Boomer Buddies

1. What is the name of your shop? Morgan Silk

2. What kind of items do you sell?  Well, I sell the silk scarves that  I paint with fiber-reactive dyes

3. How long have you been engaged in your art/craft? I have been dyeing 
fabric since 1971, when I took a fabric design course from Nancy Belfer.
My wall hangings were in several art shows, and exhibited in a clothing
shop in Palm Beach, but I had to restrict my work to summers while I
pursued a career in education. I have finally retired from that, and can 
devote myself completely to my art.

4. Do you consider yourself a hobbyist or a professional craftsperson?
I used to be a hobbyist, but retired from my full time job and now consider
myself a professional craftsperson, because I devote all my time to it and
sell my work.

5. What inspires you?

nature, nature, nature

6. Please share with us what a typical day is like in your workshop or
studio?
I start working about 10 AM, after spending time with my husband over
breakfast and plans for the day. I work straight though until I finish
whatever I am working on-- sometimes as late as 11 PM. I may take a regular
dinner break, but many days I am eating in front of the computer screen. I
generally have three things I am working on at any given time. After three
or four days of this, I take a day off to take care of other business, go
for a hike, or read. There is a lot of activity in my shop, because it
leads to the back yard and my three dogs hate being away from me. They come
and go all day, sometimes under foot.

7. What keeps you company while you are working on a project?
My three dogs. I wish I could have my pet chipmunk there, too, but the four
of them do not get along and have to be segregated.

8. What is your favorite 'task' related to your art/craft?
I love getting down into the dye and forgetting about the time. Painting on silk enrapures me.
 

1.  What is the name of your shop?---

       MYSTIC SILKS

2.  What kind of items do you sell?

-----I create and sell silk scarves, silk paintings, and silk pillows

3.  How long have you been engaged in your art/craft?

----I've been creating in silk for, ten years.

4.  Do you consider yourself a hobbyist or a professional craftsperson?

---I consider myself more a professional craftsperson

5.  What inspires you?

------Oh, gee, it can be a photo, something in nature, a birthday card, a picture I've seen in a nature magazine. And sometimes if the poetry that I like to write doesn't come to me in words, I find myself expressing that feeling in the designs I create on my silk scarves, or in a painting.

6.  Please share with us what a typical day is like in your workshop or studio?

---That all depends where I'm at with the dying process of my pieces. If I've completed say, 6 scarves, the next thing I need to do, is place them bewtween sheets, roll them onto a cylinder, tie them, then place the items into a steamer. This can take 2 hours. Then after they've cooled, I wash them in a special soap, rince them, let them dry. Then dampen the scarves, and iron them, fold them, place lables on each of them. With regard to my paintings, I may have those on a frame for a couple of weeks, or a month until I am finished with the design.

7.  What keeps you company while you are working on a project?

---My own thoughts, maybe some music. I am usually quite intense and focues while in the process of creating.

8.  What is your favorite 'task' related to your art/craft?

----The creativity of an item. First the idea of what I want to design happens, then the process, then I see the completion. I get all bubbly inside.

9.  What is your least favorite 'task' related to your art/craft?

----waitng till the steaming process is through.

10. Would you care to share any 'words of wisdom' with other aspiring artists or crafters?

----I can only say, that if what you are creating gives you a sence of accomplishment, and sence of joy, then that will come through on the items you are creating.

11.  Would you care to share some other information about yourself and/or your shop that i have not asked about?   Please tell us here.

I would like to share, that working with my silks, has given me a reason to feel like I have a purpose in making others happy. When I receive feedback from those who have purchased my silks, and they say" Oh, this is more beautiful than the pictures you have on etsy." I feel God bumps go up and down my spine. Someone is feeing good about my work--That is such a high for me.

1.  What is the name of your shop?

mommyandmeboutique     

2.  What kind of items do you sell?

Aprons for adults and toddlers, toddler skirts, hair bows, hair bands, baby blankets, etc. misc. baby items.

3.  How long have you been engaged in your art/craft?

10 years consistantly, but off and on for many years.

4.  Do you consider yourself a hobbyist or a professional craftsperson?

Professional craftperson

5.  What inspires you?

I love color, design, fabrics,; inspiration comes unexpectantly from just living daily life!

6.  Please share with us what a typical day is like in your workshop or studio?

I get up faily early, and depending on my "inspiration" for the day I will work on that paticular project.  I work 2 days a week in a boutique so that leaves about 3 part time days for my projects.

7.  What keeps you company while you are working on a project?

I listen to Christian radio.  And when I need a break I check the computer for whats going on in etsy.forum, answer e-mail, etc.

8.  What is your favorite 'task' related to your art/craft?

 Buying the fabric and then deciding how to use it.

9.  What is your least favorite 'task' related to your art/craft?

Surprisingly , finishing the project.  When I am about half way through my mind is moving on to another project. But I am pretty persistant so I do finish!

10. Would you care to share any 'words of wisdom' with other aspiring artists or crafters?

Be open to learn from others, what works and what does not work in the realm of completing your project, promotion, business, etc.  If something doesn't work for you, don't hang on, move on with what does work.

11.  Would you care to share some other information about yourself and/or your shop that i have not asked about?   Please tell us here.

Just that I got started as a fluke ....   My husband retired early to work at a Christian conference center in Oregon and I had very little to do and my daughter--in-law suggested that I sell crafts at a craft fair ....   I immediately responded with no-way but started thinking about it and next thing I knew I was making small upholstered doll furniture, then larger doll furniture for the American Girl doll, and then doll clothes for the American Girl doll, all of this was quite succesful and then I stumbled across Etsy and here I am. 

blog:  http://themommyandmeboutique.blogspot.com

1. What is the name of your shop(s)?
      NanjoDogz

2. What kind of items do you sell?
Polymer clay sculpture, beads, pendants and tiles with a main concentration on the dog in various breeds. I also sell beads in various other critter styles.

3. How long have you been engaged in your art/craft?
I have been working in polymer clay now for about 4 years, but have always done arts and crafts my entire life for as long as I can remember from sewing to quilting to oil painting and beyond.

4. Do you consider yourself a hobbyist or a professional craftsperson?
I like to think I fall somewhere in between. I believe I am on a professional level as far as my craft goes, but I always like to keep the thought of it as a hobby because it’s something I love to do and it’s hard to equate professional and love as one in the same.

5. What inspires you?
Animals and nature inspire me, animals because they are so loving and always forgiving and nature because it is so beautiful and so unforgiving at times, Mother Nature always reminds us who is in control of this planet.

6. Please share with us what a typical day is like in your workshop or studio?
A typical day for me is usually pretty hectic considering I also work out of my home. I spend more than half my day at the computer so I normally go back and forth between my creative space and my workspace, it’s a constant running back and forth thing.