Friday, September 24, 2010

folk reveries friday finds


celebrating the autumnal equinox with one of the first signs that fall has arrived ~ the mighty acorn.
above: harvest print from MarmeeCraft.

acorn pendants from robinandthesage.


acrylic on wood block by tamaragarvey.

woodland harvest charm necklace by gypsymoonart.
enjoy the harvest season.
and for those of you that are welcoming spring, enjoy the sights, sounds and scents that are awakening around you.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

A Folk Reveries Interview: Sparrow Salvage!


Your name: Penny
Shop name: Sparrow Salvage
Country: Australia

What do you make/sell: Bohemian style jewelry from salvage and vintage elements

Website and/or blog:
Etsy shop- sparrowsalvage.blogspot.com
blog- sparrowsalvage.etsy.com


How long have you been an artist/crafter?
All my life! I've been on Etsy for 2 years but previous to that I was a commission artist and graphic designer.

What is the meaning behind your shop name?
Sparrow is a nickname I've had for years because my mother saw one on her window sill the day I was born (share these stories with friends and nicknames quickly develop). As well as that sparrows are a scavenger bird, so the salvage element comes both from the bird I share my nickname with and the fact that alot of my materials are salvaged.

How would you describe your work?
Feral fairy bohemian with a touch of Victorian opulence! There's a rustic quality to it that's an important factor- I've always tried to communicate a kind of cobbled together look, as if the pieces were made by someone who made things out of what they came across in their nomadic travels.

Name five specific things that inspire your art?
Fantasy films from the 70s and 80s, war game miniatures (really), Art Nouveau, urbex photography and archeological finds from the British Isles, especially the 15th to 18th century. I love the way things looks after they've been hiding in the earth for 400 years.

What physical places do you like to be for inspiration or to create?
I really like being by myself, that's all I need. In the thrift shop or the museum or even shut away in my bedroom, being able to give things my full attention means I can soak up ideas in an abstract way and not miss little tricks. The best inspiration comes from solitary moments- staring out the window on the train, waiting in line at the PO, moments when you drift off into your own mind.

What encourages and inspires you when you need a creative lift?
There's a little town in the mountains here that's surrounded by forest, with a raging river that runs down the side- I love going there! The clean air, the rushing water, the little shop where I can buy authentic antique folk pieces, the bakery that makes perfectly moist orange muffins...it all refills the tank. I also like making treauries
on Etsy or flickr mosiacs- finding ways to link seemingly unrelated images helps to think outside the square.

What are the things that you like most about being on Etsy?
Etsy enables you to really feel like you run your own shop; on other e-commerce sites you can feel squashed in with so much other stuff, a bit like part of the furniture, but Etsy gives a shop it's unique identity. I also love the community- I discover amazing new shops everyday and the interaction with other artists has been invaluable. 

Do you have any future aspirations for your work and your shop?
Too many! I have endless projects and 'to do' lists going on, including books, short films, photography and a real life junk shop slash gallery, where I sell beat-up vintage bits to artists and hang artwork all over the walls.  

What do you think about trades/swaps?
I think they're wonderful! Artists have always traded between each other- not just materials, but work as well. I was able to have a good revolving art collection when I was in university.

What interested you about the Folk Reveries group and what do you like most about it?
I was looking to join a team and wanted something that echoes with my sense of elegant mystery with a heavy nature-based aesthetic. I'm not serious enough about my spirituality to be in the Pagan team and my work isn't quite of the dragons/fairies/wizards realm, so this team gave me the perfect in-between. I also have quite a Victorian aesthetic at times, and that also fits. The best thing about this team would have to be the high-quality of work that our members produce, there really is such beautiful, professional pieces in every shop.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

From Etsy: Announcing Etsy Groups in Beta!



We are thrilled to announce that the eagerly anticipated Etsy Groups is becoming a reality. Currently undergoing an invite-only beta testing process, this site feature will provide a way for our members to organize, interact and communicate on Etsy.
This first phase of Groups offers the bare minimum abilities to edit and moderate a collection of members on Etsy. It's basically a replacement for ye olde Teams pages. Down the road we will be adding Group discussion forums, Group marketplaces, communication features, and much, much more. Much-much, oh so much, much more!


An enormous amount of the strength of our community comes from our extensive and vibrant Etsy Teams program. Once upon a time, when Etsy first began, Street Teams were created to enable community members who lived nearby to one another to get together in the real world. The idea was to provide people with a networked way to meet-up in person and have a trunk show, or collaborate on a group project. We very quickly saw Street Team activity outgrow its original purpose as people started creating global, or interest-based teams, whose members were spread out all over the world and would meet in the Virtual Labs, on Forum threads, or via blogs. This was so exciting that we dropped the "Street" part of the name so that we weren't limiting the kinds of activities that the Teams program supported.
For years now, the Etsy Teams community has grown and grown. Currently, there are 39,337 members in 796 teams and we receive applications to create more almost everyday! We have teams from all over the world, and for almost every persuasion (though, there is always room for more...). Unfortunately, while our teams activity and participation has been flourishing, the tools that leaders have to manage their teams hasn't kept up. With the current system, team leaders must email any changes to their membership roster or profile to Etsy on a monthly basis, and yours truly updates the Teams pages manually. At long last, we have built a tool that makes it easy and straightforward for leaders to run their own teams. Etsy Groups is what we are calling this site feature whereby it will be easier to create, maintain and promote an organization on Etsy, whether it is called a Team or goes by another name.

Ken and Sam working hard on coding Etsy Groups.
Etsy Groups currently exists in a limited, invitation-only, beta version. We are going to move beyond this first iteration of Etsy Groups quickly. Soon this will be an open site feature for everyone in the community. Here's the plan:

Step One
Earlier this summer we sent out a survey for team leaders who were interested in volunteering as beta testers to help us kick the tires of the first version of Groups. We analyzed the survey data and selected a number of leaders from a variety of teams — some large, some small, some international, some with very casual requirements and some with strict membership codes of conduct.
Shortly, Etsy Groups will be open (by invitation) to this initial sample gang of beta testers. Once these first leaders start migrating their members over to Etsy Groups, more and more people will become part of the beta testing process. The reasoning behind keeping Etsy Groups as invite-only for a brief period of time is to limit the amount of initial traffic on Groups so that we can quickly focus on any problems that might arise and tackle them right away.
Step Two
Etsy Groups will open for all current team leaders to come activate their current teams and set up their new profile pages. The Groups site feature will give all current team leaders the long overdue ability to administrate, edit, and update their team's homepage on Etsy.

The advent of Etsy Groups will not make any changes that require team members to re-tag any items. With Groups, we intend to fix the somewhat flawed system of team tagging in the near future. In the meantime, teams are welcome to keep their current tags. Everything that current team members and leaders have done hitherto in establishing and building your teams (including coming up with a name and fostering a brand to go along with your online presence) will be completely transferable into the Groups feature.
Step Three
Groups will become live for everyone! At this point, anyone on Etsy will have the ability to create a group, write a description and create membership guidelines (a.k.a. the charter). You'll be able to create groups that are open to all, or ones that are moderated — meaning people will have to request permission and be accepted in order to join. More information about how all of this works will be coming soon.

The crowd at Etsy Dallas' Etsy Craft Party on June 18.
What's in store for the future...
The Groups feature on Etsy will continue to grow, and we'll add new features to it!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Folk Reveries on Flickr...

folk reveries - View this group's most interesting photos on Flickriver

folk reveries - View this group's photos on Flickriver

If you are not yet in the Folk Reveries Flickr Group, c'mon in! We're waiting for ya!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

September's newest members!

Vintage Coal Owls at White Owl Vintage (our first vintage shop!)

From the heart mixed media collage by Jenny Davies-Reazor
Patina Butterly Hippie Key Necklace by Violet Bella

American Honey Crown by Royal Menagerie

Unexpected Autumn Wind by Luce Interpretations

Chestnut Oak Acorns Earrings by BlackStar

Pale Moon Porcupine Quills Necklace by Vinca Vere

Icy Lace Leaves Earrings by Ashes of Roses Design

Busy Bee Creeper by Gnome Goods (MindyBanta)

Autumn Goddess Harvest Headband by First Kiss Designs

Flotsam Honeycomb Tassel Necklace by Corvid Delights

Mauve Lace Headband by Annika Leatherwood

Early Settler Art Dolls by Mystic Hills Ngaroma

Days Gone By Necklace by Chymiera

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Reveries of Autumn

Ah, it is September! I feel like I can breath a sigh of relief. My favorite season is soon to be upon us...with its cool brisk breezes, bright harvest moons, and the rich colors of this most lovely of times.

With fall in mind, I peeked in at some of our team members pages and chose to share with you a few perfect little trinkets and tokens to treat yourself with--- or treat someone you love...

Like this decadent steampunk necklace made with gorgeous fabrics and lace from Autumn Ray....


And in Jenny Lee Fowler's shop you can find this beautiful hand-cut witch silhouette, perfect for my favorite season of all--- Halloween!

Of course in a season fraught with beautiful boots, sweaters, jackets and hats, accessories are important! I think some beautiful jewels that would look perfect with any fall attire are these ear rings by Mama's Little Babies.....
And it's always good to have some wisdom on your side, or in this case, a wise embroidered owl on your lapel! I am positively in love with this gorgeous trinket from Yarn Soup....
Of course these are just a few of the gorgeous pieces inspired by autumn now available in team member's shops. Do go traipsing through our sidebar to discover what other treasures lay in wait!~.....


~Heather (Audrey Eclectic)