Featured Artist Spotlight....BamDesigns!!!

I met Tiffany through the Etsy group, Fabulous Artistic Moms. I am a huge fan of her designs and have enjoyed getting things in the mail for my own son and also for my friend's children. As you can see, she designs adorable clothing and accessories for both boys and girls. With three children of her own, she definitely knows what kids want! It has been an absolute joy getting to know the woman behind BamDesigns and an even bigger pleasure introducing her to my blog readers. For even more information, check out Tiffany's profile.

Okay...now here is more information about Tiffany. I asked, she answered!



MJ: How long have you been creating/designing? When did you first learn you had a creative side?
Tiffany: I have been creating for over 20 years now. It kind of all started when I took a wood shop class in 9th grade. I had a lot of fun in the class and ever since then I have been designing.

MJ: What is your inspiration to create? What is your motivation to succeed?
Tiffany: Brenden, Adam, and Megan are my inspiration which is how I came up with the name BAM Designs. I like creating clothing and accessories that I know they will like to wear or play in. It gives me a sense of pride and the drive to create more when I see how excited they get over a new design or the finished product. Adam hates going to the post office because he knows it means that we are mailing out more of his favorites.

They are also my motivation to succeed. I love having the opportunity to be home with them so that I can help them grow. That is part of the reason I want to succeed so much. I want more days like this with them. The other part is the feeling I get when I see some of the happy feedback from people.

MJ: When you are not working on your craft, what are you doing?
Tiffany: Chasing three kids! I don't get much time to read and I watch very little TV. There is not much down time for me. I am almost always thinking of new designs or ways to do a design different. We do like to camp and take the kids on mini trips during the summer time.

MJ: Do you belong to any groups on Etsy?
Tiffany: I belong to EtsyKids, EtsyMoms, Military Brats, Fabulous Artistic Moms (FAM TEAM), and CCCOE- a group of Etsy sellers from California.

MJ: What is on the horizon for you? New products? Etc.?
Tiffany: I am working on a few new products still for boys and girls as far as clothing and accessories that will be added slowly over the next few months. The store is going to go through a complete overhaul next month with a bunch of new product but still keeping some of the old favs around too. You will be seeing a lot more applique work - I am having lots of fun with that right now.

MJ: Share one thing about you that you think would surprise people.
Tiffany: I get claustrophobic in stores - I hate shopping the day after Thanksgiving because the crowds give me panic attacks.







Check out Tiffany's Etsy Shop.... BamDesigns.

To see additional photos of Tiffany's work, please visit her on Flickr.

Etsy Front Page!

I am so totally psyched! Fellow Fabulous Artistic Mom, Winklepots, put together this lovely treasury on Etsy featuring red and aqua. This awesome treasury made Etsy's front page this afternoon. Notice that my earrings are in it! That means my earrings were on Etsy's front page for an hour this afternoon.



Congratulations Winklepots for pulling together this wonderful list and getting it to the much-coveted front page. And congratulations to all the sellers featured: JaneyWaney, TheArdentSparrow, fancygirlsbows, sycamorestreetpress, merkabajewelry, kikuhandmade, MichelleBrusegaard, sweettweets, whileshenaps, valeriesgallery, dahliahousestudios, ericalyndesigns.

Featured Artist Spotlight....Wysiwigs!!!

I met Jen through the Etsy group, Fabulous Artistic Moms (FAM) and have been a big fan of her and her shop since. Her store, WYSIWIGS, stands for What You See Is What I've Got (Smile o:) and offers an assortment of crafty goodies. From amazing prints of her pencil sketches and original origami art to notecards/ACEOs and awesome woodburned earrings. Her talent is endless and her sense of humor leaves me in stitches. It's always fun *hanging out* with her in the Etsy forums. For even more information, check out Jen's profile.

Okay...now here is more information about Jen. I asked, she answered!

MJ: How long have you been creating/designing? When did you first learn you had a creative side?
Jen: I've been drawing since I was big enough to hold a pencil. I started kindergarten at age four; about the time I started asking my parents for a horse. All the other little kids were drawing stick people and I was drawing horses with ridiculously long manes and tails :o) I guess my sketching evolved from there. On the crafty side, my grandmother had a bunch of friends over every week to make something specific as a group, like a beaded Christmas ornament for example, and she always let me do one too (I loved it). The origami started just last year while I was recovering from reconstructive surgery - I've been addicted ever since.

MJ: What is your inspiration to create? What is your motivation to succeed?
Jen: I don't think I can classify inspiration any other way than Divine. Something will just catch my attention and I "just gotta" draw it or make it. How else can you classify creative things that just pop into your head from nowhere? I don't know that I have a motivation to succeed precisely; more like a space problem and financial issues (I HAVE to sell some of this stuff so I can go make something else and buy more supplies, you know? :o)

MJ: When you are not working on your craft, what are you doing?
Jen: I am a full-time interpreter for a deaf student in high school as well as running a private operating foundation (a pending 501c3) with nine horses and a 4-H leader (we stay kinda busy around here...)

MJ: Do you belong to any groups on Etsy?
Jen: I belong to the FAM (Fabulous Artistic Moms) Street Team - which is the most amazing group of women you'll ever meet; and also to EFA (Etsy for Animals) via my other shop EPICFARMS.

MJ: What is on the horizon for you? New products? Etc.?
Jen: I don't know what tomorrow will bring, I've learned to take things one day at a time (cancer causes a definite attitude adjustment). I am just now getting back to the life I left behind a couple of years ago - well, actually maybe its more like running to catch up to it! I was just released from treatment in May of this year (yay!)
I will be adding more photo prints, cards, and magnets (I have a friend that is an awesome photographer) to my Wysiwigs shop soon and there is a set of pastels staring at me from the dining room table...I'm still afraid of them, though. I've opened a second Etsy shop to help support the foundation - I think I mentioned it earlier. We also have a foundation website; EPICFARMS which I am learning - the hard way - to build (oy :o)


MJ: Share one thing about you that you think would surprise people.
Jen: I hate soda, coffee, AND tea. Isn't that awful? (I am, therefore, forced to seek my caffeine in solid form...CHOCOLATE - that part probably isn't surprising though :o)








Check out Jen's Etsy Shop.... WYSIWIGS.

Featured Artist Spotlight....Luv4Sams!!!

I met Lisa through the Etsy Street Team, Fabulous Artistic Moms. Since joining we have enjoyed many funny and endearing moments on the forums with other crafty mamas. Lisa is awesome! Funny, witty, talented, adventurous, etc. Her Etsy shop has an eclectic mix of fun, funky, whimsical, geeky, and kitschy. I adore all her creations but am especially fond of her typewriter key and dictionary pieces. I love how she re-uses found materials and makes wonderfully unique things with them. From pocket mirrors and cuff links to earrings and magnets, Luv4Sams has it all :) For even more information, check out Lisa's profile.

Okay...now here is more information about Lisa. I asked, she answered!

MJ: How long have you been creating/designing? When did you first learn you had a creative side?
Lisa: It all started in 2005 when my daughter announced she was getting married and it was a Medieval wedding - what, huh, I don't know anything about planning a medieval wedding - and so the story goes.

Both of my daughters are creative - one in illustration and one in photography. With the wedding, I dove in head first and started researching the history and before you know it I was creativing scroll wedding invitations with a wax seal, custom wedding programs, pressing leaves, creating custom place cards, etc.

Well, when she got married in 2006 I had all of this free time and starting playing around with making glass atlas map magnets to give as gifts and before you know it, I was selling all sorts of items on Etsy!


MJ: What is your inspiration to create? What is your motivation to succeed?
Lisa: I love to recycle and use items that people normally wouldn't think of. Usually I have to look and stare at an object - walk away from it - then come back again before I figure out what I can make out of it.

So I take items most people would throw out, like old atlas' or old dictionaries, and reuse them!

MJ: When you are not working on your craft, what are you doing?
Lisa: I'm thinking of working on a craft - ha ha! You can find me in my garden, playing with my pooch, snuggling with my granddaughter or boating!

MJ: Do you belong to any groups on Etsy?
Lisa: Of course, Fabulous Artistic Moms which is an awesome support network. I have met so many people and made so many friendships (you included Merk) - it is unbelievable!

MJ: What is on the horizon for you? New products? Etc.?
Lisa: I would love to have my own website and expand my line. I'd like to introduce a line of items made from cork and also brush up on my silver metal clay skills! But with working full-time, it doesn't leave you much time to create.

MJ: Share one thing about you that you think would surprise people.
Lisa: I like to ride my snowmobile at 110 mph!








Check out Lisa's Etsy Shop.... Luv4Sams.