Winterville Wonders

Hope everyone is having a terrific Tuesday!  At least it's not evil Monday, right? :)  Let's start today off right with Winterville Wonders.  This shop is based out of Greenville, North Carolina.  A shop full of vintage items & of course, some handmade items.  One of my favorite items is the Green Glass Bead & Grey Pearl Beads necklace.

Q: How did you come up with your shop name?
A: I originally wanted RetroRenee but unfortunately it was taken.  So, I brain-stormed on a name that is catchy and broad enough for my handmade and vintage items and I live in Winterville so WintervilleWonders popped into my mind.

Q: Do you only sell on Etsy?
A: I mainly sell on Etsy, but two months ago delved slightly into eBay since I had a few items that I wasn't sure of their age and didn't want to break the 20 year vintage rule on Etsy.

Q: What inspires you?
A:  I am inspired by the beauty of nature, and love earth colors and anything that reminds me of the beach. I also love flowers, animals, music, and landscapes.

Q: What is the hardest part of what you do?
A:  I am pretty steadfast and patient, which is an asset for an online business. I just try to do a little to promote my shop every day or almost every day.  It is work, but it is rewarding, fun, and enjoyable.

Q: What is one of your favorite items from your shop?
A:  I have been enjoying making these bib necklaces recently.

Q: What made you decide to use Etsy instead of sites like ArtFire and MadeItMySelf?
A: I have not heard of ArtFire and MadeItMyself.  I had two friends on Etsy and they encouraged me to open a shop. I had been hearing about Etsy for several years. I very much enjoy the community part of Etsy and the positivity I feel from other sellers. It very much feels like a group of encouraging friends.

Q: Is Etsy your only "job", or is it something you do on the side?
A: Unfortunately I still have a 'real' job, (actually two!) but I am off during the summers and I look forward to the time when Etsy can be my only job!

Q: Are you attending any art shows in the future?
A:  I have a jewelry party coming up in the Fall and I do two or three large craft fairs every Spring.

Q: Any future projects?
A:  My project for the summer was doing several small paintings and making them into printed magnets, greeting cards, and bookmarks. I just got the first batch back from the printer yesterday, so I am anxious to photograph and get them on Etsy!

"Be patient, promote, tell friends, join teams on Etsy, take good photographs, and read all of the info for sellers that Etsy works hard to put together. It is work, but it is fun work!" - Renee

Alpaca Kids

Happy Sunday!  Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  We're starting week two of Etsy features with Alpaca Kids.  One of my favorite items is the Bunny Rabbit Hat.

Q: How did you come up with your shop name?
A: My brother is an alpaca farmer in the mountains of NC. A couple of years ago, my two oldest daughters were both expecting their first babies and he sent me some yarn made of his alpaca fiber so I could make sweaters for my new grandchildren. I fell in love with the texture and feel of alpaca, not to mention the wide variety of natural colors it comes in, and partnered with my brother to start my business.

Q: Do you only sell on Etsy?
A: I don't sell on any other websites. I do a lot of custom work for people I know or who come to me through referrals and sell at a couple of art/craft fairs a year, but Etsy is my only online site.

Q: What inspires you?
A: Nature, anything organic and pure, and my grandchildren, who just happen to be the cutest models I could ask for!

Q: What is the hardest part of what you do?
A: I truly love everything about what I do. The hard part is finding enough time to make everything on my "to do" list!

Q: What is one of your favorite items from your shop?
A: I love everything about this little sweater: Baby Sweater Cardigan

Q: What made you decide to use Etsy instead of sites like ArtFire and MadeItMySelf?
A: I had purchased things on Etsy and knew other people who did as well. It is the place that everyone encouraged me to sell.

Q: Is Etsy your only "job", or is it something you do on the side?
A: It's not my only job, but it is definitely where my heart lies! In my "real life" I work as a property manager for my family's business. I also direct the North Carolina Affiliate of Destination Imagination, a program that teaches the creative process to children.

Q: Are you attending any art shows in the future?
A: I will be at the River Arts District Studio Stroll in Asheville, NC on November 10-11, 2012. Find me with the alpacas outside Studio 375 Depot!

Q: Any future projects?
A: My third grandchild is due around Christmas, so I'm trying to figure out what wonderful newborn Christmas-themed things I can make!

Word of advice from Alpaca Kids: As cliche' as it sounds, the important thing is to find what you love to do and just jump in. Then be patient, stick with it, and wait and see what blessings come your way.

Salvaged Shreds

Happy Friday Eve!!!  Today I am featuring a shop based out of the Carolinas: Salvaged Shreds.  It is a very unique shop and offers a wide variety of items.  One of my favorite items from this shop is the Happy Bunny Shredded Tee Purse.  Before I fully introduce you to this shop, I just want to take a moment and say something.  As you've noticed, I do a Q & A on every shop that I feature.  This particular one was inspiring & you will see why just from the first question.  It made me realize that no matter how bad something is, you can always turn it around into something positive.  Now, I present to you, Salvaged Shreds :)


Q: How did you come up with your shop name?
A: I was molested and raped as a teen.  In order to deal with it, I used to cut up my t-shirts and make hand bags and clothing.  My mother fondly called these things shreds.  After a while, I realized that by shredding my clothing, I was releasing my anger.  I realized that every time I shredded something, I was salvaging a little piece of my messed up life.  So, there we came to Salvaged Shreds.  I put my life back together by cutting something up and putting it back together.

Q: Do you only sell on Etsy?
A: I only sell my clothing on Etsy, but I also frequent sites like Ebay for my paintings.

Q: What inspires you?
A: I suffer from several eating disorders.  What inspires me is bringing home the idea to women that they are beautiful no matter what they see in the mirror.

Q: What is the hardest part of what you do?
A:  Trying to work from home with 4 kids & pushing your self to belive in your work when things are looking down.

Q: What is one of your favorite items from your shop?
A: The red and black puppy scarf.  It's warm and fuzzy like a puppy.

Q: What made you decide to use Etsy instead of sites like ArtFire and MadeItMySelf?
A:  I hadn't heard of them.  I'm not very into knowing what's new.  I've known Etsy a wile now.

Q: Is Etsy your only "job", or is it something you do on the side?
A: My main job is being a mom.  Next comes whatever I want to do.  So, yes and no.

Q: Are you attending any art shows in the future?
A: Yes, this month on the 25th I'm doing a show with a group of artists from North Carolina.

Q: Any future projects?
A:  I'm puting together this up coming Spring to raise funds for a small animal santuary.

Inspiring Words from Salvaged Shreds: "Keep pushing; don't give up.  It's hard, yes, but you have to believe in what you do and in your self because if you work hard enough, you can make anything possible."

31 Days of Halloween

As of today, I have decided to host 31 Days of Halloween on my blog starting October 1, 2010. It will end, of course, on Halloween. What exactly is 31 Days of Halloween? Well, it's all things Halloween for 31 days. I will only blog about Halloween related topics such as the history, myths, props, movies, shows, contests, etc... My website Spirits From Beyond will also host a night (or maybe a week) dedicated for story sharing. Share all of your experiences with the paranormal. Go on over & sign up =] I know the site needs major updating, but just ignore it for now. It will be fixed up before October. I will post at a later time as to when that will occur. If there's anything you would like to see during 31 Days of Halloween, feel free to let me know. You can leave a comment here, or use the "E-Mail Me" button in the right column. I can't wait :-D Oh, grab the button in the left column & post it to your page/blog =]

In other news, I received some great samples from Abundance Yeah. Abundance Yeah makes gourmet fruit butter, jams, preserves, flavored salts, rubs, candy and more. I received samples of her Sesame Curry Salt, Kickin' Jerk Rub, and Lil' Southwest Taste season. She also included three recipes. I can't wait to try the kickin' jerk rub with her grilled jerk shrimp recipe.

Also, I've decided on my top three career choices (after I finish my AA degree). They are, in no order, graphic design/digital arts, photography, and CSI. I thought and thought about this Friday as I need to start applying to schools since I only have 2 classes left before I graduate with my AA degree. I love graphic design and have been doing it for years. However, I looove photography. In order to have both, I would have to do photography because they both go hand in hand. Now CSI, that stuff grabs my attention like no other. I love watch those kind of shows & always wonder what it was like to actually do that. Well, if I did CSI, photography would be incorporated with it. Sounds like I can't have a three right? Wrong. I came up with a solution. If I take up CSI, photography would be in that & I could take up graphic design on the side. There's so much competition in the digital arts field that graphic design isn't guaranteed a steady job. So, as for now, that's my career plan: get a degree in CSI & take up graphic designing as a side job. Now the hard part: finding the right school. It seems like every single school I find ends up being a for-profit school. For-profit schools are educational institutions that are run by private, profit-seeking companies or organizations. I also read this article where some people went undercover as students, and some of the for-profit schools told them to lie on their Financial Aid & also encouraged fraud. In other words, you don't want to go to a for-profit school. Here's a list of for-profit schools: click here. I would LOVE to have a school here in South Carolina or North Carolina. Would be nice to actually visit, but it's not a must. I'm wanting to do my degree online since it's just easier and more convenient for me. I did find one good school, but they only offer a certificate in CSI. So I'm kind of stuck =[ If anyone knows of any schools that aren't for-profit, please let me know.

Check out these 4 great Etsians:

Bloody Severed Head with Glass Prop
By: BlackWaterFX


Gory Horror Gothic Art Print-8x10-Exhibit C
By: TheStripedTurtle


Bubbly Bloody Brain Soap
By: ajsweetsoap


Creepy Cute - Bloody Arms Earrings
By: TeaDollHouse