This is…

...Jay!

Jay is a new fellow-member of Etteam, and owns two Etsy shops:
Ziggy and Friends and Sunshinescot .

card by Ziggy

Favourite colour?

warm colours like yellows and reds

Original vintage artwork

Favourite smell?

sea breeze, fresh bread, vanilla

Favourite place?

Too many to choose from so I'd like to pick where I'd wish to go next - New York please!

Favourite sound?

The lapping waves on the beach

Baby horse collage

Favourite way to spend your time?

I really do love to travel...

Favourite item in your shop of all time?

Moon 3



Why?

It was the kick start for becoming creative again after a very very long period of artistic inertia for myself

Favourite shop that isn’t yours?

Oooh there really are so many but I'm going to say sprouthead - it's the one that got me interested in Etsy in the first place as I only used to buy work. I heard about this site called Etsy and decided to use it to gather materials for projects and I used them with my art and design students.

detail from Inverness, by sprouthead

What has been the most useful lesson you’ve learnt so far that you’d like to pass on to our readers?

That it's hard work and you have to believe in yourself and be patient and be as proactive as you can, especially if you don't have a huge huge group of family and friends to get you started and placed on the Etsy map! But it's a great feeling when you sell something!

Thanks Jay - and good luck!

Links:

ziggy's blog ziggyandfriends.blogspot.com/

ziggy's shop Ziggy and friends

jay's blog jklthree.blogspot.com/

sunshinescot's shop sunshinescot

This is...

Pipistrelle Crochet Design (Debs)



Favourite colour?

Dark green

Favourite smell?

Mint sauce

Favourite place?

A very special field in a village in Lincolnshire. It's a place where all you can see is the earth and the sky.



Favourite sound?

At the moment, New Model Army! But more generally, birdsong and especially the cawing of rooks and crows.

Favourite way to spend your time?

With my husband and young son, all together, relaxing.

Favourite item in your shop of all time?

The green embellished hanging heart.



Why?

There's something quite wild and flowing about it, and it hints at a direction my work will be going in more and more in the future. It reflects my personality far more than neat little pieces! I'm planning to start experimenting with freeform crochet, and trying to depict landscapes and nature.

Favourite shop that isn’t yours? (Apart from Niftyknits, obviously!)

I really love Bodkin and Bead's rich colours and textures:

Silk brooch from Bodkin and Bead



and Kate Broughton's simple bird designs:

bird badges



(Niftyknits notes that Kate is a fellow meerkat appreciator!)

What has been the most useful lesson you’ve learnt so far that you’d like to pass on to our readers?

It sounds really boring, but it's probably to try and take really good photographs of your stock. When I first started I only had a camera phone to take the pictures with, so they weren't brilliant. Then I was lucky enough to be given a second hand digital camera and I've been having great fun working out how it works (it didn't come with instructions!) and trying to get better pictures with it. They're still not as good as I'd like them to be, but I'm getting there.

Links:
Shop: http://www.folksy.com/shops/muddybarefeet
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pipistrelle-Crochet-Design/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pipistrellecd
Blog: http://pipistrellecrochetdesign.blogspot.com/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/muddybarefeet/