ChocolateMartiniCard of Etsy Paper Street Team

Kathryn of the Etsy Paper Street Team truly enjoys the experimentation of creating. Her original illustrations and the colors she uses in those illustrations give us a sense of her abandonment while creating. After reading about ChocolateMartiniCard, visit her shop and see her magic with color.

Enjoy and think of something that you would like her to create especially for you!

How did you get your start in the world of art?
I’ve always been involved in art, one way or another. Long before I can remember, I was immersed in my mom’s art supplies, experimenting and creating. It’s a part of who I am; I have an inherent need to be creative.

Do you have a ritual you perform before you start creating?
No, I just usually wait until I have a buildup of great ideas and then I gather my supplies, put my head down and start working until I’m exhausted!

What do you like best, the creative process or the final creation?
Both, I think! The process is so relaxing and cathartic for me, but to be able to produce something that I like, and am proud of, is so rewarding in the end.

What are your favorite art media, tools, and supplies?
I’m an old fashioned gal: a new set of pencils and markers and some fresh sheets of paper or cardstock makes my heart go pitter-pat.

When a creative block happens, what process do you go through to get the creative juices flowing again?
I take time away from it. You can’t force the creative process and its important to me that drawing and painting are still fun. So if I feel things not flowing, I’ll take a day or two off and focus on the other things that I love, and that always gives me energy again.

What do you hope your art says about you?
I hope it conveys my sense of humor, my love of giving and celebration.

What is your greatest dream and greatest fear as an artist?
My greatest dream, which I’m sure is the case for many artists, is to be able to make a living (at least partially!) doing what I love. My greatest fear is that I’ll remain stagnant and not evolve as an artist. And, of course, that other’s won’t appreciate my work!

What are your goals in art, and in life?
In art, to constantly improve my technique and my creativity and never remain stagnant. And to hopefully, one day, make a living at it. Ideally I would like to expand my card business to include wedding stationery. I’d also love to explore new areas of creativity – I’m learning photography and I’d love to venture into ceramics. In life, to raise a healthy and happy family with my wonderful husband, to enjoy all the small moments that are easily missed, to travel, and to find ways to make a difference to people less fortunate.

Tell us a little bit about yourself—where you grew up, your life now, other creative pursuits, other interests and hobbies.
I grew up in and around Toronto, Canada but spent a lot of time in Nova Scotia, where I went to university. I work as a registered nurse, which allows me to connect with people and really feel like I’m doing something worthwhile. My husband and I have a little wiener dog named Frank Sinatra, who will soon be replaced as head of the family by the little baby we’re expecting in August. I have a passion for all kinds of arts and crafts and have recently delved into photography and am trying to muster up the ability to sew (it does not come naturally!). I love to garden, to travel, and to decorate our home as well!

Do you have more than one Etsy shop and/or other online shops?
I just have the one Etsy shop : ChocolateMartiniCards http://chocolatemartinicard.etsy.com/

To see more Etsy Paper Street Team artisans visit http://etsypaperstreetteam.blogspot.com/

Tania Cavenecia Torres rich in Peruvian heritage

Tania Cavenecia Torres designs reflect her rich Peruvian heritage. This rich culture, amazing artistry and workmanship in textiles, ceramics, and metallurgy, continues today. The materials she creates with, silver, semi-precious stones, leather, and seeds from the Amazon Rain Forest, are also rivers of inspiration.

Once you have taken a trip through her online shops you will realize that she continues the centuries old traditions. Her creativity and art will leave a lasting impression on today’s world.

Enjoy!


How did you get your start in the world of art? I have always had the desire to draw ever since I was a small child. I remember in kindergarten a drawing I did of a pilgrim couple appeared on the cover of the school newsletter. In high school I was introduced to painting in acrylics which I loved . This motivated me to take a youth course in oil painting one summer at the California College of Arts and Crafts. Upon graduating from high school I decided to enroll in the Academy of Art in San Francisco. There I especially enjoyed my classes in Figure Drawing and Fashion Illustration. Later I took classes in jewelry making and this is what I am pursuing now.

Do you have a ritual you perform before you start creating? I don't have a ritual but I must truly be inspired by something which gives me a driving force to want to create.

What do you like best, the creative process or the final creation? I love both. The creative process is great because you are so immersed in your work that you forget to eat and hours just fly by. The final product feels so rewarding and to have a tangible object to keep or share of the whole creative experience is really special.

What are your favorite art media, tools, and supplies? For drawing I like to work with charcoal pencils, woodless pencils in 9B and kneaded erasers. For oil painting I use Refined Linseed oil.

When a creative block happens, what process do you go through to get the creative juices flowing again? I have to get up and walk away. Do something totally different and try to come back with a fresh mind.

What do you hope your art says about you? I have pride in my work. It's important to me to strive to do my best in anything I'm working on.

What is your greatest dream and greatest fear as an artist? I have no fear as an artist. For me it's a wonderful feeling to be able to express my creativity in any form, be it drawing, painting, sewing, or jewelry making. To have an inspiration, then a vision of what you want to produce, and actually be able to execute it, is very satisfying. As for a dream, maybe to be able to make a living doing what I love.

What are your goals in art, and in life? For my art I want to always continue learning, challenging myself with new mediums, and perfecting my techniques. In life, to be happy and balanced in all I do.

Tell us a little bit about yourself—where you grew up, your life now, other creative pursuits, other interests and hobbies. I grew up and still live in northern California near San Francisco, here there is great diversity in art and culture. My father is from Peru and as I got older this part of my heritage began to have a great influence on my work. There is so much beauty and art in Peru, in the diverse landscape, culture, and in ancient and modern artistry. I've been to Peru many times and find that it begins to call me back when I stay away for too long. I use my blog on my 1000 Markets shop to share how Peru has inspired my work.
Right now all my creative juices are going into my jewelry making business and I love it. I've found that I can use my art and creative talents in all aspects of my business and am really enjoying that. It's more than just designing and creating the jewelry, there's designing the shop banner, the logo, business cards, the shop layout, photographing and displaying the products and packaging. Even the final phase of wrapping and sending off an order is important to me. I want each piece I make to bring joy to the person who will receive it, starting from the moment of opening the package.

Do you have more than one 1000Markets shop and/or other online shops? I have two shops http://taniacavenecia.1000markets.com and http://taniacavenecia.etsy.com

Diane Fergurson of Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on 1000Markets

Diane Fergurson is an exhibiting mixed media artist. She creates jewelry and functional art. Also, her mandala series (check out the “Connecting Heaven and Earth series) are the most exciting and awe-inspiring mixed media creations that I have had the pleasure of looking at again and again. I have to imagine what the originals can do for the soul.

With all her other accomplishments and creative talents, she has found time to be manager and a member of Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on 1000Markets.

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I have enjoyed learning about this multi-talented artist.

How did you get your start in the world of art?
I’ve always enjoyed making things. When I was in college I had a part time job in a mental health facility, assisting the Activity Therapist who did arts and crafts with the patients. I absolutely loved it.Some years later, after I had children and they were in pre-school, I volunteered my family to be part of a study...a program to introduce art and science into the household of young children. We had particular curriculum that we followed and provided write-ups about the activities that we did and would discuss the program with it’s facilitator.

The program reignited my interest in making things. After that I signed up for ceramic classes at the local community arts center. From there, I went back to college to study art...my plan being to combine art with my Master’s Degree in Social Work and be an Art Therapist. The thing was, I enjoyed making art so much that I didn’t want to be an art therapist anymore!

The combination of the two academic disciplines, however, did allow me to teach. So I did. Art classes to special needs children, parent-child groups and I was also the art teacher for 2 deaf-oral schools. Then when that was finally going smoothly...we moved to the east coast and I had to do a complete art career change. Start up from nothing. I tried teaching, but really didn’t enjoy it as much as I had in the past. So I just decided to paint. And that’s what I did.

Do you have a ritual you perform before you start creating?
Take the dogs for a walk so that they will sleep and I can concentrate for a few hours straight. Lol Aside from that, no.

What do you like best, the creative process or the final creation?
Process. My approach is very organic and process oriented. I never start anything from a sketch or a plan. I may know that I’m making a mandala, or a piece of jewelry ...but that’s about it. I just let it unfold on it’s own.
When I taught art, that was the focus of all my classes. To just teach people that it’s OK to work without a plan....experiment with no end product in mind. You’d be surprised how difficult that is for most people, especially adults. They want control, and don’t feel that what they have been doing has any value until they have an acceptable product at the end.

What are your favorite art media, tools, and supplies?
I can honestly say that I work, or have worked in almost all mediums. I don’t have a favorite. They all have their plus points. What’s enjoyable to me is combining them all together (mixed media art), in new and interesting ways.

When a creative block happens, what process do you go through to get the creative juices flowing again?
The secret is to just let it go and do something different. Everything, everyone has a cycle. Everything has down time...needs down time. So does being creative.

I wrote a blog piece on that subject not too long ago. It’s called “It’s OK not to be Creative all the Time.” You can read it here: http://www.1000markets.com/users/dianefergurson/blog_posts

What do you hope your art says about you?
I really haven’t given any thought to what it says about me. I’m not very “me” oriented about the artwork I make. I prefer to let the art speak for itself, let people establish their own impressions and create their own inner dialogue with it.

What is your greatest dream and greatest fear as an artist?
Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it a fear...but I think as an artist there are two real issues you have to think about. How people may misinterpret your art and what happens to it.
On a positive note, I hope that my artwork will help introduce people to some spiritual concepts that they may not have been familiar with before.

What are your goals in art, and in life?
Be healthy, maintain a balance, keep my mind open and keep educating myself about new things. Not to let things become stale and uninteresting.

Tell us a little bit about yourself—where you grew up, your life now, other creative pursuits, other interests and hobbies.
I grew up in the Midwest and moved to New Jersey about 12 years ago with my family. I’m a fine artist, but I’m also trained as a social worker/counselor and have taught extensively in the past (as described above). I’ve had my own business for quite awhile. Besides making art and jewelry I also garden, read and like to cook. My kids are both grown and very creative in their own right. One is an artist/musician. The other one is a fashion stylist. My husband is very happy being a business person!

Do you have more than one 1000Markets shop and/or other online shops?
I’m the manager of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on 1000 Markets.
http://www.1000markets.com/groups/mindbodyspirit
I have shops on:
etsy: http://www.dianefergurson.etsy.com/
artfire: http://www.dianefergurson.artfire.com
1000 Markets: http://www.dianefergurson.1000markets.com/
The 1000 Market site also carries my blog.

My artwork can be viewed on my website: http://www.dianefergurson.com/

I also have an art show coming up this summer. It will be at The Donald B. Palmer Museum of the Springfield Free Public Library in Springfield, New Jersey. It will run from July 20th through August 28th. I’ll be showing new Mandala work as well as selections from my Heaven and Earth series.

Surprises from Gracie-Marie of the Etsy Paper Street Team

Gracie-Marie loves paper, animals, the world, and, of course, all of us that make up the world. She has the heart for giving. As her shop portrays…giving should be something memorable and pleasurable. Thus the creation of TheGraceWithin. This store brings you the art of handmade gift or keepsake boxes. And as she says about her handmade gift boxes, “they can be saved, or passed along from one person to the other. Eco-friendly gift giving. No wasted wrapping paper.”
Gracie is also involved with a few charitable organizations. One is the Washington Animal Rescue League and the other is Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Purchases of these related gift boxes will benefit these two organizations.
After you have read the interview, please browse through her shop. And, when you get there, remember that everything is handmade.

How did you get your start in the world of art?
Growing up I never felt that I had any artistic ability because I couldn't draw or paint, which is what we always learned to do in school. My brother was a wonderful painter and I always felt that compared to him, I had no talent. I really got started about 10 years ago or so when stamping began to get popular. It brought out the inner artist in me and I realized that I had a good eye for color and combinations, so I began trying all sorts of different crafts. I finally realized that what I really love is paper, because of all of the infinite combinations of color and texture and size. When I started making my boxes a few years ago, they really seemed to appeal to people and weren't something I was seeing anywhere else. So I stuck with it.

Do you have a ritual you perform before you start creating?
I usually just try to make sure that my work space is cleaned up and everything is within reach. I can be easily distracted, so I like to have things right where I need them. If I have to get up to get something on the other side of the room, I'm likely to think of something else to do before I get there.

What do you like best, the creative process or the final creation?
Both. I love being able to try new things and I love the process of sorting through all of my supplies looking for what's going to work. But there's nothing like holding that final creation in your hand and feeling that it came out just right.

What are your favorite art media, tools, and supplies?
Well, paper, of course, and ribbon. The supply I probably use the most of besides those is double-stick tape or photo dots. I go through a lot of double-stick tape. I have a special pair of scissors I use to cut it into smaller pieces. They get all sticky, so I can't use them for anything else.

When a creative block happens, what process do you go through to get the creative juices flowing again?
Sometimes I'll take a whole bunch of papers and embellishments and ribbon and just spread it all out on the floor and start matching different things together. If I'm really stuck, I look through magazines or wander through the supply store. I do look at other artists' work, but not the ones who make what I do. I like to look at jewelry, for example, to find interesting color combinations.

What do you hope your art says about you?
That I'm creative, with a sense of humor. That I believe in quality. That I love beauty. That's probably asking a lot from a paper box.

What is your greatest dream and greatest fear as an artist?
My greatest dream is that people will respond positively to what I do and see the same value in it...enough that it makes sense for me to keep creating it. My greatest fear would be the opposite. I would still keep creating, just probably not on the same scale.

What are your goals in art, and in life?
My goals in art are to continue to find new ways to express myself and ways to improve upon what I'm already doing. Of course finding a wider audience for my work would be nice. In life, it's to find enough of a balance so that my work and life and art all continue to be something I enjoy. If it ever stops being fun, if it ever stops being something that excites me...I'll stop.

Tell us a little bit about yourself—where you grew up, your life now, other creative pursuits, other interests and hobbies.
I was born in Afghanistan at the American embassy while my father was on a teaching program there. My parents are both from Indiana and I lived there when I was small. Then I lived in Egypt from the ages of 9 - 15. After that, we moved to Maryland and, other than 5 years in New York to study and pursue an acting career, I've been here ever since. I continue to act in small professional theaters and I have a full-time job with a company that provides internet technology consulting for large non-profit organizations. My other passion is for animals and the "no more homeless pets" movement. My husband and I have 4 cats and a rabbit.

Do you have more than one Etsy shop and/or other online shops?
Right now this is the only shop I have. I have to resist the urge to keep saying "oh, I could make THIS too!" and focus on one thing at a time for now. Who knows what the future will bring, though.