Inspired By Hand

New Funky Camera Straps in my Shop!

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:34:00 +0000

This weekend was full of painting, drawing, photography and lots of sewing for me! I got 3 new camera straps listed in my Etsy Shop, TanyBUG, and will soon have some new photos, art and other handmade fancy listed in my other Etsy Shop, Lynse & Fancy, so watch for those coming soon!

But now, check out the new camera straps I listed tonight!

Adelaide's Bath and Body Grand Opening!

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:03:00 +0000

I am very excited to announce the Grand Opening of Adelaide's Bath and Body, an online store for all of your handmade bath and body needs! Adelaide's is owned and operated by a very good friend of mine, Terry Lynn. Terry Lynn takes great care in making her products and prides herself on crafting the highest quality of bath and body products. I know this not only because she's told me, but also because I use and love her soaps!

Terry Lynn says, "I experimented with some recipes, a little more of this oil, a little less of another and found one my family and I love. We think you'll like it too! My recipe contains more oils than are required to make soap, thus making it more moisturizing. It has a ton of lather and gently cleanses without drying. One thing led to another and soon soap was followed by bath salt, lip balm, sugar scrubs and the list goes on."

To celebrate her Grand Opening, Terry Lynn is offering 15% off their first order to new customers! All you have to do is go to the new website and sign up, and you will be emailed a coupon code to use on your first transaction! It's that easy!

And as a final note, I want to add, not only am I excited about the launch of this new website because Terry Lynn is a good friend, but also because I built the site for her!

Confessions of a Handmade Shopaholic

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:51:00 +0000

While I've had to take some time off from my own creative outlets, I haven't had to stop shopping handmade!! My most recent handmade purchase was this playful and pretty necklace by RachelleD.

As soon as I saw this necklace, I knew it was the one for me! The colour combination really pops, and it brings a hint of romance to any outfit with the delicate flower and bird.

RachelleD has over 100 necklaces to choose from, and she's running a summer giveaway in her shop right now! Visit RachelleD!

Annnnnd we're back...

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:44:00 +0000

Hi everyone! Due to some circumstances beyond my control I have had to take some time to step back from some of my creative outlets, including Inspired By Hand. But I'm happy to announce that I am back and will be resuming updating this blog and bringing you the best of inspiration and creativity!

Art through Video

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:49:00 +0000

This is one of the coolest examples of an old form of art being expressed in a new way through media. Graffiti and mural art has been around for a long time, but this video takes it to a whole new level! I find this video very inspiring and it makes me want to draw in a very free and unformed way because you never know how one thing could lead to the next!

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Tell me how this video makes you feel!

New Yoga Mat Bags!

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:24:00 +0000

This weekend I was feeling particularly creative and motivated to sew some new things! I got a new yoga mat a few weeks ago and haven't had anything to carry it in, so I wanted to whip up something that would hold my sticky mat, and look funky and stylish while I'm at it!

I wanted to come up with my own yoga bag design, so I didn't bother to look up a pattern, I just took some measurements, went out to the fabric store to see what materials I could use, and a few stitches and seam rips later, I was really happy with what I came up with! In fact, I was so happy with my own, I made 3 more to sell in my Etsy Shop, Lynse & Fancy.

Get yours before they are gone!

Confessions of a Handmade Shopaholic

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:53:00 +0000

It's time again to show off one of my recent purchases of handmade fancy! Owls are so trendy right now, not to mention so cute, so when I was recently redoing my bedroom, I knew I wanted to get one of these super cute, retro-style owls from The Runny Bunny, the shop of ceramic artist, Robin Van Valkenburgh.

In fact, I was lucky enough to get 2 of Robin's lovely little owls!

These little owls look great in my new bedroom, and in my living room! Robin makes these ceramic figures from "very old" ceramic hobby molds, so they have the real authentic vintage feel to them. And for those of you who are a little more adventurous and maybe even a little... off the wall... you have to see Robin's mix and match versions! You can find Grandpa smurf dressed up in mom's Sunday best, the head of a bird on the body of the Easter Bunny, and more fun and wild hybrids! Run over the The Runny Bunny now!

Customer Camera Strap Photo!

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:36:00 +0000

A recent customer of mine was kind enough to share a photo of her camera with her new funky camera strap on it. I just love getting these kinds of photos so I had to share!

Red Velvet Art Store!

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:30:00 +0000

Check it out! Elsie and the girls from Red Velvet Art (RVA) opened a Red Velvet Art Store! The store features art, prints, plushies, pillows, t-shirts, and much much more. And not just creations from the RVA girls, but exclusive artwork from some other amazingly talented people as well, including prettylittlethieves, and bampop!

And for those of us that can't make it down to Springfield, Missouri, the RVA store is also online!

Check out these photos from the store's Gand Opening last week!

Check out more photos and more of the awesome products available at RVA here:

Fuel For Art: eBook Guide on How to Sell Art Online

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:41:00 +0000

Check out this e-book I came across online. It's called Fuel for Art and it's all about How to Sell Art Online. Recommended for Artists and Designers, Fuel for Art teaches you how to develop an effective and memorable brand identity in order to stand out as a successful artist that can be taken seriously. Learn how to:

How to visualize and accomplish your goals as an artist
Creating an effective brand for your artist’s persona
Networking in the artist’s community
The best places to sell your art online
How to make the most money possible as an artist
Being a business-savvy artist
And much, much more!

If you are ready to Sell Art Online, check it out!

Cheri & Jeff: Engagement Photos

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:01:00 +0000

My sister recently got engaged and I thought it would be a lot of fun and a nice gift, to do her engagement photos for her. I am really happy with how they turned out, and so is she! I wanted to share a few of the best with you!

Review: Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby Into a Business

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:28:00 +0000

I know this book is over a year old, but I just recently got a chance to read it, and wanted to share it with you all! Craft, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco is a great book for anyone interested in turning their craft into a business, big or small, hobbyist or business woman.

A quick and easy read, Craft, Inc. is like a step-by-step guide for turning your craft hobby into a successful business. With chapters including "Your Creative Mind," "Your Personal Style and Your Products," "Production and Pricing Plans," and touching on a huge variety of topics including sourcing materials, marketing, tradeshows, wholesale orders, your craft room, burnout, naming your business, and everything in between, useful information is just spilling from the pages of this book!

My personal favourite parts of this book were the first chapter, "Your Creative Mind," and the 14 inspiring interviews throughout the book.

The first Chapter really struck me because it described a lot of the thoughts and feeling, including insecurities, I sometimes have about crafting or art. Starting with the top 5 myths surrounding art and crafting, and then going on to talk about building your creative confidence, this chapter made me realize I wasn't alone in my feelings, and not only do others sometimes feel this way, it's OK!

The 14 interview throughout the book were not only inspiring, but very informative. I really liked to hear from the real-life crafters who have become so successful. It's nice to hear from people who have been in your shoes at one time, and what they did to move forward and realize a dream.

Overall, it's a great book and I recommend you go out and read it now! The only slight drawback for me, was that because I am not American, which is where the book was published, some of the information regarding things like taxes, legalities, and such, were not 100% accurate for me here in Canada, but that's OK, it still put all of these types of things at the top of my mind, and now I can easy go and look up the exact information for my country.

So like I said, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to turn their love of art, craft, and/ or design, into a business. Not only will it teach you the ins and outs, it will inspire and motivate you!

Related Articles

Confessions of a Handmade Shopaholic

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:15:00 +0000

I love love this soap that I purchased from Dancing Mooney on Etsy! It's just like my absolute favorite scent - Pink Sugar! The soap was perfect, just strong enough of a scent to linger on your skin after you are done showering, but absolutely not overpowering. After using this soap, I would get occaisional gentle wafts of the scent all day long, it's been wonderful, and my boyfriend agrees!

The soap was made really well too, it lathered well, which I love, and it left my skin feeling soft and smooth, and of course, very clean! If girly scents aren't your thing, Dancing Mooney has many other scents and I am sure they are all wonderful. You get a nice big bar, at a very reasonable price, so I suggest checking out Dancing Mooney!

Motivation Mondays: Get inspired by tech!

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:30:00 +0000

If you're like me, you're a little bit of a techie geek. You like not just surfing the Internet, but the building and coding that goes on behind the scenes. Or maybe you spend your Sunday afternoons playing video games. Or maybe the latest in techie gadgets is what does it for you. But whatever your secret tech-turn-on is, if you're like me, you like to craft in the genre of tech-love.

Today for Motivation Monday, lets get inspired by all things techie and geek! I've pulled together some tutorials, and images from my favourite tech-related crafts and I hope they will inspire you to create something cool!

Knit your own Sackboy
First, you have to check out this knitting pattern for Sackboy. If you are wondering who the heck Sackboy is, you really need to check out the PlayStation 3 game, Little Big Planet. It's quite possibly the cutest, not to mention ridiculously fun video game to come out in a long time! Sackboy is the super-cute handknit hero of the game Little BIG Planet, made by Media Molecule. I really really wish I knew how to knit, just so I could make this!

Some Drupal in your Knits
While we are on the topic of knitting, I want to share with you these knitting charts for the Drupal logo. This was actually done by a teacher I had about 4 years ago in college, Emma Hogbin. If you don't know what Drupal is, it's an open source content management system, so very fitting that Emma released some open source knitting charts.

Cross stitch some Gaming into your Home
If cross stitching is your thing, check out this fun cross-stitch sampler by The Domestic Scientist. Click here for the pattern.

Domo Ipod cover
Want to disguise your ipod? This tutorial on how to make your own Domo inspired ipod cover is awesome! It's so cute, and it really hides your ipod away! Click here to view the tutorial!

Knit some Mario Mushroom Hand warmers
Knitting is a very popular medium for expressing your geek-craftery it would seem. Check out this pattern for knitting your own fingerless gloved adorned with Super Mario's Mushroom.
Click here for the pattern by Vickie Howell.

Related Links

Confessions of a Handmade Shopaholic

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Not only do I love to create handmade items, I love to BUY handmade items! Confessions of a Handmade Shopaholic is going to be a new feature here on Inspired By Hand, regularly showcasing the handmade lovelies I've purchased, and the people who made them.

Today I want to show you this super cute vinyl "sewing nerd" decal I bought from holly. I came across this decal right after I had just bought my new sewing machine so the moment I saw it, I knew it had to adorn my new machine! Holly was great to work with; She shrunk down the decal just slightly for me so it would fit on my machine perfectly. In fact, I loved the Sewing Nerd decal so much, I had to get a Blogging Geek decal too!

Related Articles:

Meet Ruby

Inspire

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:48:00 +0000

I saw this today on Creature Comforts and I thought it was a really great quote, and since she encouraged sharing with friends, I wanted to share it with you!

Hey Artists and Button Makers!

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:38:00 +0000

Check out this fun new site by a friend of mine- Lollypins!

If you like buttons, or like art, or like putting art on buttons, or always wished you could put your art on buttons, you really need to check it out!

Sign Up as an Artist
Submit your works of art/ button designs, and once approved your work is up for sale on the site and you get a percentage of the sales! It's really that easy! Visit Lollypins for more details.
From the site:

Retain copyright of all your designs. We simply reproduce them on your behalf.
Earn 30 cents on each button sold bearing your design.
Reach an international audience via your very own storefront.
It is absolutely free and you can cancel at any time.
It's easy! We handle all the difficult stuff like shipping, production and customer support.

Buy some Buttons
With a buttons for only $2 each, and a flat shipping rate of only $2.50, and hundreds of designs to choose from (and growing daily), how can you not buy some of these fun and fabulous little works of art!?

Lynse & Fancy :: Art, Prints, and Handmade Fancy

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:56:00 +0000

As I have mentioned in my last post, I am super excited about the opening of my new Etsy Shop, Lynse & Fancy. This will be the new home of all of my artwork, and other handmade fancy.

Tanybug will continue to be the place to find my funky handmade camera straps, but Lynse & Fancy will give my artwork the spotlight it deserves. I have been working hard over the past month or two building up a bit of inventory to start the new shop, and researching print techniques, scanning, papers, etc.

Here's a peek at what I have been up to and the prints you can find now in Lynse & Fancy!

Looking Back on 2008 and Ahead to 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:28:00 +0000

The start of a new year is often a time of reflection on the past year. Yesterday I reflected on some facts and figures from Inspired By Hand, and today I thought I would take some time to share my personal thoughts from the past year and some goals for the upcoming year. I figure what better way to do this than to interview myself!

What have been a few of your favorite sources of design inspiration, online or off, throughout the past year?
There are so many!
This year I was lucky enough to participate in an online class hosted by Elsie Flannigan. That was a big source of inspiration, and one of the coolest things about it was that I met so many other people like myself, living their everyday life, trying to find and/or nurture their creative spirit.

Going offline, I was also lucky enough to attend a workshop hosted by one of my absolute favourite photographers, Brooks Reynolds. I learned so much at this workshop, and felt so inspired after leaving. It really helped me focus with my photography and figure out where I want to go with it, and the next few steps on how to get there!

Going back online, there are a number of websites that I visit daily for inspiration including:
Modish
Creature Comforts
Indie Fixx
Princess Lasertron
How 2 Draw a Cup of Coffee

What milestones do you recall from 2008?
January- Was working as a Graphic Designer on a leading scrapbooking website where I was introduced to the work of tonnes of inspiring and creative women!
February- Was introduced to Etsy by a colleague
March- Exhibited Photos at my first Art Show
April- Spent a lot of time preparing for the opening of my Etsy Shop
May- Grand Opening of Tanybug, my Etsy shop
June- started this blog, Inspired By Hand
July- Upgraded my sewing machine!
August- Made a lot of advances in skills in my professional career as a Web Designer
September- Wrote guest blog on Indie Fixx, was also featured on GeekSugar
October- One of my photos was chosen to be featured on the CBC website
November- Started online class with Elsie Flannigan
December- Exceeded my sales goals for 2008 in my Etsy Shop

What design trends or popular styles from 2008 that you like more than others?
This year has been the year of 3 things for me. Damask, Naive line drawing styled art, and chunky knits.

Basically anything with damask appeals to me, and I think to others as well. My black and white damask camera strap has been my most popular seller!

Naive line drawings and paintings have really taken off this year as well. The works of artists such as ashleyg and prettylittletheives remind me of the innocence of children's drawings, but with a much more sophisticated and modern twist.

by prettylittletheives

by ashleyg

And the final trend I was in love with this year was big chunky knits. Particularly cowls and fingerless gloves. This cowl was one of my favourite purchases of the year, and I love everything in this shop!

by houseofhemp

Have you followed the work of any particular designers during the past year?
If you follow my blog, you probably already know the answer to this but here they are anyways:
Elsie Flannigan
Michele Maule
Princess Lasertron

Can you tell us a business lesson you learned from starting your Etsy Shop in 2008?
To take most business advice I get with a grain of salt. It seems for every 5 people that say to do things one way, there's 5 more who say to do it the other. I have learned to just do what is right for myself, while trying my best to deliver a very high standard of customer service!

Do you have any new year’s resolutions for your business in 2009?
Honestly, to spend far less time in the Etsy forums.

Do you have any upcoming projects planned for 2009 that you’re excited about?
I am really excited about the New Shop I am opening on Etsy. I have been debating for months about splitting my efforts into two shops and finally decided it would be for the best. I will continue to provide Camera Straps and Photography Accessories in My Etsy Shop, Tanybug, but will also be opening a second shop, Lynse & Fancy, in the first week of January. Lynse & Fancy will allow me to focus on my art and other handmade fancies, without being overshadowed by my camera straps! I am thrilled about this because I love painting, and am very excited for my paintings to have a home of their own! Watch for sneak peeks this week!!

It's been fun looking back on 2008 and am I getting very excited about what 2009 will hold for me. Thank you to everyone who has supported me by through reading, commenting, emailing, shopping, sponsorship, or just saying hi! Happy New Year to everyone, and all the best in 2009!

Get this card by brooklynbookbinder

Looking Back at Inspired By Hand

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:14:00 +0000

2008 has been a great year for Inspired By Hand. In fact, June 2008 was when Inspired by Hand was conceived, and has been a year of growth and inspiration for me, and hopefully for you as well. As this year wraps up, I thought it would be a good time to look back on some facts and figures from Inspired By Hand, and to remember some of our favourite articles!

2008 Statistics (June - December)

585 Comments
94 Posts
6 Comments / Trackbacks per article on average
13 Posts written per month on average
11,918 pageviews
Average time on page: 1:30 on average
64 Highest Subscriber Count (also current!)

Some Of My Favourites

Below are some of my favourite articles here on Inspired By Hand, other than the Top 5 Above.

A Camera Case for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:40:00 +0000

I am so excited about this camera case I made last night! My sister has been bugging me for months to make some accessories for point and shoot cameras, and I've been experimenting, but have nothing solid yet. I did want to make her something for Christmas though, so last night I sat down and worked from this tutorial from Pink Penguin.

It's a great tutorial with lots of pictures! I strayed from the examples slightly and used my own fastener, and button embellishment instead of the recommended hole and button in the tutorial. I also used fleece instead of batting for the padding.

It was my first time binding, so I was very thankful for the tutorial! Now I just hope my sister doesn't see this before Christmas....

Related Articles

and....exhale

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:10:00 +0000

Wow! The lead up to Christmas has been a super busy time, as you can perhaps tell by my lack of regular blog posting! Between all of the sales in my Etsy Shop, making and sending out Christmas cards, decorating the house, Christmas shopping, and a really busy couple of weeks at work, I've been feeling like I'm running around holding my breath for the whole month of December.

As of tonight, I finally feel like I can exhale.

I have drawn the line for orders to be shipped from my shop in time for Christmas. I've finished my Christmas shopping and wrapped everything! I've got all of the Christmas cards sent out, all of the decorating I am going to do is done, and things at works are starting to ease up!

I have a little bit more sewing and crafting to do before Christmas, for gifts for friends and family, but that's about it! Over the holidays I plan on creating a LOT of new items for my Etsy Shop, including some new camera straps, some new art work, and a few other fun items I've been planning in my head. I am very excited about doing lots of creating and feeling inspired over the Holidays, so watch for new items in my shop in the New Year!

I also have some big plans for Inspired By Hand in the New Year, so watch for some changes and enhancements in the first month or two of 2009!

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of my readers and subscribers! I look forward to inspiring you in 2009! Happy Holidays everyone!

Things My Boyfriend Makes

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 02:41:00 +0000

My boyfriend has been eying up my perler beads since I bought them a couple of weeks ago. Last night while I was doing random things around my house the urge got the best of him, and he finally started playing around with the beads, the big square peg board, and a pair of my tweezers!

I was so impressed with what he came up with! He's going to take it into work and use it as a coaster for his desk.

I think "Things my Boyfriend Makes" is going to become a sporadic feature here on Inspired By Hand! It's so fun, and often somewhat funny, when he plays with my art and craft supplies!

My Wish List

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:02:00 +0000

1. Baby owl in white made by therunnybunny
2. Imperial Giclee Print by Michele Maule
3. I love Photography Print by Elsie Flannigan
4. Buttoned gloves handmade by kmknits

Pioneer Woman action set 2!

noreply@blogger.com (tanyBUG) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:15:00 +0000

If you are into photography, and especially if you are still learning, you should really check out the Pioneer Woman's Blog if you haven't already. It's full of great tips and tricks, and comprehensive How-To's on all aspects of photography is very easy to understand terms.

Today the Pioneer Woman released her 2nd set of Photoshop Actions, free for download on her blog. I've been using her first set for a few months now, and love them, so I am super excited about this second set! Quick, go check them out now!!

Related Links

Inspired By Hand

New Funky Camera Straps in my Shop!

Adelaide's Bath and Body Grand Opening!

Confessions of a Handmade Shopaholic

Annnnnd we're back...

Art through Video

New Yoga Mat Bags!

Confessions of a Handmade Shopaholic

Customer Camera Strap Photo!

Red Velvet Art Store!

Fuel For Art: eBook Guide on How to Sell Art Online

Cheri & Jeff: Engagement Photos

Review: Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby Into a Business

Confessions of a Handmade Shopaholic

Motivation Mondays: Get inspired by tech!

Confessions of a Handmade Shopaholic

Inspire

Hey Artists and Button Makers!

Lynse & Fancy :: Art, Prints, and Handmade Fancy

Looking Back on 2008 and Ahead to 2009!

Looking Back at Inspired By Hand

2008 Statistics (June - December)

Top 5 Most Popular Articles Based On Traffic

Some Of My Favourites

A Camera Case for Christmas

and....exhale

Things My Boyfriend Makes

My Wish List

Pioneer Woman action set 2!