Tag Archives: Etsy

May8

Surfboard Art

Posted on May 8, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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In 2012, Greg and I went to Waikiki for a week. This was the view from our hotel room balcony.

Yes. Best. Vacation. Ever.

Although we didn’t surf, there were surfboards everywhere.

Even at Burger King.

And in McDonald’s.

We often bought our breakfast at McDonald’s and took it across the street to the beach to eat, because fresh pineapple was on the menu, and I wanted it almost every day. (They also served SPAM, but we did not order it.)

Recently, the good people at Etsy.com sent me an email featuring surfboard-related art. The pictures brought back memories of Hawaii and the wonderful time we had there. So I am sharing some of the beautiful stuff that’s available. Maybe you’ll see something you want. (I do not make any money on this; just sharing the joy.) Click on the link below each picture for more information. These are not actual, usable-in-the-ocean surfboards, but art. Be sure to read the descriptions carefully; some look full-size, but are actually miniature.

Your kid needs a surfboard with his name on it for his room.

Minibus — Or maybe your family needs one.

Printable wall art — Printable posters. You download these and print at home, or put on a flash drive and bring to your local print shop.

Which are your favorites? I think the ones I would be most willing to buy are the printable posters, if I can just decide where I want to hang them.

Apr24

Creative, Inventive Craftmanship

Posted on April 24, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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I am a little addicted to Etsy. I am moderate in my buying habits, but I love to browse. I am often amazed and inspired by what I find there. Here are a few things that knocked my socks off this week.

Furniture/gymnasium for your cats:

Interactive magnetic wallpaper:

Credenza with tambour doors made from recycled skateboards:

Don’t those just make your fingers itch to create something wonderful yourself? Good! Because here are some crafts for you to try:

A Mother’s Day tray featuring live flowers.
Make little ice box cakes.
Projects for book lovers. (I want to make the book case!)
Design a gallery wall.

If you make some of these, let us know! Tell us about it in the comments below. And if you post a picture online, add a link, too!

Apr9

H is for Hanna Hutchinson

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Those of you who know my unicorn obsession can just imagine my reaction when author Joanna Meyer posted this picture on Facebook: Unicorn mug

That’s right. Despite how beautiful her books look on the shelf, I immediately fixated on the mug. Joanna kindly steered me to her friend, writer Hanna Hutchinson (aka Hanna C. Howard), who is also an awesome artist, and sells her hand-painted mugs on her Etsy shop, Ophelia’s Gypsy Caravan.

She’s incredibly cute, too. Here she is showing us how she works:

There are no more of the unicorn mug above in her shop, but she does take custom orders, so I guess I could request one. . .

She also has other unicorn designs, as well as some equally lovely other products.

unicorn 1

unicorn 2

various

Most of the mugs also have a literary quote, though it might not be visible in the photograph.

trees 1

heart

Ginny

Dahl

butterfly 1

Dr Who

Tolkien

And there are also a couple of t-shirts. I especially like this one:

t-shirt

To see more items, or to find pricing info, visit Ophelia’s Gypsy Caravan.

AtoZ2019tenthAnn

Jun2

Creative Juice #44

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Ten articles full of beauty to inspire you to make beautiful things:

Wouldn’t you love to decorate your whole house with quilts?
What if heaven is like this Etsy Bazaar (and you have unlimited money to buy all the stuff you like)?
Adorable artwork. I love the birds.
Recycle in art—and life.
Husband and wife illustration team.
Murals with a message.
You must watch this dance:
What a wonderful idea for a quilt group project.
Quotes about art, by famous artists. Images of the artists and their work.
A different kind of love poem.

Feb28

Rising Tide Sculpture

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Richard Vest, the son of a commercial fisherman, grew up in San Francisco. Though he’s not interested in hauling fish from the sea in nets, he captures fish and wildlife in another way.

Even as a child, he loved to draw, and won prizes for his art. He attended San Francisco State University, where he earned degrees in Fine Art and Design/Technology and acquired his secondary teaching credential. He taught art and woodworking in the San Ramon, California, school district before devoting himself to his art full-time.

Richard Vest

Using his own photography of creatures as a reference, Vest first captures his subjects as a sketch. Then he selects his wood, and using various grinders and carving tools, crafts his remarkably detailed sculptures. Most are meant to hang on the wall, but he carves free-standing pieces as well.

All of Vest’s pieces are one-of-a-kind. He also produces artworks on commission, but due to differences in woodgrain and slight variations in execution, no two sculptures are ever exactly alike.

Bear

I first met Vest at the Tempe Festival of the Arts, where I was dazzled by an enormous bear, like this one, but larger. Vest is a popular participant at a number of shows every year.

For more information about the sculptures shown here, click the link below each photo. You can also visit his website and his Etsy shop.

Left octopus; right octopus

Unicorn

Of course, I had to include the unicorn. But, obviously, Vest was not working from a photograph, because then he’d know real unicorns look more like goats than horses. (Sorry, Richard–I’m a medieval purist. I like my unicorns like the ones in the tapestries in The Cloisters.)

Note: all the photographs in this article are the property of Richard Vest. Used with permission. All photographs are copyrighted, and no part of any photo/carving may be reproduced by any means including photographically, mechanically, or digitally and is subject to all U.S. copyright laws.

Jan31

Fairy Doors?

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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While looking through some old emails from Etsy.com, I saw a link for fairy doors. I didn’t even know they were a thing, but apparently they are. Researching them online, I discovered there’s even a website devoted to them. They were first found in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but then started popping up all over. Apparently, while you are doing home renovations, you might discover one (or more) in your home. And if you don’t have any, you can buy them. And you can install them inside your home, or out in your garden (or even on a pumpkin). Under each door is a link to the purchasing info.

Some of the doors open, some don’t; some can only be opened by fairies. Some are wood, some are resin. They range in price from $9.45 on up. (And if you just want the illusion of a fairy door, you can buy a decal instead.)

If you fairy door is mounted above a wide moulding, your fairy might need a ladder.

And, of course, fairy door enthusiasts need matching jewelry.

Pendant. (Yes, the pendant doors open.) Bracelet.

So, were you aware of the fairy door phenomenon? Do you have one at your house? Share in the comments below.

Jan20

Creative Juice #25

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Fourteen more articles to start your Friday creative streak:

Melanie McNeil shares the quilts she made in 2016.
I think you may be obsessive compulsive if you do this, but I love the results. I may have to try this idea…
Nostalgia time. My husband had one of these in his classroom to help his students improve their listening skills.
Are you jealous when you see all the creative things other people are doing?
Combining loves of ballet and reading.
The illustrations of Hanna McCaffery.
I think a dragon is the perfect subject for a quilt.
A grandfather posts a drawing a day for his grandchildren on his Instagram account.
Um, some of these one-of-a-kind Etsy finds are examples of creativity gone awry.
Scrap paper sculpture.
Joel Kioko, a young ballet dancer from Kenya.
The embroidery of Humayrah Bint Altaf
Norm 2.0 is known for his Thursday Doors photography posts, but here he combines doors and street art.
How do you do free-motion quilting at a retreat? Like this.

Nov26

Worth Their Salt

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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While I was working on Shaker Design, I began thinking about other kinds of shakers, and vintage salt and pepper shakers in particular. They’re such sought-after collectibles, and many are quite inexpensive. Time for another Etsy binge.

Since salt and pepper shakers generally come in pairs, one common theme is couples (click on the descriptive links below the images for purchasing information):

Kissers.

Bride and groom. Amish. Santa and Mrs.

Here are some elegant shakers:

Silver.

Delft windmills.

And some from the animal kingdom:

Orangutans. Birds. Chickens. Scotties. Deer. Geese.

And some final couples, some of them rather creepy. (You can click on the smaller images to enlarge them.)

Captain and fisherman. Friars. Humpty.

Mermaids. Cutie pies. Native American and drum. Elves.

Looking at Mr. and Mrs. Santa and the chickens took me back to my childhood during the 50s and 60s. The old fisherman reminded me of the 70s, and the geese reminded me of an 80s decorating trend.

My favorites, though, are the kissing couple and the Scotties.

What about you? Which are your favorites? Do you collect shakers? Share in the comments below.

Nov1

Day of the Dead

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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When we first moved to the Southwest, I got freaked out by the colorful skulls that appeared everywhere starting in September. I thought it must be some sort of Mexican version of Halloween. I now know it’s much deeper than that.

Day of the Dead has its roots in the Aztec culture. After the Spanish conquest, the remembrance of loved ones who had passed on became associated with the Roman Catholic celebration of All Souls Day, November 2.

The colorful skulls, or calaveras, (the ones pictured above are from the PeyotePeople shop on Etsy) are not meant to be spooky, but joyful, as the celebrations are full of family stories and jokes and poignant memories of the courage and unique personalities of their ancestors. In Mexico, families visit cemeteries to pay their respects, eat, drink, and dance to the music of mariachi bands.

Photo by Steve Bridger

In the United States, the Hispanic community is more likely to conduct remembrances in their homes, near an altar bearing photographs of the deceased. Offerings of food are placed on the altar, to nourish the spirits, whom they believe return to their loved ones for a single day to be close by and protect them from evil. The altars are decorated with marigolds, with cut-paper banners (papel picado), with brightly colored skeletal figures, and with sugar skulls, a confection made in the calavera shape. People and especially children may also have their faces painted with colorful designs. (Click on the images below to enlarge and to see credits.)