Meet the Member - BeaG

This time we're off to beautiful Belgium to meet BeaG of WilliamsGiftShop.


Please introduce yourself.

My name is BeaG. I was born in the Netherlands in 1964 and now live in a lovely village near Gent, Belgium, with my partner Marc.

Please describe your craftwork / shop and your inspirations for it.

I have been creative for as long as I can remember. My head is always filled with hundreds of ideas, so I never have to ‘find’ inspiration. I guess you could say that my life itself is my inspiration and that my head is constantly creating fun, practical and challenging ideas. When I look at something, anything, I always imagine what I could make with it or out of it. Growing up I was surprised to find that other people do not think like that.

 

I do a large number of crafts and probably make up some new ones while I’m at it. But not everything I design/create ends up in my Etsy shop. Considering international shipping costs I mainly focus on items that can be send by letter mail.

Could you describe to us what a regular day is like for you?

I have serious chronic health issues and can only be active for a few hours a day. Most of those hours I spend designing, creating, photographing my creations, Photoshopping, finding craft materials, working on my shop, promoting, and maintaining online contact with other creative souls.

How long have you sold your items on Etsy?

I opened my Etsy shop in the summer of 2006, so I am officially an Etsy oldtimer.

Because of my health issues, online selling is a perfect option for me. I first heard about Etsy from my friends at Craftster.org.

What’s your favourite part of the Etsy experience?

Although I have sold a lot of things so far, each and every single sale still makes me happy. The best part about Etsy for me is that I get to show my creations to the world and that people all over the planet like them so much that they actually want to own them.

Are there any other skills you’d love to have?

I had to give up a lot of skills as a result of severe chronic pain and other health issues, so the only answer to this question would be negative..

What is your favourite item in your own shop?

My favourite products are the ones that are pretty, fun and functional at the same time, which pretty much covers my entire shop. You might notice that I am sort of a perfectionist..., so an item that I think isn't good enough will not make it into my shop.

What are your favourite materials to work with?

 

My favourite materials to work with are cotton yarn, buttons, vintage fabrics, etc. And everything that is old, or about to be thrown away, that can be turned itno something new and pretty. I love recycling!

 

Please nominate another team member who you'd like to know more about. 

 

I'd like to nominate Ulli from Leocardia, because she is from a neighbouring country!

 

Thank you BeaG, for finding the time and energy to share your creative story with us. Now lets take a quick look at some more of your amazing creations.

 

Below, we show two lip balm holders and an inhaler cover, all crocheted by Bea.

  

 

 

Some springtime items

Time to visit a few of our members shops.

Artisans selected for this beautiful springlike collection:

LarkspurAndLinen

(no longer a member)

Pieceunique

waterlilyandvine

Show 'em some lurve, folks...

Pay it Forward Friday

Time to catch up on some of our talented team members!

In order to qualify for this feature, you must conform to the following criteria:

1 - be a member of the Positivity Team on Etsy

2 - contribute to the current monthly team discussion at least once

3 - comply with the team philisophy of supporting and promoting
each other, not just ourselves, through the various forum
posts set up for this purpose. 

Items for this feature will be chosen from those who comply
with these requirements. If you don't contribute, you don't
get featured. Simple!

For some reason, today I'm in a purple mood, so lets take a look at what 

I can find.

TheEarthAndStars

 LynnLarae

 

susanwilliamsdesigns 

TwinMountainPottery 

Meet the Member feature - Jenna

This time we're off to the UK to meet Jenna of JennaMichellePinkArt

Please introduce yourself.

Hello, I am Jenna and I am a Uk based Fine Artist and Illustrator. I have a very happy family with my boyfriend and my 2 cats Isabella and Beatnik. (They are currently outside in the snow which is making me smile). Unfortunately I live in the city which has its advantages but I wish to be closer to the sea, for me the sea is massively healing. I hope one day in the future I will move there. My favorite film is The Dark Crystal and I do not have a favorite genre of music, I like most genres. My favorite musicians however I can name as Bjork, Ani Difranco and Janis Joplin. I have a love of all things creative and love expressing myself with colour either through my artwork or through my self-image. I love performance arts especially object manipulation and when I feel motivated spinning fire. I like Penguins, I also like parsnips :-)

Please describe your craftwork / shop and your inspirations for it.

My work is highly emotive and is inspired by my life experiences and the organic world around me. My art is a form of therapy and a journey of self-discovery. I paint and draw automatically allowing whatever is inside of me to get out. I find that my art to me is more about the process that creates it instead of the final product. 

I have always had a passion for art and I relate to the world in a very visual way. I am inspired by honesty. I couldn’t not be an artist. 

Could you describe to us what a regular day is like for you?

A day in the life of me would probably be fairly boring. I tend to wake up normally later then I want to (I am awful at mornings) I am motivated by Midday when I will start getting on with the day, how I spend my time changes from day to day, sometime I will spend the day working on my website or other computer based things. I try to squeeze in seeing a friend for a coffee a few times a week. I tend to create quite sporadically, I struggle to have a 9-5 routine when it comes to creating so some weeks I won’t stop painting and others I do little this is ok though I have learnt to go with the flow. I currently volunteer at a drugs and alcohol inpatient unit running art based workshops and supporting occupational therapists at the hospital, I love this and this is something I am hoping to develop a career in in the long term.

How long have you sold your items on Etsy?

I have been selling items on Etsy for probably about 10 months now. Well I say selling, my items have been listed for that long, I found Etsy and decided it might a good way to begin selling my work online, it has encouraged me to try selling at craft fairs.

What’s your favourite part of the Etsy experience?

Shopping? Haha, I love to scroll through other peoples shops. There are some very talented people selling through etsy.

Are there any other skills you’d love to have?

I would love to be able to crochet, yet I do not have the patience. I have been taught several times and have crocheted a few items but I lose interest quickly. I guess I was meant to paint and draw. I intend to teach myself to felt soon or ceramics…..ahh there are so many skills I would love to have.

What is your favourite item in your own shop?

This is currently my favorite painting to date. It was painted at a time that I needed to fill an emptiness inside of me. When I began painting the paint seemed to just create its own shapes and the figure emerged from it. I spent hours and hours working and re-working this painting applying layer upon layer of paint.

What are your favourite materials to work with?

I am currently completely in love with Dewant Inktense pencils. I love them. I love the effects you can make with them and how vibrant they are. I love how washed away and tired you can make them look. I wouldn’t be able to get buy without a box of Inktense pencils a Biro and a tip-ex pen.

Please nominate another team member who you'd like to know more about.

I nominate Melanie Stevens of waterlilyandvine

Her jewellery is inspirational and I would love to hear about its creative process.

Thank you Jenna, for this inspiring peek into your creative life! Now lets take a quick look at some more of your amazing creations.

To see more of Jenna's work, please click on the link to her shop 

JennaMichellePinkArt