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1. Tell us a bit about yourself?My name is Abby Emerson and I’m a 30-year-old Vermonter living on beautiful Lake Champlain. I share my home and life with a lovely husband and four beastly cats (Shmoo, Cookie, Chairman Mao, and Midas). I have a day job that I don’t like to talk about because it makes me miserable, but I spend nearly all of my non-working hours working on my shop and Plumpies. I love nature and animals and craft fairs too, so every once and a while I put down my felting needles to venture out into the world. When I’m not needle felting, I try to paint with watercolors and sculpt a little with clay.
2. What made you open your shop and why Etsy?
About five years ago I took up painting with acrylics. I would paint these elaborate skies and then draw a thin, black line across them and paint a bird on it in silhouette. I called these my “Bird on Wire” paintings. At the time, I had a Livejournal account and began selling the paintings through that venue. I think I read about Etsy on another person’s journal and opened my shop there. I had two sales and then didn’t revisit my shop until March of this year (2010). I’m a HUGE Etsy fanatic. I check it at least ten times a day. There are sellers on Etsy that I love like my own family and who inspire me each and every day. There’s no place on Earth I’d rather be than part of the Etsy family.
3. Do you sell your items anywhere else?Presently I have a collection of Plumpies and Mini-Plumpies in an ecological home store in Burlington, Vermont called The Green Life. I’m also going to be doing some craft fairs this summer and hopefully (fingers, eyes, toes crossed) sell my creations on consignment with my favorite local toy store.
4. How did you choose your shop name?
Back in 2005, when I was painting birds on wires, I named all the paintings “Bird on Wire 1,” or “Bird on Wire 2,” and the name just stuck. I never called them “Bird on a Wire” – which makes more sense to some people. I have a little studio in my apartment and I would spread the paintings out all over the place, so it became the “Bird on Wire Studio.” I love it now because I’ll never forget my roots. It means a great deal to me to look back on how far I’ve come as an artist and soul. Of course, if I were to be truthful about my studio space, it would be OhMyGodThereAreCatsEverywhere! Studio. But, you know, that’s not really marketable. 
5. What are your favourite things to do?Listing things I like to do is one of my favorite things to do, so here goes: needle felt, pet my cats, sleep, eat cheese, swim in the ocean, watch movies, make pancakes on Sunday morning, window shop on Etsy, drive really fast, nap on the beach, visit the cow herd at the local dairy farm and let them lick me, walk in the woods, point out groundhogs eating grass on the side of the road, explore thrift shops, paint, collect art, introduce myself to dogs at the park, and decorate spaces. This is an abridged list.6. What inspires you? I’m inspired by all things cute and cuddly. I love animals and can find a good thing to say about pretty much any creature on earth. Even spiders – but that’s a stretch. I didn’t have an excellent childhood, so now that I’m an adult and in control of my destiny, I’m learning how to approach the world with innocence, grace, and wonder. I think animals are the embodiment of those qualities and I have always been fascinated by them. I feel like I can relate more to a cat than most people. In addition to animals, I’m inspired by art, color, nature, beauty, rocks, skies, candy, moments of kindness – you name it. I think inspiration is everywhere if you open your eyes to it. I’ve learned how to listen to what makes my heart purr. 
7. What is your favourite thing to make in your shop?I really love making the Plumpy Walrus. There’s something deeply satisfying about his simplicity. The Walrus is an iconic animal – easily distinguishable, and I love really simplifying his form. Whenever I make a Walrus, I tell him he’s cute about twenty times. I do talk to my art. I’m also HUGELY fond of the owls because they can be tricky to get “right.” Then, all of a sudden, the details fall together and you have a little owl in your hands. It’s kind of cool. I’m still surprising myself all the time.
8. What item is the most popular?Hands down it’s the Sitting Fox. Etsy featured him the very first day I opened my shop and I have been inundated with requests for custom foxes. The problem is, he takes the most time of all of my creations, so getting orders filled has been slow going. I think Etsians love foxes more than any other animal. I can see why.
9. Which handmade possession given to you do you most cherish? When I was five, my mother made me a stuffed cat pillow. I can’t tell you how many times I have cried into Kitty Pillow. She is full of 25 years of sad moments and comfort. She lives in my studio now and my cats sleep on her, but even when she’s threadbare, I’ll frame her remnants. I could never, ever part with her.
10. Name 3 other Etsy shops you love to visit.Just three?JooJooLand (Everyone loves Afi!)
elukka (Szilvia is one of my all time favorite people on the planet)Song & Branch Studio (Karen has an amazing gift to capture the gesture and grace of animals)
Thank you so much to Bird On A Wire Studio for such a great interview. This shop is a recent find and as soon as I saw the little critters in this shop I knew I had to feature them on my blog. I wondered how she got so much character and life into each animal and after reading this interview I think I've figured it out. It must be from being chatted to and all the praises they get while being created that does it. With so much love and attention being put into each little critter its no wonder people fall in love with them. Check out this shop and have a look at all the other animals that are being created. I just know you'll find some favourites.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Lauren Marzursky, and I live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with my husband, three kiddos, three cats, one dog and a bunch of fish. I took a beginner lampwork class just over 2 years ago and was immediately hooked. I practiced making round beads every day as much I could. But I soon discovered that penguin and turtle beads were more my thing, so I guess Ive found my niche in sculptural animal beads.
2. Why did you open your shop and why Etsy?
I had sold for a little while on Ebay to support my glass addiction, but I wanted something more solid. When I found Etsy I thought it was nice and easy to start up in so I gave it a try.
3. Do you sell your beads anywhere else?I have a very small shop on Artfire, but that's it for online selling. I did just sell some finished bead pendants to an art gallery shop in Chicago called Art & Artisans. Im pretty excited to see how they do there.
4. How did you choose your shop name?My maiden name is May, so I just attached beads to the end of it and voila! Maybeads. When I first started making beads and some were very questionable, I liked that my shop name had the word "maybe" in it, as in "maybe its a bead, but maybe not."
5. What are your favourite things to do?Aside from melting glass, I love to bake, walk ( I used to run but I've got a bum knee) and read.
6. What inspires you?Animals inspire me - cartoon animals and real ones. Also my kids come up with some whacky ideas for beads.
7. Do you use your beads to create other items?
I turn some of my beads into jewelry, but mostly I sell just beads. I also make bookmarks out of them.
8.Which is your most popular bead?
Probably turtles.
9.Which handmade possession give you do you cherish?
I love the beads I have received from other lampworkers. I have a gorgeous off-mandrel heart from HollysFollyGlass, a super cute puppy from loribeads and a critter trio of a dino, cow and sheep made by Nikki from NLC Beads.
My husband surprised me and got me a blue kitty lampwork necklace from DorsetHillBeads that I love! I wear it all the time.
10. Name 3 other Etsy shops you love to visit.
Only 3?
First off, elukka, for the best dog sculptures evah.
CrazyBliss for the sweetest cat prints - she totally captures the quirky cat personality.
And I love visiting all my Fire Diva teammates' shops - they're all so talented and the variety is so great. I'm in loriandkim a lot because that's where I buy my murrini - can't get enough!
Thank you so much to Maybeads for being my featured shop this week. I have been a fan for a really long time. I think it would be great just to collect these beads even if you didnt have a specific crafting purpose for them. How cute would they all look lined up on a shelf? Reading this interview has pointed out many other great lampwork bead Etsy shops to check out so if you love what you see in Maybeads you'll have to check out the other shops as well. It sounds like the lampwork crafters have a great supportive community. One of the great things I love about Etsy.
Its been what feels like a long cold winter of hibernating inside but this week you can definitely feel that Spring is in the air. You dont know how much you missed the warm weather until it starts to shine through. Victoria and I have been having while waiting for her school bus making the bird noises we can hear. We saw a cardinal the other day and heard a morning dove yesterday. Im sure I heard some geese crying out that they have returned from the south. There are patches of grass and even though its all smooshy and wet now, we can dream of all the picnics and laying in the sun we will be having soon. The most exciting part will be when we start to see flowers. That is when Victoria and I do our annual search for Spring with our cameras. With all this almost warm weather and birdies about I still have to remember that the snow is probably not all done and over with. We are still yet to have the big blizzard that comes around the beginning of April. Its just exciting to think of the fun stuff that is yet to come.
The talk in our house this past week has been all about Dinosaurs. Yep you read it right, Dinosaurs. Megan has liked dinosaurs for many years but Victoria has just become hooked on them. I think they did a segment about them in school and thats what started the obsession. Her favourite dinosaur is the Stegosaurus so she has been pretending to be a baby Stegosaurus for the last couple of days. I even had to give her a name so she is now Steggy. I found a wonderful set of knitting patterns online with all sorts of dinosaur species. I think I am going to have to purchase these patterns because Victoria is already telling me what colours she wants her dinosaur and I dont even have the pattern yet. I see many dinosaur knitting projects in my future.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a trained designer and have a BA (hons) in Fashion & Textile Design. I have worked professionally designing socks, creating mosaics and doing some interior design, but I am most happy working for myself and experimenting in many different mediums including felt, feltmaking, mosaic, polymer clay and anything I can use to express my love of vibrant colour and pattern. Did I say I LOVE rainbows!! I am an artist & mother who lives in rural Mid-Wales in the UK. I am currently home educating my 4 year old daughter and when she is asleep...... I become Clara Luna and I save the world in my own special way by filling it with colour & rainbows!!
2. What made you open your shop and why Etsy?
I was planning my own wesbite when I stumbled upon Etsy whilst lost in the World Wide Web!
3. Do you sell your items anywhere else?
I sell at various craft fairs and specialist shows.
4. What are your favourite things to do?
I love traveling and being in the warm near to the sea. Regular visits to civilization help keep me sane and I enjoy relaxing with friends & family. I love swimming and walking my beautiful dog. I am also just getting into Roller Derby..let see how that goes?
5. What inspires you?
Sun, nature, pattern, colour, markets.....TRAVEL!
6. What made you decide to have exclusively rainbow items in your shop?
I have always had a soft spot for rainbows and love the organization of the spectrum. When my mum passed away a few years ago Rainbows became even more special!
7. What is your favourite item to make in your shop?
I really enjoy my creative time and making colourful things for people to enjoy and just to brighten up life in general! : ) The most therapeutic item I make is my felted beads.
8. Which is your most popular item?
On Etsy my Rainbow Feltmaking mixes are pretty popular and at fairs people love my felted soaps.
9. What handmade possession given to you do you cherish?
I don't think I have one of my own : ( BUT....my daughter has a handmade doll who has been everywhere with us and had many repairs, she feels like part of the family!!
10. Name 3 other Etsy shops you love to visit.hi treeLupin Handmadesummersville
A big thank you to The Rainbow Room for being my featured Etsy shop this week. Looking at this shop will brighten your day. If your in a part of the world that is slowly coming out of Winter and into Spring like me then the items in this shop will get you excited about all the wonderful things yet to come. Both my girls are big into rainbows which attracted me to this shop in the first place but after looking at it I have come to find that I love them too. All those bright colours just put a smile on your face. There are so many different items that are rainbowy in this shop you are bound to find something you will fall in love with.
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