Tracy V Meets AfroElle

One of the joys that an artist can experience is having their work recognized.  That recognition could come in a variety of forms.  Today, I'm pleased to share one of these forms - a feature in the latest edition of AfroElle Magazine.  Congratulations to one of our very own, Tracy Viverretta!

Feel free to check out other amazing artists in the latest edition of AfroElle.

Again, congratulations, Tracy on such an amazing feature!

Featured Member: MY Peace Jewelry

Meet  EAOC Member Zalina of My Peace Jewelry.  Beautifully handcrafted out of repurposed materials like wood, brass and ethnic beads.  Her inspirational bass cuffs makes a thoughtful and inspirational gift for a friend, sister or co worker.

Zalina comes from a family of artisans.  Zalina's mother was a woodworker who focused on making furniture. Zalina also sculpts her mannequins out of paper.  Check out Zalina Shop. 

EAOC's Monday Spotlight: Kathy Rosemon

Meet EAOC Artist:  Kathy Rosemon.

Etsy Shop:  
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ekletikdesignz

Tell us about yourself.
I am the owner of Ekletik Designz Boutique online women's apparel and accessories boutique.  I enjoy creating statement pieces for the Bold Fashionista!  I am also working on a handbag line that will feature oversized clutches with cool hardware and mixed fabrics, K.Lynns Handbags. 

What are you currently doing besides your craft?
Fashion and the Beauty Industry has always been my passion, as well as helping others.  Besides my online boutique I have worked in social services all of my career as a Case Manager and Youth Counselor.

What is the address for your Etsy shop and what does your shop offer?
My Etsy shop,  www.etsy.com/shop/ekletikdesignz,  features cuffs, bangles earrings and sets.

Where do you find your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from strong women that I know that take chances and make sacrifices everyday.  I create at home in my studio space and the most important lesson I've learned on my journey, is to pace yourself.  Don't give up; keep trying until you get the results you are desiring!

What are some of your favorite online shops on and off Etsy?
My favorite Etsy shops on are DemestiksNewYork, Myjewelryfindings, and Vozcollective and off Etsy is Melodrama Boutique.

What are your other sites?
I also have a women's apparel online shop, www.ekletikdesignzboutique.bigcartel.com.
Here are some of Kathy's other items found in her Etsy shop:

New Team Treasury by Satin Doll Co.

Check out this new Etsy Treasury Fall is Coming by  team member Gaetana of Satin Doll Co. 

Click, Share, Comment or like.

  

Creative Entrepreneur: Make Every Second Count.

Many of you may be thinking. Is it possible to squeeze more work and productivity into my already packed schedule without losing hair, sleep and scaring my love ones away.   As a creative business owner I ask myself this question all the time.  There's always something to do.  It seems like it's never enough time.    I go to bed late and try to wake up early. The laundry is pilling up, I still have to answer emails, photograph, edit, write  product descriptions, make 10 mugs, go to post office and cook dinner.    I do believe balance is the key to life and it doesn't just happen it takes lots of effort.  To me balance is an action word.  You have to keep shifting your weight in order to stand on one leg.  When I think of balance I like to think of a juggler.   How to make every second count? This quote sort of sums it up.

Book Review:

Time Management Tips and techniques for more success with less stress: Make Every Second Count By Robert W. Bly 

The book was helpful.   Here's a few of my take away points but I encourage you to read it for yourself.

• The key component of creating a personal productivity system is to make a series of list. 

Create Daily to-do list  with most important tasks at the top.

Create Projects lists for all the projects your working on with next actions steps.

Create Long term to- do lists ( for example like learn spanish, visit Spain etc..)

• Break tasks into 1 hour sessions. 
• Give yourself rewards for accomplishing tasks
• Learn to Say No.
• Use 80/20 Rule

80 percent of your accomplishments comes from only 20 percent of your efforts.  The trick is to figure out what makes that 20 percent so productive.  Devote more time to productive activities.

• Adjust your schedule to your energy levels.
• Design a productive workspace and studio -

Everything you need like supplies, reference materials should be in reach by a swivel of your chair it possible.

Also, Do you have a great resource, tips for time management.   Love to hear it. Share thoughts in the comments below.

Visit EAOC Team Page   meet and chat with members.

Like us and connect on Facebook. 

-Shevon 

Meet Tracy V of "One Brown Crafter"

One Brown Crafter = Art + Craft + Culture

ABOUT ONE BROWN CRAFTER

One Brown Crafter is a blog that was created 22 months ago by illustrator, recycling crafter, and DIY expert Tracy Viverretta, to give voice to culturally diverse artists and crafters by showcasing their work. OBC was also created to share art related resources and information, establish a positive, uplifting, creative community and to celebrate cultural diversity.

ABOUT THE "NATURAL HAIR ART PROJECT"

Spawned by a love of natural hair, Tracy created the "Natural Hair Art Project", which is a reflection of that love. So every Friday for 52 Fridays in 2013, she shows a new piece of artwork that could be an illustration, collage, textile painting, embroidery, hand lettering, plush doll or any number of crafty projects - all related to natural hair. Most of the NHAP pieces are available for purchase in the One Brown Crafter shop. Tune in every Friday to see the featured piece of the week.

MULTICULTURAL DOLLS COMING APRIL 2013

Tracy's currently designing a line of multicultural/biracial/ethnic plush dolls. Her goal is to design several different series with different price points in mind so they will be accessible to everyone. Tune into One Brown Crafter or Tracyville for upcoming details, photos and updates.

CONTACT INFORMATION

CALL FOR ARTISTS + CRAFTERS: She's always looking for new artists and crafters to feature on the One Brown Crafter blog, so all of her contact info is below. If you have any questions, email her at onebrowncrafter {at}gmail{dot}com.

One Brown Crafter Blog: http://onebrowncrafter.blogspot.com/

One Brown Crafter Shop: http://onebrowncrafter.storenvy.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Brown-Crafter/220848741269779

Tracyville Blog: http://tracyville2.blogspot.com/

Tracyville Shop: http://tracyville.storenvy.com/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/onebrowncrafter/

Email: onebrowncrafter{at}gmail{dot}com

Last Minute Stocking Stuffers or Kwanzaa Gifts

Check out this Etsy Treasury by Rabihah Mateen.

Personalized Gifts

Give that special touch.  Personalized gifts are really thoughtful gifts.   Here's a few option from some of our EAOC Team Members.

1)Monogrammed Wood Coaster Set Of 4 By Prayer Notes
2)Initial Necklace, Porcelain and Sterling Silver by Shevon Gant Ceramics 
3)Custom Name Plate in Wood or Acyrlic by Peace Images
4)Brass Knuckles by Loving Anvil (They offer Custom Words!)

Bohemian Style

1.Stone and Bone- White and Blue Jasper Copper Ring

2.Boutique De Bandeaux- Blue Beaded Headband

3.Wire Queen Jewelry- Copper Wire Wrapped Green Turquoise Ring

4.Sydney Austin- Turquoise Stars Copper Hoop Earrings

5.Yarn Coture- Blue Pansy Lariat

6.Azuha- Crochet Necklace

I love Bohemian style.  I pick out some lovely bohemian style accessories from my fellow team members.

EAOC is now on  Pinterest.   Stay Connected and Follow us!


-Shevon
Team Captain

President Barack Obama

Marcus Kwame Anderson

Shevon Gant Ceramics

Election Day is a few days away, check out the work of two EAOC Team members who are creating art to show their support for our president. 

  

For our readers in the USA Rock The Vote Tuesday November 6, 2012

Mother's Day Line Up

There are three weeks remaining to Mother's Day. So get started shopping for mom with selections from Team EAOC members. Following are just a few of the many products from our talented members.

Chicken Pot Holder Set by craftinjenn

Rockies Bracelet by jldarden

Green and White Bead Earrings by Team Expressions

Note Cards - Dire Warning no.11 by tagteamtompkins

Mixed Media Painting by CelebratingART

Rosebud Earrings by HopesLovingHands

Coconut Mango Repairing Mask by hydroquenchsystems

Rectangle Bamboo Hoops by TheNeoChic

Sweet in Pink by SobahSobee

fashion-illustration-rocking-my-afro-in by digitalrevolve

canvas-board-painting-moving-on by Libramom

Fertility Doll Earrings by EwaMadam

Chakra Balancing Bracelets by chastity moore

mauve bead necklace by JewelleryByKiki

Happy Shopping!

Rabihah Mateen
http://www.ramjewels.com
http://www.ramjewelrydesigns.etsy.com

Blog Love: A List Designs

Meet Alea and Brenda Bankston of A List Designs.

What do Alea and Brenda have to say about themselves?

We are a mother & daughter team, who love creating original designs.

Daughter began creating jewelry designs in 2004. Most pieces were beaded earrings and necklaces handmade with gold filled or sterling silver and semi-precious stones. In 2009, daughter enrolled in classes with a professional metalsmith and now offers handmade rings, pendants and earrings. These sterling silver creations can be custom designed.

Mother joined the world of jewelry design in 2007, with daughter's instruction. The interest in creating original hand-crafted jewelry has grown over the past years. Designs currently include sterling silver and gold-filled earrings, necklaces and bracelets with semi-precious gemstones. Pieces are designed individually and as sets.

Our jewelry is carried in local boutiques and galleries in Louisville, including Les Filles Boutique and Edenside Gallery. Also see our designs modeled by Miss Kentucky USA 2007, Michelle Banzer.

We often have extra jewelry supplies that we sell as destash in our other Etsy shop. You can visit that shop at: www.thebargainbin [!at] etsy.com.

What can you expect to find on the A List Designs blog?
Gorgeous designs.

 

 

 

They even have their own YouTube Channel!



To learn more about A List Designs, please visit the blog or the Etsy shop!

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If you're interested in having your blog featured, list your blog 

url on our Etsy team discussion here.

XOXO,

{Skincare Finds} 5 Luscious Scrubs You Have to Try

Facial Scrub - (n.) a mixture of goodness used to scrub the gunk off your face; an exfoliator; a mixture that evens skin tone and softens the skin; something you have to use to make your pores look less awkward

-definition made up from experience by Brittany :)

Scrubs should be an essential part of your weekly skincare regimen. Here are a few yummy scrubs made by our fantastic members: beijaflores, jensancandles, skinfolk, thesoapseduction, and purespa2.

Moisturizing Honey Butter Sugar Scrub w/ Organic Shea Butter and RoseHip Oil

LAVENDER Essential Oil Dead Sea Salt Body Scrub with Sweet Almond and Olive oils

Sweet Molasses Body Rub...Organic BlackStrap Molasses and Enzyme-Rich Papaya Seeds with Hydrating Babassu Oil

Creamy Sugar Scrub-Lemon Sugar

Shower Sugar Scrubs - Goats Milk - Pink Sugar

{Etsy Tips} 52 Ways to Improve Your Shop During Rainy Day

Hi, Brittany here! It's raining where I live, so I thought I'd use my first post to write a rainy day to-do list of sorts. I hope it helps you as much as it's helped organize my thoughts.

1. Connect your viewers to the handmade aspect of your business by adding a story to your descriptions that tells how you made each item.
2. Review the prices of your items to stay competitive.
3. Update (and use) all 13 tags to match current trends and holidays.
4. Read the Merchandising Desk Report for the current month (again).
5. Create a treasury. Include members from your various teams and notify them of being included.
6. Participate in the Etsy Success Team Forum.
7. Ask your teammates for a shop critique.
8. Update your titles to match your new tags (or vice versa).
9. Fotofuze your pictures to brighten your white backgrounds.
10. List your items on Tophatter.com or Dreamers into Doers.
11. Flip through the current treasuries and comment on the ones you like.
12. Comment on the current article on the Etsy Blog.
13. Clean out the unused stock in your workroom and donate it to another artist.
14. Blog.
15. Write a tutorial for how to make one of your items.
16. Organize your workroom to fit your current needs.
17. Add brief shipping details to your listings.
18. Keep people viewing your shop by placing links to shop sections in your listings.
19. Design a new item.
20. Learn a new method for making your items.
21. Visit your local thrift store for supplies.
22. Contact local shops about consigning your items.
23. Create a catalog of your current items to leave in doctors’ offices, banks, etc.
24. Work on your wholesale linesheet.
25. Take a bath and relax.
26. Read magazines in your industry.
27. Subscribe to a few craft blogs and add meaningful comments to a few posts.
28. Watch a tutorial video on YouTube.
29. Search for your items in Etsy and take note of the tags of the listings on the first page.
30. Sign up for Google Analytics to better track your search ranks.
31. Look for suppliers that hand make their items.
32. Ask your family members and friends to critique your store.
33. Design business cards specifically for your shop (without your personal address on them).
34. Sign up for, or use, Twitter – for your business J.
35. Sing up for, or use, Facebook – for your business J.
36. Read a few posts on handmadeology.com
37. Analyze, or create, your yearly budget.
38. Work on your Business Plan, or download and start the template from sba.gov
39. Sign up for Wanelo and list some of your items.
40. Start, or update, your own website.
41. Do something creative outside your field: paint, draw, sew, write, etc.
42. Find ways to cut costs in your daily spending.
43. Find a good non-profit organization that could use the items you make—and donate a few.
44. Create a MailChimp newsletter to send updates to your customers.
45. Work on making more stock for your shop.
46. Ask your friends for items they’d like to see you create. You might be surprised by what they suggest.
47. Make your best seller in multiple colors.
48. Start working on a holiday line.
49. Set goals for the rest of the month, or the next month.
50. Streamline your processes.
51. Check your listing views on statsy.org
52. Find websites, or blogs, to advertise on. 

For more information about me, you can check out my personal blog: The Lion Hair Blog. 

New Team Blogger: Made with Hope Jewelry.

We really happy to welcome EAOC Team Member Brittany of Made With Hope to our blog team.  Brittany is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama and creates fabric button earrings and accessories.  She also has a graphic design etsy shop called Bevie.  You'll be hearing from her soon so lets welcome her.   In the mean time here's two of my favorite pieces from her etsy shops.

Celebrating Black History- Ms Octavia Butler

EAOC Team Member Robert Trujillo is an mixed media artist and illustrator living in Oakland California.  Here's a special post written and illustrated by Robert Trujillo.


To celebrate Black history month I want to praise one of the greatest storyteller's to ever put pen to paper, Ms Octavia butler

“the thing that I want to build is so damned new and so vast. I not only don’t know how to build it, but I’m not even sure what it will look like when I have built it. I’m just feeling my way. Using what ever I can do, whatever I can learn to take one more step forward”

These were words coming out of the mouth of Octavia via her character “Lauren Oya Olamina” in the story “Parable of the Talents”. I was introduced to Octavia by my mother. My mom and I both share a love for science fiction, good stories, and nerdy things all around. She would always tell me I should read her, but like most teenagers I hated reading! It wasn’t until I was in my mid twenties that I picked up “Wild Seed”. I started it and could not fathom how or why I was done with it days later. I read Parable of the Sower, Clay’s Ark, again same thing; and I’m a slow reader. I have many people to credit for teaching me how to read and Octavia is one of them. I’ve read 6 or 7 of her books and the last one is read was “Fledgling”. Her work not only weaves present day struggles and ideas into futuristic planes; it dissects society, flourishes with love, and promotes character.

I asked my mother to describe how she came across Butler’s work. Rubbing her hands together she began to describe a teacher and a library at Peltan junior high in Hunters Point San Francisco where she went to school. She had a professor who was into science fiction and led her to Butler’s work. She went on to tell me that winning the Nebula and the Hugo for a black woman at that time was unheard of. Not only were there few women who had one the award, but few people of color who had won it. Also, MacArthur awards, which Butler also won are usually reserved for people in science? Wow.

After reading a little bit on Octavia on wiki, I decided it best to leave her beginnings and finer details to you to research. I ahvent read her story “Kindred” yet so moms told me that I still had some reading to do. She also said that she was interested in Butler’s work and that of other science fiction writers because it gave a glimpse into a world outside of what we know. There’s tons of information on her, even a scholarship for writers of color set up in her name. Happy page turning.

CARNIVAL - EAOC Monthly Team Challenge

It's that time of year again when around the world celebrations of CARNIVAL take place! "Sights, Sounds and Scents" was this month's team challenge theme and our talented jewelry artists show off their visions of CARNIVAL!

Polymer Clay Snow Cone
Charm Necklace "Free Shipping"

Polymer Clay Cotton
Candy Carnival Pie Charm-A La Mode. Carnival Themed Party
Favor

Hot Pink and Neon
Orange Faceted Crystal and Dyed Jade Gold Circle Charm Dangle
Earrings

 

My Little Ackee
Earrings Red Black and Yellow Glass Seed Beads Jamaica
Fruit

Carnivale Cha Cha
Bracelet

Lovely Pink CHA CHA
Bracelet

Blog Love: Healthier Steps

Meet Michelle Blackwood of Healthier Steps.

What does Michelle have to say about herself?

My name is Michelle, I’m passionate in sharing with others how they can achieve a better lifestyle, by avoiding the pain and suffering plaguing society through disease. I give health lectures and cooking classes for the public, in between homeschooling my children and keeping home for my hubby Devon. I also enjoy organic gardening, foraging wild edible plants, baking and decorating vegan cakes. 

I'm a home school mom of 2 children. I live in the beautiful countryside of Virginia. I love nature and decided to create beautiful handmade soaps using the finest ingredients, all natural, free of chemicals, gentle enough that I use them on the delicate skin of my 2 year old.  My 13 year old home schooler leads out in design, photography, and graphic as part of home schooling . We grow all of the herbs organically that are used in the soaps. 

I will increase my product line gradually, I like to do custom orders, please contact me if you are interested. These creations are from my home to yours, we want you to enjoy that luxurious feeling we experience daily.

What can you expect to find on Michelle's blog?
Vegan Cooking

[Vegetarian Fried Rice]

[Gluten-Free Tofu Nuggets]

Natural Soaps

 

 

 and Natural Remedies

To learn more about Michelle and Healthier Steps, please visit her blog or her Etsy shop!

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If you're interested in having your blog featured, list your blog 

url on our Etsy team discussion here.

XOXO,