ThePurpleTable

The SpotLight member of August is ThePurpleTable!

This month I'd like to introduce you to Debi.  She's an incredibly talented artist that is not afraid to try new things.  

Etsy Paper: Tell us a little about yourself.
Debi: Hi. My name is Debi and I’m the artist behind The Purple Table. I live and work in Northern Virginia, right outside of Washington, D.C. My pug dog, Theo keeps me company in the evenings when I work on artistic projects for my Etsy shop. My interests are varied and include interior design, photography, painting, and papercrafts.

Domino Magnets

Etsy Paper: When did you open your shop on Etsy?
Debi: I opened my Etsy shop, The Purple Table in February of 2012. I had just spent several months planning my son’s wedding and making the decorations for the event. During that process I discovered rubber stamping and the amazing array of creativity it allows. 

Etsy Paper: Tell us about your shop.
Debi: What began as a large old wooden door was transformed into an artist desk by decoupaging various purple papers onto its surface. The Purple Table is literally the place where my creativity and imagination run wild to create handmade paper goods and small gifts. My shop, The Purple Table, specializes in unique greeting cards for all occasions, gift tags, altered journals for your notes and thoughts, and recycled domino art.

Gift Tags

Etsy Paper: What inspires you?
Debi: I think I have an eclectic style. But I’m a pretty down to earth girl and a romantic at heart. I love vintage, the whimsical, nature, and romance. Most of my creations have bits of those in them. An obsessive collection of rubber stamps contributes to ever changing designs.


Etsy Paper: Do you sell mostly online or at craft shows?
Debi: My Etsy shop is the main outlet for my products. I have participated in 3-4 craft shows in the last year and would like to expand on that. I’ve had a lot of fun at them and met some very talented and interesting people. 

Etsy Paper: How did you learn your craft?
Debi: I’ve always been interested in Art and anything that would allow creative expression. I did take art classes when I was younger, but I’ve always been artistic and crafty. I’m that girl who is most likely to say “I think I can make that for you”. It helps that I’m a big DIY person and don’t hesitate to give most things a try.

Notebook

www.thepurpletable.comEtsy Paper: How do you get the word out about your products?
Debi: Within the Etsy environment, I participate in teams and treasuries to promote my products. I also use Pinterest to some extent, and my website: www.thepurpletable.com links to my Etsy shop. I’ve been featured in several blogs as well as two wedding magazines which have given my shop exposure and brought in custom orders for gift tags. 

I also collaborated with Strathmore Artist Papers who stumbled upon my Etsy shop. They revamped the packaging of their products and two of my cards were used on the new product packaging for their stamping cards in 2013. You can see my pear note card and goldfish collage on their packages in retail stores and online here: 
www.strathmoreartist.com/product-reader/items/stamping-cards.html
www.strathmoreartist.com/debi-jones.html


Etsy Paper: How much planning do you do before you create?
Debi: I don’t know that I follow any set of rules or process. My best work often comes from total randomness. I work on it till it “looks right” to me. :) I do create for me — meaning what I create is something I would like to receive.

Etsy Paper: What is your favorite item to create and why? Tell us about it.
Debi: I love experimenting with different techniques and mixing materials. Greeting cards are perfect for this because it can be done on a small scale. If it doesn't work out – I just move on, it’s not a huge investment in time or materials.

Birthday Card

Etsy Paper: What has been your favorite comment from purchasers about your product?
Debi: I’ve been very fortunate that customers have taken the time to leave such wonderful reviews and comments regarding their purchases and experiences with my shop. One of my favorite comments left is a small one, but had me smiling for days:
“Artistry in a card~ beautiful :) ”

You can read all of Debi's Reviews here.
www.etsy.com/shop/ThePurpleTable/reviews

What an amazing talent she has.  Browsing through her shop it was fun to see all the details included in her items, especially the greeting cards.
www.etsy.com/shop/ThePurpleTable

Until next time,
Jenni
Etsy Paper Team
Captain

TACE Handmade

The SpotLight member of July is TACEHandmade!

I'd like to introduce you to, Tasos, the owner of TACEHandmade.  I interviewed him and quickly found out just how creative he is.  This shop has a little bit of everything.

Etsy Paper: Tell us a little about yourself
Tasos: I am from Greece. I live in a detached house to a small neighborhood about ten minutes from the center of Athens, with my beloved and fluffy cat, Kurt. I'm in a relationship with a cute girl for three years and we love traveling and cooking.

Cat Earrings

Etsy Paper: When did you open your shop on Etsy?
Tasos: Μy shop has been open for almost a year.  Οn 15 September we will have his first birthday!


Etsy Paper: Tell us about your shop.
Tasos: In my shop I sell jewelry and decorative wall art. I work mainly with wood and paper using the technique of decoupage. I like experimenting with different papers like napkins, rice paper and scrapbooking papers. In the same way, I work my decorative ornaments so creating wall hangers.

Vintage Girl Art

Etsy Paper: Do you have a special space for your crafting, or does the kitchen table do double duty?
Tasos: I started to design in my room, at my desk. But as time passed, materials and tools proliferate so I made a room of the house a small workshop. I managed to organize all things on shelves and boxes and working is more enjoyable because I want to be neat and tidy.


Etsy Paper: Why did you decide to become on Etsy seller?
Tasos: I decided to become a seller on Etsy because I loved the idea that something of mine can be loved by someone and travel anywhere on the planet. 

Etsy Paper: What is your favorite technique/ your "specialty"?
Tasos: My favorite technique is decoupage! I love working with wood and paper. I started using this technique in objects, but because I loved it so much I started making jewelry with this technique. I give the design that I want to have the jewelry on paper and then pass it onto the wood and cut. I like looking at hundreds of napkins to discover the plan that will get stuck in the wood, I feel like I'm looking for treasure. There are such beautiful designs imprinted on papers that give beautiful results on jewelry.

Bracelet

Etsy Paper: Is there someone in your life that may have inspired your creativity?
Tasos: One day my girlfriend Madalena wanted a necklace, but wherever she looked she could not find the design she had in her mind. So I decided to make it myself . I bought all the materials and gave it to her οn her birthday! Since I am inspired by her, anything I design are things that I feel she will wear.  She is my muse and my biggest fan!

Necklace

Etsy Paper: How did your shop get its name?
Tasos: The idea for the name of my shop came from my name Tasos. "Asos" in Greek means "ace", known to all of us as the best card of the deck and together with the first letter of my name came Tace! 


Etsy Paper: Do you have a favorite quote to share?
Tasos: My favorite quote is "I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not" 
which was said by Kurt Cobain. Τhis quote makes me be true and makes me be myself. I wish all people to love themselves and not try to be something else to be loved.


Etsy Paper: Why do you do what you do?
Tasos: I do what I do because above all it gives me joy. The need for me to express my creativity and the pleasure that I felt since childhood making things with my hands, led me to do what I do now. For me it is very important to feel that I am doing something creative, it gives me strength for life. 
The more I create the more I feel alive and happy!

What an amazing artist he is.  Such great talent and a kind heart.  Browse through his shop, you might see something you can't resist.  
www.etsy.com/shop/TACEHandmade

Until next time,
Jenni
Etsy Paper Team
Captain

Heedopter

Member SpotLight, Heedopter!

This month I have decided to place my focus on a unique and playful shop.

Please welcome Jennifer of www.etsy.com/shop/Heedopter.

Etsy Paper: Tell us a little about yourself.
Jennifer:  I’m from the Netherlands and happily together with a great English guy, together we have a gorgeous 6 year old son and 3 very lazy cats. We live in a smallish, but lively and beautiful town, about half an hour north of Amsterdam called Hoorn. 

Etsy Paper: When did you open your shop on Etsy?
Jennifer:  The Heedopter shop opened in November 2012. I just wanted to get my creative flow going again so in a wild mood I created 20 illustrations, printed them on cards and hooray! My Etsy shop was opened. It really was that simple.

Etsy Paper: Tell us about your shop.
Jennifer:  My shop is full of stationery and paper goodies. I use my own illustrations on cards, handmade notebooks, art prints, giftwrap, DIY paper puppets and DIY paper houses. I love to experiment with different types of paper, like screenprinting on vintage pattern paper or use thick sturdy recycled greyboard for greeting cards. I value sustainability a lot and try to use as many recycled and eco friendly materials as I can.

Giftwrap

Greeting Card

Etsy Paper: Is there something that you've never tried with paper that you'd like to try?
Jennifer:  I would love to try to make my own paper from paper pulp but am lacking time to get into it (and isn’t it really messy?)

Etsy Paper: Do you sell mostly online or at craft shows?
Jennifer:  I mainly sell online since it’s so flexible in what hours I put in and when (in the middle of the night if I wanted to!) but this summer I’ve been doing a few craft shows as well. And it’s so lovely to meet customers and get a real feel of who’s buying my products.

Etsy Paper: How many different selling venues do you use?
Jennifer:  I do sell at a few websites. Etsy,of course, but also the more Europe orientated Dawanda (heedopter.dawanda.com) and on the Dutch site ‘Met de hand’ (www.metdehand.nl/winkel/heedopter). Besides the 'selling sites' I’m active on social media and my blog:
www.facebook.com/Heedopter
twitter.com/Heedopter
instagram.com/heedopter
www.pinterest.com/heedopter/
www.heedopter.com

Etsy Paper: Do you have a day job? If so are you up all night crafting?
Jennifer:  Yes, I do have a day job, 4 days a week. I’m spending a lot of evening and weekend work on Heedopter. It’s tough at times! I do have my free Monday which I always spend designing and the rest is done in between all the other bits that need doing (like boring household chores).

Etsy Paper: Is there a certain color or motif that you are repeatedly drawn to?
Jennifer:  Clouds! And sun and rain. I can’t help it and I don’t where it’s coming from but I love simply love clouds!

Greeting Card

Etsy Paper: What has been your most successful marketing technique to date?
Jennifer:  For our Mother’s day gift boxes we created a really cool stop motion movie. We buzzed about it on social media a couple of weeks before it was released and eventually the boxes, which contained beautiful folding posters, sold out! It was great and exciting!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNx86h2JCdA

Etsy Paper: Do you have a favorite quote to share?
Jennifer:  It’s one with a special meaning to my boyfriend , he has been carrying it with him in his wallet for years. And then I surprised him with an typographic art print featuring this quote by Henry David Thoreau: "Go confidently into the direction of your dreams, live the life you have imagined" It reminds us everyday to just go and live that dream, make it happen!

Art Print

What a sweet shop full of wonderful creations.  The YouTube video is something I wish I could carry in my pocket and watch when I'm feeling down, so perfect.

Until next time,
Jenni
Etsy Paper Team
Captain

CMWrapNShipSupply

Member Spot Light, www.etsy.com/shop/CMWrapNShipSupply

I thought we would switch it up a little this month.
Who wants to see an awesome shop full of supplies?!
Please welcome David of CMWrapNShipSupply

Berry Baskets

Etsy Paper: Tell us a little about yourself.
David: My name is David and I am a retired police officer. I am married to Shelley (she has MissBettysAttic here on Etsy). I have 4 children and 1 granddaughter. I live in central Iowa, but right now we are in the process of sell our home and moving to a farm in north central Iowa.

Etsy Paper: When did you open your shop on Etsy? 
David: I opened my shop in September of last year about the time I retired. 

Etsy Paper: Tell us about your shop: www.etsy.com/shop/CMWrapNShipSupply
David: I sell a little bit of everything when it comes to paper. I have packing and shipping supplies as well as paper and plastic bags. I sell a lot of gift/hang tags. I have a large selection of gift boxes and bags and washi tape to top it off.

Washi Tape

Etsy Paper: Why did you decide to become on Etsy seller? 
David: My wife thought I would enjoy it and keep me busy.


Etsy Paper: How do you create the perfect balance between family, house-hold duties, work and paper? 
David: Etsy is my job and that is what comes first in the morning. I work on that until noon. After that, I check my shop, but I have a long honey - do list. We are empty-nesters so there are not a lot of pressures here at home.

Library Cards

Etsy Paper: How do you package your items? 
David: I go to the local grocery store and snag boxes early in the morning. They are great boxes and they are free. I like to reuse packaging. I recycle as much as possible.

Etsy Paper: How did your shop get its name? 
David: My wife was having a bad day and she wrote on in the Homespun Society chat thread here on Etsy that she needed a date with Captain Morgan. The ladies thought the she was talking about me instead of the drink. The name stuck to me and when I opened the shop, it was meant to be. CM stands for Captain Morgan.

Gold Doilies

Etsy Paper: What has been your most successful marketing technique to date? 
David: Team promotion and treasuries. It is a must here on Etsy.


Etsy Paper: How much time do you devote each day to your shop? 
David: 6 to 8 hours a day. Mondays it is more like 12 if I don't do anything on Sunday.

Want to read more about David?  Check out his About Page! It also has the link to his wife's Etsy shop.  Take a look at what this amazing couple has to offer.
www.etsy.com/shop/CMWrapNShipSupply/about

I never stop being shocked at the diversity of Etsy.  The Etsy Paper team has such a great mix.  Who knew a retired police officer would be selling such great supplies to people all over the world.  I love that David is able to do that.

Until next time, 
Jenni
Etsy Paper Team
Captain

SilvaWare

Member Spot Light, SilvaWare.

Alright ladies, step aside, we have a highly-talented man coming through. 
Please welcome Walter Silva!

Fisherman Pin or Magnet

Etsy Paper: Tell us a little about yourself.
Walter: I'm a freelance Artist / illustrator and DIY guy living in Providence, RI.  I work from home in a spare room.

Etsy Paper: When did you open your shop on Etsy?
Walter: In June it will be 5 years.
www.etsy.com/shop/WalterSilva

Etsy Paper: Tell us about your shop.
Walter: My shop items are a reflection of what I like to make aside from illustrating.  I love the art of decoupage.  I provide DIY Tutorials for many blogs like modpodgerocksblog.com/ > Podgy People > Contributors > Man Podgers
In my shop I offer personalized items, like Boxes, Frames and Magnets.  I make my own papers.  Also offer some Art assemblages, which I love creating.

Wall Art

Etsy Paper: Name top (3-5) items (for crafting purposes) that you cannot live without.
Walter:
• Papers, all sorts... Handmade, scrap-booking, Maps and ephemera.
• Any Mod Podge
• Golden and Folk Art Paints
• My Cuttlebug
• Dies for the Cuttlebug (I love using these shapes in my Fine ART Collages.)

Cat Art Panel

Etsy Paper: What inspires you?
Walter: Good question, a lot! Trips to Antique Malls, Walks at the park, coffee shops my vintage fisher price pull toy collection!  And visiting Brimfield! Brimfield Massachusetts is the site of the largest outdoor antique show in New England, with over 5000 dealers from all over the country.  I have spotted some famous celebs there like Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren, HGTV and many bloggers.  It's impossible to see it all, I am lucky if I see 1/16th of the show. Exhausting but so inspiring!
More info here: www.brimfield.com/

Etsy Paper: What is it about paper that draws you to create with it?
Walter: The feel and look of paper is just mind blowing. You can draw on it, paint on it, fold it and use it to decoupage.  Make Cards, Art, sculpt and collage... Just endless opportunities!  I love using found pieces too, like when I walk at the park.  You never know what you will find on the ground.

Etsy Paper: Is there something that you've never tried with paper that you'd like to try?
Walter: Yes! I love quilts and want to make some using papers that I have collected.  And, I will be incorporating some drawing too. And, this is where the Cuttlebug comes in handy, I can cut out shapes of papers that I have and sew them up.

Photo example from a Graffitti Artist Walter admires.

Etsy Paper: When do you find/make time for your crafting?
Walter: My artistic senses are on all the time, I am practically always seeing things in an artistic way, constantly observing.  I find that I am mostly "On Full throttle" in the late evening when its quiet.

Etsy Paper: How did your shop get its name?
Walter: I was enrolled in a illustration class at Rhode Island School of Design and asked my classmates for suggestions and they were all excited to help and Voila SILVA WARE was born. Never be shy to ask for help or suggestions.

Etsy Paper: What has been your most successful marketing technique to date?
Walter: Not sure? I get some free shout outs from my Facebook, Tutorials, twitter, in the beginning have paid some bloggers (do not suggest this), word of mouth.  It all takes time, every year the business grows.

Pill Box

Etsy Paper: What is your favorite thing about Etsy?
Walter: I love selling my Art and Crafts! It blows my mind that I sell all over the world! I just recently had my first in state sale, I was so excited! What took so long, LOL!

Walter leaves us with these kind words:
Good luck to all! Remember to "do what you love and $$$ will follow"

Keep in touch with me here:

Walter Silva
Illustrator
waltersilvaart.blogspot.com
www.pinterest.com/waltersilva/
twitter.com/WalterSilvaArt
www.facebook.com/SilvaWare
silvaware.bigcartel.com/
society6.com/waltersilva

WOW!  I am amazed at the variety of items in his shop.  Anything from cute to scary to vintage, I love that.  I am delighted to have been able to share one of the many talents on the Etsy Paper Team with you.
Until next time,
Jenni
Etsy Paper Team,
Captain