New Artisans Market!

I just opened up shop in a new online marketplace... 1000 Markets, an emerging market for artisans.



Right now, I'm adding light switch plate covers, and expect to add my paintings and other pieces over time. Come take a look at my shop - and browse other shops in the marketplace, too!

2008 Handmade Gift Guide

Dear Friends,

I just love sharing with you my favorite artists, artisans, crafters, and entrepreneurs from around the world! I love that there are so many people out there making unique creations by hand, and that these beautiful creations are accessible to so many of us via the internet. This year, the list is exclusively sourced from my favorite place for all things hand made - Etsy.

Perhaps within these shops you will find some unique gifts to share with your loved ones this holiday season.

Buy handmade. It's good for you.

In Celebration of You,
Amy




GREETING CARDS & BOOKS

WovenMoon.etsy.com
Charlotte, NC
Limited edition couture cards and gifts.

LaurenAlexander.etsy.com
Overland Park, KS
Adorable art and packs of greeting cards

moderncard.etsy.com
Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Blank, birthday and holiday cards – beautifully done.

KupoKiley.etsy.com
Eugene, OR
Handmade books for the serious writer.

malien00.etsy.com
Portland, OR (?)
Colorful greeting cards, notecards and pins.

EmilyBalivet.etsy.com
Vermont
Gorgeous mythological Goddesses, art nouveau divas, Celtic witches, psychedelic sorceresses, and medieval damsels.

takeiteasy.etsy.com
Los Angeles, CA
Handmade books, cards and whimsical whatnots.



CLOTHING

kimmchi.etsy.com
Brooklyn NY
Silkscreen on American Apparel shirts – including men's!

ellembee.etsy.com
White Lake, MI
Hand printed shirts for women, messenger bags and jackets.

Ahpeele.etsy.com
Raleigh, NC
Men’s and women’s clothing.

MariaElena.etsy.com
Duluth, MN
Fairy wings for grown ups!

nodemo.etsy.com
Toronto, Ontario
For the teen (or geeky-cool grown up) in your life.

shellmitchell.etsy.com
San Francisco, CA
Because fingerless gloves are way too cool.

kittyempire3.etsy.com
Nelson, BC Canada
Wallets, bags and accessories.



CHILDREN

threeredtrees.etsy.com
Kansas City
Adorable sock dogs and cats.

cherry6goddess1.etsy.com
La Mesa, CA
Cute little plushies – including penguins, pigs and hippos!

PerfectChildren.etsy.com
Portland, OR
Impossible plushy animals for your wee one’s imagination.



FOR YOUR KITTY

FluffyFlowers.etsy.com
Macon, GA
Catnip anyone?



FINE ART

natashawescoat.etsy.com
Bay City
Beautiful fine art prints and posters

karenfaulknerart.etsy.com
Pennsylvania
Gorgeous original watercolors at very affordable prices.



JEWELRY

WhimsiGals.etsy.com
Newcastle (?)
Goddess brooches and dolls

JulieSuzanne.etsy.com
Toronto, Ontario
Fun art pendants

woundaroundjewelry.etsy.com
Clinton, TN
I love the beautiful wrapped copper bracelets!

allthosethrees.etsy.com
London, England
Handcrafted ecological jewelry.

blockpartypress.etsy.com
Baltimore, MD
Unique and colorful cuff links, tie-tacks, pendants, and earrings.

waterfall.etsy.com
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Glass rings and beads

silentgoddess.etsy.com
Port Orchard, WA
Rings, pendants, bracelets and earrings for the goddess.



ETC

westernartglass.etsy.com
Minneapolis, MN
Glass art – pay particular attention to recycled beer bottle art – very cool!

Xanadu2You.etsy.com
Tacoma, WA
Amazing copper wire creations – bowls, containers, etc. Wow!

lewasdesigns.etsy.com
Gilbert, AZ
Decals galore! Decorate your walls, your laptop, your car... What else ya got?

tlwoldc.etsy.com
Fair Oaks, CA
Handspun fibers and yarn, knitted wrist warmer patterns, pregnancy aromatherapy, music, and more!

GeekGear.etsy.com
Westfield, NJ
Desk-gear made from recycled computer parts... for the coolest geek in your life.

OhWhatIf.etsy.com
Minneapolis, MN
Hand-woven rugs from recycled cotton

akcupcake.etsy.com
Anchorage, Alaska
Oven mitts, aprons and bicycle seat covers, oh my!

art nerd

in drawing class we've been learning to draw perspective. we started out with single point perspective. (imagine looking off into the distance, and on the horizon directly in front of you is what is called your "vanishing point" - the point at which all lines converge and appear to vanish). single point perspective is challenging and not my fav.

next we moved onto two point perspective. this is where you may be looking at a single object (say, a building) and can see at least two sides of the object (imagine standing on the corner, looking at a house), and that object has two vanishing points - one to it's right and one to it's left. depending on where you place your horizon (above, below, or in the center of the object) you can see the top, bottom or frontal view. and depending where you put your vanishing points (closer to the object or further away) the distortion of the object changes. it's really quite fascinating.

in case you can't tell, learning this made me giddy. it isn't just that i can draw this... i also loved the way my instructor taught the class how to draw... it was a problem solving exercise. he just gave us a couple loose parameters and said "i can't tell you any more than that or it will give it away" and we had to figure out how to do it ourselves. brilliantly taught! i had a smile when he came around to check how i was doing. i was so proud of myself :) in fact, i spent the entire walk home yesterday (just over a mile) reveling in my newly acquired ability to draw two point linear perspective.

once home, i filled three pages of my sketchbook with 2pt linear perspective drawings - several drawings per page. i used the same object example for all the drawings on one page, but adjusted the vanishing points and horizon location just to see how this would alter the look of the object. on my final drawing, i created a T - shaped building with a partial 2 story center, windows and doors. it looks like it could be a real place.

yes, i can draw 3D and make up entire cities and buildings seen from above or below or straight on, using only my imagination, a piece of paper, a pencil and a ruler. this, my friends, is what fun is all about.

true story.

Some Things Fun

You know how I like to share my fav Etsy.com items and sellers with you for holiday gift giving? Well, I figured I'd branch out a bit and share some fun finds... just because.

Two Girls In Love pocket mirror ($6.50). Created by The Wistful Republic in Salem, NH.

Stanley the Sluggish Snail animal suncatcher ($10). Created by Glass Cat in Warrenville, IL.

Beer Bottle Leaf recycled glass suncatcher ($25). Created by Western Art Glass in Minneapolis, MN.

Faery Faith assemblage shrinel ($59). Created by Tink Witch in NJ.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Wuzza Bag rosy mauve and dark burgundy bag ($45). Created by Suzannie in Canton, OH.

because you are bored

Flickr's Warholizer will keep you busy for at least half an hour, if not more. try it. you'll like it.

holiday shopping guide

Amazon.com Gift Certificates

Accessory Alamode (New Jersey) creates handcrafted, Limited Edition Artisan Jewelry designs, vintage collage altered art charm pendants, hand-stamped personalized pieces, bridal party jewelry, bookmarks & key chains. A truly unique artisan offering personalized creations with custom orders.
http://accessoryalamode.etsy.com/

Angelic Guidance Session with Allison Oster (San Diego, CA). Allison is a brilliant intuitive who taps into the angelic realm to bring you messages from your guides and angels. She’s highly respected and incredibly gifted. Gift certificates available for phone or in-person sessions.
http://www.allisonoster.com/

Block Party Press (Maryland) creates beautiful ceramic pendants, photo holders, rings and even the most unique Zen rock garden you’ll ever set eyes on! The Zen rock garden can be found under Miscellaneous section of her shop. Custom orders available.
http://blockpartypress.etsy.com/

Bubble Dog’s (New Jersey) store is full of bright, colorful retro bags, wallets and zippered pouches – all designed and constructed by her. Super cute for the bag purveyor in your life.
http://bubbledog.etsy.com

Carla Sonheim’s shop features her adorable paintings, prints and transfers. These are playful works that would be perfect for children’s rooms or even just that space in your office or home where you could use some whimsy and light.
http://carlasonheim.etsy.com

Destiny Designer by Eileen Joyce (Los Angeles, CA). Eileen has created an incredible day planner that truly helps you connect with your highest self each day. The layout is brilliant – the left page asks you to consider what is truly important for the day, asking you to consider what you’ll need to Be and Do in order to Have what you want. The right page begins your day at 7am and with 30 minute increments goes to 10:30pm. There is plenty of room to list your appointments and activities.
eileenjoyce@verizon.net 310-235-1076

Fairy Tale Fibers (Portland – ME or OR?) creates the most adorable fairy and elf hats. Hand created from 100% recycled wool, yet soft as cotton. One of these hats is on my wish list for the next time we move somewhere the temperature dips below 50.
http://fairytalefibers.etsy.com/

The Funky Felter (Kansas City) specializes in felted wool creations such as scarves, wraps, purses, bags, jewelry and even holiday décor.
http://thefunkyfelter.etsy.com/

Into The Blystic by Elis Cooke (Ontario) boasts magnificent handmade journals, collages and paintings that absolutely inspire and dazzle me to no end. I can not put into words the beauty and depth of her work.
http://intotheblystic.etsy.com

Lauren Smash (Oakland, CA) is one of my favorite Etsy crafters. She hand sews the most adorable fleece stuffed animals – from her winter reindeer and snowmen to puppies, bears and dolls. Custom orders available.
http://laurensmash.etsy.com/

Summer Sea Herbs (Western MA) offers a variety of organically grown herbal products – herbal teas, flower essences, smokeless smudge, incense, journey pouches, and more! For those on a magical journey, this beautiful shop has plenty to offer.
http://summersea.etsy.com/


See more of my Etsy.com favorites.

i double heart etsy

If you haven't heard of Etsy.com, and even if you have, you simply must see this adorably awesome animation made by ALSO

ps. im making and posting more and more stuff all the time! tiny watercolor paintings, cool wallets, and ive been thinking of branching out into bookmarks. whaddya think?

Art Show to Benefit Visual AIDS

If you happen to be in NYC December 2nd and 3rd, I encourage you to attend
Visual AIDS Postcards From the Edge Benefit, hosted by Sikkema Jenkins & Co. 530 West 22nd Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues).

Not only will you see (and be able to buy) over 1000 original postcard sized pieces of art from established and emerging artists, but one of them will be mine! Can you find it? It's like where's Waldo, only you have no idea what Waldo looks like! Because it's a "hidden name" exhibit where buyers won't know who created the postcard they buy until they've already bought it, I'll post a photo a few days after the completion of benefit.

Donations, proceeds, and money from Postcards From the Edge will benefit Visual AIDS.

what will you do with your toes?

so, i know it's totally not toe-ring season for most of my friends. but i still feel compelled to share my latest find.

as you know, im selling my wares on etsy.com. well, i don't remember how i found this toe ring exactly at Darling Designs shop, but it is so incredibly comfortable and amazing.

made in MA and shipped like a regular letter. only took it a few days to arrive. the great thing, is Lorene (the shop owner) can make them in ANY color. if you buy one, tell her i sent you (i don't get anything special, but its just nice to know there are peeps referring each other out in the big crafting world).

holiday shopping

okay, so its a bit too soon to gear up for holiday shopping. however, i wanted to let you know that i am selling my wares on my website and on etsy.com (an online place just for handmade items), and you are invited to browse. i do custom orders of all my stuff (paintings, clear tape wallets, light switch plates, mini-boxes, etc.) and would be thrilled to personalize something just for you or your loved one.

amylburns.etsy.com
amylburns.com/gallery

and don't forget the fun of getting a Tarot or Faerie card reading, or Reiki treatment to start the new year off right! these are fantastic gifts, and since there is plenty of time, I can send you a personalized gift certificate to give your loved one.

amylburns.com/tarot
amylburns.com/reiki

a Self-Discovery Session might also be a great gift if you know someone who is in a place of self-discovery, transformation and personal growth. Personalized gift certificates available for these, too.

amylburns.com/coaching

Friends of Amy L. Burns receive a 10% discount or free shipping by mentioning my blog.

OB Sunset

Got Paper?

Many of you know that I am an avid decoupager. I take bits of paper and paste them onto other things, creating incredible pieces of art and functional objects. I brought some of my decoupaged light switch plates with me to San Diego and am now selling them at a local boutique.

YAY me!

What does this have to do with you? I’m getting there...

With my recent move to San Diego, I decided to leave all my art supplies behind (except paint and brushes) to start fresh. While this was rather brilliant, it was also kind of silly. It turns out, all that paper I’ve been amassing for years was actually useful for decoupage. I’ve been all over the city, looking in specialty shops, arts/craft stores and even dollar stores, I’m just not finding anything truly interesting or amazing, and especially not at reasonable prices.

That’s where I’m hoping you can pitch in. I know birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and such are all happening throughout the year – many right now! Take a look around at the wrapping paper and tissue paper you’ve bought or even received as gift wrapping. Anything interesting? If so, I’d love to have it. I thought this might be a fun way to get all kinds of interesting paper.

If you send me a few sheets of interesting, fun, or pretty paper, I’ll gladly make you a single light switch plate in return. So, if you have some special paper that you’ve been holding onto as a keepsake send me a 4”x 6” bit of it and I will decoupage you a light switch plate. (This can be a gift for someone else if you’d like).

For a general idea of the paper I’ve used before visit my art gallery.

Ships are coming in

A local shop here in OB has agreed to carry my light switch plates! YAY me! She'd also like me to make some things for the holiday season.

Another local store has expressed interest in my ceramics. I need to bring them samples so they can get a better idea of if they'd fit with their store. I think they will :)

Plus, there is an adult ed ceramic studio in San Diego that is free for grown-ups to use... Since I'm 30 years old now, I've designated myself an official grown-up. YAY!

I've also started a new series of paintings which I think you'll enjoy.
I'll post photos as soon as I get a digital camera ;)

And I'm meeting with someone next week about facilitating self-discovery workshops!

Life is good.

PS. I just ate some ice cream.