Welcome, New Captain!!

I'm so pleased to present an interview with our new team Captain, Jessica Boehman of Hans My Hedgehog!! Jessica is a talented illustrator, etsy-er, and art history professor. Her illustrations are so beautifully detailed, and she has already brought a great new energy and dedication to our Folk Reveries team. I will still be around as a team leader, and I know we'll have a smooth transition.



To help all of us get to know Jessica, I asked her a few questions....

Dru: How did you become an artist?

Jessica: I wanted to become an artist when I was just a kid of maybe five or six. My older brother had a sketchbook...blank pages that it was ok to draw on. Wow, that was such an exciting idea to me. I had always liked drawing and set my mind to it at that point that I would be good at it. No one really tells you differently if you set your mind to it. I took all the art classes I could throughout primary and secondary education, and was a Studio Art/Art History major in college, with a focus on illustration. I only started my shop in January of 2011, after completing my Ph.D. in the History of Art. I knew it was time to start drawing again.



Dru: What are your inspirations and influences?

Jessica: I take a lot of inspiration from stories. I loved reading as a child, and still do. I have dog-eared, broken-spined, careworn copies of books of tales that I still keep near my studio. There's something about the magic of those stories that captures the wonder of being a child. I want to remember that when I draw, because I feel like I am capturing my childhood again when I smell the pencil shavings and feel the paper under my hand. I have a callus on my right hand that will never go away; it developed after hours upon hours of drawing, head bent, over my sketchbook.

I also take inspiration from travel. As a military brat, I lived all over the country and in Germany. As my heritage is half German, I really started identifying with the Brothers Grimm over there. You can image the trolls living in those mountains in the south, or mermaids in the North Sea. As a grad student, I was lucky enough to earn a Fulbright to study for a year in Rome. The beautiful sculptures and paintings, but even moreso the mosaics and tapestries, made me interested in continuing my study of pattern and mirroring that you can see peppered throughout my work.

I love children's books, too, like the subtle, fantastical shading of Chris van Allsburg, the medieval detail of Gennady Spirin, and the elaborate narrative borders of Trina Schart Hyman. I am amazed by the talent out there and it makes me excited to try to be a part of it.



Dru: What is your art practice like? (and any tips on combining it with a day job?)

Jessica: I draw after completing my "homework" for my teaching gigs. I also draw on my commute, part of which is spent on the Staten Island Ferry.

As for the drawings, I usually do a mock-up on photoshop to lay out a composition (that saves me tons of time), and then start with a gentle sketch. I work in tiny sections at a time, bringing it to full-finish before moving on to the next section. It prevents me from leaving a work unfinished (like I tended to do when I worked in washes or layers one at a time). How this will translate to color work: probably not very well. :)



Dru: What are your goals for the future?

Jessica: My goals are to make Hans-My-Hedgehog Illustrations a full time gig. I started on that road by attending the Arts Business Institute annual workshop in February. I learned so much about how to be realistic in planning my future. I also want to be completely eco-friendly, to work in league with the Wildlife Conservation Society, and to expand into children's books. Next up are illustrated pillows. They are gorgeous.



Dru: What sort of plans or goals do you have for the Folk Reveries team? And, what would you like to say to our team members?

Jessica: I'd like to see us revive the original spirit of the team. That may mean taking new members. I'd like to see a dynamic community where we can discuss our successes, setbacks, or questions about professional issues. That being said, I'd like to try to bring the focus back to our folk/fairytale/nature roots...I imagine challenges and blogposts from the team as a whole that talk about our shared experiences with that magical world. Thanks so much for having me! I can't wait to work with all of you--my very favorite shops on Etsy.

Hear, hear!! Thank you, Jessica!!

**Please visit Jessica's shop, her blog, and of course our Folk Reveries team forum.

Mary's Granddaughter Cindy

Well, it's been some time since I updated our team blog, but what can I say - it's a busy time of year to be a maker! But I'm making it all up to you with an interview with one of my favourite team members, Cindy Steiler of Mary's Granddaughter. I was a longtime fan of her work, and then she and I started chatting earlier this year about the direction of our team. I was struck by her dedication to our team and her ideas about it, and thought that asking her to share more widely would help us begin a dialogue about our team. So she kindly allowed me to interview her in this season of busy-ness.

Cindy is a longtime member of Folk Reveries, and a successful multi-media artist. Her work has been shown in galleries and in books and magazines (and was just featured today in Etsy Gifts newsletter!) The women she depicts move among media, from embroideries to dioramas to paper goods. She has much to teach us, Etsy-ers, so gather round!!


Mama and her Girls

Dru: How long have you been a working artist? (or, how did you begin?)

Cindy: I've been making art for my entire life though I have only been selling my own personal work for about three years. I studied art and theater in college and worked for years as a set designer/builder and scenic painter.


The Mender Diorama

Dru: I know that you collect antique photographs. How do your collections (this one and others) intersect with or inspire your art work?

Cindy: I do have a rather large collection of Victorian photos. I am not even sure how I started collecting them. I think I stumbled upon some tintypes at an estate sale years ago and was hooked. I find it a little sad that these photos are homeless and not being cherished. I also collect Victorian clothing, old hangers, buttons, doll parts, found feathers, and odd little things I find at flea markets, thrift stores and estate sales.

I draw inspiration from my collections. They feel like a connection to the past. Sometimes they make their way into my work like the little antique bisque doll arms from Germany or feathers I find. I've modeled some of my dolls from women in my photographs.

(Note: Cindy's vintage shop is Happy Steiler).


Victorian Photographic Garland

Dru: What are you currently focused on, and what are your near-term goals?

Cindy: My near-term goal is to survive the next five months. I have 5 shows between January and April so there is much to do. I feel fortunate to have been awarded a residency through the Brush Creek Arts Foundation in Wyoming. I'll be there for a few weeks next month and the uninterrupted studio time is a blessing.

The new pieces I'm working on are a departure from what I've been doing. I am excited to see where they go. I have also been working in clay which has been a lot of fun.



Dru: Tell us about your typical work day.

Cindy: I wish it was more disciplined and routine! It always starts with coffee and answering emails and ends with my pencil and sketchbook in bed. The in between time is always different. My resolution for the coming year is to foster a more disciplined and organized working environment. I just rented a studio space outside of my home with this goal in mind.

Little Bird in charcoal grey and sky blue

Dru: Your project, "I Learned From My Mother Who Learned From Her Mother", sounds amazing. what inspired it and what are your plans for the stories?

Cindy: My great-grandmother Mary Steiler taught me to crochet, knit, embroider and sew when I was a child. Through her patient lessons I found great joy and satisfaction in creating by hand. While we worked she would share stories from her life. Through these stories I developed an appreciation for the past, tradition and family.

Through my work I hope to capture the essence of my relationship with my grandmother while exploring and celebrating all women and girls; our relationships, our daily lives, and our traditions. I want to use my work to preserve and continue the traditions of both craft and story in a way that honors these lineages.

From this sprang a new project called 'I Learned from My Mother, Who Learned from Her Mother'. Through this project I plan to explore and document traditions and traditional craft passed from generation to generation within families through storytelling and art. This will be achieved through a mix of traditional needlecraft and sculpture and will also employ my background as a set designer to create small installations. The images of the pieces and stories will be assembled into limited edition hand bound books.

If you'd like to contribute here's a link: www.marysgranddaughter.blogspot.com


You Reap What You Sew No. 2
Dru: What advice would you give to new artists who are selling on Etsy?

Cindy: Etsy is a great platform to sell our work. It comes with a fabulous customer base and it's nearly free to get started. Take the time to learn about tagging, titles and SEO. These are important to be found in searches and not always intuitive.

Stay true to yourself and take all advice you receive, including mine,with a grain of salt. It's easy to get wrapped up in Etsy's merchandising reports and the latest trends. You will hear you must tweet, Facebook, blog in order to be successful. You will have to call orange 'pumpkin' in autumn and 'tangerine' in spring. You will be told you have to make tons of treasuries and join numerous teams. I see many artists spending more time with the above that actually creating. To me that's sad. My advice is to keep Etsy in perspective. It is a selling venue not a lifestyle choice. Stay open and explore other opportunities to exhibit and sell your work as well.

Don't forget why you make art in the first place. Explore, grow and have fun! I ran into the pitfall where my work started to feel like production work. I was constantly and still am asked to remake pieces that have sold. While it's flattering and comfortable it is also boring. It was preventing me from working on new pieces and exploring new directions. I felt stagnant as an artist. Now I'm am working on a new body of work and it feels so good.


Sketchbook No. 2 - Victorian Woman

Dru: What attracted you to the Folk Reveries team, and what are your hopes for it?

Cindy: I was attracted to the Folk Reveries team for a few reasons. First of all so many of my favorite artists who sell on Etsy are members and also aesthetically it was a good fit. I also liked that it didn't seem all about promoting one's self.

I think when you do business in the virtual world connecting with others is important. I would love to see a shift to more meaningful discussions on process, inspiration, opportunities, etc. on the discussion boards. I think we have much to offer each other both creatively and professionally.


Connection No. 4 in yellow and aqua

Thanks so much, Cindy! This is just the kind of looking back and forward that we need to begin the new year.

Be sure to check out Cindy's shop and her blog, and consider participating in her projects (I am!)!

Happy holidays to all of our team members!

Our ChYMieRa speaks!!

If you've been on our team forum (which you should be!) I'm sure you've met ChYMieRa, our team leader who has been creating our treasury challenges and generously donating some of her handmade jewelry pieces to the winners. I hope you've treated yourself to a visit to her shop! ChYMieRa is also the name of her own brand of handmade, one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry. Her pieces incorporate a wide range of techniques and materials, from vintage to found objects to gemstones and raw materials such as teeth and bone.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

ChY has been such a team player, stepping in as a leader and working hard on team business, all the while managing her own very successful Etsy shop, a family with four boys (!), as well as another full-time job! She has that elusive mix of skills we all need - both a talented artist and tireless promoter. And ChY is *always* there to answer a question or lend a hand. I'm in awe of this lovely woman!!!

Of Purple Skies

It's high time we got to know more about her and her secrets, don't you think??? Here we go...

Dru: tell us about yourself, the mysterious force of nature known as ChYMieRa!

ChY: ~ I have never considered myself to be mysterious. Weird is more like it, and passionate. Passionate about anything that I care about, but able to turn a blind eye on things that bother me, because really, life is just too short.

Whenever someone would look down upon or judge me, it makes me rise above & be better, better than me, better than them.

I am unselfish & very giving, and I love to prove a point.

My husband calls me righteous, he tells me I have a fire within me.

To me, its more like passion or compassion. I hate bullies and I stick up for the underdog- always.

And I'm not afraid to stand up for what is right, even if I stand alone.

I generally play well with others, and when I make a friend they will be a friend for life.

Memento Mori

Dru: how did you get your start making jewelry?

ChY: ~ I started making jewelry a few years after I started making teeth [aside: this is ChY's day job!] -- making gold teeth or a gold ring is the exact same process. There were so many experiments, I was like a mad scientist! So, even though I had schooling for teeth making, I learned how to make jewelry & set stones all on my own.

I had been doing that for several years for family & friends. One day, my neighbor told me about Etsy, it was love at first click. I knew this could be a wonderful place for me to sell my "hobby".

My art inspirations:

~ In my younger years, I was drawn to horror, vampire and macabre flicks. They evoked in me & still do, some primal force.

It's that odd, dark energy that inspires me to create macabre & creepy items.

I am also a huge fan of nature. I could be driving down the road and see a gorgeous sunset behind a weeping willow tree and be inspired to make some jewelry representing that.

Brethren of the Woods

My life inspirations:

~ First and foremost, my children (4 boys) are my biggest inspirations.

I always wanted them to have the best, so that meant a lot of sacrificing & hard work for me. Whenever something gets me down, all I need to think about are my kids, and then it's all good.

They are my world.

I'm also inspired to be better when a curve ball gets thrown my way.

There is always a silver lining behind every black cloud!


Drops of Saturn and Honey

Dru: what's a typical day like for you? (and how does Etsy fit into your life?)

ChY: Anywhere between 8 and 11 a.m., I will get out of bed. My day will always start with a good cup of Joe. When I'm fully awake and dressed, I check my stocks. Then I check Etsy, then my email. I cut checking facebook out, too easy to get sucked in. If I made jewelry the night before, I try to take photos in the morning light.

If I have sold something on Etsy, I will print the order, package it, stick it in my handy dandy mailing bag ( One large sturdy brown paper bag with handles, courtesy of American Eagle) and put the bag at the 'bus stop' so I can grab it on the way out. The 'bus stop' is a bench I built several years ago. It's long, wide & opens for storage. This is where coats, purses, keys, backpacks, mail, you name it gets thrown on their way out or in. Then I head to work. That could be anywhere from a 2 to 10 hour day. During sports seasons, I have to leave work early. 4 boys? Yeah you know we play sports! Then night rolls around and I check emails, etsy, etc... , by 11 p.m. my husband is telling me to go get some rest. I end up getting to sleep around 2 or 3 a.m. because something inspired me to make a piece of jewelry.

Wanted: Dead or Alive

Dru: do you have any goals in mind for your Etsy business, or the Folk Reveries team?

ChY: ~ I try not to set goals. I tend to roll with the punches and take whatever life hands out to me - good or bad. To be honest, I am quite surprised at how lucrative creativity can be. When I first opened my shop on Etsy, I would go "squeee!" if I had a sale a week. Those days are over. Without divulging any stats, let's just say, doing this well with my art, makes me keep wanting to do.

When and if I decide to retire from the teeth business, Etsy could definitely be an after retirement income. As far as the Folk Reveries team, like I said before, I am very giving and I enjoy being part of something. I think it is a fabulous team with many diverse talents. I would love someday to maybe see a Folk Reveries gathering. A collective, if you will where all the active team shops come together and offer a wide array of products. Not necessarily an actual brick & mortar, but somewhat a virtual one.


Bite the Bullet

Dru: Love that idea! What first attracted you to Folk Reveries?

ChY: ~ I had been invited to them team about a year ago, before the teams became self supportive & active. But during the transition from the Etsy admin control, I somehow got lost. It took me a few months to realize it , and when I did, I asked to come back aboard. What still attracts me to the team is the personalization between everyone. There is a good number of members, but as far as the continuously active member ie: those who post in the forums, promote or make treasuries, we began to recognize each other by name. Then from there we begin to know each others lives, what we did that day, what our kids did and so on. And I love that personal feel. I'm not a clingy person at all, it's just that when I really like or respect someone they truly will know it.

I Am Coming To You

Dru: what advice would you give to new artists and team members?

ChY: When I first started the ChYMieRa shop, it took a while for me to get some sales. It is very hard to sell handmade products when you are new and have little to no feedback, so I started with selling things that I knew would sell -- antiques.

It built up some good feedback for me. Once I started listing handmade jewelry, I still occasionally listed antiques to keep views coming to the shop.

I also promoted all my handmade things. Networked to friends, family and so on. I still have to promote, but on a different level. I now pay for advertising, because the shop revenue allows for it.

My best advice for any anyone wanting to be on a team is- as a team member, become involved. Lots of times I sell things to my team mates when I am having a sale, because they are really the first ones to know of it if you post it in the forums. Start a facebook page and list one or two items a day. Connect with other local artists or actual shops to see if they do consignment. But most of all, do not give up. Starting a business is so hard, and sometimes it seems like it will just never grow. Keep your chin up, promote & when and if you have a sale, send a card with a certain percent off for their next order. You will often have repeat customers when doing this.


Lucian's Castle

What a fierce and cheeky perspective she has, wouldn't you agree?! Please join me in thanking ChY for this interview, and everything she does for us!!

interview with cathy cullis!

I've long been a follower of artist and team member Cathy Cullis. Cathy is a prolific and established artist who moves (seemingly effortlessly) among a myriad of media, including painting, embroidery, pottery and even poetry, and maintains her own style unique throughout. Her work has a quietness, a playfulness, and yet also a haunting quality. The juxtaposition is profound, and also I find her blog quite addictive. She is also currently Etsy's featured seller. She has much to teach us, and she kindly agreed to an interview just for folk reveries.


Dru: how long have you been a (full-time, or mostly full-time?) artist?

Cathy: I have worked creatively for many years, but 'officially speaking' I became a self-employed art person in 2005. Prior to that I was a full-time mother to two small children and prior to that an editor of a literary magazine, and prior to that a student! Looking back it all merges, because as a young mum I was making things, I had little projects always starting and my creative life revolved around nap times.

Dru: you are so unique in how many media you work in! how do you choose and manage so many talents, and sets of tools and materials? what kinds of synergies does mixing media open up for you artistically?

Cathy: Possibly, there are many contemporary artists who like to try different tactile materials and ways of speaking. I find I need to shift, I like the rhythm of working from one thing to the next. The ideas continue to evolve but you are holding different materials in your hand.... one day a needle and thread, the next a paint brush maybe, but the voice is the same.... or the thumbprint is the same.... And the happy overlaps begin, I might pull something out from a time before and marry ideas or actually merge materials....

As for organising my work, I have really reduced the 'stuff' I have around me in recent times. I have become far interested in clutter than I used to be. So I have a bureau with drawers for materials and when I am not working on a particular media that all gets packed away into a box, put into the garage or elsewhere. I make plans and projects but I don't necessarily stick to them too rigidly.

Dru: in one interview, you mentioned creativity as a way of building up self-worth and finding one's voice. this is part of my journey and i was hoping you could you say more about this process?

Cathy: I know it has been said before by many artists, of all kinds, but creativity is never to be undervalued, especially when moving through difficult periods and changes in life.... I have told before of how I went through an emotionally challenging period, beginning six, seven years ago - and really, quite simply just 'making things' helped me keep my chin above water.

The process of creating, anything from the heart, can be part of a healing..... sharing work is another dimension to that and of course selling gives an exact opportunity to feel some personal success in all of it..... When I was really low and bleak-thinking, I had a few scraps of fabric and I started to make things, and encouraged by a few good friends, I continued to make things....

Of course finding a voice that is authentic - that may be a hit and miss, or twisted journey process.... start by making what you like and then discover what it is you are saying that is your own.... that is how it happened for me.... now I make things that are 'mine' without worrying about influences and strategies, but it has been a journey of finding out how to do just that....

Dru: what does a usual day look like for you? (also, do you have a typical schedule for your studio practice?)

Cathy: I have a busy family life, with school age children, but this is also a great advantage - as the school day gives me a structure to work around. And my working does not stop when the children are home. Infact I sometimes find my best ideas and work coming through when they are right by, and they are my best critics. I plan my week, but only tentatively, because I never know what will really happen in life or creatively.

I like to work early in the mornings and then I find my creative momentum tends to return just as I am cooking our evening meal! I don't like cooking, so the art wins....

Dru: many of our team members are young artists and new etsy-ers. what would your "letters to a young artist" say?

Cathy: Expect to work and work before you feel you are making something authentically your own - but don't see that as a mountain to climb, see it as a really exciting journey. Perhaps from the start of things you have always felt you are making 'your own mark', and that is good. Continue on and don't be surprised by change.

As for practical ways of marketing your work and so on - there are great resources on Etsy etc... of course.

There can be a 'mystique' around making art and making things that are a bit different. Enjoy this. Live an artistic life all the way through, from how you decorate your home to how you talk to others and just go for it - enjoy.

Don't you just love this advice? I for one am going to take this advice to heart! Thanks so much Cathy!

For a wonderful sampling of Cathy's work, check out the zine that she's created of prose-poetry and art. It's called Violet Goodenough... check it out!

Spook Sister

One of the artists on our team who I find incredibly inspiring is Gillian, miss quite contrary on Etsy. Her shop features an eclectic mix of media, from her original photography to embroidery to vintage objects, but her work defies category. Her photos mix her own images with still life and antique book pages, peek at us from inside and outside windows, and hide in other objects such as brooches and pocket mirrors. All of these media mix, seemingly effortlessly, around themes of women, loss and fairy tales. Even when her photos aren't the subject of her listings, I want them anyway!

I was hoping to get some insight into her unique and compelling work by asking her just one open-ended interview question. Thankfully, she obliged:

When I was approached to write a reply to the one question interview inquiry 'What is your favourite photograph?', I must admit I was truly and completely stumped.

I'm drawn to the faded, crackled and misty mysterious atmosphere of the very earliest photography, but something about the subject matter is a just little too twee, overly pondered and academic for me.

'Ghost Convent' by miss quite contrary

I realized the artists who have the most influence on me and my art, who excite my too often complacent brain and who speak to my sad little heart are not photographers at all, but Margaret MacDonald and Frances McNair, 19th century artists and sisters known together as the 'Spook School' but connected with the 'Glasgow School' and the Arts and Crafts Movement, which promoted folk inspired arts and the handmade in reaction to the advent of Industrialisation.

'Castle Timber' by miss quite contrary

Margaret MacDonald and Frances McNair combined the influences of folk art, of nature and reaction to the Industrial Revolution - their work is like viewing forests through the London fog - a misty, half finished looking style that really is very similar in atmosphere to those earliest photographs, peeling and blurred.

'I Know There's No Such Thing as Ghosts' by miss quite contrary

Their colours were pale and drab and dark all at the same time, their lines bold and geometric yet soft and organic and meandering. Their work was calming to look at, but with an underlying mystery and sense of impending doom, something dangerous lurking at the edges of the forest.

'Stand Like a Dead Tree' by miss quite contrary

Working in pencil, ink, watercolour and oil, on wood, plaster, glass, metal panels, hessian and plain old brown paper, they used beads, embroidery, inset shells and gold paint, their work is at once lowly and populist and otherworldly; and though they designed furniture, stained glass windows and even advertisments, they never strayed in the bourgeois, with even their most embellished works appearing not glamorous or moneyed but twinkling with ethereal riches that have nothing to do with our mortal world.

'Woodcutter's Daughter' by miss quite contrary

They are my inspiration for rejecting artistic conventions and being dark, rebellious, revolutionary, tragic Victorian women, for managing to eke out a living from art while never betraying their radical sensibilities, for rejecting expectations and the old fashioned confines mastering one media, but, instead, for wandering and dabbling (and, indeed, mastering) as they pleased, and, most of all, for making haunting, touching, emotional art unlike anything I've ever seen before, and guiding my fingers a little bit with everything I make.

'Grey Dawn Ghost' by miss quite contrary

My favourite photograph isn't even a photograph. My favourite photograph isn't even a single piece of art. My favourite photograph is the works, the minds, the hearts, of Margaret MacDonald and Frances McNair.

'Deutsche Kunst...', by Margaret MacDonald

'Ill Omen' by Frances McNair

Thank you so much, Gillian, for this fabulous interview.

saying goodbye and saying hello...

Hello All Folk Reveries Members and Friends,
Welcome to a New Year of wonderful possibilities! The first month has not yet ended but it already has brought upon me new things and some changes as well. With that said, I formally announce to all that I have resigned as the Folk Reveries Leader and resigned from the group for personal reasons. This has been (and still is!) a great group filled with very creative and talented people and I want to thank each and every one of you who have made it so! I am so proud on how the group has grown in the two years from when I first began the group.

I have worked things out with the team's remaining leaders so that this transition will not majorly affect the team or it's members. So without further ado, I would love to introduce you all to your new Team Leader, our very own, Miss Drucilla Pettibone! I couldn't be more happy or honored with such an amazing successor! She is hugely talented and her works truly never cease to amaze me. I know that the group will be in great hands and I want you all to get to know her a bit more...

What first interested you about embroidery and how did you come about learning it?

I was lucky in that like so many crafters, I had a crafty mum and sister. Mum taught me to embroider when I was little. I burned out doing needlepoint at the hospital when my gran was ill, but then about ten years ago I got the crafty bug again. I learned to spin, re-learned to knit, and then re-discovered embroidery and cross-stitch.

You have some truly beautiful and intricate designs, what inspires your imagination?

That's so sweet of you! I'm mainly inspired by other artists. There is so much exciting fiber art being done right now. I'm also very much influenced by vintage patterns, especially from the Victorian era.

How would you describe your work?

I saw the term "sloppy craft" in one of the last issues of FiberArts and I loved that. Arlee Barr also described my work as part of a "making do aesthetic" which I was super flattered by and I also thought fit with what I'm trying to do.

Besides your own one of kind creations, what else do you sell in your shop?

I'm actually in the process of moving my handmade goods to a new Etsy shop called petit bones, at the urging of my dear friend and mentor, Mathyld. My other shop has been completely overtaken by vintage!

When finding vintage items, what do you look for in an item?

I only buy what I would want for myself, if I find it at a good price. Then, if I can't find a spot for it in our tiny farmhouse, I list it on Etsy.

I know you like many bygone eras like myself. What intrigues you about them and how do you use your affinity for them in what you do?

For me, it's all about the aesthetics, the art and the clothes. I wouldn't want to be a woman living in these eras, *but* the quality of the materials is so much more beautiful than all the synthetic stuff we're surrounded with today. Then there is the intricacy of the handwork. It's generally not economically feasible to produce these kinds of things now, although we can try! I also love the idea of having fewer material possessions, and only things that are precious and meaningful.

When you need a creative lift, what helps you get your 'groove' back?

Looking at fabrics, perusing beautiful blogs, and learning new skills.

Share with us five current things that have influenced your creativity:

Let's see, there are so many!

-The animals on our little farm

-Memories and family histories

-I'm obsessed right now with old quilts and learning to quilt

-That haunted sort of Southern Gothic motif, especially when it's done in new and interesting ways

-The natural dye and design work of India Flint

What hopes and aspir-ations do you have for the Folk Reveries team?

First I just hope to keep it going strong and continue your wonderful work in creating and growing this team! It would be great too if we could all dialogue more about our inspirations. We are surrounded by so many gorgeous visuals on Etsy, but I'm still very attached to words, and I'd like to learn more about the work of the artists on our team.

What would you like to say to the team members?

I'm amazed at the talented artists on our team, and thrilled to be among you. On a practical level, it is looking like the team forums are going to become the main place people communicate and help each other on Etsy. So I would ask everyone to join our team discussion forum at http://www.etsy.com/teams/5950/folk-reveries/discuss/ - even if you've never been active on the Etsy forums. The more we get to know each other, the more we can help promote each other! Please get involved, and let me know if I can help.

Drucilla Pettibone (vintage etsy)
petit bones (craft etsy)
Drucilla Pettibone (blog)

It has been such an honor being the Team Leader and meeting some amazing individuals because of it. I hope to see this group continue to grow, to become more involved and to meet and go beyond everyone's potential here. Though I will no longer be a part of the group, please come visit me if any one feels so inclined. I am still super friendly and love making acquaintances!

I will miss being here but again, I am so very happy knowing that this team will be taking care of. Thank you so much Drucilla!

Andrea, littlebighead

A Folk Reveries Interview with Featherheart Trading Co.

I have met some truly amazing people on Etsy which have turned into wonderful friendships. Shannon Smith of Featherheart Trading Co. is one of those folks. Very approachable and sweet, she is filled with heart and tremendous knowledge of the herbs and plants around her. She's awesome to work with (I did her new labels, thanks Shannon!) and her natural products are heavenly. Here now, a Folk Reveries interview with Featherheart Trading Co.!

What do you make/sell:  

Herbal organic body products and teas, nature inspired jewelry

When did you first begin studying herbs and plants and what inspired you to begin crafting your own herbal products?

My study of herbs and plants really did begin with my fascination with dandelions at the age of 5.  I thought it was such a marvelous plant, yet everyone seemed to want it out of their yard.  I could not understand this. Later in my mid twenties I started doing yoga and got pulled into a deep discovery and began my study of the movement as asana.  I eventually became a yoga teacher and it was during that time that I started to realize that once a person starts moving and feeling really good physically, they begin to look for other avenues to nourish and support their body.  Naturally one of those avenues is nutrition.  I realized that there is so much conflicting information about what to put into your body. . . what is healthy and what is not.  It's really enough to make you crazy. One day fat is bad, the next it's not.  And what's this business with trans fats and saturated and unsaturated oils and is eliminating carbs good for you and on and on and on. So I decided to go back to school for the study of Nutrition so that I could perhaps make sense of it all and impart my knowledge unto others who were curious and confused.  I attended Bauman College of Nutrition in Berkeley California.  I loved it.  It was such an eye opener and I learned so much.  They taught first and foremost that we should all strive to get our nutrition from real, whole foods, but we also explored the world of supplements and ailments and of course I used myself as the biggest guinea pig!  I diagnosed myself with gluten intolerance, food sensitivities, candida and so on.  I took supplement after supplement and ate crazy restrictive diets and looked at all the reasons my body was failing rather than how my body was thriving, and then I began to look at myself and say, "This is ridiculous!"  What we must remember is that the supplement industry including the doctors, naturopaths, nutrition consultants and others that subscribe these alternative health therapies are in the business to make money just like everyone else and that perhaps this is not always in our best interest.  At that point, I just knew there was a better way. I knew there was a way to feel good without sinking hundreds of dollars into products and without seeking and reading books by professionals who told me I was sick and I knew I could do this on my own using natural resources and intuition. I remembered the dandelion and how she inspired me at a young age.  Somehow I inherently knew then that the dandelion was not something to pull out of the yard.  She was there for a reason just like all the other plants in your yard.  The message was loud and clear.  My next step was to study plants as medicine.  I knew the fundamentals and body science of what I learned at Bauman College had put me on the right track.  Nutrition should come from whole food.  But taking that a step further, it was and is my strong feeling that should our bodies get sick, the answer is not necessarily to look to allopathic medicine or alternative supplement pills, but perhaps to look at what's growing around us and to use that as not only food, but medicine.  It's the most natural and most pure way I can think of.  I have to think this is what Mother Earth, God or whomever inspires you as the Creator intended. In fact there is a great quote from Rudolph Steiner, "For every illness, somewhere in the world there exists a plant which is the cure.”  For me, it was important that as I embarked on my journey into the study of herbs, that I learn about what is native and what is around me.  Yes there is a study of herbs that exists and is highly effective in China, India and other parts of the world, but I also knew and understood that Native Americans right here in this country had been using what was around them to heal and cure themselves for a very long time and that this was my path.  With globalization, it is possible to import plants from all over the world, but what if -- just what if some day this is not possible? I wanted to know my land's traditions and possibilities.  And thus began my in depth study into the world of herbal medicine.  My first teacher was Kami McBride in Northern California.  She was an incredible first teacher and she taught me how to make all kinds of herbal salves, lotions, teas, tinctures and medicines.  As I learned from her, my connection to the Earth grew.  Once this happens -- once you begin to deepen your connection, plants begin to speak to you. Thus, in essence what inspires me to create the herbal products I create is the plants themselves along with the long line of traditional recipes that are the folklore both written and spoken from plants who spoke to our ancestors.

What is your creative process when creating a new product and where do you get your inspirations from?

My process is to clear myself of the world around me and to simply sit and listen.  I find that if I stop and focus on the intention of making something for myself or others, the recipes and ideas just begin to flow.  I guess I'm lucky in this way.  I've never had any sort of herbal "writers block."  But when you're dealing with material as vast and explorative as herbs, I think the inspirations are endless.  If you study just one plant, what you'll quickly notice that it probably has anywhere from 5 to 100 different medicinal uses.  If you combine that with the flavor and scent profiles of each and every plant, you find that you have a potential and power to create some really amazing, organic and healthful things.

  

What are your top five favorite herbs/plants are and why:

Nettle because she's so incredibly dense with nutrients.  She's rich in chlorophyll which is one molecule away from hemoglobin, which tells me she's a very generous blood builder.  When the blood is happy and healthy, then all the organs in your body benefit. Nettle makes an amazing tea infusion.  I feel like if there is one herb only that you consider for heath and wellness, this is it! 

St John's Wort because she has so many different layers.  Used on the skin as an oil, you have an excellent dermal healer.  Used internally you have a strong antiviral and deeply restorative muscle/nerve builder and then you've got this whole other level of anti-depression actions.

Oatstraw because I think of her as my calmer.  She's considered a powerful nervine and therefore has the ability to promote a strong nervous system.  She makes a wonderful and delicious infusion that can lower cholesterol, improve bone density, coordination and clarity just to name a few!

Lavender because just the smell creates an instantaneous relaxation and because she is the key ingredient in my Lavender face and body oil.  I've been using this oil on my face for about 6 years. I'd rather not say how old I am (haha), but let's just say I'm at an age where I should be getting noticeable wrinkles and I don't have any!

Elderberry because she is a powerful antiviral and I turn to her when I feel a sniffle coming on.  She usually saves me from a full blown cold.  And because she is just so majestic and wise!

And this only scratches the surface of why these herbs are my favorite.  I encourage you to do your own explorations.  As my first teacher once said to me, "Start by getting to know a few herbs really well and go from there.

Now that it is wintertime, what do you like to do to keep your skin pampered and feeling good?

Well winter can certainly be harsh on your skin -- especially if you live somewhere with snow and COLD like I do now (Michigan).  I've noticed I have to pull out all the stops.  My usual routine begins with exiting the shower and slathering my lavender face and body lotion all over my face, neck and shoulders.  Then I moisturize the rest of my body with one of my lotions (the nag champa, sandalwood or orange depending on my mood) and then I carry my patchouli salve in my purse and hit my hands and elbows as needed throughout the day.  This seems to do the trick! and I can't tell you how many people stop me and ask me why I smell so good!

What do you like about selling not only your herbal products, but your handmade jewelry & accessories and vintage items on Etsy?

Well it's like having your own mini store without the worry of the overhead of running an actual retail location.  I can fail miserably and not have the extreme stress of all of my financial wealth and future on the line like you do if you own a store.  I think this allows me to be creative and try just about anything.  It's interesting though because some of the things that are great sellers when I do craft shows just sit on Etsy with only a handful of views and then expire... and vice versa.  So in a sense, Etsy is like this wonderful mystery.  You never quite know what is going to resonate or how people will even find what you have to offer.  This makes for such a fun, but challenging place to be.  I also love the friends and lasting connections you make on Etsy.

Do you have any future aspirations for your work and your shop?

My mind is constantly on overload with all that I want to do in my Etsy shop.  I have pages and pages in a notebook of things I want to make and do.  I also have lots of stuff that I've already made that has yet to make its way into my Etsy listings. The trick is finding the time!!!  My goal for 2011 is to really make something special out of Featherheart Trading Co, which includes expanding my online Etsy shop and getting into retail stores.  My body and tea products are natural and organic when possible.  I know that there is a demand for this.  I've been coming up with new scents and I'm trying to make my skin care line more accessible.  I don't want the general public to think my line is just for hippies and tree huggers.  I want people to understand that what you put on your skin gets absorbed into your body.  Why on earth would you put Petrolatum Sorbitol Triethanolamine Stearate Ethylparaben on your body??? So education is big for me.  And teas, I have lots of new ideas for teas.  Why not drink something that nourishes your body and tastes good rather than soda?  And jewelry -- I am so inspired by native jewelry customs and feel like this is such a beautiful way to decorate your body.  I do use a lot of leathers in my jewelry and I understand that this may not make my vegan friends too happy, but I want people to know that this comes from a place of native tradition -- of using what Mother Nature provides and of using it in a way that is respectful.  No matter what I am making whether it is body products or jewelry, I am always sourcing from the best possible places and ingredients.

What do you like about being a member of Folk Reveries?

Well I am so honored to be part of it!  I never in million years thought that listing a few items I make in my basement workshop on Etsy could lead to such community.  I feel like I haven't even begun to explore the amazingness of my Folk Reveries partners and I'm looking forward to connecting to even more of you. I think what I like best is that what Andrea looks for in Folk Reveries members is that kinship to folklore and tradition.  That just so resonates with me.

What are you top five product suggestions for winter:

I'd say you've just gotta have some Harold and Maude tea (so warming and delicious), Lavender Face and Body Oil, Patchouli Salve, Sandalwood lotion and The Ass Kicker Tea (for when you feel a cold coming on)!

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A Folk Reveries Interview with Allyson Mellberg

I was so glad to be able to interview Allyson Mellberg recently. Allyson is a member of our Folk Reveries team, and an incredibly talented artist in many media. I've been an admirer of her work for ages now, and soon I'll have my very own dottie!

How did you come to be an artist?
My Mom and Dad are both artists (mom was a sculptor/painter and dad is an industrial designer) so I was raised in an environment with working artists around. My brother also made art. It seemed very natural to be creative and make things.


Your dottie softies are much-loved! One wonders if they just popped off your canvas into 3D... What and who are these creatures?
Thank you! My husband and I had been making large scale soft sculptures together & I had always been interested in miniatures... so I pulled the dotties from my drawings as the first experiment with that. The dotties are a kind of amalgamation of rodents, (hamsters/ground hogs) and cats... They are passive, curious, and friendly. In my drawings they serve as mediators between humans and the mysterious natural world. Humans can often be seen trying to communicate with them (successfully and unsuccessfully) and occasionally feeding them the wrong food... like rocks. They like to eat plants & popcorn. They are named 'dotties" for their spots (not all of them are spotted though) and in memory of my husband Jeremy's grandma Dorothy (Dot) who I loved dearly.


You work in so many different media, including the beautiful new papercuts in your Etsy shop, and yet your work is very cohesive. Like your dotties, do other characters travel with you from one media to another? What is your approach to choosing a particular media for a new project or series?
Thank you! That is a huge compliment. I definitely don't see my ideas as exclusive to one media and I find it really exciting to experiment and learn how to do new things. Usually a new series begins in the sketchbook as small drawings and then travels to larger works on paper... from there I start experimenting and occasionally, like this summer when I got the itch to start wood carving for my show at Cinders, I will just try something totally new. Sometimes it works out... other times it doesn't! The new papercuts come from a while back when I was doing more collograph printing and used a ton of cut paper/mylar stencils. I found that way of making images really fascinating... I am such a line oriented drawer/printmaker... that moving over to just using shapes, and no lines, is really fun and a good challenge.


Would you describe your studio practice?
I am a teacher, so I am in the art studio all of the time. At home, I work in my sketchbook first, then move to the studio, or the kitchen table... I like to listen to music & movies. Often Jeremy and I work together, which is really nice.


Are you still teaching? What is your feeling on the relationship between being an artist in academia and pursuing one's own art?
Yup. I am actually on the tenure track (3 years in) so I am a full time professor. It is a strange relationship and while I love teaching and working with young artists I would be lying if I said that I wouldn't quit teaching in a heartbeat if I could sustain myself & have health insurance on my artwork alone. Teaching itself is awesome, its the academic politics and administrative work that is not so great. I always say that I have two full time jobs, being an artist and being a teacher. Being an artist is the most important one. It is a dream to be able to retire early and just make art, but teaching is a really great job, having the summer off and flexible hours (and the fact that exhibitions count as career development) is really great for an artist.


What do you like about being on Etsy, and what are its challenges? Do you find that it is compatible with a fine arts practice?
Etsy is great because its very easy to use, and the community of people is really friendly and vast. I have met some amazing artists, some of whom have become my friends. As far as challenges, I think the only thing is its easy to get lost in how many people/how much stuff is posted on Etsy everyday. I see it as adjunct to my fine art practice. I sell smaller goods in my shop that I could afford to buy myself. Things like my larger sculptures, prints, and original works are handled by my gallery, so Etsy is a way for me to connect with people on a smaller basis. This may sound kind of goofy, but I also just see Etsy as being really friendly and sweet. I like the whole "convo" thing and how willing people are to just send you a message to tell you that they are stoked on what you are making. I know I have written people before just to say, "hey, I really love what you are doing" even if I couldn't afford to buy something at that moment.


I noticed that you and your partner, Jeremy, now have a new handmade and vintage shop! What are other future plans do you have for your work in general?
Oh yes! And we need to get going on that! I have a whole bunch of stuff to post. (presently lighting fire under fanny...) Future plans include the wonderful, bug-free (almost) fall/winter garden that we have just planted... Fall is so great for gardening here in Virginia because it stays warm enough for along time to grow all kinds of greens and cabbages. We have several group shows coming up, one in Cincinnati, Japan, New Orleans, and then work going out to pop-up shops in Milwaukee, Richmond and here in Charlottesville. I am also working on my solo show in Paris at Galerie LJ which I will go over for in April. And I am speaking at Pictoplasma in Berlin in April too!

Why were you drawn to the Folk Reveries team?
Well, I think the profile description on Etsy says it all, Sharing a group with other artists who are inspired by the natural world and the magic that belongs to it! Very nice.

*Thank you so much, Allyson! Readers, do pop over to Allyson's shop and blog. She is very friendly so don't hesitate to send her a convo. And be sure to comment here and let us know what you think of the interview!

** All images copyright and courtesy of Allyson Mellberg.