Cornucopia of IMTeam Bags

My picks from last week's challenge - What's in your bag ?

some late august sunshine...

 

it's nearly the end of august and the bees are still buzzing, this post celebrates the warm bright tones of lemon and mustard and the late summer warmth in the air -- featuring imteam members and a special guest.... happy sunday!  

in numbered order: 1. britthermann 2. michabella 3. budpnq 4. thedoghouse 5. monkivintage 6. TheJoyofColor

Refashion!

Tweed Tails by nattyboho

I love recycling. And I love tweed. 

So here's your refashioned tweed awesomeness :)

summer wine - pour me another!

20-20

This treasury from Pam at Wicked Darling reminded me that the reason I tripped down the stairs yesterday is because I need new glasses.

Late August

a collection in honor of the rich textures and warm palette of autumn featuring imteam members and special guests... top left to right:
  hold, veronicavart, Monicaj, OceanSwept , TutusChic , aroluna , LaTouchables ,  Peylu

Fall home

Fall has it's own rainbow and it's about the time one wants to bring it inside. The beautiful autumn landscapes don't have to end outside with these items by LouisestArt, LizzieJoeDesigns and JDWolfePottery.

the Real Studio Managers - 5. Flores

This is part 5 of a series showing the REAL managers behind the artists of the In the Making team on etsy

Please meet IMteam leader Betsy from etsy shop BetsyBensen with her studio manager Flores.

Flores came to live with Betsy when he was 8 weeks old, as a Guide Dog for the Blind puppy who would be raised for 12 months before being handed back to them, but one look at the state of Betsy's work bench and he knew that his calling in life lay in her studio instead!

'cripes! look at all the stuff on there - how on earth can you see anything?! I'll help you manage it!'

so, er, let's start with a smile - can't do work without a smile first?

then when Betsy is having a hard day with all those bits of metal and stones and what-nots and feels like the, em, imps are taking over, I make sure to remind her to keep things in perspective - after all - how tiny are the imps? I've never seen one?

and when Betsy needs to relax and refocus her eyes then I like to add a bit of fun in the mix ...

Yes, that is a half chewed little creature!

...... er, just joking! it's only a toy! ha ha! had you going there ....!

however I wasn't so keen on the tongue sticking out of this tiny dog head so I made sure to chew it off.

Besides, poking your tongue out is rude! didn't anyone ever tell you?

anyway, time to stretch our legs - c'mon Betsy, let's have a splash!

I'll throw, you fetch? or, perhaps we could try the other way around? that water is a little chilly!

and after a hard day managing Betsy at her work bench I like nothing better than to get a little R&R myself!

(won't be trying to eat this one, it's too big!)

Hey! put the light out, I need some rest!

....... Same time next month - meet more of the REAL managers doing REAL work!

Lost and Found

Hard to choose a favorite but this one speaks to me the most,
thanks to everyone who participated in the challenge - message in a bottle !

autumn in the air

some beautiful finds with textures and tones that evoke the senses and tell of the changing of the seasons, featuring imteam members and special guest... 1. atstuart 2. berezki 3. LuxuryMarleyProd 4. dragonhouseofyuen 5. jessamae22 6. Fleurografie 7. Meetalls 8. 88editions

Hello Movie Lovers!

A bit of nostalgia from SilentHeartVintage, a member of the team, to bring back good movies memories. You can arrange a lovely photo gallery in your office, hall or even in a corner of the living room. Quite a fun way to share your home with great artists from the past.

Ideas for Fall Fashion, Design and Colors for 2011

Hi Everyone my name is Jen and I am the designer at the Itty Bitty Bag Company.

This is my first blog post for the team. My plan is to post at the beginning of each month with either a fashion story or a tutorial. My goal is to help spur ideas and this seems to be something that is a very popular search term. I welcome comments and feedback to help shape the content of my posts.

Now that the housekeeping is done...

Fall Fashion, Design & Color for 2011

Whether your craft is Fashion, Design, Cosmetics or Fine Art there will always be a color pallet that is used throughout the industry to create beautiful articles, front pages of Etsy, or just what the general population is buying and searching for.

Be on the lookout for the following fall 2011 ideas.

First and one of my own personal favorites is pale colors with pops of brights. These will work great on handbags, accessories, fine art prints or even interior designs that might include accent pillows. Keep this in mind when you are photographing as well.

Charcoal grey (gray) was definitely a theme with some of the big design powerhouses. The overwhelming color that was an accent with it...pink neon. Oh my!! Though this is a bit much for my taste, perhaps a fuchsia pink might give it the same level of pop.

The color themes for fall might includes shades of Emerald Green, vivid blue, or graphic black and white. Geometric seems to be a recurring theme that includes a houndstooth or bold stripes. You might see some switch up with the colors of Indigo and Black.

Exotic skins like snake will also take the stage, these will include lush colors and golden accents.

On the golden tones...yellow was still a very popular interior design color and autumn colors including very deep oranges and yellows will continue to be front stage.

I wanted to try to include some of these themes into a team treasury to give you a better sense of these design ideas.

Enjoy!

My best, Jen
The Itty Bitty Bag Company
http://ittybittybag.com
twitter: ittybittybag

Miaow Monday.

Hehe! I loved Betsy Bensen's theme so much I showed it to my dog, Jess.
She was not impressed but I am.

early august back to school ideas...

it's hard to believe it's already august-- and while there are plenty of lovely summer days ahead, everyone knows that with september comes the start of a new school year for young and old. today's sunday post features handmade items by imteam members and special guest that will help make school shopping exiting and fun. 1.  Brokenghostcouture 2. CynArt 3. stonz 4. LizzieJoeDesigns 5. AnnaLela 6. fofum 7. jamieshelman 8. butterflyfood

too good to pass up! x 4

sweet tart

The inspiration of a simple grapefruit adds energy to the hottest days of summer. A splash of color and zesty scent will refresh you and your environment. Painting by linneaheide, grapefruit soap by DeShawnMarie and vintage napkins by raemj.

Spotlight on FoFum

FoFum pins

This month's Spotlight interview is on Jane Harrison, the creative mind behind FoFum. I asked Jane to tell us a little bit about herself and her work...

Tell me something about where you live and your family if you wish.

I grew up in the eastern part of North Carolina, not too far from the beach. Now I live in the mountains in a community called Happy Valley. My two children are grown and living nearby, which also makes me happy. Living with me are Tooksie and Sadie the dogs and Marilyn and Udna the cats. Our favorite days are those when the windows and doors to my studio stay open, the music is up high, and the animals are in and out while I work.

                                                                         Jane's studio

What led you to your craft, have you worked in other mediums prior to this?

Well, I knew early in life I would be an artist, and I have been painting most of my life. After being a professional painter for a while, I went back to school to get my MFA in drawing and painting. It was at East Carolina University School of Art where I befriended the metals folk, and would sneak into their studio space occasionally to experiment.

                                                         Some of Jane's beautiful encaustics

Have you had formal training in your field, or are you self-taught?

I have not had formal training in metals, but I have benefitted from the expertise of some wonderful metal artists. I go to Penland School of Crafts as often as possible for additional study. This year I was in an enameled book class. Wonderful! And yes a small kiln is being added to my studio. My learning style with the metals has been just to follow the path that pops up rather than follow a linear curriculum. I have been very influenced by several artists working with found objects and tin. One of the previous Penland workshops taught me cold connection techniques I use to put my work together. My relationships with the East Carolina University Metals Department and the Penland community of artists keep me nurtured.

                                                                   bracelets and necklace

Can you explain a little bit about your technique?

I am intrigued by the serendipitous patterns and designs that occur when seemingly random but similar objects are juxtaposed. My process begins at the flea market and antique store with the search for the cheap, damaged and unwanted treasure. In studio, I focus on color relationships, using vintage tin. The technique is metal collage, and I fasten these collages together with various cold connections. The shapes I gravitate towards are organic free forms.

                                                                    Heart pendant

In what ways do you market your work?

Etsy has proven to be a great place for me to market work. The flexibility enables me to list work as I make it at my own pace and the transactions are super easy to manage. I do have a few galleries who show my work on a regular basis also.

                                                                          earrings

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not in the studio?

I love getting together with my family for trips and excursions. We enjoy the bluegrass music so readily available in this area of the country. I go dip my toes in the Atlantic Ocean when I can. I ride, hike and picnic along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I like having a houseful of guests and cooking good food. Not much beats a good, productive day in the studio however.


You can see more of Jane's work at janewellsharrison.com
And be sure and visit her etsy shop at fofum.etsy.com!

100%

A reall feel-good team treasury.

"Music & Inspiration" Team Challenge Winners

All treasures are SO beautifully created so choosing just one is very difficult. But this list - "Yeah, My Grass is Blue" by fofum really caught my eye, so it will be my choice for favorite! I absolutely love it







However, these two
A Whiter Shade of Pale by peylu and
The Sound of Hounds by thedoghouse are just fabulous too:







I would like to thank everyone for participating and making our items look so beautiful!