The Handmadeology Team
The Handmadeology Team is dedicated to the handmade movement and exists for the purpose of teaching artists how to successfully sell their handmade goods online, and to feature the newest handmade, vintage and supply items found on Etsy. Join the Team
Meet the Team:
Handmadeology Editor: Timothy Adam
I am a self taught metal artist, and a certified Mig welder. I started designing modern metal furniture in 2004. I built my first piece in Baltimore with my sister-in-law who is a furniture designer. I found my passion in metal and kept on designing and building. I struggled for 4 years to make a name in local galleries in the Grand Rapids Michigan area. A friend of mine introduced me to Etsy in February of 2007, and it changed my business. I started creating a jewelry line and have not turned back. In November of 2007 I had to quit my full time job cause my passion was becoming a dream come true! I am now selling all over the world through my Etsy shop. I also have wholesale accounts around the country with galleries, museums and salons. Handmadeology launched in January 2009 and refreshed and redesigned in August 2010.
I love the handmade community and Etsy… and Handmadeology is my way of giving back!
Andrea Mansfield
It was an “ah ha” idea on my way home from my day job and Brand & Bloom was born. I intentionally surround myself with creative people, many who were in the midst of either starting small business or growing one–there is no lack of passion, there is a lack of direction. Without direction passion can feel overwhelming and the original BIG idea can be lost.
I opened Brand & Bloom in 2011 to coach and motivate small creative business owners to a place where they feel confident in their ability to see and utilize their memorable brand. A small business brand is about value, transparency, and connection to their ideal customer–Brand & Bloom shows small creative businesses how to discover theirs.
Etsy shop: brandandbloom.etsy.com
Lisa Connolly
I am a brand marketer, a style blog author, a lover of life and the creative soul. Love for fashion took its hold on me at an early age. It led me to earn my B.A. in fashion design. My first job out of school was as a textile designer. While I loved the work, after 5 years, I got the itch to learn more about business, so I went back to school to get my M.B.A. Since then, I have held various product development and brand management roles in style-driven industries such as beauty products, fashion accessories and children’s products. I feel fortunate to have business exposure across such a wide variety of companies and categories.
Recently, I started a style blog called The Sparkle In Her Eye as a creative outlet to share all the wonderful inspirations I find along my journey and I have found through this and other social media platforms a great to way connect to all kinds of smart, passionate, creative people.
I am thrilled to contribute to Handmadeology. It is such a great resource for creative business owners and one of my joys is to see passionate, creative people realize their dreams and reach their business goals. I feel most comfortable when I am surrounded by this energy. I plan to share some of the lessons I have learned along the way in my marketing career with you.
I look forward to meeting and connecting with all the great members of the Handmadeology community. I can be found also on Twitter @HerSparkle and Facebook.
Handmadeology’s Resident Professional Photographer : Mariano Pastor
Writer: Cindy Fahnestock-Schafer
Hello everyone! My real name is Cindy Fahnestock-Schafer, but my pen name is Ira Mency. When I’m not working as my husband’s promoter and marketing agent, I’m designing store
displays, creating assemblages, writing books and running several shops including RetroChalet on Etsy.
I love upcycling vintage and run a plastics design and melamine dinnerware history blog. Since I travel so much I take that opportunity to find vintage components to use in my art and sell in my shop.
As a self-taught artist, I love the idea of a handmade community. Etsy embraces the notion for all people to craft what they love, and provides inexpensive opportunities for anyone to showcase
their wares and be their own star! That is a powerful tool in itself, and having several shops there, I yearned to learn more about social networking and growing my online business.
I became easily confused with all the technical jargon out there on the web, especially when it came to SEO, blogging, networking, back-linking, etc. I was hoping someone would come along and break
it all down for me in easy to understand terms. Along came Tim!
Just the idea of going to ONE place to find everything and network with others is a dream come true-and that dream is reality here at Handmadeology. You can take your handmade selling (or any online
selling for that matter) a step further with lots of education and easily learn the tools you need to succeed.
I’m happy to be part of the new HMET team on Etsy, and part of this site. I am a firm believer in Timothy Adam and have personally learned a lot from him. I believe that it takes one to know one. Tim’s vision for the handmade community is very powerful, and he shares the secrets he’s learned along the way with others. I personally rushed out to preorder his book and have personally endorsed it to my team. I am so glad to be here and part of this and think you will be too!
Hello readers and fellow crafters! I am excited to become a part of the Handmadeology team. I’m a graphic designer by day, and runner of 4 Etsy shops by
every-time-in-between. They are MegansBeadedDesigns.etsy.com, Glamour365.etsy.com, MegansCreativeDesign.etsy.com, and
SteampunkDream.etsy.com. I love to create unique jewelry and hair accessories, especially with BEADS. A unique design coming together by means of a thousand
little seed beads is very gratifying to me. I make all of my own designs (usually coming up with them as I go along) and love custom creations.
I ♥ sharing my handmade experience (plus a lot of other bits of randomness) on my blog, megansbeadeddesigns. So far it’s been a
fabulous adventure, and I’m looking forward to even more excitement!
Thank you,
Megan Petersen
Writer: Anne Burton
Hi my name is Anne Burton and I’m the owner of Beantown Handmade pet apparel and accessories. I opened up shop on Etsy in November 2008 and have now expanded my business to include an independent website, crafts shows, drop ship and wholesale. With over 1100 sales on Etsy and two years of crafting for a living under my belt, I’ve learned a lot by trial and error! I look forward to sharing some tips and hearing about your experiences as artists and business people. Originally from Virginia, I now live in Nebraska with my husband Michael and our two amazing Boston Terriers Lily and Bean. We are big advocates of animal rescue and adoption, and love to get involved with rescue fundraisers whenever and wherever we can.
Writer: Martha Latta
Hi! My name is Martha Latta. I’m also know as Sunday Afternoon Housewife, and I am a self-taught handmade artist who creates Scrabble tile pendants, glass tile pendants, silk screened tees, and lots of randomness. I travel all over the country to different craft fairs and have learned a lot from my trips and experiences. I regularly write about crafting, running a craft business, and taking a craft business on road. Crafting is my job, and I love my job. Besides being new to the Handmadeology Team, I’m also the Regional Craftologist for Indianapolis, Indiana on Unanimous Craft (www.unanimouscraft.com). On Unanimous Craft I post weekly about goings on in and around Indianapolis. I’m also the founder of the Handmade Promenade (www.handmadepromenade.com), an Indianapolis handmade market, and The Uncommon Craft Society of Indianapolis (www.uncommoncraftsociety.wordpress.com), a meet-up community of local crafters. You can read more about me on my own blog or shop my shop at www.sundayafternoonhousewife.com.
Writer: Meagan Visser
I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Arts- Computer Animation, and I have been designing websites since 2000. I traded my job as a video game artist to create my own design studio, and I truly love what I do. (Although I sometimes miss having my hand in the art of video games!) I have a special love for paper & print, but my true passion lies in creating digital designs on the web. In my (very limited) spare time, I enjoy taking my son, Dax, to playdates, playing video games with my hubby, and curling up with my Nook.
On my blog, Viva la Blogette, I write about DIY Projects, mommyhood, custom work, anything related to Alice in Wonderland, and tips for customizing your blog. I look forward to sharing more of that bloggin’ knowledge with you here on Handmadeology.
Writer: Lori Bergmann
Hello! My name is April, and I’m the gal behind the camera and etsy shop, creativeapples I’m a self taught artist, painter, and photographer, however, my degree is in psychology (and, as is the case with most psych grads, I’m not doing anything remotely related to my degree!!!) I currently work at a small catalog company as their web production/graphic artist and I’m responsible for creating all the image content that goes on their website and in their emails. It was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time that landed me this job!!!
I also blog about my shop, other fabulous handmade shops, and do a weekly round-up of links/tips to help market your handmade arts and crafts– creativeapples.wordpress.com in order to promote handmade artists and their wonderful creations!
Hello fellow Creative Types! I’m Susan Faye and I am an artist and designer living in the Great Pacific Northwest on the banks of Willamina Creek with a cat or two and a room full of really great art supplies. I would describe myself as a curious and crayola-crazed child trapped inside the body of a prematurely silver-haired middle-aged woman, so you can only imagine what kind of conversations ensue when my inner voices get going…
Currently I enjoy creating whimsical illustrations and prints inspired by mother nature and cats, then I use these images to design hand-crafted giftware and jewelry which can be seen in my Etsy shop Susan Faye Originals
My other passion is my illustrated blog, dedicated to feline fanatics, pet lovers and nature enthusiasts: 365 Cat Ladies and Friends
I have been creating and selling art and handcrafts for 30-some years. As an “elder” in the craft world, I enjoy sharing tips for those artists who may suffer from techno-phobia as I once did. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks; just take baby steps each day and EMBRACE technology! It has opened up my business to a worldwide clientele AND I have made valuable friendships with fascinating people from around the world.
“Handmade” has always been a part of my life: It means that something was made with care, creativity, perspiration, inspiration, resourcefulness, heart, soul, and the need for generous self-expression. I hope it is a fulfilling part of your life too!
I have studied Drama Production, Photography, Business & Science. I love among other things: art, photography, music, science, travel & shiny, pretty stuff…I have written a variety of craft & craft business related articles & have a blog Random Stuff by SAM that is a mix of photos, art & random thoughts on a variety of subjects. I can’t wait to meet you & read your thoughts, too! SAM
I’m Lisa Jacobs: Owner of the Energy Shop and Author of Market Your Creativity and The Rescue You Program. I’m from Pittsburgh, PA and currently living with my husband and our four children in Wellington, New Zealand. I have a passion for self-discovery and personal transformation. I like to spend my free time enjoying family, friends, spirituality and business books, Oprah, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills .
I’m honored to be part of the Handmadeology community. I love to talk to shop and help build the handmade marketplace. As Howard Thurman so beautifully stated, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
I love this life and I follow this credo: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman
Regina Morrison
About a year and a half ago I was stuck in a dead end job; chained to a paycheck. I desperately needed a creative outlet, so I spent my days at work writing about one of my passions, food, on my blog Taste {http://gina-taste.blogspot.com}. I soon needed a venue for my passions beyond food, so I started a small handmade accessories business, Acute Designs {www.acutedesigns.etsy.com}. Along with the business came a blog all about style, fashion, and running a small business. My Acute Designs blog {www.acutedesigns.org} has allowed me to grow as a writer and connect with so many people in the small and indie business community.
I hold a Bachelor’s in English from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and use my love of writing as a way to connect with the community and showcase my business and other small businesses. My writing and my passion for Acute Designs got me through that soul sucking day job and I am now contently working full time for myself, growing my business to meet my dreams. I feared wasting my life in a 9-5 and Acute Designs is my journey.
I am originally from the Midwest, and a bit homesick, but am happily avoiding winters while residing in San Diego, California with my husband and two crazy dogs.
I am a proud stay-at-home mom. I love my children and am very grateful that I get to be at home with them. I have always loved creating, crafting and making an artsy mess! This is what I do when I have free time….which is usually when I can squeeze in a minute here or there. I have been known to work at night when the kids are in bed sound asleep. I also have a very supportive husband who is a great help!!
Several years ago, I dove into the exciting world of polymer clay and have not looked back. I absolutely love working with clay and the versatility clay has. It can mimic many things, makes great jewelry, and is so lightweight! I have recently had my work published in Polymer Café Magazine in the August 2010 Reader’s Gallery.
My newest interests are of wire work and chainmaille. I have recently started working with wire and metals and find it very enjoyable as well! I love to create free-form pendants of sterling and copper as well as funky and fun earrings!I have online shops at www.chicki.etsy.com and www.chickibeads.etsy.com.
This is not just a hobby for me. The investments that are made in my store help to provide for our family, when I’m not reinvesting the profits that is. Except for our small mortgage, we are debt-free. Even living a very financially conservative lifestyle, it’s still difficult to make ends meet. We would love to be featured in “Quit Your Day Job” on Etsy, except I already did that three years ago to be home for my family.
I “retired” from the corporate world to be a stay at home for my two children. It doesn’t pay much, but it’s got great benefits! (My marriage has never been better, and my relationship with my kids is awesome!) My degree study is in computers, and God blessed me with a great talent in that field, but I just couldn’t justify that anyone else needed me more than my kids. So, yeah, it’s tough sometimes but completely and utterly worth it, every penny-pinching, coupon-clipping minute of it! I also homeschool, which leaves me almost no time to myself, but yet I have been consumed with this passion to sew. And, somehow, it all works out anyway. (Coffee–Eight o’clock, hazelnut, whole bean!)
My husband is so extremely supportive. He’s the one that taught me to sew. (He learned from his mom.) He has years of experience in Sales and Management, but he is now a field boss during the day at TDCJ Coffield (think Cool Hand Luke but nicer!) and a prison chaplain by night. He never says one word about the tons of fabric that he has to remove from our bed daily, and he is lulled to sleep by my sewing machine each night! He delivers my packages to the post office and brings me snacks when I get too busy Etsying to take care of myself. He is my heartbeat, and I could never do this without him.
I am excited about this new opportunity to share words of wisdom concerning all I have learned about sewing, finding and displaying vintage items, writing descriptions, making your own simple but elegant banner using the “vintage” software (Paint and Microsoft Photo Editor), taking great photos (even using your husband’s two year old Blackberry), researching your items, and taking care of your customer. I hate for all of this information go to waste, like a beautiful ornament on the wrong side of tree. Now I just have to bring all of these ideas and bits of information into submission and turn them into easy-to-read, interesting, helpful posts. One of my favorite books as a child was “The Little Engine That Could”. Hmmm, that has the makings for a great starter post….
Hi! I’m Sharee Johnson, also known as aShareeDesign. I am a dropout of the corporate world and now live with my husband at the edge of the most beautiful wilderness area in the country – the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). My studio literally looks out over a boundary waters entry point lake where beyond is a million acres of wilderness bordering Canada.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, so what am I doing being creative? Don’t ever let anyone tell you that creative people have no business sense or that business people aren’t creative!
I love to recycle/upcycle. Good thing because we have to be resourceful way up here in the north woods! We can’t always get what we want when we want it, so it makes for some extra ingenuity or at least planning a lot ahead for that trip to a bigger town.
Recently I started a blog to talk about things I’m currently interested in, working on, what I’m cooking, or just some random thoughts on a cold winter’s day. My hope is that some of it might interest or inspire you.
Check out my Etsy shop and follow my adventures at my blog: www.aShareeDesign.blogspot.com
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I am so pleased to ‘meet’ all of you and I am looking forward to reading your blogs.
michel
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Thanks for showing up here!
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Etsy and Etsyfolk are so inspiring… Handmadeology, too! Thanks for posting.
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This is a great site..just found out about it. Look forward to more articles. Thanks guys for putting this together.
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Thanks Christine…..
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So glad I found handmadeology. I am a fairly new etsian, part of the success team, new team captain for Treasury Island team, and so excited to have started Bates Mercantile Co. with my husband. Trying to read anything and everything on how to build a successful business on etsy. Thanks for this great resource!
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Thank you for a wonderful site! Enchanted Makeovers also believes in the power of handmade and creativity to heal the lives of women and children living in shelters and communities. ox
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Hello, Handmadeology Team!
It all sounds so exiting, I just love the Etsy Community, am fairly new with actually listing items, and want to learn as much as possible. Which would be pretty easy, being a self taught artist and designer:)
Thanks for being out there, and please feel free to visit my shop and comment!
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Great website. I’m glad I found it. I look forward to reading about other etsy sellers.
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Great place to stop for selling tips, new blogs and eye candy.
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