Tag Archives: etsy artist

Meet the lovely artist Sophie Parker

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As I have mentioned, I love featuring the talent that I find on Etsy. Sophie Parker is a delightful talent on Etsy but I actually stumbled upon her illustrations and textile designs via Asos and my newly found obsession Folksy. Sophie’s artwork is modern charm and brings animals and people together in sweet harmony all with a wonderful taste of style and detail. Truthfully, I would love her to design me a few coats and dresses, as well as hang this piece of her art at my desk.

The shop items include tote bags, post cards, tea towels, pocket mirrors, wrapping paper, and prints.

Q&A with Sophie:

1. When did you start your etsy shop? 

One of my best friends introduced me to Etsy about 2 years ago. Once I graduated from Chelsea College of Art and Design I decided it would be a useful way to supplement my freelance illustration work as well as being a great way to get my designs seen by a wider audience. I opened my shop just before Christmas and madly rushed to get enough festive designs produced and printed. Of course my shop was so new that I only made a handful of sales and I was still selling those designs the next year!

My degree was actually in textiles but my fabric designs were always very illustrative and often had a strong narrative to them so I decided to branch out and produce my work as paper goods and prints. I love having my own range of greeting cards because I’ve always thought it’s such a perfect and affordable way to own a little piece of art to put on your wall. My sister has such a great eye for finding unusual and beautiful cards to send me and I often frame them or have them on display for months rather than a few days, I like to think people do the same when they receive one of my designs.

2. How would you describe your collection?

My current collection is very personal and brings to life stories of fashion, friendship and animal companionship. Soft colours and expressive patterns capture intimate and reflective moments whilst suggesting visual grace and harmony. I enjoy merging a hand-drawn aesthetic with the magical technology of photoshop. There is a playful element to my work which is strongly rooted in memories of my childhood which come to surface,  I think this is particularly evident in my ‘Best Friends’ design which depicts young girls braiding each others hair and is something I think a lot of females can recall and relate to.

3. Describe a typical day in your life?

After fighting the urge to have a lie-in I usually have breakfast and a big cup of tea whilst checking emails. My days are very varied, some are spent peacefully researching and drawing for hours on end whilst others are incredibly mad and hectic. I could be rushing around the fashion shows at London Fashion Week all day and then staying up all night making sure I get my fashion illustrations finished on time or I could be checking up on my stock at the galleries and boutiques which stock my work across the UK. My boyfriend Daniel is an incredibly hard-working and talented photographer and we work very closely together, often helping each other out with work and projects. In fact my Etsy shop would be in a terrible state if he didn’t do my photography for me! I also try to fit in yoga when I can, it makes me feel so much more balanced and ready for anything.

4. What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?

I usually work all through the week and weekends so when the weather is nice (which isn’t very often!) I try to make the most of it without feeling guilty. Sometimes it’s nice to escape the hustle and bustle of London, I love spending time close to nature, taking a long walk or perhaps reading beneath the shade of a tree. Summer is a special time of year, it’s easier for my family to get together and we have lots of fun having big barbecues and going on bike rides.

My favourite thing is simply spending time with my 2 beautiful and very cheeky cats Daphne and Ringo. They can always be found nearby, sometimes sleeping on my desk and quite often sneaking food off my plate when I’m not looking! I’m also addicted to DVD box-sets so I try to sneak in an episode or two at some point in the day.

5. What inspires you?

I’m inspired by so many things but, more often than not, I find myself most inspired in a moment of solitude. People watching is something I have always loved to do, not only do I notice people for a subtle print or the way they’ve tied their hair, I also take in their movements often noticing those who are graceful and quiet, immersed in what they are doing. I also like to explore our connection with animals and seem to have so many serendipitous meetings with unexpected creatures such as seals and owls. These tiny elements are then echoed in my drawings and make up the intelligent, sweet, witty and unique characters that I draw.

My parents extensive collection of items from their travels has always been something I have returned to. I can spend hours trawling through old books filled with the colours and patterns of Native American art, or exploring naively beautiful figures and paintings brought back from Africa by my dad. There is always an untapped treasure or idea yet to be found.

6. What is your favorite thing in your home?

My favourite thing in my home is my cats, they bring me so much happiness and contentment (and distraction!)

One of my most treasured items is a small silver bangle embossed with hearts that I wear everyday. It wasn’t very expensive but has a lot of meaning to it. I bought it for myself in the second year of my degree, it had been a very tough year and I had been working none stop with my project work. On top of that I was teaching an art course at a primary school which really put me out of my comfort zone as I hated public speaking. It sounds cheesy but I bought myself the bracelet to remind myself how strong I am and that I can do anything I put my mind to.

 Snippets of the life of Sophie:

Beloved companions Daphne, Ringo and Daniel

To view her websites:

  • www.sophie-parker.com
  • www.sophieparker.blogspot.com
  • www.etsy.com/shop/SophieParker

* Sophie Parker was so kind to offer The Sunday Sparkle readers a 10% discount for the month of July. Just enter SPARKLE at your etsy checkout!

 

Thanks Sophie for being a part of The Sunday Sparkle!

Meet Dani K of Xsilk

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There are moments when fashion has a way of inspiring you to live better. Stand tall, smile big, and overall just embrace life. Job interview – easy. First date - piece of cake. When I first saw this blouse I was so in awe of its quality and beauty I had to find out how to get more Xsilk in my life.

The Xsilk blouse and the rest of the beautiful collection by Dani K, located in Brooklyn, are made to order which gives every item a unique story. Here is a snippet of the process that goes into each blouse: Xsilk hand paints and dyes the silk using only non-toxic dyes. The colors are set the old-fashioned way: air curing for two days, then slow steaming the silk. The silk is selected by the quality, free of excessive wax and binder. Each blouse is one-of-a-kind. Truly a stand-out, luxurious piece in anyone’s wardrobe.


Xsilk’s collection of shirts, dresses and scarfs have a touch of avant-garde edge, femininity, and perfect airiness for summer. A Xsilk blouse styled with a blazer is a sexy, chic look or just standing alone with a pair of worn jeans or black skinnies.

Q & A with Dani

1.  When did you start your etsy shop?
A friend had told me about Etsy, and I opened Xsilk with handful of pieces late summer of 2011. I have been working as an artist and designer since I received masters degree in combined media fine art.  Early last year, I was working on an art project, planning a performance/installation art.  I picked up silk painting designing customs for the performers. When I started silk painting, I really fell in love with the process as well as the result. I was trained in sumi painting (ink painting on rice paper) and calligraphy as a child. And to my surprise silk painting was very similar to sumi painting.  My mother-in-law is classically trained Kimono silk painter in Japan, so I had been keen on learning more about silk painting ever since I saw her beautiful works. I didn’t start out planning to market the garments, but as my collection grew, I realized I had something useful, something people might want to own.

Like many people, I had been hesitant about wearing silk until I started to wear ones I made. I thought it was difficult fiber to take care. But in fact silk is a high performance fiber – it’s very resilient, light, breathable & cool during hot weather and surprisingly warm when it’s cold out. When it is dyed in the right way, silk colors will not run. If washed in cool water, it will not shrink. For me the practicality was just as important as the aesthetics in garment. After putting my own pieces on a test run, I decided my works can be sold to others. A few months ago, I invited an artist friend to join Xsilk team. Ginelle is a good friend and great person to bounce off my ideas. I found Etsy to be a great platform. Response has been wonderful. Xsilk garments can now be found in boutiques in New York, Chicago, Ohio and California.

2. How would you describe your collection?
Current collection was inspired by city parks and community gardens in NYC. I visit parks on my day off. They are precious oasis providing a taste of nature to urban dwellers. Nature has a very different rhythm than man-made pace of the city. I tried to capture the feeling of buoyancy and resiliency of green patches growing amidst dense urban jungle.

3. Describe a typical day in your life?
My morning starts with seeing my husband off to work at subway station. I grab a cup of coffee at a corner bodega and come back home and have a quick breakfast. I usually plan the day in the morning. Depending on what I need to do, I work from home or walk over to my studio a few blocks away. I spend time dyeing, painting and sewing. Process silk painting & dyeing requires strict adherence to timing, so once I start working, I have to stick to a schedule. I come home from studio or stop working at home studio around 6pm and start preparing dinner. After dinner, I spend some time on my PC and I might work on the idea for next project before I go to bed.

4. What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?
I like chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee. When weather is fine, I like visiting local parks and community gardens. I usually find a nice spot in the park and soak in the view. I also like taking walks to nowhere. It’s common my hour-long walk would turn into an afternoon long walk. My current guilty pleasure is to watch back episodes of the Big Bang Theory on DVD.

5. What inspires you?
This is a tough question because an inspiration can come anywhere. Most of my inspiration comes from observing things/people around me. Each has it’s own unique rhythm. I think creativity is like creating a new dance, it’s about understanding a rhythm different than your own and submerging yourself in that new rhythm. As a child I used to fantasize about living in a house I built wearing clothes i made and I living off of home grown food. My dream of becoming self-sufficient is more modest now, but the motivation “to make” remains the same – I make because it’s fun. I also have to add my husband is a big influence in my work. He’s an architect and one of the best artist I’ve met. He helps me to see things I’ve overlooked, usually something quiet but potent and beautiful.

6. What is your favorite thing in your home?
I have a collection of ceramic wares I started about fifteen years ago. I can spend hours looking at old pottery in museums. My collection is eclectic mix of pieces from Asia, Europe and America, some old, some contemporary. I usually display the collection on a shelf, but I often use them to serve food or hold fresh flowers. They are like sage friends residing at my kitchen. My favorite is a 200 year old bowl originating from Korea. It’s flawed, earthy, humorous and sublime.


A few more snippets of Dani’s inspirations and work:

 

To visit the Xsilk sites:

Dani at Xsilk was so kind to offer The Sunday Sparkle readers a discount.
For the entire month of June you can enter the code “blue10″ for 10% off on all items.

Thank you Dani and Xsilk

Meet Etsy Shop Owner: Krissy Tosi of Cottage Farm

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San Francisco prop stylist and floral stylist Krissi Tosi has the eye for arranging quiet elegance and composing a sense of home, a cottage home at that. In 2009, she launched Cottage Farm, named after her Great Grandparent’s farm in Massachusetts. The farm was a new life for her family who journeyed from Sweden and now Krissi’s shop Cottage Farm gives new life to such things as provincial dishes and farmhouse linens.

As a photographer, I am drawn to antiques because they tell a story, and have a certain quality that you just don’t get with something brand new. With the Cottage Farm I get that same nostalgic feeling, a sense of home and comfort. Cottage farm is described as utilitarian elegance for your everyday life, the quintessential lifestyle of someone looking for simple, useful and beautiful.

A few of my other favorite Cottage Farm items are this and that.

Q&A with Krissy

1. When did you start your etsy shop?

I started my etsy shop in 2009. I was in graduate school at the time and had only moved to San Francisco a year before. I was really enjoying perusing all the estate sales and flea markets on the weekends. A friend mentioned to me that she thought I should check out etsy. When I looked at the site it seemed like the perfect match, I could find treasures and then practice my photography for the listing. The shop helped me pay for supplies in graduate school and was a great thing to transition into after I completed my masters.

2. How would you describe your collection?

I describe my collection as “utilitarian elegance for the everyday”. It is important to me to be able to use vintage items in your every day routine. It brings a bit of glamor to daily tasks and chores. I think you should surround yourself with items that are both functional and beautiful.

3. Describe a typical day in your life?

One of the things I love about what I do is that there is no such thing as a “typical day”. Depending on what my schedule looks like I could be shooting new items for the shop, heading to the flower market before dawn, packing up props for a photo shoot, setting up a wedding. In addition to my etsy shop I also work as floral designer and prop stylist.

4. What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?

I love to try out a new recipe. The more complicated or unusual the ingredients the better. I have been really interested in baking in antique molds recently. Its quite nerve wracking actually.   It is fun to figure out what things are & in San Francisco you never know where the search for an obscure item can lead you.

5. What inspires you? 

History inspires me. Its ever changing and full of wonderful stories that spark my imagination. I am also lucky enough to work with beautiful materials on a regular basis and something as simple as a perfect blossom or piece of elegantly thrown studio pottery be inspiring.  I am always inspired by the changing of the seasons, i think this may be due in part to my New England roots.

6. What is your favorite thing in your home?

 I have an antique spoon that was passed to me from my grandmother and had been her mothers. It is just a simple piece from the everyday but over the years it has taken on a form specific to its use. I have memories of using it in my grandmothers kitchen, learning recipes that had been passed to her from her mother. I love thinking about each of the three of us using it while making the same recipe. that inspires me!

 

Krissi’s websites:

Snippets of Krissi’s home, life and work.

A beloved family heirloom, Krissi’s Great Grandmother’s spoon and more snippets of her home.

Thank you Krissi for sharing your beautiful photography work and collection of cottage antiques. To view more of Krissi’s work and lifestyle as well as her amazing floral arrangements visit her blog.

 

Meet Etsy Shop Owner: Marisa Howard of Seaworthy

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Every now and then when I need to space out for a few minutes I browse online (modern-day window shopping). Etsy has become one of my go to sites to drool and splurge. Everything from vintage clothing to reclaimed wood bed frames to jewelry. By far one of the best jewelry collections I have found is by Seaworthy, I am borderline obsessed with the smart and clean design of the handmade art and find myself googly eye over each unique piece of jewelry.

Seaworthy, located in Portland (which I will add has a great flock of Etsy artists) is the vision of Marisa Howard.  In 2010, Marisa began collecting vintage materials and creating jewelery out of said parts, her work has evolved into working with various metals, cutting, sanding, hammering, polishing and adding accents like tourmaline (gorgeous) and other gems. The results are stylish and sexy, a boy meets girl vibe that is confident and carefree. I also must add that her jewelry makes me visualize driving a yellow convertible 1964 GTO in the desert, while listening to the Boss, Bruce Springsteen (of course). Great jewelry can evoke a dream or a memory.

The inspiration behind her work is from the architecture and design patterns of the 1930′s and 1940′s, as well as a desire to share an individual look for each person who wears Seaworthy jewelery.

*Modeling Jewelry is Emily Perkins

If I had to narrow it down these are two of my favorites Seaworthy pieces: this and that

 

Q&A with Marisa

When did you start your etsy shop?

I started my Etsy shop in January of 2010 which also happens to be the month that I quit my career gig. I started working various part-time jobs at that point, Seaworthy being one of them. Although, Seaworthy was sort of “pro bono” at that point.

How would you describe your collection?

My line is a collection of clean, mixed metal pieces. I like working with simple geometric shapes to create lasting designs. I also like my pieces to be a bit rough and worn, like a vintage keepsake.

Describe a typical day in your life?

I try to start the day with the gym or yoga – and if I’m lucky, breakfast with my sweetie. Then it’s off to the studio for the rest of the day. We spend most of our time filling wholesale orders and fit in the Etsy orders in between. Pandora is usually blasting over the sound of sanding, drilling and hammering.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?

Mini getaways are my favorite. One nighters to the coast with my family (boyfriend and pooch) or trips up the Columbia Gorge for a hike. Also, bike rides around Portland on a sunny day are on the top of my list. If I’m really going to take a day off though, I prefer to be poolside in the California desert.

What inspires you?

Lately I’ve been inspired by the natural patterns found in plant and sea life. I’m excited to see where this inspiration takes me. I’m consistently inspired by Art Deco design, both in architecture and textile patterns. I feel motivated to create when I see people using processes in their art that are rooted in tradition: wood block prints on textiles, classically trained painters, hand stitched quilts, etc.

What is your favorite thing in your closet or home?

My favorite thing in my closet would probably be an embarrassing pair of slipper boots (let’s not go there) but in my home it would have to be pooch, Sable. She turns 10 this year and has grey fluffy eye brows like a little old man. She is everyone’s best friend… except squirrels.

Visit her websites:

Marisa’s home in Portland (adore her pink couch)
A beloved best friend Sable
Thank you so much Marisa! Continued success to you!!
Photo Credits