Where to find us this weekend!

Tomorrow, in the SoHo section of Manhattan, Pulp Sushi will be selling her jewelry and other fun accessories in booth #57.  Located at 82 Mercer St, NYC

Rock Around The Clock will take place in Fishkill, NY on Main St on Saturday.  Click this previous post for vendor listings.

Member Spotlight - The Illustrated Rat

Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Drusilla and I'm originally from NYC. My background is in commercial art (storyboards & comps) and a few years ago I started venturing into doing watercolors. I am a long time pet rat owner, and cater to that market. While I "branded" myself The Illustrated Rat, I do artwork and portraits of all animals and people too. That is the name of my Etsy shop.


What is your professional background?
Advertising, doing comps and storyboard work. I also illustrated 3 small press children's books.

What led you to your current craft?
Much of my work was done with markers (in the pre-Photoshop days). I always loved the look of watercolors and finally decided to try it. Both my late husband and I did artwork featuring our pet rats, and it kind of turned into a cottage industry. Other kinds of pet portrait became the logical next step. Professionally I was always drawing people, especially children, so doing people portraits came naturally.

How do you feed your creativity?
I am now trying new things, acrylics and more crafty type items. I always try to have some project in the works.

How do you work deal with a creative block?
Wait it out. Go hiking...or shopping LOL.

Describe your work area.
I have a medium size studio with a view over the buildings to the mountains. I use a drawing table and have supplies on shelves.

Favorite time of day to work?
Afternoon.

How did you end up on Etsy?
I got a printer that formats greeting cards and started to make them from my artwork. Etsy seemed a good venue to sell them.

Other than your supplies & materials, what do you want with you on a stranded island?
Ipod with good speakers. I need music.

Any guilty pleasures?

Too many.

Words of wisdom for aspiring artists?
Study and practice.

Follow Drusilla and her work at http://www.illustratedrat.macwebsitebuilder.com
blog:  http://illustratedrat.blogspot.com
etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Drusilla
The Illustrated Rat Fan Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Illustrated-Rat/226810075165

Rock Around The Clock block party

This Saturday May 21st is the annual Fishkill event, Rock Around The Clock hosted by the Fishkill Business Association.  From 6 pm to 11 pm you will find the following members there (from top to bottom):  Tink's Treasure, Moonfire Studio, Beyond The Picket Fence and Reclaimed Designs

Where to find us this weekend!

Jenn Lee from A Girl and Her Dog Shop will be at the The Ladies Auxiliary of the Cold Spring Fire Co. #1 Craft Fair this Sunday May 15th.

Also on Sunday, you'll find Kathy from Gnorasaurus at the Gardiner Cupcake Festival (YUM!)

Member Spotlight - Tink's Treasure

Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Debi Doyle Brown. I am from the beautiful Hudson Valley in New York State. I grew up in Fishkill and now live in Beacon, for the past 19 yrs.

What is your professional background?
I am a self taught Jewelry Artist.

What led you to your current craft?
I saw a Breast Cancer Survivor Bracelet in a boutique and I thought it would be nice to give it to my Sister In law who is a survivor, on the occasion of her 1st survivor walk. It was expensive. I've always been kinda crafty, so I decided to try to make her one myself. I did and when I showed it to some friends they started ordering them from me. Each time I made a bracelet or necklace someone wanted to buy it or one similiar. So I started making jewelry for people. I found that women commented a lot on how difficult it is to put jewelry on by themselves and started addressing that issue by using larger clasps, toggle clasps, front closures, magnetic clasps and slip on designs. This was appreciated by my clients and they told their friends who also bought jewelry from me. It just kept growing, until it turned into a business.

How do you feed your creativity?
My creativity comes from the strangest places. I was in the waiting room at the Drs. once and a woman nearby was wearing a sweater in a big bold print of aqua, brown and cream. I couldn't get that pattern and colors out of my head. A few days later I made a Russian Spiral Necklace in those colors.

As crazy as it sounds, I also dream quite a few of the pieces that I make. I believe these Dream pieces to be my best work.

How do you work deal with a creative block?
I don't try to force anything. There's always plenty of other work to be done to keep the business running. So if I don't feel creative I use that time to catch up on the more mundane stuff.

Describe your work area.
I have a small room I use as my studio. It has excellent lighting. I use my Dad's old Rolltop desk as my work surface. It's perfect for jewelry making with all the little drawers and cubbyholes and I can leave a project open on it and roll the top down to keep kitty thieves out. On another wall I have a smaller desk and it is set up to do photography. The 3rd wall is an old TV/stereo unit that I use for storage. My grandmothers sewing machine is along side of that. Adjacent to my desk and within arms reach is a small bookcase I got roadside and all my bead trays are stacked in it.

Favorite time of day to work?
Mornings, I like to be up early and feel more creative 1st thing in the morning

How did you end up on Etsy?
A client told me that I should be selling my jewelry there.

Other than your supplies & materials, what do you want with you on a stranded island?
My family, my bible and my pillow.

Any guilty pleasures?
Beads, beads and more beads. I can't stop buying all the pretty beads! This is my goal for 2011. Stop buying every pretty bead I see.

Words of wisdom for aspiring artists?
Trust in yourself and make what you love. I feel that confidence in our own art form is imperative and often allusive.


Follow Debi and Tink's Treasure Handcrafted Jewelry at the following links:
Artfire, Etsy, http://www.tinkstreasure.com/, Facebook, Twitter