Men of Etsy

2010-11-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

Only a photo - no text!

the mighty yucca

2010-06-23T10:21:00.001-07:00

the mighty yucca
Originally uploaded by eddyizm

- these bright yellow, sometimes white yuccas litter the riverbed and mountain sides in the most random fashion in the angeles national forest. i love them. love. them.

first water break

2010-06-06T21:11:00.001-07:00

first water break
Originally uploaded by eddyizm

- this time we were coming down.

i've made a lot of choices, most have not been wise, but i have some really good friends, i've been fortunate enough to find

2010-05-26T11:39:00.001-07:00

i've made a lot of choices, most have not been wise, but i have some really good friends, i've been fortunate enough to find
Originally uploaded by eddyizm

the yard

2010-05-17T07:40:00.001-07:00

the yard
Originally uploaded by eddyizm

- its cloudy because i shot this through a old dirty ass window. new mexico state penn / santa fe, nm

gametime

2010-05-04T20:38:00.001-07:00

gametime
Originally uploaded by eddyizm

- we got there early and it was hot. and we won. and so did the lakers. #losangeles

first water panorama

2010-05-03T12:48:00.001-07:00

first water panorama
Originally uploaded by eddyizm

- first water rest stop on a hike to orchard camp in angeles national forest. 10 vertical frames stitched.
please check out the link to see the 50% version of the full resolution - still (4379 x 1257)px big with all the glorious detail.

dark garage

2010-04-29T17:41:00.001-07:00

dark garage
Originally uploaded by eddyizm

- i like heavy handed contrast.

Farewell Etsy!

2010-03-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

Oh Etsy, it has been a grand three years, but now I'm breaking up with you. Check out the all new Kill Taupe online store at Killtaupe.com

Stay groovy!

2009-08-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

I cannot compete with the great videos that were made by the other guys so I thought I would try this slide show. It is shameless self promotion but then isn't that the point? Some of these pieces are in my shop, some have never been in my shop, and some were once in my shop but are there no more. Thanks for taking a look. TNKerr

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Youtube Video by Vidrio

2009-07-20T03:09:00.001-07:00

So if I can do this anyone can do this. I put together this great little video of my work and uploaded it youtube. It's a super fun project and a great way to get your work out there. So take a look and let me know what you think.

Thanks!!!
Joseph Cuevas
http://vidrio.etsy.com
http://josephcuevas.blogspot.com

Dan Grzeca Print: Airlift

2009-03-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

A new 19 x 25, 5 color screenprint! Up now in my shop.

Super Happy New Painting by Kill Taupe

2009-02-13T07:33:00.001-08:00

Super Awesome Happy Fun Blast-Off Time
acrylic on wood
9" x 4" x 1.5"

Too Many Garys - New Magnet Set!

2009-02-07T19:54:00.001-08:00

Gary is a happy-go-lucky cyclops that lives in the forests of Oregon. He has a penchant for sweets and making friends with snails.

Magnet set includes 6 Garys! Each plastic Gary measures 1.5" x 2" and is backed with a ceramic magnet. The Garys arrive in a package complete with the Gary story printed on the back.

KillTaupe.com

men of etsy calendar

2008-05-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

ok guys. i need guys to step up to the plate. i will be running it and i will be handling it.
i need to collect mug shots for one review and then email addresses to make it happen.
i will explain the details in private and then let those who are interested stay on and those who are not, drop off.

contact me
http://eddyizm.etsy.com
with the least,
your name, store URL, email address.

ciao!
~eddyizm~

A Short Jewelry Video

2008-05-03T18:35:00.001-07:00

No one has posted anything for a couple of months, so I just thought I'd share this short video and a site that is new to me. I recently made this using the web site http://www.animoto.com. The site is super easy to use site, and I've posted the video to both youtube and myspace trying to gain some visibility. The video is limited to 30 seconds unless you pay for a longer one, but for me 30 seconds was enough for me to showcase a few of my favorite items. :) The background music was composed by my friend Shawn Huckabay and used with permission.

I think it's a cool way to show my items, and just wanted to share. :)

Thanks,

Jason

http://www.jasonsjewelry.etsy.com

I'm Getting Steamy...

2008-02-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

How about a bipedal Chicken Walker with Pilot

Well, steampunk anyway. Been doing more things in that arena. Thought I'd bring some to light here.

We have a mini planet system, an orrery, with magnetic base. Also a unicorn, robot head.

See my etsy store, buildersstudio.etsy.com to buy!

Thanks,

Pete

New Tutorial! Making Jumprings.

2008-01-12T21:19:00.000-08:00

A lot of people seemed to find my making hearts tutorial useful, so I made a new one. This one is on making jump rings, but this time I used video instead of still shots.

There's a bit of background noise as Amanda is upstairs blasting Rammstein and doing dishes, but overall, I tihnk it turned out rather well. Enjoy!

Men's Calendar project

2007-12-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

The idea of the guys doing a calendar has always been a great one,but for several reasons,it kept going to the back burner,today it was brought back to the forefront again by some very persuasive ladies.Guys,we must make this happen!
The ladies are threatening to come after me if it does not materialize...and frankly,I'm scare of them!So,please save my hide and let's do this!

Builder's Studio Holiday offerings

2007-12-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

I go by Buildersstudio
(buildersstudio.etsy.com) on Etsy (some of you I know
already know me), and I make a LOT of different
things. I live in Western NY State (we're getting
pummeled by cold, snow and the worse wind now!). I've
always been an artist as well, painted for a long
time, have this last year gotten into the ACEO (mini
paintings) movement, do scultures, jewelry, walking
canes, and on...

However. Lately I have concentrated on what might
best be described as "Retro Tech" items, like robots
and the like, make almost enitrely out of wood! You
know adult toys (NOT that kind!), statues maybe. It's
an ever expanding series. I've been a fan of science
fiction my entire life, reading even as a kid the
classic stories from Asimov, Bradbury and so many
others. Here's a group shot:

Now just before the holidays I have brought out a
related line of classic ray guns, FULL, life size, as
in 1:1 scale models, also wood, often in colors with
metallic finishes. Here's a pic:

Also, a small Omni Telescope:

Also ray gun Christmas Ornaments, as well as ornaments
of flying saucers, alternate universe dirigibles.

For this time of year I'd like to offer for my fellow
"club" members a members discount on orders placed
this week through Sunday 12/9/07, 25% off the list
prices (prior sales excluded and not valid with others
sales I run unless I can do it.)

If anyone has any comments, or would like to talk
about custom work or anything, drop me an email:
buildersstudio@yahoo.com. If I don't post again soon
then I hope you all have a great holiday season and a
Happy New Year!

Thanks,
Pete

This has been Pete from The Builder's Studio
Curious about what The Builder builds? Peak here...
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5130230
My blog has just started so I will be posting more soon!
http://thebuildersstudio.blogspot.com/

Consumption Bird Silkscreen print

2007-11-29T01:36:00.000-08:00

This is a 12 color screenprint I just finished up titled "Consumption Bird". Its printed on 22 x 30 inch Stonehenge Rag, which is a beautiful paper. This was for sure the limit on my hand pulling capacity in terms of size. (My arms are sore after the final screen)

Here's a closeup of the head; all the little subtle layering really worked nicely on this, combining various shades of reds, blues and yellow metallics to emulate painting.

available in my Etsy shop.

2007-11-18T14:13:00.001-08:00

MoE's own eddyizm has won a contest along with 11 other contestants
and will be displayed at the California Museum of Photography in
Riverside from Nov. 1st to Dec. 5th as part of the "Extreme Places -
new visions of landscapes" exhibit.

The press release is here:
http://www.eddyizm.com/exhibitions/Extreme_Release.pdf

and more info can be found here:
http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/

This is my winning entry:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6297219

--
http://www.eddyizm.com

White Dogwood Woven Tote Bag

2007-11-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

The tote bag is woven from an image of my original watercolor painting. It is 17 inches square, and lined with black fabric. It is listed in my etsy shop, with free shipping if you put MoE in the message to seller, and wait for a revised invoice.

Go Here.

Miniature Limited Edition

2007-11-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

I just completed this limited edition miniature book with a text from a short piece called "Snow Flakes" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Winter is coming!

Invasion of the undead bunnies

2007-10-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

It's the Zombie Bunny jumbo plushie magnet! Now available in two scary heart attack inducing versions, regular and stitched mouth. They are available here for $14. And remember, there is nothing more frightening than a cuddly bunny that hungers for flesh!

Holiday Craft Show, Bethesda, MD

2007-10-29T06:28:00.001-07:00

Man of Etsy, Michael Auger, will be participating in the DC Craft Mafia's "The UnUsual Suspects Holiday Arts and Crafts Show" Saturday November 3rd from 12 noon-8pm at 5020 Battery Lane in Bethesda, Maryland.

For details visit:
www.DCCraftMafia.com

Not Your Grandmother's Butter Dish - Or, Maybe It Is!

2007-10-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone – as unaccustomed as I am to public blogging I thought it imperative to “toot my own horn” and show off these butter dishes. For those of you who are unfamiliar with my work allow me to explain just a bit. Among other things, I am a china painter. I do not make the porcelain pieces, I buy them. When I buy them they are plain and usually white although I have been known to paint on pieces that came “pre-equipped” with a coloured glaze. I found these butter dishes the other day and bought all that they had at the store (five in total). These are the first two I have finished. Although both incorporate floral designs they are quite different in style. If you should choose to peruse them in my etsy shop you can read about them there and discover more about why one is being offered at a “FIRE SALE” price. For this post I will limit my narrative to this much and put up the photos for you to peruse– thanks for looking. tnkerr.etsy.com

New Notecard Set listed on Etsy

2007-10-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

These arrived in the mail today. Set of 4 notecards with envelopes, 4x5 inches. Blank inside and the envelopes are white. Professionally printed onto cardstock with a glossy coating.
Click here to go to the etsy listing.

Yupo Boards, 5x7 inches, Set of 3

2007-10-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

I was making some yupo boards for myself, and pressed a few extra.

Yupo paper is dry mounted with thermal activated , acid free adhesive to hardboard. The finished painting can be sealed with varnish and framed without a mat or glass. You can also leave the painting unframed and display it on a small tabletop easel.

Boards are also available with 140 lb. Arches cold press watercolor paper. In my Etsy Store.

Visit Kansas!

2007-09-22T12:49:00.001-07:00

If you're like me, you're always thinking about travelling and future vacations. I realize that many people drive *through* Kansas each year and get very little pleasure out of doing so, so I decided to propose a wonderful stop to make along I-70 in Northeast Kansas: the Konza Prairie.

The Konza is a research area carved out of the gorgeous Flint Hills. It is owned by the Nature Conservancy and used by Kansas State University to learn about prairies. Most of the Konza is off-limits to the public, but part of the area has hiking trails available to regular folks like you and me, and that's where all of these photographs come from.

The Konza is beautiful in all seasons. If you come during the summer, I encourage you to try to get out early in the morning or in the evening, because Kansas summers can be hot and muggy. If you can make it in the early summer, you have a chance to see colorful wildflowers.

Another advantage to visiting in the early morning is the chance to see wildlife. It is common to see white-tailed deer and wild turkey here, as well as many other types of birds.

One particularly interesting part of the Konza - to me, anyway - is that the prairie is periodically burned. Researchers burn different parts of the prairie at different rates. Some sections are burned each year, some less often. I've never read any of their findings, but I love to do a bit of observation on my own. It's fascinating how quickly the prairie reseeds itself and comes back to life. The rebirth process is gorgeous, and I love the smell of the freshly burned prairie.

To visit the Konza Prairie, take exit 307 off of I-70 [it's the exit in between the two main Manhattan/K-State exits] to McDowell Creek Road. Then travel four miles south until you see the sign that says Konza on the right side of the road. A short trip down a gravel road will take you to the hiking trails parking lot.

For more information, visit the official website. And, of course, you can find more photographs in my Etsy shop: http://JaredKS.etsy.com

Kansas may not be most folks' idea of a vacation destination, but if you're driving through anyway, consider a stop at the Konza. It's grassland at its finest.

Hearts... A how to guide

2007-09-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm ready to post my first "How To" blog. It's not chainmail though, it's Hearts. This is your how to guide to making sterling silver hearts for jewelry.

Supplies required:

16 gauge sterling silver wire (If you want to practice first, use copper)
jeweler's saw and size 0 saw blades
One square needle file
Soldering equipment (Torch, flux and hard or medium solder).
Jeweler's pickle
One pair of round nose pliers
One pair of flat nose pliers (optional)
Wire cutters.

Step 1

Cut a piece of 16 gauge sterling silver wire. In this case the wire used was 5 cm long.

Step 2

Using a squre needle file, file a notch in the center of the wire.

Step 3

Bend the wire accross the notch so that the gap closes. Stop at about a 90 degree angle. Flat nose pliers helps but are not necessary.

Step 4

Switch to round nose pliers. Hold the 'L' shaped wire at the notch and bend around one side of the round nose pliers. This is the first half of the heart.

Step 5

The wire should now look like the first image. Bend the second half down to match and allow the ends of the wire to overlap. The overlap should be directly under the filed notch. (image 2)

Step 6

Make several of these and place one over a notch in the bench pin.

Step 7

Using a jeweler's saw cut through the overlap. And ALWAYS save the scraps. (I use an old film container for this).

Step 8

Adjust the bottom of the heart so that the ends meet without gaps.

Step 9

Flux and solder the hearts where they were notched and where the ends of the wire meet. After soldering Clean with pickle.

Make as many as you want! They can now be hammered, filed, sanded, polished and otherwise manipulated for jewelry. :)

Find heart jewelry in my shop at http://www.jasonsjewelry.etsy.com

.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival Poster

2007-09-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

My painting was selected for the 1999 Atlanta Dogwood Festival Poster. 18 x 24 inches. Offset lithograph.

Artist Proof- limited to 100. Signed and numbered edition.
Listed in My Etsy Store. Free Shipping.

2007-08-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not much for blogging. Although I want to start composing more thoughtful blogs. For now I'm just posting Etsy mini to share what I do. I've been making jewelry since 1999. And for the most part it's been a hobby, but hopefully I'll be able to push it into a business. Right now I'm working part time to support myself, and making the jewelry on the side. I've been able to make the move from full time down to part time, maybe someday I can let go of the cooperate job scene all together. My new part time job is giving me the resources and the time to work on the online portion of this much more, and I hope to be able to post some how to blogs. (similar to the "where do paintings come from" blog but with chain mail). :) Keep checking back.

Etsy
Buy Handmade
jasonsjewelry

Thanks,
Jasons Jewelry
http://www.jasonsjewelry.etsy.com

Introducing Beer Soap!!!

2007-08-26T16:36:00.001-07:00

I wish I was the genius that invented the beer soap Idea. Many before me and many after will come and create this sort of Soap.

The recipe Is my own and I feel the release date is perfect! I mean football season Is right around the corner. I wanted to attract all varieties of people so I used a classic classy sort of beer Guinness a nice dark stout!

I also will be releasing a Samuel Adams beer soap in the coming weeks for the people who prefer a good Boston Lager.

I do not only offer beer soap I have plethora of scents and styles in my etsy shop a little bit of everything for everyone. Here is a taste of the shop- Dennis Anderson on Etsy.
Come on by and spoil yourself!

A Guy Making Jewelry

2007-08-26T01:38:00.000-07:00

I’m a guy making jewelry and that puts me in the minority. I’m aware of this disadvantage, so I frequently ask my wife’s opinion. While all of the design ideas in my Etsy shop, Wired, are mine, some of them have been influenced by her. I have also made some jewelry specifically for her where we have collaborated on the design (here’s an example).

My latest creation is this Budding Branches bracelet. It fulfilled a desire of mine to work with Irish waxed linen. I already had the design in mind so when I got the cord in the mail yesterday, I started creating it right away. I made some adjustments to the design along the way as I got a feel for the piece.

One design I’ve created again and again are these bird’s nest brooches. I use different types of wire, from copper, to steel, to brass, and I like giving each one a unique design element. The flowers and the butterfly are made of Lucite. Czech glass leaves and Swarovski pearls and crystals spruce it up. These have been popular internationally, with sales to England, Canada, Singapore, Korea, and the United States. You can read more about this one here and if you have a good name for it, leave a comment in this blog entry. I’m stumped.

Three Generations of Etsy!

2007-08-23T20:46:00.002-07:00

I have never been a blogger before and I am not much of a writer, but I feel compelled to get involved here. When I write I usually have a difficult time staying on track and tend to ramble quite a bit. I will do my best to make this a posting succinct so that it does not put you to sleep. My name is Thom and I am a member of MoE (Somehow this sounds like something that you would expect to hear in a twelve step program) Please feel free to say whatever it is that the audience says at this point!

I asked Deb what kind of stuff she wanted us to write about for this blog and she suggested we keep it to discussions about art and Etsy, so here we go. There are three generations of my family with Etsy shops right now, and I think that may be kind of unique, so let me introduce some of my family members to you. My father is PapaZozo of PapaZozo.etsy.com and my daughter is CK of ck1sizzle.etsy.com; stick me in the middle there, tnkerr.etsy.com, and you have the three generations that I mentioned earlier in this mad diatribe of a blog posting.

PapaZozo has had his work exhibited publicly so many times and in so many places that I doubt even he could name them all. His work has shown and sold all over the USA and internationally. He has been featured in newspapers and periodicals and shown in galleries as well as private shows. He is a former art professor who has worked throughout the southwest, paints China in vivid colors and metallic gold. His works include individual pieces as well as entire place settings and painted tile furniture. For some reason he does not seem to be too popular on Etsy! Not sure why, he has made a living from art for more than 60 years and you can’t do this without an abundance of talent.

My daughter is a working single mom with an infallible eye for color and composition, she is a talented seamstress and crafter – most of her Etsy shop offerings will reflect and reinforce this. In addition to being a single mom she has a full time day job and fits in her art as circumstances allow. She cannot pass the physical for membership in MoE but she is definitely a friend of MoE and always seeks out and supports MoE treasuries, contributing in her own small, yet significant and ‘anonymous’ way.

My work has been influenced by so many sources that it seems inconsistent, even to me. When I was a child I worked in clay, acrylic and oil paints, wood, paper and other traditional media, finally settling on wood. Until recently, I worked exclusively in wood - making furniture, toys, sculptures, and the occasional assorted other things. Over the last year or so I have been experimenting with tile and china painting. My father is, after all, an authority on these things so I began paying more attention to how he did them and then I took it up myself. I already had the tools and materials so, why not?

I come from a family of artists, even though a lot of us are in denial about it. Both of my parents are artists and art was just part of growing up. My mother was a painter, a potter and a weaver. She is not active in art now due to health issues. My father, mentioned above, is a painter (primarily working in porcelain art these days - he is still an active artist). Both were art educators and for a time my dad had a gallery that featured / promoted artists from Central America and the Southwestern US.

My wife is also a talented potter (with no Etsy shop), and my other daughter seems unable to settle on a single form of artistic expression, continuously experimenting in whatever medium is convenient and accessible at the time. I am leaving out the siblings and siblings in law because it would become way too confusing for you, dear reader, and perhaps they can be the subjects of subsequent posts…or perhaps not!

We are a somewhat dysfunctional extended family filled with a lot of talented, pseudo-talented, and untalented individuals. We are China Painters, Ceramicists, Furniture Makers, Mosaic Artists, Gardeners, Upholsterers, Tailors, and Sculptors (just to scratch the surface). In general terms, it is safe to say that we are not musicians! We are Adventurers and Couch Potatoes. We are widely dispersed sometimes and sometimes in close geographic proximity. We are like many other families. We are unique. Yet we are just like most of your families. “A Little Bit of Everything”

Isn’t life grand? The photos associated with this posting are representative of work attributable to me and my immediate family. Hope you enjoy and please visit our Etsy shops.

Bigger Boxes

2007-08-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

My gorgeous lady fan suggested a long time ago that my boxes might do better if they were bigger, for all the jewelry people out there. Then I received a few inquiries about making bigger boxes, so I figured I'd better listen up. I'll be putting more up soon.

Click to visit Dingo on Etsy

Yeah, I'm a man-crafter. You got a problem with that?

IndiePublic.com

2007-08-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

IndiePublic.com is the new social networking site of independent artists, designers, bloggers, retailers, shoppers.

Visit Indiepublic

Etsy - all things handmade and then some

2007-08-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

Fern Leaf Stationery

2007-08-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

This set of stationery is listed in my Etsy store. 10 sheets are printed on heavy matte paper with 5 envelopes. The envelopes are plain white, business size envelopes. (A-10 maybe?)

Paper size- 8 1/2 x 11 inches.

Reproduced from a painting on canvas. The word stationery doesn't actually appear on the paper.
Click here to go to the item.

Where Do Paintings Come from?

2007-08-15T08:46:00.001-07:00

Prepare to become a painting!

Laying down some pencil outlines and undercoats.

Adding the detail.

Ta-daa! A finished painting.

...

Killtaupe's Etsy Shop- Click here

Men of Etsy's newest Featured Artist

2007-08-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Our newest featured artist is none other than Dr.Andy Mathis.He is an artist as well as a veterinarian. Andy creates stunning works in watercolor and has been known to save the day of a distraught pet owner sending out cries of help in the Etsy fora.

Andy is also incredibly knowledgeable on many levels and has been an awesome help to this author on creative issues.I feel very honored to get this interview with Dr.Andy,though we see him frequently in the Etsy forums,he remains a bit mysterious,not disclosing many private details...must be the reason he is on the "Etsy's Most Crushed On"list!So, ladies,this ones for you!!

Tell us a bit about your background,where you live,schools,anything else you'd like us to know.
Born and raised in Georgia. South Georgia actually, a small town called Enigma.
Like most families back then, we farmed. Some crop farming, then mostly growing corn and sorghrum to feed livestock. I was always around cows, horses, dogs, cats. I remember being asked in 5th grade what I wanted to be when I grew up, and the answer was a veterinarian. Human medicine never really appealed to me. I think the appeal of one over the other, was helping those who can't help themselves.

I attended ABAC (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College) and the University of Georgia.

Now, I live in North Georgia, a little out from Athens. (GO DAWGS!)

How did you get interested in art?
I was always crafty as a child. I loved the number 9 book of the Childcraft edition we had. Then there was making posters in school for 4-H projects and such.
I did win a poster contest in the 5th grade for the Atlanta Ballet. The prize- $10.

I took a watercolor class a year or two after completing Vet school. That's when I really got the bug. From there, I did a few outdoor art shows to show and sell my work. I had a painting that was selected for the poster of the 1999 Atlanta Dogwood Festival Poster. Then I started reproducing my work and exhibiting at wholesale trade shows, such as Decor and ArtExpo. In 2005, I added art licensing into the mix, and began exhibiting at Surtex.

What are your favorite mediums?subject matters?
I love watercolor and how it's transparent, luminous, and the way the colors bleed together. Other mediums can do this too- egg tempera, fluid acrylics. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. I think I also like watercolor as it is the most technically challenging in that you can't correct any mistakes as you can with opaque mediums.

Subjects vary- I really like "sunlight and shadows" and it doesn't matter if it is florals, still lifes, faces, or pets. As I work slowly and through multiple sessions, I have to use reference photos, and it's easier to get those photos of florals and still lifes.

Do you use special processes or tools?
Nothing unusual- paint,a brush, various watercolor paper, yupo, or textured clayboard.
sometimes an airbrush.

What are your inspirations?
Sunlight and how it makes objects glow- faces, objects, florals.

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
I think I started listing things on Etsy in March 2006.

How has Etsy impacted your success as an artist?
I've sold a few things that probably wouldn't have sold otherwise.
Etsy really isn't designed to sell artwork- the categories run together or aren't available, you can't search by medium, subject matter, or price.

what are your favorite things about Etsy?
Cool Etsians, of course.

If you had to choose between being a Vet or an artist which would you choose?(you can't have both)
A Vet, I'm sure. I would find some other creative outlet if not for painting. My grandmother did teach me how to crochet a square in the 2nd grade. and then Macrame in the 6th grade.

What advice would you give to young artists or those just starting out as artists?
Listen to the little voices in your head. No, not those Voices! The ones that have to do with artistic decisions. When you first start painting or creating, your work will emulate others or the teacher. Over time, your look develops based on the decisions you make. Painting is a bit like handwriting, everyone has a individual look and voice about their work.

Each painting must exist to grow as an artists. When you look at artists work that you admire today, if you get a chance, or source, look at their earlier work. You can see improvement and growth.

What are your goals for future artistic endeavors?
To find more time to paint, rather than read the forums every 10 minutes.

What would you like to see Men of Etsy team do in the future?ideas for the team?
I think you are doing just fine keeping the "Man Harem" in order.

Where we can find you~blogs,websites,Etsy address,myspace,facebook,livejournal,flickr and anywhere else we can find you or your work!
I try to condense and link sites so that I don't have so many to try and maintain.
My website- andymathis.com
blog- andymathis.blogspot.com
etsy- andymathis.etsy.com
store- andymathis.ecrater.com
Ruby Lane -rubylane.com/shops/andymathis

MoE's very first featured artist...err... artists

2007-07-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Our first featured artists are a group of guys who we can all thank for Men of Etsy's being a reality!
None other than Mixed Species!!These zany guys where the inspiration for the creation of Men of Etsy.It is only fitting they be our very first!

I posed a few questions to the boys, and in expected Mixed Species style,we now have the story of these infamous Brief jerky and Colon Pal creating Men of Etsy!!

1.How did you come to be group?
The Mixed Species guys met in a dirty prison cell in Bogota in the late 90’s. Two of the soon to be Mixed Species clan were already in the cell for reasons yet to be determined. The two most recent inmates had been renting themselves out as drug mules for a Columbian cartel and had recently been arrested in a raid. With some smooth break dancing the Mixed Species four were able break there way out of prison, Columbia and eventually into a government witness relocation project in the United States.

2Names,where do you live?

We have been scattered throughout the three states on the west coast. Our current names are Murdoch, Face, B.A. and Hannibal.

3.How do like being an Etsy seller?

Although we are relatively new to etsy, our experiences being an etsy seller have been phenomenal! Most importantly we have a lot of fun on Etsy. (mostly at our own expense)

4.What was it like to be featured seller?

The two best words we can think of to describe what being the featured seller on Etsy left us feeling like are: SWOLLEN & SHTICKY!

5.How do feel about being the inspiration for Men of Etsy?

We would like to extend a heartfelt “You are welcome!” to the other men of Etsy. We have set the standards nice and low for everyone.

6.How are your families reacting to your new found fame?

We’ll let you know when we find it. (the fame that is …. And our families)

7.Break it down,who does what in the group

One of us smacks it.
One of us flips it.
One of us rubs it down.
And one writes about it.

And Stephana promotes it!

8.What's the best part of working as a team?

Having people to blame bad choices and mistakes on.

9.What's the worst?

Fighting over who had the one good idea.

10.What are Mixed Species plans for the future?

It’s wide open right now. Currently we are riding the Brief Jerky wave and getting ready to release an upgrade packet of spices you add to Brief Jerky while you are wearing them. In a couple of hours you will be able to make your own Aus Jus. After that maybe our own columns in Cat Fancy and Guns n’ Ammo magazines followed up with a line of Mixed Species contemporary furniture.

mixedspecies.etsy.com

Thanks to Mixed Species for taking the time during a rare all man in house get together to give us this interview!!

Men of Etsy unite!

2007-06-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Why Men of Etsy?It all started as a crazy little conversation on a forum regarding male sellers and how the women thought it would be a great idea to make a men of Etsy calendar!One very amusing group of guys called Mixedspecies,posted a photo of one of the 4 guys in their shop in hot pink briefs,modeling their newest product called Colon Pal, a plush replica of a colon...both were a big hit!This got one of the ladies thinking,where are all the male sellers??She bravely created a thread to see who would respond,much to alot of people's surprise there was a massive response!To date, there are around 50 male sellers in Men of Etsy and new ones being found or finding us!
We will be featuring the works of Men of Etsy,so, please visit often to see who we feature and their amazing work!