieces, which would make the perfect holiday gift for someone special.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your work:
I'm 47 years old--well 48 in a few weeks. My many roles include mom, new wife, friend, social worker, and last, but not least artist. One way or another, I've been making art most of my life. As a student, I always found a way to take extra art classes. After college I went off to work, but continued to make art in my spare time. Finding that spare time was harder as a single parent. I scrambled to find time and the space to make art. Now my kids are grown, I have an art studio (!) and I spend as much time as I can making art, jewelry, or whatever creative endeavor tickles my fancy.

How did you come up with your shop name?
Not too complicated...my name is Risa. I love that my name is unique. It means laughter.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
That's really hard, since I fall in love with every piece I make. But if I had to pick one piece close to my heart, I would pick my "Follow Your Heart: Create" necklace (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16367935) because it exemplifies my philosophy. It's also the piece I opened my shop with.


Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?
Follow your passion. And you are never too old to do that.

What are your favorite materials to work with?
I enjoy working in a number of different mediums, so it varies. If I'm making jewelry, I love including colorful seed beads and various glass beads. When painting, I choose to paint with acrylics on canvas. And then I have a passion for crafts using tissue paper and modpodge!

You can find her work at www.createdbyrisa.etsy.com, and you can check out her blog at www.createdbyrisa.blogspot.com

I was featured!

I am so very excited to be featured on Stylelist.com http://www.stylelist.com/blog/2008/10/03/indie-designer-interviews-dragonfly-fine-designs/. I have always been kind of shy regarding myself and my crafting, so this is kind of a big deal for me. I totally put myself out there. The interview talks about me and how I started Dragonfly Fine Designs. It was really fun seeing my work on a blog where they get a lot of views a day. I have to say when I saw the article up on the blog it totally made my day! If you get a chance, check it out.