YBC Artist Feature - Sheila Netteler from Shelandry Studio

Featuring artists on my blog gives me the opportunity to meet some really awesome people.

And I am excited to introduce to you Shelia from Shelandry Studio. 

Many artists are very shy and don't like to talk about themselves, and it's a struggle to get them to answer my questions.  Well, Shelia is not...lol  I love her answers, and included them in their entirety.  You'll love her too...

so let's get started.

adult/teen custom hoodie

What is the story behind your shop name?

  Shelandry Studio came from my OC (original character) name. This has been my RP (role playing) name since I was a teenager & over time it ended up being my stage name as well as my artist  & cosplayer alias.

Where, when, how did you learn your craft?

        I have been sewing & drawing as long as I can remember. My grandmother & mother like to do home crafts and sew a  lot, and my grandfather and several uncles were artists by hobby. We would attend rendezvous and ren fairs making our own costumes and weapons. So I naturally picked it up and started learning how to sew & draw. I did it mostly for fun and making things for family, but it wasn't until after I got a job at a haunted house in the mid 90's that I started using my talents for items other than personal gifts. Through my dad & one of his friends I became a scene designer, costume maker & FX artist at a local haunted house. I worked there until early 2000's when I was introduced to the cosplay scene by some online friends. I made my first cosplay costume in 2008 and went to my first convention. I fell in love with the endless creative possibilities I had seen there and changed the basic mood of my current works from horror themed (which i was getting quickly burned out on the unchanging monotony) to seemingly unlimited potential of anime/manga/game themed ideas. I taught myself how to make anything I needed to use, and thus began an amazing creative journey that has yet to become boring. 

What has been your biggest obstacle, or challenge, to finding and achieving success?

    The biggest obstacle that I see in my current choice of hobby, if you will, is that there are many, many people who also have the very same ideas and talents. There are lots of people who cosplay & who also commission for them, and there are also lots of artists out there who draw with the same or similar styles as I do. Many of those other artists have a lot more time and practice in their portfolio then I do, and many of them also have more resources to do more than I can afford to do being a stay at home mom and only in the hobby for about 6 years. Despite the competition being thick, I still am not pushed away from what I fell in love with. I do have a leg up on some things as I do make a few things that are less common in my circles, like my hoodies.  Even to this day I do not see many like the ones I make and thus sell more of those than anything else through my online shops. 

pastel/charcoal artwork

Tell us a little about your family life...married, kids, pets, etc.

I am a divorced mother of 3 beautiful daughters, 20, 13 & 11. I have been dating my current boyfriend for almost 5 years now and we hope to be married later this year. I have a small zoo around my house. To be honest, we love animals, especially those that needed love. All of our pets are rescue animals of one form or another. We have several cats, 2 of which were rescued kittens from a local store parking lot, the rest were born from a local stray and taken in and hand raised as our own from tiny babies when their mother abandoned them. Our dogs were unwanted as puppies as well, one was dumped on a country road and found on my mother's doorstep the other was being given away at a local store. My daughter also has a rescue hamster that was given to her by a family friend when his grandson no longer wanted it and it needed a home. Our house at times can be a little crazy and hectic but I work hard at doing my best to keep in in working order. I use what free time I have for my hobbies, which usually end up being after he has left for work for the night and the kids go to bed, or the occasional time I get the chores done and have some free time during the day when the kids are at school.

Tell us a little bit about where you live....city, farm, suburb.

     I live in a very small rural town in mid Missouri. The closest town in any direction is 25-30 minutes away. The closest city is an hour or so away. I live in farm area but I myself do not have a farm but are surrounded by fields & woods. I love the peace and quiet i get out here but it does at times make getting what I need a pain. I only make so many trips to town a month, especially with the price of gas these days. So I make my shopping trips count and run a lot of errands at once. It does help that my boyfriend does work over nights at one of the stores in town and can pick up things on his way home in the morning saving those tiny trips to town for little things like milk.

Share a story / memory of your childhood.

   One of the memories I love about my childhood was getting together with my uncles and cousins and going to rendezvous and ren fairs . We also LARPed (live action role play) a lot as a family and they are where I got a majority of my inner nerd from. To this day we all still get together and LARP occasionally and have been passing our traditions and our costume & weapon making skills onto our children.

tree of life pendant

Tell us something about you that no-one else might know.

     There really isn't much that most people who know me don't know. The only thing I really keep to myself was the parts of my life that were not so great. There was a time where I was in a very bad place all around, when I was married to my oldest child's father and when I was with the man I dated for 13 years & almost married (the father of my 2 youngest children) . Both relationships were controlling and abusive both mentally and emotionally. Lucky for me I got out before they got to the physical abuse aspect. That part of my life lasted for about 15 years or so and during that time I used my art as a mental escape for myself and as an aid in helping me regain my sense of self after I got the courage to take back my life and get my children away from that kind of life and have started a life with a man who loves and respects me and my children. I do not talk about my past much and most people that were not around me then unless they ask never really know or knew what I had been through and how far I had came in the time since.

If you could be a fictional character, who would you be, and why?

     I never really thought about this much. Unless you count my own fictional character Shelandry and her twin sister Amber that I have created for all of my role playing over the years, if that is the case I would love to be her, well them. Shelandry is like me in many ways, kind and caring but has the ability to help people and heal the injured as she is a healing priestess and her best friend is a dragon and I love dragons. Amber because she is strong and independent and protects her sister with everything she has.

Share your social media links and where we can find you on the internet.

 I do not have some of the traditional social media that many use like twitter or Instagram, those are for my personal use when I even use them, but I do have a couple websites that I use for my studio.

Facebook: facebook.com/shelandrystudio

DeviantArt: shelandrystudio.deviantart.com

Scotts Marketplace shop: scottsmarketplace.com/store/shelandrystudio/

Etsy: etsy.com/shop/ShelandryStudio

Pick a favorite item from your shop, and why is it your favorite.

My favorite item in my shop has to be my custom character hoodies. There are so many different deign styles that I had to make a couple different listing to separate them into categories. I went from the usual requests of Pokemon characters to having to grow into making a separate listing for My Little Pony designs and even BJDs (ball jointed dolls). They are my favorite because I never know what my next order will be, and designing the hoodies to the wanted characters are such fun. I love the fact that I can use both my art and my sewing at one time and make something that makes people happy, especially little kids, who seem to really really love their  hoods designed after their favorite characters.

child size custom hoodie

What advise would you give a new artist just starting out?

My advice to any new artist, including my children who also have shown interest in becoming artists in one form or another. never give up. Practice a lot and never ever let anyone tell you that it is not worth the time because there are so many people also doing it. Doing something you love will never be a waste of time. Look for something that you really love and always put a bit of yourself into what you do. People can see the difference between something being made out of habit or necessity and something made out of love and passion for what they do. A true artist always puts a bit of their soul into their art, no matter the medium it takes shape in. Their art is who they are inside and how they view what makes them happy.

Pick a favorite item from another shop, and why is it your favorite.

 After looking through all the shops in the categories that I like to buy from (which as of right now there were not very many) I can say so far my favorite shop was Amigurumi Man. Their items are in the theme that I collect and also in an art form that I do not have access to around where I live. They crochet a lot of gaming themed items, most crochet items around where I am are hats, country crafts and the like and a lot of the conventions that I attend have the themes that I collect but in forms that I find everywhere, like bead work, artwork or plastic crafts.

Do you have any special coupon codes for our readers?

   I do have a special only for your readers, it is called Blog reader special. Just enter the code " BlogReaderSpecial " and receive free shipping on all orders over $35.00 . Code valid until 12/31/16

Wasn't this great????   I just love Sheila and her shop Shelandry Studio.  And don't forget to use the discount she has so generously provided only to my readers.

And while your there, check out the other great shops at

Scott's Marketplace.

Until next time,

Be blessed,

Debb

Friday Artist Feature - Gerda Collins

I love art.  There is just something so relaxing and soul satisfying about art.  Yes, I know, some art is created to make you feel, and react, and all of that, but sometimes we just need to enjoy what is sweet, and pretty, and soft.  And that is the kind of art you'll find in Gerdas Garden.

Here is a great print of her watercolor Morning Glories.  I love watching these grow wild (usually in my vegetable garden) and the colors are so pretty.

This is what Gerda herself has to say about her artwork...

"My work has a softer caste to it, that is on purpose. I seek a gentler way and a kinder spirit to reach out to the world."

I couldn't agree more.  I've also discovered that Gerda is busy with her 2 other shops...

How adorable is this pink pom pom hat?  You can find all sorts of cute crochet items in her shop Gerdas Goodies.  She does some sewing also, and makes nice totes and bags.

In her shop Gerdas Garage is where she has collected her vintage items, like this awesome Graceland Pink Purse.  Yep, Gerda is a woman after my own heart, handmade and vintage....you can never have too much of either.

Click on any of the links above and go visit this wonderful woman, and tell her I said "hey". :0)

Be blessed,

Debbi



The Craft Star featured artist - Georgia Groves

Today I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine from The Craft Star, Georgia Groves.  Her profile shares that she is a grandmother of 6 and lives to make them happy.  A woman to whom I can totally relate.  Let's check out her shops.  Yes, shops, she has 2.  Her first shop is georgiamarbles. 

Georgia likes to sew, and she likes vintage, and she likes babies, so these soft animal infant toys are a perfect match of all her passions.  I love the vintage look of them.

Isn't this a pretty apron?  I love the look of aprons, I have a matching set hanging in my kitchen from when Hannah was little.  We both had our own aprons, but we always forgot to put them on, so whenever I bake I end up with flour hand prints on my legs and backside. lol  This pink candy stripe apron with the cabbage roses ruffle is so very pretty.  It would look good hanging in my kitchen. :0)

As a teen I loved Sara Coventry jewelry, and I found this choker necklace and earring set in Georgia's vintage shop, vintagemarbles.   This set is in excellent condition...very elegant and pretty.

Lastly, just check out this vintage Aloha Honolulu clutch.  I features a beautiful and relaxing beach scene and has 3 sections inside.  It also come with a little change purse.  I like it!!!!

So, that's my artist feature for today.  Click on any link above to visit Georgia's shops.  Or click below to find her elsewhere on the web.  And as always, let me encourage you to purchase handmade and support small business.  We are an important part of this great nation.
Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter / Google+

Be blessed,
Debbi

my dream vacations...

In the Handmade Artists blog ring, we have been sharing items with the theme vacation.  So I thought I would share what my personal dream vacation ideas have been...

a dude ranch!  While we have had horses, and I've loved horses since I was a kid, the idea of a midwest dude ranch has always piqued my interest.  The whole idea of following a mountain trail on the back of a horse, camping under the stars, and eating beans from a can...don't laugh, that IS my idea of fun.  And that's why I wanted to show you this amazing painting on slate of horses and mountains from bjsgourdartetc.

You all may also remember that I have a fondness for the beach...most any beach as long as it's not too crowded.  I think that's why we keep going back to the Outer Banks here in NC.  And with any vacation, one of the nice parts is NO COOKING.  No, I do not look for hotels with kitchens, hahaha.  So this sweet beachcomber soft wallet would work great when we're walking the boardwalk looking for souvenirs or dinner.  I found this in the shop of Excess Bags N More.

And of course, the place we vacation the most is back home in New York...mostly for family weddings.  For my last 2 nieces weddings, I painted for them wedding banners for their cars and/or head tables.  The one on the left was for Jennifer and John and was based on their own invitation, and the one on the right was for Janine and Matt and incorporated the art work of my late mother.  They were both big hits.

This last one is an original design I did for our niece on my husbands side...these banners are painted on vinyl and sealed against the weather (just don't leave them out in a down pour), and they will become a great keepsake of the special day.  You can order a banner for your special day, or special couple, by just visiting my shop at Handmade Artists.  

Enjoy your summer, and your own special family vacations.

Be blessed,

Debbi

HAF artist feature - Reef Botanicals

I know that I have mentioned numerous times that I am not the best at time management, so I am totally in awe of this weeks HandmadeArtists.com featured shop, Reef Botanicals and the energizer bunny, Larissa.  Now, this shop is a team effort from Larissa and her husband Eric, but Larissa is the one that we usually see around the Handmade Artists Forum, and let me tell you she is one busy lady.  Let me show you some of the items they sell on their Reef Botanicals site.



I love candles...and wouldn't it be great if these Chocolate Decadence Votives could satisfy my sweet tooth while sweetening the ambiance of my home?  I wish! LOL. 

My Chuck likes to shave the "old fashioned" way, with soap and a razor, so this Smooth Operator Shaving Soap would be perfect for him.  And for you that have difficulty making a decision, try this Custom Gift Basket where you get to choose the items.  So, yeah, you'll still have to make a choice.

Eric and Larissa have a second shop called Fabric Of My Mind (as if one is not enough).  You'll also like the items you can find here. 

Here you'll find hand-sewn, hand-knitted, and original photography, along with other neat items.  This Wicklow from a Horse photo is by far my favorite.  It makes me want to just run out and buy myself another horse.  The color of this Deep Blue Celtic Knot knitted scarf is so pretty, and it looks warm too.  Larissa is also an actress with her local theater group, and she created a whole heard of cows as gifts for her fellow actors on opening night.  Then she created some for us, meet Flossie the Cow.  She has 3 listed, all with different fabric patterns, but the same sweet face.

If you live in the New Jersey area and are hosting a party, you can hire these talented artists for face painting and body painting.  Plus, they have a well written blog,  twitter, and 2 facebook pages (here and here).  See, I told you she was one busy lady (and hubby).  :0)

Click on any (or all) the links to check out this amazing shop for yourself.  And I'll see you tomorrow.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Handmade Artists feature - Lil Bit Sassy

Today I get to introduce to you...from HandmadeArtists.com...



Rhonda is the creative force of Lil'l Bit Sassy and she lives in Pennsylvania with her family.  Her large family!  Which is what inspires her to create these awesome items for every member of the family...

 for the baby she has bibs, blankets, and dolls.  Being a country girl, this Bessie Cow Snuggle Blanket is on my list of favorite items.  What a great gift for the newest member of your family.  And when your little one gets a little bigger, this would be a great 1st doll.  Rhonda has a large selection of blankets and dolls, all different colors and patterns.  The face on this doll just makes me smile!  Now for the much bigger kids in your life.

 Electronics was a big hit under the tree this year, and this Owl Ipad or Tablet Case will keep them in great condition.  And for the "vintage" lovers like me, how about this Owl and Pussycat book cover? Yes, it's for real books, with pages and all.  And it comes with a bookmark so you don't have to turn down the page corners.  Hmmm, "the owl and the pussy cat went to sea in a beautiful pea green boat", I loved that poem when I was in grade school.

There is so much more at Lil Bit Sassy, cake toppers, dog sweaters, t-shirts, hairbows, well, I could just go on and on, but it would be so much better if you just clicked on a link and checked it out for yourself.  You can also follow Rhonda's blog, and her website is the place to be for custom orders and to see her supply of fabric and embroidery designs.  So head on over, and tell her I said "hey".

Be blessed,

Debbi

HAF artists feature - iKnitQuiltSew

Today I would like to share with you a great shop at TheHandmadeArtists. 

iKnitQuiltSew is a wonderful place stuffed full of blankets, and dolls, and so many things for baby and mommy. Check this out.

I love this little kitty!  A vibrant pink baby quilt with pretty grey kitties.  What a great way to comfort your baby girl at nap time.  Heck, I would like this quilt for myself, LOL.  This is a one of a kind original design by Sandi herself, and it measures 40.5" x 44", perfect for the princesses crib.  It was first machine assembled and quilted, then hand quilted with medium weight polyester batting.  Sandi hand embroidered the details on the kittens faces and even signed her name, making this not only a quilt, but a piece of art.

Sandi learned to knit from her grandmother and some of the patterns she uses are actually from her great-grandmother, dating from the late 1800's.  That's where the classic look of Sandi's items must come from, like these hand knit white and red cowboy booties.  Aren't they just adorable?  And how about this large brown toy teddy bear?  He is completely handmade with movable joints, and a cute knit scarf.  He measures almost 16" tall when standing.  She also carries dolls, headbands, dishcloths, and baby gifts.  So hop on over to her shop iKnitQuiltSew and visit her blog.  You won't be sorry.

Be blessed,

Debbi

IBH blog ring 9/9/12

This week on my It's Better Handmade Etsy Team feature, I would like to share with you

 Midnite Hollow.  The brains behind this outfit is Samantha Sawtelle, and she is a very talented seamstress.  Her shop is filled with purses, bags, and other accessories.



Check out this great zebra print make up brush holder.  I could really use this, since I keep my make up and brushes just tossed into a small plastic tote.  All of Samantha's items are one of a kind because she feels that her customers deserves to have that special kind of experience.  And I fully agree with her on that....

Samantha lives in California with her family and is a full time home maker with a husband, 2 girls, 2 cats, and a dog to keep her hopping.  Yet she still finds time to fill her shop with amazing products...like this purse.

 

Purple faux suede and silk makes this the perfect Reniassance accessory. We have a very large Reniassance Festival here in North Carolina....and I love to go and people watch.  With this purse, maybe this year I'll play dress up and let other people watch me. lol.  But seriously, isn't this adorable?  And I bet if you needed it in a different color, Samantha would do her best to make one just for you.



This last purse is my favorite.  The black, brown, and tan mod print on this bag is just groovy, man.  No, really, it is a great bag.  Big and roomy, and there is a great looking beaded tassel on the bottom.

 

 

So hurry on over to her shop...and grab your own one of a kind bag for yourself.  And then check out MidniteHollow at these following sites.

 

Midnite Hollow Etsy Shop / Midnite Hollow Blog / Facebook / A less than perfect homemaker

 

Be blessed,

Debbi



It's Better Handmade with Gabby's Quilts



 

Do you like to sew?  Quilt?  Or do you like to have others sew for you?  Either way, you'll like this shop...Gabby's Quilts N Supplies.  Ruth not only offers finished handmade products, she also offers all kinds of supplies and fabrics on her Etsy shop.

 

I love the flower fabric of this zippered coin purse.  Daisy's are a favorite flower of mine, and since I am always just dropping my change into my bottomless purse, this would be great for me.  Or for my daughter when she goes to school.  There is a key chain hook on it so she can attach it right to her book bag.

 

With the start of school, comes the cooler weather, and fall.  I love fall, the colors of warm browns, bright oranges, and deep reds.  And the smell of burning leaves always brings a smile to my face.  These pumpkin pot holders would look great in your kitchen.  There is gold (highlights) in them there pumpkins, and you get a set of 2. 

 

If you're the type of person that prefers to sew for yourself, you can find fabric here at Gabby's.  Like this Pointsetta pattern fabric.  If you start now, you can finish up your gift list before Thanksgiving!  You can also like her on facebook, and follow her blog.

So click on over to Gabby's Quilts N Supplies.  And tell her Debbi sent you.

  Be blessed,

Debbi

Stitch Princess and the wedding season

I love spring, fresh flowers, green trees, and weddings.  My nephew Jason is marrying his long time sweetheart this July, and I know that she has been so busy, looking for a band, the food, flowers, invitations, etc.  But the most important item for a wonderful wedding is the dress!  And so, for my BESTeam feature, let's take a look at the amazing dresses from Stitch Princess on Etsy.

 Wow, look at this dress.  Faith hand-sewed all the sequins on the bodice of this dress, and it is beautiful.  Every woman dreams of her wedding day, and having every eye on her as she walks down the aisle, and with this Sequin Dress, no one would be able to look away.  Especially the groom. :~)

There is a modest knee hi slit on the side, and right above the knee you can find this..

Every bride needs a garter, and to have 2 is even better.  One to throw, and one to keep.  Faith has several styles of garters to choose from, and I'm sure she would love to change the ribbon color to suit you.  After all, the bride is always right!

And don't forget yourself...
what to wear, what to wear.

I love this party dress.  The model looks like she's having fun just wearing it.   A great spaghetti strap short dress, perfect for dancing up a storm with all those groomsmen at the reception. ;~P
Faith has been sewing for most of her life, so she is a very accomplished seamstress, and loves custom orders.   So go and check out her shop, and you can also find her here in cyberspace.
Etsy / Blog / Facebook

If you have an Etsy shop, and a blog, come and join this merry band of bloggers and we support and promote each other through our blogs and other social media.  You can find us on Etsy, or follow our Blog and Facebook to keep up to date with the awesome members of this team.
 Debbi

my local CAPSteam buddies

I haven't shared my CAPSteam buddies in a while, so here we are...While looking thru the members list, I noticed a few that are local to me.  How cool is that?  So I'm going to show you some hometown CAPSteam talent.  First up from Lincolnton, NC, Meadow Song Arts.  Danielle is an accomplished artist as well as a talented crafter.  My favorite is this Chimpanzee done in oil.  I feel like it's staring right at me, kind of like my kids when they are hungry, lol.  This wonderful chimp is painted on 10x10 canvas board, the perfect size for that hard to decorate area.

Ok, my second visit today is MyStuff2, located somewhere in the state of North Carolina, where I find this little guy staring at me.  What's with the looks I'm getting today? hahaha.  This shop of full of georgeous photographs, and from her photos she creates gift tags and greeting cards, but her biggest sellers are bookmarks.  I am an avid reader (I refuse to buy a nookbook) and I have misplaced the scrap pieces of paper, or tissue, that I usually grab to mark my page.  I definetly need some of these bookmarks.

And then there's MissPrettyPerfect.  Finally, something not staring at me, but of course it's yelling...BUY ME! hahaha. LaToya is fairly close to me, down here in Cornelius, but for a little while she tried the Big Apple, but hey, once a southern belle, always a southern belle.  Right LaToya?  She makes the greatest purses (from my old yankee speak), but I've learned to call them pocketbooks down here :~D  Her style is unique and you won't be sorry to keep all your stuff in one of her bags.

My last pick is Sew Upscale from Morganton, NC.  Linda creates quilted postcards!  How cool is that?  I've sewn clothes, and made many quilts, but never would have thought to make a quilt that small.  I love this one of the Rocky Mountains.  It almost looks like the view from my front porch where I can watch the sun set behind the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Now this last picture has absolutely nothing to do with Etsy or arts and crafts, but it is typical North Carolina.  EWWWWW.  I have lived down here (from NY) for 12 years, and I will NEVER get used to the HUGE bugs that share my world.  But I must say, the colors and patterns are pretty.  My husband kept telling me to get close to take this picture, but I said that I would depend on my zoom lens, thank you very much.

I hope you enjoyed my local CAPSteam buddies, and you can click on any link above to visit their shops.  And while you are there, buy local! lol
Debbi