designcincinnati

etsycincinnati: under the sun

The next seller in the the Cincinnati Etsy series is Sunny from Under the Sun.

The majority of the products in Sunny's shop are quirky vintage finds. She is a self described "thrift store and estate sale junkie." She loves curating her collection.

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Sunny also sells handmade items made from recycled, repurposed or scrap materials. Sunny says, "I am completely lost when faced with brand new materials, but if I have something with a story- I am inspired. I love to make old things into new and useful things or find a new life for objects who might otherwise end up in the trash."

After living in a few other states, Sunny says, "Cincinnati has a remarkable number of amazing thrift shops. I have never left one empty-handed!" I totally agree as I have also shopped thrift in other cities and states and am totally amazed at the stuff I find locally.

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Sunny exclaims, "there is an industrial beauty and historical richness [in Cincinnati] that really fuels my creative endeavors. and the architecture!"

Thanks, Sunny! Visit her shop on Etsy and support a Cincinnati Etsy seller! Also, check out Sunny's blog to get to know her a bit better.

And, as always, don't forget my Etsy shop, Kitsch Café. You can also find my products at Park + Vine

etsycincinnati: burkeheart baby

The next seller in the etsycincinnati series is Gillian from Burkeheart Baby.

Gillian designs and sews baby shoes. The idea was born from frustration. She says, "Baby stuff has a tendency to be bland, either it's pink or blue and that's the end of it. When I realized that keeping baby socks on baby feet is nearly impossible, I gave up and began making these little shoes to keep his feet warm and protected." She found some "great" fabric from her quilt stash, made a couple pairs of soft shoes, and things snowballed from there.

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Gillian comes from a long line of people who create with their hands. Her maternal grandfather was a jeweler and watchmaker, paternal grandfather a firefighter, carpenter and avid gardener, her grandmother a self-taught painter.

She learned to sew from her mom who learned it from her grandmother. Growing up in a house with no tv made it easy to be creative; there were always projects going on in her home. From her dad making stained glass pieces and wooden toys, to her mom quilting away our naptimes and making most of our clothes. She says, "It seems inevitable that I'd follow in this tradition of hand-work, and I thank them for setting a great example to follow."

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Gillian loves being an indie designer in Cincinnati. She says the best part of the city is the people. "Everyone is linked to everyone. It seems like each time I meet someone new, we end up realizing we have several folks in common, and this adds to the feeling of community." Locally, you can find her products at Park + Vine.

Thanks Gillian. Visit her shop on Etsy and support a Cincinnati artist!

And, as always, don't forget my Etsy shop, Kitsch Café Vintage, and my newly opened shop, Kitsch Café Handmade. You can also find my products at Park + Vine.

etsycincinnati: elizabeth normand

The next Etsy seller in the etsycincinnati series is Elizabeth Normand.

Elizabeth's products include everything from jewelry, purses, and clothing, to bowls made from records. Everything is handmade by her, and everything has some sort of recycled element to it. She says, "I recycled vinyl records by molding them into bowls and necklaces. I cut up CDs that were headed to the trash and used them as a base for my hair clips. One of my favorite ways to recycle is to use vintage fabric." Aside from the recycled aspect, she loves working with vintage materials because there's a story, a history behind them.

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Elizabeth is a fashion design student at DAAP and is originally from Madeira. She really appreciates local support. "I think it's crucial to any new business, whether it's a brick-and-mortar business or solely online. Buying local, buying handmade, it's so important. Whether someone buys from my Etsy shop or another person's shop, I hope they realize that, instead of their money going toward some rich CEO, it's going straight to my college tuition."

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Thanks Elizabeth. Visit her shop on Etsy and support a Cincinnati artist!

And, as always, don't forget my Etsy shop, Kitsch Café Vintage, and my newly opened shop, Kitsch Café Handmade.

shop update

For those of you that like modern home accessories with a sense of humor, check out one of my Etsy shops, Kitsch Café Vintage. I've been updating it the past few days with some delicious new items, including: a fun illustrated 1950s black metal tray, groovy Japanese stackable floral mugs and a bright yellow Dansk-inspired serving bowl.

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Stop by and check out the shop as there will be loads more in the next two weeks.

etsycincinnati: ovenfried beads

I've been out of town for the past week, but I am back with a the next Etsy seller in the etsycincinnati series... Amy of Ovenfried Beads.

Amy's products cover a range of materials and uses, but are primarily made of polymer clay, beads, and fabric. She has been using polymer clay since 1995 as her primary medium, creating endless beads, buttons, jewelry and decorative ornaments. Around 10 years ago she perfected a bead design that she calls the "Stacker" bead, which has really launched her brand locally, nationally and internationally in the polymer clay world.

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"Experimentation is the foundation of all of my work. Rather than repeat the same designs over and over and over (except for the Stacker bead, which is still growing in popularity after so many years), I prefer to endlessly play with the clay and see what it wants to do." Amy's inspiration comes from nature, architecture, and a combination of techniques that many polymer clay artists use, but tweaked for her own purposes.

Ovenfried Beads is sold in several local shops, including Indigenous: A Handcrafted Gallery in O'Bryonville, Park+Vine and Urban Eden in OTR, NVision in Northside, Glendale Handcraft Gallery in Glendale, and the Cathedral Gift Shop on 4th Street downtown. Amy was also in the booth next to mine at OTR/Gateway Summer Celebration on June 20.

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Amy's favorite thing about being an artist/designer in Cincinnati is its size. She says, "Cincinnati is large enough to sell in several places without saturating the market, but small enough that I occasionally catch people wearing my work." She would love to sell her work all over the country, however, she says "there's something 'homegrown' about keeping my work primarily in Cincinnati." Since she has two stores on Etsy and her own website, people from all over the world can buy her work without having to produce work for dozens of galleries.

Teaching polymer clay is something that Amy finds very enjoyable. Classes are held at St Theresa Textile Trove in College Hill (formerly of OTR). Private classes are also available in her art studio in her downtown apartment. Check out her website, ovenfriendbeads.com, for more info.

Thanks Amy. Visit her shops, Ovenfriend Beads and Ovenfried Buttons, on Etsy and support a Cincinnati artist!

And, as always, don't forget my Etsy shop, Kitsch Café Vintage, and my newly opened shop, Kitsch Café Handmade.

etsycincinnati: peanut butter and yelly

It's that time again... time to feature a local Etsy seller. This week it's Amber of Peanut Butter and Yelly.

"I believe anything made by hand is special!" Amber says. "There is something so real and heartfelt about handmade that you just can't get with mass produced things." Yelling the Etsy handmade mantra, Amber makes a "little bit of everything" and sells it in her shop.

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Receiving her BFA in Printmaking from NKU in 2005, her emphasis was in printmaking, but she had a hard time choosing what area to pick. She loves to draw, sculpt, paint; pretty much anything that has a creative outlet. Her mother taught her to sew at an early age and she has just recently started again. She says, "Each item I create has a tremendous amount of time and care put into it. Every item I make is something I would be proud to own myself."

Amber sells her items at a NVISION (4577 Hamilton Avenue, next door to The Comet). She has also done local craft fairs and festivals in the past including Art off Pike in Covington, Ft. Thomas Fine Art Festival and Hyde Park Square Fine Art Festival.

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She loves selling items to local people that have grown up in the same area that she has. Going to art school she dreamed of moving away and doing something "big". Amber says, "The truth is the biggest and most important thing you can do as an artist is make yourself happy doing what you love. If you are making things just to impress the masses it eventually catches up with you. I am making things that I love and therefore others love them too. The fact that I haven't had to move away from my hometown shows that you can be anything you want to be anywhere you want to be."

Amber adds, "I would just like to say that Etsy is an amazing place to shop, If you haven't tried it please do. I would also like to thank Drew for offering to feature me in his blog."

Thanks Amber! Visit her shop, Peanut Butter and Yelly, on Etsy and support a Cincinnati artist!

And, as always, don't forget my Etsy shop, Kitsch Café Vintage, and my newly opened shop, Kitsch Café Handmade.

etsycincinnati: arian and font supply

It's been a while since I've done an etsycincinnati interview. I will be getting back in to the swing of things with another round of interviews, hopefully one a week.

Today, our etsycincinnati interview is Arian from Fort Thomas. Arian has two Etsy shops- Arian, where she sells prints of her illustrations, and Font Supply, where she sells photographic prints of vintage inspired letters.

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Most of Arian's work is inspired by what's on her heart at the time. She is also inspired by children's picture books. She says, "As it is with most artists, art is my 'out'-- my way of communicating thoughts and feelings."

Arian grew up in the Cincinnati area, but then lived in Japan and Boston for several years. "We just moved back to the 'Nati five months ago so I'm still getting accustomed to the art scene here." She recently participated in a show at the Red Tree Gallery in Oakley.

She has also worked with a couple local bands (Seabird, Artists & Authors) designing t-shirts and other merch.

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"I love Cincinnati!" Arian says. "It has all the perks of a bigger city like Boston but is much more accessible and fun to explore." She feels "...it's constantly improving (in Over the Rhine for example) which, as an artist, is inspiring to be around." She says, "The people are friendly, the environment is more relaxed, and I'm always discovering more local artists and musicians that I love. It's a great place to be!"

Arian also has a nice blog about her work and her daily life, Arian's Studio.

Check out Arian's illustrations in her Etsy shop, as well as her cool alphabet prints at her second shop, Font Supply, and support a Cincinnati artist!

And, as always, don't forget my Etsy shop, Kitsch Café Vintage, and my newly opened shop, Kitsch Café Handmade

facebook

If you are on Facebook, you can now become a fan of my Etsy shop, Kitsch Café.

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I am really excited about the Facebook page and look forward to keeping it updated and seeing how social media can help market my shop.

etsycincinnati: ICFTB

I'm back and I have a new Cincinnati Etsy seller to tell you all about... It's Rob from ICFTB (It Came from the Basement).

Rob is a self taught artist. He's always been drawn to old school artists like Sailor Jerry Collins and influenced by his love of pop culture. Rob says, "I'm an 80's kid, so Star Wars, Transformers, GI Joe... all that great stuff I loved as a kid, it comes out in my art. It's a blend that I don't think many people are used to seeing. I like to say my style is 'Old School Style, New School Attitude.' "

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Rob's latest obsession is what he calls "junktique". He loves flea markets, swap meets and garage sales and he's taken to buying up old tins, metal boxes, antique crates and painting them. Rob says, "I think it's my passion for creating and finding art in everything that sets my work apart."

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Rob also sells his are at comic & horror conventions and toy shows. The reaction so far has been great. "My work is big and colorful and usually features chartacters and themes everyone recognizes, so I get allot of folks who stop in their tracks and just smile."

He also displays a lot of his art in the shop where he works, called True Blue Tattoo. He'd love to do more locally; he says he just hasn't found a good fit yet.

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Rob just recently started selling his work and showing it online, so he hasn't had any exposure to the Cincinnati art scene, yet. "I've often wished there was more of a lowbrow, ratrod, tattoo culture in Cincinnati. Maybe there is... I just haven't found it yet."

Rob says, "I've only been on Etsy a short time, but my experience to far has been awesome. I hope to keep painting and adding to my growing inventory everyday. I also plan on hitting several big conventions in 2009, where I'll have my original work, prints, toys & comics for sale. For more updates, please check out my website www.icftb.com."

Check out ICFTB on Etsy and support a local artist.

And as always, don't forget Kitsch Café!

etsycincinnati: frog cottage and sky dreams

The next Cincinnati Etsy seller in the etsycincinnati series is Hee Soon of Frog Cottage and Sky Dreams.

Hee Soon describes her jewelry is "very romantic, feminine and elegant." She describes her bridal collection, called "Pure Bliss", as "fairy tale like." She says, "they are like what a princess would wear on her wedding day."

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Hee Soon takes pride in the quality of materials she uses and quality of work she does. "It takes me very long to make most of my pieces because I pay attention to details" she says. She is Korean American so her jewelry has a hint of Asian touch. Nature, History and Art and they are very important to her as they inspire her art.

She recently started selling locally to local upscale shops, such as the Fig Leaf in Hyde Park Square, and is thinking about trying craft fairs this year.

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Check out Frog Cottage and Sky Dreams on Etsy and support a local artist.

And as always, don't forget Kitsch Café!

etsycincinnati: made while watching

The next Cincinnati Etsy seller in the etsycincinnati series is Monisha of Made While Watching.

"I recently stumbled into making jewelry, and I love it" states Monisha of Made While Watching. "A friend of mine gave me a necklace made of glass and I was really interested in how she made it. Once I learned how to work with certain pieces of glass I became obsessed with making necklaces."

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She says "Each piece is unique and none are the same. I try and make each and every thing unique and different."

Monisha loves being a designer in Cincinnati because of its "diverse culture, arts and history."

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Check out Made While Watching on Etsy and support a local artist.

And as always, don't forget Kitsch Café!

etsycincinnati: sknaturals

The next Cincinnati Etsy seller in the etsycincinnati series is Susan of SKNaturals.

SKNaturals makes organic items for babies and small children. Susan says, "They are organic through and through, not just on the surface." Susan started making her products after looking for organic baby items that were hard to find. She offers "great-looking, functional, and affordable products" and she uses US-made fabric whenever possible.

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SKNaturals currently sells at Park + Vine which is carrying their toddler pillows & cases, as well as some appliqued onesies.

"It seems like there is so much opportunity here" Susan says about living and working in Cincinnati. "This is an area that cares about the environment and it's exciting that there are now stores that are specializing in green products."

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Check out SKNaturals and their sister shop, Organically Made, on Etsy and support a local artist.

And as always, don't forget Kitsch Café!

collage love

I have a love affair with collage. I love looking at it and I love creating it. I think because I have always been intrigued with found paper ephemera, especially anything that's vintage.

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Randel Plowman is a great local artist working in the collage medium. I've mentioned his blog, A Collage a Day, before on designcincinnati. It's worth mentioning again with the Holidays coming up. With the economy as it is, this would be a great gift option for anyone who wants inexpensive, original, local art for their walls.

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Check it out... A Collage a Day. Also, swing by his Etsy shop, R. Plowman Studios.

holiday gift ideas

I have recently posted some new items to my Etsy shop, Kitsch Café, including some Christmas decorations.

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Check the shop often over the next week or two, as I will adding new items. Great inexpensive Holiday gifts!

etsycincinnati: brightorangethoughts

The next Cincinnati Etsy seller in the etsycincinnati series is Kelli of Brightorangethoughts.

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Kelli sells hand felted, 100% wool creations. Products range from animals to ornaments to jewelry pieces. She says they are special because of "the joy that each of them bring me, and hopefully to others." She loves that each one is an individual, one of a kind item. "Even when I'm making several pieces of the same kind, they all will have their own personality." Each piece inspires more and more pieces, which keeps her working.

Kelli has sold pieces (children's necklaces) at The Spotted Goose in Oakley, and was one of the top sellers at the Contemporary Arts Center's Good Design for the Holidays. This year, she will be a part of the Carnegie's Holiday Art Event in Nothern Kentucky. She can often be found felting in the coffee shop at Blue Manatee children's bookstore.

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"Since begining my 'career' as a fiber artist, I have found that the [Cincinnati] community of artists is very eager to help each other" Kelly says.

Check out Brightorangethoughts on Etsy and support a local artist.

And as always, don't forget Kitsch Café!

etsycincinnati: fivedot

The next Cincinnati Etsy seller in the etsycincinnati series is Kristen of Fivedot.

Kristen sells creative custom invitations and stationery. She says, "I try to think a little further outside the box when it comes to invitations because, to me, that is the first statement made to your guests about the event and you want that wow factor to happen."

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Kristen recently bought herself a "lovely little letterpress." She's excited for the possibilities this opens for as a designer and a self-described type junkie. "I'm really excited to venture into that world and see what comes out!" She says.

Right now, Kristen does not sell at local shops and craft fairs. However, She says, "Cincinnati has so many great options for designers like me, so I look forward to talking with the buyers for these shops... and if any shop owners are reading- call me!" She is planning to attend the National Stationery Show in the near future.

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Kristen enjoys living and working in Cincinnati. She lives with her architect husband and in a little Cape Cod in Pleasant Ridge. "There is such a great and supportive community for the arts. I grew up about an hour north of the city and when I moved down here I didn't know where to start! I never knew how saturated the city was with design studios- when I was in school, both high school and college (I went to school in Dayton), I didn't know of all the possibilities that Cincinnati held, so it's nice to know there are a plethora of options - from small firms to worldwide companies. I have many friends dotted thru out various studios and it's fun to hear their experiences (or nightmares) and see how diverse and spread out the work is amongst the firms in town."

Stop by Fivedot on Etsy and support a local artist.

And as always, don't forget Kitsch Café!

etsycincinnati: andrew neyer

I recently came across local artist Andrew Neyer via Etsy and asked him to be part of the etsycincinnati series.

Andrew prints, package, and design everything himself. Everything is handprinted. Andrew says, "I try to make my work affordable, accessible, and enjoyable." Nothing in his Etsy shop is more than $30.

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Andrew sells mostly prints of original art work in his Etsy shop. He also sells most of his zines in several comic/record stores. "Krafthaus (Cincinnati) is a gallery that stocks my prints and other items. In addition to book fairs in Baltimore & NYC I travel to SPX (Bethesda, MD) & MoCCA (NYC) each year with my friends from Closed Caption Comics." His favorite thing about being an artist in Cincinnati is his proximity to his friends & family.

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Stop by Andrew Neyer's shop on Etsy and support a local artist.

And as always, don't forget Kitsch Café!

p&g colonial canister

Blake and I spent last Saturday in Columbus looking for new items for my Etsy shop, Kitsch Café. We found a lot of great stuff, including this groovy patriotic colonial canister...

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What's interesting is that "copyright Procter & Gamble" is printed on the side. Perhaps this was a give-away for Folgers, or another brand? I could see this being a free gift to hold coffee, etc. Anyone have any ideas?

etsycincinnati: pivot12

The second featured seller in the Cincinnati Etsy series is artist Tammy Allen-Gambrel.

After working for two local major arts institutions, Tammy begin painting again after about a 10 year hiatus. She was investing so much time in her work that she didn't have time for her own. Tammy recently quit her job and opened her own shop, called Pivot Gallery and Boutique.

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Tammy says, "I have spent time trying to figure out my style recently and currently I'm really into pinup retro type paintings." Her medium of choice is oil paint - "it was a comfortable way for me to ease back into it by painting things I really love."

Tammy's work is a little surreal... "Some would argue creepy" she says. She also describes her work as "a little pop art, and very feminine." Tammy states, "I want my images to jump of the wall and stick with you. I look forward to what I will develop next now that I have the time to really focus."

For Tammy, Etsy is just one of the ways she sells and promotes her artwork. "I do sell at my gallery located in Covington. My sister who is also a local artist and myself co-own it and we currently feature about 50 artists works. I also travel to art fairs around the country and sell my works." She recently traveled to Chicago for the Renegade art fair.

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As for being an artist in Cincinnati, Tammy says she is surprised and excited by the people in the area that are eager to support local artists. She says, "I really had no idea. With the opening of Pivot I've had so many people come in and ask who we carry that are local. There is a real desire by the community to support them, which I find really amazing."

Stop by Tammy Allen-Gambrel's shop called pivot12 on Etsy and support a local artist.

And as always, don't forget Kitsch Café!

etsycincinnati: erin cain

The second featured seller in the Cincinnati Etsy series is artist Erin Cain.

Erin's describes her work as "very fun and light." She says, "it would look great on someone’s wall." I was immediately attracted to her minimal, graphic and colorful paintings of shapes and natural elements.

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"I think the unique thing about my shop is that it’s very contemporary work that is accessible to a lot of different people." Much of Erin's work is affordable, usually around $20-$30. She says, "I think it’s a great way for people to get work being done now and since it’s student work it is well informed and affordable!"

Erin has participated in small shows in the area with other local artists and a few group shows in small galleries downtown including a joint show of the Pendleton and Taft Museum, Know Theater, Chidlaw Gallery and Knowledge Works. You can also see her work on a few fliers and event posters, including the 2009 CJK Calendar that is floating around the city.

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Erin takes some of her inspiration from living in Cincinnati. She says, "It's very exciting being at the heart of the new development of OTR. Everyday there is something new moving in. Also the community of artists in Cincinnati is great, and there are a lot of opportunities to get involved from things like Final Friday and new CAC exhibits."

Stop by Erin Cain's shop on Etsy and support a local artist.

And as always, don't forget Kitsch Café!