Birthday Cheer

FionaZakka

Producing fine art is my way of venting energy and thoughts. I started creating art seriously during my college years. I was an art student interested in practically everything. Thus, I was able to study a lot of different ways art provides to express ones’ self. I graduated with a degree in Photography and a minor in Drawing and spent some years working as a photographers’ assistant for various Photographers as well as doing travel photography in between. I soon realized that commercial photography was not what I could do for the rest of my life. It wasn’t creative enough! Through my many journeys in the world of art I’ve created art drawings and paintings with pencil, charcoals, oil colors, watercolors, collages, pottery, jewelry, papier-mache, you name it.

Wild Flower Botanical Art

My favorite is mixed media art collages because I can incorporate small bits of my life and my memories in them. But as so often happens in life tastes change they evolve along with our personality and so my most recent work was influenced and inspired by Chinese art and its simplicity. 


My future thoughts are toying with some 3D wooden panels but that is just a dream to look forward to for now. It is so exciting to create beautiful objects I don’t believe that I’ll ever get bored.

Beautiful!

Mixed Media Collage Art

But, in order to enjoy your creations in their full ability you have to share them with others who find them beautiful and meaningful as well. This is why I decided to put up shop here in Etsy community. It has been such a pleasure for me to see what other people create, to get to “know” their view of life. I believe I can contribute to some of the pleasure of looking at, acquiring and enjoying art with my creations too!

Visit Fiona in her Etsy shop!!

Hang it Here

Sarah John Afana (a/k/a schemata) is a well-rounded individual, especially when it comes to her  ornaments. She creates colorful, contemporary, hand painted glass ornaments for many holiday occasions.

Hand Painted

As Sarah says: I practiced, studied and taught many forms of art throughout my years in California. Painting, drawing, ceramics and fine crafts had been a part of my entire life. I found myself wanting to be in a new place and exploring other ways to create. I moved to New York City, took my love of assembly to the kitchen and graduated from the French Culinary Institute. I began working as a recipe developer in the Food Network Kitchen where I spent my days designing with ingredients. 

I am now being drawn back to the paints and tools of my studio to fulfill my constant craving for the fun and surprise that comes from creating art.

Tomato?

Cotton Candy?

Check out Sarah's shop if you are looking for a great gift idea.

Silvia, Oh, Silvia

I remember the first craft I made; it was a knitted scarf for my husband. I was so proud of myself and sure about my gift because I had knitted it with much love. That feeling was complete and intoxicating. The beauty of handcrafted is that excitement does not tarnish over time. The miracle of this first time repeated itself again and again, with each finished garment.

I want to share with you my most hidden secret: I am a knitting and crocheting addict.

A knitter must admit this compulsion when she starts to think this way: Work is really starting to interfere with my knitting time!

“There is practically no activity that cannot be enhanced or replaced by knitting, if you really want to get obsessive about it.” - At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee  

Bolero

Joking apart, crochet and knitting are a versatile craft; there are so many different techniques and stitches to try. I try to challenge myself with a new process or skill for each project.

A knitter starts to work with a thread of yarn, stitch by stitch, she creates a fabric and a shape. The hardest part of this activity is to find out if your garment will be nice or not at the end of the work. Many times you have to completely undo a garment...working hours are lost.

But when the job is done and there are no mistakes you feel again this first emotion and....you're hooked again!

Nice ring!

You can see Silvia's beautiful work, which ranges from shrugs and scarves to jewelry, in her Silvia66 shop on Etsy.

Silvia has been with TeamT "forever."

Shop Spotlight: WesternArtGlass

Brian looking through a fragment of mouth blown clear and white flashed antique glass

Featured: WesternArtGlass
Interview by: MargotBianca



Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been making your glasswork? How did you get started down this path?

I started drawing when I was a wee lad. We were very poor, and the bunk beds that my older brother and I dreamed in were conveniently tucked into a corner of the living room. Under my brother's watchful eye, we made aquariums out of discarded cardboard boxes, and dangled crayoned paper fish with leftover twine. Running through the neighborhood bare naked, was another of my specialties! I enjoyed motorized street sweepers and trolleys as I peered into the goings on animating Winnipeg, Manitoba. "Street sweeper's crying," and, "Transfers OFF!" were a couple of my standard sayings.



Much later, my brother suggested that my drawings would translate well into stained glass. I spent part of a summer learning the different aspects of making stained glass panels and lamps in his studio in Winnipeg. That was over thirty years ago. At that time, I was pleased to sport the smallest ears in my family of origin. As the years pass, my ears keep growing (I have a daughter in law with smaller ears than me), as my glass work gets smaller--cutting little leaves from sides of beer bottles to dangle from earlobes!



What is your favorite item in your shop right now? Why do you like it the most?

My favorite piece in my shop is a simple leaf branch...


...with graceful leaves. I enjoy the simplicity and the organic balance.  My granddaughter enjoys delicately setting the mobile in motion.


Do you have any goals for your shop in the coming months, as we prepare for holiday madness? What new steps do you want to take with your work?

In case you haven't heard...it's almost Christmas!?! This year, I'd like to have more pieces already made. I'm toying with the idea of a Curio Shop section with tree and leaf drawings, weird vintage stuff (including books and vinyl), strange handmade books incorporating poetry, prose and drawings (little walkabouts in my neighborhood), and whatever pops into my so called head.


Check out Brian's Etsy Shop!

Shop Spotlight: SweetandDirtys

Embroidery hoop wall art 
"This" is sweet, and the inspiration behind it is even sweeter.

Shop: SweetandDirtys 
Shop Owner: Logan
Member Since: December 2010


Working out of her Tennessee home studio, Sweet and Dirty's was born out of Logan's love of sewing.  She brings new life to vintage and recycled fabrics and you can tell she's having fun doing it.

From her fabric choices to her stitching and embroidery details you can see the love sewn into each of her one of a kind purses, pouches and wall art.


Orange dot floral pouch


The Mustard Kite


Midnight Mustard floral bag


Read more about Logan on her about page on Etsy.

(Spotlight compiled by NancyWallisDesigns.)

Shop Spotlight: Xenotees

Collective Animal Nouns T-shirt in Charcoal
Shop: Xenotees
Shop Owner: Noelle
Member Since: July 2010

Working out of her Philadelphia workshop, Noelle professionally screen prints her original designs onto tees, scarves, totes and housewares.

You'll love her sense of fun with her animal lover's tshirts, pet lobster, oversized graphics and inspiring fortune cookie prints.


His and Hers Infinity Pillowcases

Nautical French Lobster T-shirt

Giant Fortune Organic Tea Towel


Read more about Noelle on her About page.

(Spotlight compiled by NancyWallisDesigns)