FIVE FAB ETSY FINDS - Handmade Quilts

A collection of beautiful quilts for your visual pleasure, to dress up your bed, and keep you cozy at night. Some of these are such gorgeous works of art they could also be displayed hanging in your home.


Snowball Quilt by CraftingPenguin
The soft colors and classic design of this piece remind me of some of the quilts of my childhood. They just make you feel good.



Birch Trees by bedscapedesigns

I love the natural inspiration and strong contemporary design in this artful quilt.



Cabin Fever Quilt by PacoandLupe
This quilt is a great example of blending traditional patterns with more modern colors and prints.

Avebury bed or floor quilt by spiralsun65
I absolutely love the bold colors and whimsical design in this quilt. Certainly a cheery sight to wake up to!


Quilt - boardwalk by btaylorquilts
This quilt has a stunning autumn palette and intricate spiral stippling that adds wonderful texture and richness. I must admit, this is my favorite. :)

Have an idea for a Five Fab theme? Leave a comment and let me know!

FIVE FAB ETSY FINDS - Vintage Leather Boots

As we welcome in the new season, our wardrobe shifts from shorts to pants, tank tops to sweaters, and flip flops to socks and shoes. Summer is all about letting yourself go, having fun, being in the moment while it lasts. When autumn comes around, there is a renewed sense of determination and a settling back down to business.

My essential "I mean business" footwear for this time of year is a pair of tall leather boots. They are all you need to make your whole wardrobe all of a sudden transform. Banged up jeans? BANG! Transformed into chic jeans when paired with boots. Paint splattered tshirt you've spent the last 48 hours in? Not gross but gorgeous, and may I say even cutting edge, that is, when paired with some fab boots. Now, onto the good stuff...


Vintage Rich Mahogany Leather Campus Boots 7 by yellowjackal
Classic. These speak for themselves.

Vintage High 70s Leather Burgundy Boots Sz 9.5 by marionkc
Tall slinky AND a deeper shade of plum. Need I say more?

Vintage Cowgirl Boots by MissPixleyVintage
The scruffed up toes just add to the badassness of these boots. Yes, that is a word. These boots defined it.

Vintage Leather AQUA BLUE ROPER Cowboy Flat Mid Calf Boots UNISEX Womens Sz 8.5-9 by vintageair
I think I've painted or dreamed these boots before seeing them. In my favorite color, no less. It was deja vu love at first sight all over again...

vintage 70s tan high heel thigh high leather slouch indie boots 6, 6 1/2 by persephonevintage
The absolute ultimate hot tall boots.




Have an idea for a theme? Post a comment and let me know!

FIVE FAB ETSY FINDS - Handmade Pincushions

Mum Tomato Pincushion by sushipie
I love the reference to the classic tomato pincushion form with an updated twist and embellishments.

Large Square Emery Pincushion by dottyral
This fabulous black and white pincushion not only looks great in your workspace, it sharpens your needles, too!

p i n c u s h i o n d u d e - grey by loleys
I don't know about you, but I'd have a hard time stabbing this dude, he's just too cute. Still, I'd want him around for good company.

Sweetheart of the Rodeo Pincushion by TheDailyPincushion
I love this little piece because it reminds me of the multi media folk art that my Hungarian grandmother made. The beaded accents make it truly beautiful.

Lt aqua and dk aqua bird pincushion by loosestring
Last but certainly not least, is this sweet little bluebird. I don't even sew and I want this around just to enjoy visually.

Have an idea for a theme or a shop suggestion? Tell me all about it by leaving a comment - thanks!

FIVE FAB ETSY FINDS - Revamped Suitcases

"They don't make 'em like they used to."

Isn't that the case with everything these days? In fact, it's been said that manufacturers purposefully create products that are destined to break, bust or straight up fall apart in no time, keeping the capitalist machine rolling and contributing to our snowballing patterns of buying and purging. When it comes to luggage, I purchased a name brand piece of luggage under ten years ago that now holds on by a string (ok, actually it's duct tape). These days we think "ten years of use? good deal!" but think about those indestructible suitcases from yesteryear. The hard cased kind that could fall out of a plane at several hundred feet and still keep your unmentionables unmentioned. (Ok, I'm exaggerating now, but you get the point). I've seen these old gems pop up in garage sales and goodwill and I've ignored them because of a scratch here or a stained lining there - silly me. Other folks with an eye for good design and the vision for future improvements have snagged these treasures up and revamped them for the modern traveler.

Benefits from buying an upcycled suitcase on Etsy:
* Supporting the handmade/green/cottage industry movement
* Standing out in a crowd
* Having a conversation piece waiting in line at the airport
* Knowing what made this luggage last 20+ years will make it last another 20+ years

My first revamped luggage pick by Preserve is straight from Detroit with a hand cut skyline stencil that means business.



C is for Carter, that's good enough for me.
Our peanut farming president takes center stage on this recycled suitcase that mixes pop art with politics by finalapproach.



This bold orange vintage suitcase had all the making of fine luggage to begin with. Add the hand painted and stitched embellishments of GetReadySetGO, and you've got a masterpiece ready for the runway.



I'm a people watcher, I confess. Especially when I'm waiting for a flight. If I saw someone with this fabulous revamped suitcase by jerseymaids I'd have a hard time looking away.





Last but not least is this white, upcycled traincase by SamariaProject. The beauty of this design is the pleasure you'll get when you reach your destination. Open this baby up and let your tired eyes feast on the mod new lining that makes this piece extra beautiful and user friendly (the lining is attached with velcro and easy to clean!).

Have something in mind that you'd like to see featured in the FIVE FAB series? Leave a comment and let me know!

FIVE FAB ETSY FINDS - Amber Rings

This beautiful amber ring by sisicata holds all the magic and mystery of amber's treasures in a sleek, contemporary design.

I love the elegant and feminine approach of this amber ring by ArtisticDetour with its subtle, heart motif.

Simple and classic, this stackable amber ring by BirkaScandinavian is not only eye catching, it's quite reasonably priced as well.

This chunky amber ring doubles as a work of art by marcomagro.

This gorgeous amber and gold ring by mikandesigns is sophisticated enough for work and funky enough for play - the best of both worlds!

Would you like to see a certain theme for the FIVE FAB series? Leave a comment and let me know!

Etsy Sellers Wave Your Hands!

I'm going to start doing a series called the "Five Fabulous Finds on Etsy" - 5 available items for purchase on Etsy in a certain theme that I find quite fabulous and/or must have. If you are an Etsy seller and you'd like to suggest an item of yours or anothers, or a theme, please do so by leaving a comment.

Interview with Martha Marshall

Timekeeper by Martha Marshall

I had the incredible honor of interviewing one of my favorite contemporary artists out there. Her name is Martha Marshall, and you may know her on Etsy as colorpoetry. To me, her work exemplifies the best of what abstract art can be - energy captured in bold strokes, meditative washes of paint, and colors that reach right out to you and sing you a lovely, harmonious song. Not only is Martha one of the greatest artists I am proud to call a friend, she is also an extremely kind and helpful person - supporting other artists on their blogs and elsewhere. I hope you'll enjoy finding out more about Martha's work, her inspirations, and life. Thank you Martha for giving us such a great interview - an opportunity to get a better understanding of the woman behind the paint! - Jessica

Figment by Martha Marshall



J: Tell us a bit about yourself.

M: I grew up with an artist and teacher for a mother. Those early experiences of watching my mother paint all summer every summer that she was off from school made me think it was perfectly natural to be an artist. When she wanted to concentrate in her studio, she would give me my own easel and paints to keep me occupied! I’ve continued that tradition with my kids and grandkids. Their gifts from me are very often something art related.

J: What are you known for creating?

M: Probably best known are my very colorful large abstract canvas paintings that I’ve been doing for the past ten years. But for the past couple of years I’ve been doing a separate body of work that’s very experimental and textural and mostly small scale.

Looking for Water by Martha Marshall

J: What do you create that people may not know about?

M: A guilty pleasure of mine is collage! I’m endlessly fascinated with the possibilities of collage, and I like to combine cut and glued work with scans of my paintings and drawings, which then morph into digital collages.

J: What are your favorite materials and why?

M: I love to create texture with all kinds of gels and pastes and mediums, and I think the reason they’re my favorite is the great dimension I can get with them. And I like to paint with these on a rigid support. I do buy a lot of my materials from traditional art supply sources, but I also love to find alternative media at the building supply and hardware stores, such as stucco, joint compound, you name it.

J: What inspires your work?

M: The abstract expressionism of the sixties, along with street art, grunge, and graffiti.

J: What other artists/creators do you admire?

M: Hans Hofmann, Adolph Gottlieb, Mark Rothko, William Baziotes, Antoni Tapies, Helen Frankenthaler . . . just a few who come to mind.


Marsh Abstract by Martha Marshall


J: Tell us about where you create.

M: I have a studio in my garage, with big tables and shelves lining the walls. But invariably I find myself setting up everywhere at once. The kitchen table and counter top are so convenient to everything that I like to set up there on occasion. I always work better when there’s music playing. My work tends to take over the whole house.

J: How do you know when a painting/creation is finished?

M: Sometimes I don’t, and have to put it aside for a while and work on something else. Then when I come back to it fresh I can sometimes see what to do next. But when a painting works and resolves itself fast, it’s almost as if all I did was get myself out of the way. The painting tells me when it’s done. Haven’t you had pieces that seemed to paint themselves? That is just the best! More often, it’s a struggle knowing when or where to stop.

Vista by Martha Marshall


J: Where do you show/sell your work?

M: I have a couple of galleries who represent me, and I also sell my mostly smaller work on Etsy. I do some individual commissions and work with art consultants here and there. Amazingly, I’ve gotten commission work from people who saw my website and liked my work. In several cases they weren’t local, but we worked together on digital concepts and then the finished painting was shipped to them. I don’t really sell directly from my website. It serves more as a portfolio to show to galleries and art consultants.

J: Tell us about something you enjoyed making as a child.

M: I will never forget those tempera paints in elementary school and the huge paper we were given to paint on. The paints were smelly but so bright and colorful. And the finger paints! Those were the most wonderful thing.

J: What advice do you have for budding young artists?

M: Remember that you have a unique vision and your job as an artist is to find what that is. Learn as much as you can about artists who have come before you, and also about artists who are working now. Don’t try to copy what they do, but learn a little bit from each one and find your own way. Art collectors, museums, and galleries are always looking for something that is unique and truly authentic.

Cool Breezes by Martha Marshall


J: What goals do you have for yourself as an artist?

M: My goal is to be as successful as I can possibly be as an artist while constantly learning new things. I define success as getting to make a living doing work that I love. I'm not there yet, but getting closer.

J: Do you have a current favorite work of art? What is it, and why is it your favorite?

M: My current favorite piece is a big triptych that I did six or seven years ago. It’s titled “Silence” and is probably the most successful painting I’ve done. I feel the colors really worked well to create a contemplative mood.


Silence by Martha Marshall

J: What new mediums/techniques would you like to try?

M: I want to investigate more found materials and incorporate those into my art, combined with heavier and more textural paint application. I don’t mind if my paintings become more sculptural. They seem headed in that direction already.

Want to find out more? Visit Martha's website http://www.marthabrooksmarshall.com/ or her blog at http://artistsjournal.blogspot.com/. And of course, you can find her on Etsy at http://www.colorpoetry.etsy.com/.