Georgetown Red Poppy Festival
Saturday, Apr 26 - 10am till dark, Sunday, Apr 27 - 11am - 5pm
Gibson Street Artisans Market
April 26-27, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Spotlight Presents: Dawn Mueller and Daggerdoll Productions
Daggerdoll Productions
Photos by Dollymae
Vintage by Dollymae
Ephemeral Downloads
By Dawn Mueller
Photos by Dollymae
Vintage by Dollymae
Ephemeral Downloads
By Dawn Mueller
What Daggerdoll, Dollymae and
Ephemeral mean to me:
My two main shops are named in relation to an "assumed" name I acquired while bartending in NYC in 1986. It was a very hard rock scene that I was into. One of the bars that I worked at, the Lismar Lounge, was known for featuring live music from up & coming bands. A couple of bands who played there that you have probably heard of are Jane's Addiction & White Zombie. A feature of our rock n' roll bartending mystique was that we all had nicknames. My bartender name was Dollymae Dagger. That's it in a nutshell. That's where the "Dollymae" comes from. And the umbrella name for all of my business ventures is Daggerdoll Productions - also stemming from the original assumed moniker.
As for my newest shop, Ephemeral Downloads... I created the name in hopes of channeling SEO related traffic to my shop, which specializes in printable instant downloads, created from my 30 years of collecting vintage postcards, advertising, antique photos, and other assorted antique ephemera.
My Background
PHOTOGRAPHY: I started out in the 8th grade with a photography class, and was known in high school as that person that always carried around a camera. After a couple of years as an Etsy seller, I finally felt brave enough to to open a second shop to promote my photography. I wouldn't consider myself a professional... but I have learned a great deal in the past 7 years. I owe this to the inception of the Flickr website. Even though I am a graduate of NYU film school, I discovered later in life that my real passion is photography.
Thanks to Flickr I was able to make contacts & join groups that helped me grow as a photographer and an artist.
Obstacles in Selling on Etsy
I can't stress enough how hard it is to sell photography. There is so much competition due to the digital explosion. Everybody & their brother, who has a few thousand to plunk down for a digital SLR, basically considers themselves a photographer. Some are really good. Most aren't. Point is, there is too much traffic congestion, and it's hard to make one's work stand out from the rest.
I try to impress upon people / customers that a great deal of my photos are taken with film cameras. This means that I am not just pointing and shooting on "AUTO." Anybody can do that. So I love it when people take notice of my prints that were shot with film.
I try to impress upon people / customers that a great deal of my photos are taken with film cameras. This means that I am not just pointing and shooting on "AUTO." Anybody can do that. So I love it when people take notice of my prints that were shot with film.
Inspirations and Life Outside of Etsy
In one word - traveling. I love taking pictures of unusual subjects that I find
anywhere on the road and abroad. I am also a huge fan of graveyards.
Charitable Efforts and Promotions
Recently I pledged to raise money for the SXSW Cares Fund, by donating the proceeds from the sales of my photos in my Etsy photography shop. I have sold three prints so far... and would love to donate more (hint, hint)I am also participating in SXSW Cares Big Benefit Online Auctin through May 11th. You can find it at https://myab.co/events/jh/
Where to Find
Daggerdoll Productions - https://www.facebook.com/DollymaeDagger
Photography https://www.etsy.com/shop/PhotosByDollymae
Vintage Goods https://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageByDollymae
Digital Downloads https://www.etsy.com/shop/EphemeralDownloads
I would also like to mention that I am offering a 10% discount coupon to be applied to any item in my photography store, if you "LIKE" my Facebook page - Daggerdoll Productions.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Etsy ATX Members Out & About at Markets
Fredericksburg Trade Days @ Sunday Farms
Friday, April 18 - Sunday, April 20
East Austin Handmade Arts Market @ Vortex
Saturday, April 19, 11 am - 4 pm
2nd Vintage Market & Mini Garage Sale
Saturday, April 19, 8 am - 2 pm
Friday, April 11, 2014
Etsy ATX Members Out & About at Markets
East Austin Handmade Arts Market @ Vortex - April 12, 11 am - 4 pm, Saturday
Gibson St. Artisans Market
Saturday & Sunday
Hill Country Wildflower Fest - April 12th (10 am - 5 pm) & 13th (11 am - 4 pm)
Metro Party Bash - April 12 12 pm - 5 pm
Metropolitan AME Church at 1101 E 10th St.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Spotlight Presents: Melanie Knight and Shamarwyn
Shamarwyn: Hair and Skin of a Goddess
by Melanie Knight
Handmade, natural, organic, plant-based hair and skin products
How "Shamarwyn" was born:
I wanted a goddess's name. Every goddess name was already being used and I was going to have problems with them so I decided to use part of my daughter's name combined with the Celtic "wyn" since I am Scottish and make my own goddess.
The evolution of Shamarwyn:
Many years of working with professional products as a
licensed cosmetologist at spas and resorts always had me reading the healing
and beneficial properties of plants across many websites and determining how
they could be utilized into hair and skin products.
I have worked on developing my products for many years. They became
a reality about five years ago when I started bottling and labeling them to
sell to clients at the salon where I worked. I started selling them online and
at markets about three years ago.
Inspirations in Shamarwyn
Being an aroma freak, I spend time researching fragrances and finding companies that produce them naturally and this plays into how I determine some of the formulations. Each creation has been my favorite when I first get them formulated, tested
and bottled. My next favorite one is still in my head as a mental recipe.
Shamarwyn on having an Etsy Shop
I am surprised at how technically savvy I have become what
with the photography, description writing and social media campaigns etc.
that's involved with an Etsy shop. It's been an interesting adventure.
Don’t forget to check out and follow Shamawryn:Thursday, April 3, 2014
Our Members Out & About at Markets
Boerne Handmade Market
Saturday, April 5 10 am – 4 pm
The Pavilion Food Park & Market - 826 John's Road, Boerne, Texas
Round Rock Market Days
Saturday, April 5 9 am – 4 pm
The Centennial Plaza - 301 West Bagdad, Round Rock - right behind The Baca Center between McNeil Road and Round Rock Avenue
The Art Market at Art-Xscape
Saturday, April 5 6:30-9 pm
Wyndham Garden Hotel
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AnLiNaDesigns https://www.facebook.com/pages/AnLiNa-Designs/205665046120585
East Austin Handmade Arts Market at the Vortex
Saturday,
April 5 11 am – 4 pm
The VORTEX Theater, 2307 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78722
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Spotlight Presents: Manue Reynolds and Pretty Kiku
PrettyKiku
by Manue Reynolds
Using Japanese Paper and Wood to create
jewelry and ornaments/accessories.
How Pretty Kiku was born:
I was trying to brand my line with a Japanese twist to it
and potentially use at least one Japanese word in it, but short enough that
people could remember it easily. I also wanted it to sound girly and possibly
represent a character. The name came after I created the logo. I was trying to
paint the face of a geisha and was thinking of names for her. I liked 'sakura'
(Japanese for Cherry blossom) but it's too commonly used. I remembered 'Kiku'
(chrysanthemum) is also a very common flower in Japan. I love the sound of it,
and the fact that it is so short. Just like that, I looked at what I painted,
and 'Kiku' became 'PrettyKiku' :)
The evolution of Pretty Kiku:
I've been making my jewelry for about 6 years now. I think I
am most amazed to look at how my product evolved, yet staying true to itself.
Over the years, I've tweaked my materials and the way I finish each piece.
Having an online shop has taught me a lot about pricing and
product description, but mostly has naturally inspired me to photograph each
item the way I do it today. I think my line now looks 'clean', the pictures are
bright and crisp, and that is also part of my brand/branding. Photography is
the second most important part of my work, I thrive to represent truthfully all
the bright colors of the wonderful Japanese papers.
I love all the earrings, especially the little studs which
look like candy. My customers love them! And I really love the little Easter
eggs, which actually also look good enough to eat, like little chocolate candy
:)
Inspirations in Pretty Kiku
I get my inspiration from 2 different, unrelated sources.
I’m a geophysicist specialized in mineralogy/volcanology and have always harbored
a strong passion for rocks, minerals and crystals – their different shapes,
geometry, colors. This explains my love for different materials and colors. The
other side of my obvious inspiration comes from my fascination for Japan. I am
in awe of their culture, their arts, their food, their (volcanic) landscape,
their flora, their history… I admire how meticulous and thorough Japanese
people are. I try to honor that with my own meticulous jewelry process.
Manue outside of Pretty Kiku
When I am not working for PrettyKiku, I'm probably crafting
with my 2 boys. Arts and crafts run in the family! We just built them a huge
craft table and they have access to most medias, appropriate for their young
age. Our house is filled with crafts :)
The rest of my time is spent with my wonderful husband and
my friends, eating, cooking and at yoga, which keeps my centered and focused!
Want to find Pretty Kiku in Austin?
Here in Austin, you can find PrettyKiku at: Sanctuary,
PrimaDora, Parts and Labour and Atown.
You can come say hi to me at the upcoming Austin Mini Maker
Faire!
Don’t forget to check out
and follow Pretty Kiku:
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