The Artist Behind The Etsy ~ Hymns and Verses

Being a part of the Etsy community, not only as a seller but as a customer, I have come across many talented individuals.  With this series, I hope to introduce you to some of these creative people, finding out where they find their inspiration, and a little bit more about them.

This week I’d like to welcome Doreen from Hymns and Verses!  Doreen makes such beautiful and inspirational home décor items, whether framed, used for tags, or as pillow covers.  She also has a blog of the same name, where she shares her beautiful home and the projects she does to make it that way.

Hi, my name is Doreen and my Etsy shop is Hymns and Verses.

I opened up shop on Etsy in March of 2012 after losing my job to advancing technology.  I was a medical transcriptionist for 16 years, most of that time working from home.  It was such a blessing to be able to work from home when my boys were young.  But, after such a long absence from the traditional workforce and most of my resume consisting of a job that had been phased out of the market, I had to find some way to make an income. 

"Unending Love, Amazing Grace" Set of 2 Pillow Covers

It was during that time that I also discovered the blog world.  The first blog that I began to read was the inspirational, Miss Mustard Seed.  At that time, Marian was also still selling a few items on Etsy.  I felt a connection to her and what she was doing and thought, "that's what I want to do"!   

"His Eye is on the Sparrow" Hymn Print

I have always enjoyed decorating my home with found treasures and things I make or repurpose.  I had even thought of selling things at craft shows or markets in the past, but I never pursued it.   My best friend really encouraged me to take a step of faith and open the online shop on Etsy - and I'm so glad she did!  The next step for me was to decide what I wanted to sell.  I wanted my product to be unique - something that wasn't being done over and over again. 

"Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart" Burlap Pillow Cover

I originally thought of scripture art, but I found there were already many talented artists that were doing this very well.  That's when I came up with the idea of creating items for the home that were based on lyrics from old hymns, songs from my childhood and today, verses from a memorized poem or a well remembered quote from the big screen or the pages of a book. 

I recently came across this quote and it pretty much sums up the name: Hymns and Verses - "Listening to a song and remembering all the memories that go with it".  I want people to see something I create and have that feeling.

"Come Sail Away" Nautical Pillow Cover Set

Initially I started my blog, also Hymns and Verses,  as a way to promote my Etsy shop. After a while, I began to really enjoy the blog as a way of sharing a more personal side of me and the things I do to make our house a home.  It's a place where I can talk to friends and show them the latest project I'm working on! 

"Be Thou My Vision" Eye Chart 

I'd love for you to stop by my blog - Hymns and Verses for a visit this summer day!  Take a look around and stay awhile - I'll have the fresh lemonade ready and waiting! 

Thank you, Kathy, for having me today and for this wonderful series!  It's been so much fun being here!

Thank you, Doreen, for sharing how you started your Etsy shop!  I think it is a very inspiring story.  You can visit Doreen’s Etsy shop here and her blog here.

Design Book Library ~ Carolyn Westbrook

The next design books I’d like to share are by Carolyn Westbrook and they are fairly new to me.  I purchased them after seeing some photographs in a magazine that were credited to Carolyn Westbrook’s decorating and, as always seems to be the case, I wanted to see more.

The two I have are called The French Inspired Home and Through The French Door : Romantic Interiors Inspired by Classic French Style.  I’ve enjoyed these so much that I just ordered Carolyn Westbrook Home {used, $9.99 with shipping} through Amazon.  My first thought on seeing the cover was that it made me think of Kris from Junk Chic Cottage’s house!

She also has one other book {according to Amazon} that I will probably put on my Wish List as a Birthday or Christmas gift.  At any rate, the two I’m showing you today have wonderful eye candy to drool over.  Many of the pictures I have seen floating around on Pinterest.  These first pictures are from Through The French Door.

One of my favorite classic color schemes ~ black and white!

Beautiful transferware en masse.

I love up close pictures of vignettes. 

I always study them looking for ideas and inspiration.  Even if you don’t have the exact items to pull together, you most likely have something similar in size or scale to give yourself the feel of the vignettes you admire.

The following pictures are from The French Inspired Home.

You will notice a lot of ruffles going on in this book.

Again in this book, lots of vignette inspiration.

I hope you’ve enjoyed looking through these two design books with me.  I would highly recommend these two.  If you like the pictures I’ve shared here, there are many, many more in both books.

 

Tray To Office Sign

This project was inspired by this sign below that I saw on Pinterest.  I finally managed to finish this project the day before Father’s Day, so this is my hubby’s Father’s Day gift!

Source

I had been planning this project out when I received an email from CozyWallArt.com offering me a vinyl.  I decided that it would be a good idea to have the “Office” wording in vinyl.   I received it very quickly, which was much appreciated after the experience I had with a vinyl I ordered for another sign I had previously made.  You definitely want to check them out if you are looking for vinyl wall art.

 

I also wanted to incorporate an “arrow”, like in the inspiration picture, but decided to get a little more whimsical and use this pointing hand offered by The Graphics Fairy. 

The sign itself is a fun shaped tray that was on clearance at Hobby Lobby.  Originally $29.99 it was on sale for $6.00.  The size was right and I really liked the shape, so I felt it was worth getting to make over into a sign.   

After removing the handles, I decided to paint it using Annie Sloan Coco and Old Ochre chalk paint.  I painted the insert with the Old Ochre and the frame portion with Coco.  Then I used clear and dark wax on it.

I added the vinyl lettering and then I applied the pointing hand using Transfer Artists Paper, which is an iron on paper that works on many surfaces.  

Once that was done, I took a step back and felt it needed something else.  I decided to do my version of “shading” on the vinyl lettering.  I just used a brown Sharpie marker to outline the letters. 

I attached a picture hanger to the back and there you have it ~ tray to Office sign!

My husband uses the home office about 2 days per week, depending on his travel schedule.  This office is more functional than it is pretty, so I don’t really show it on the blog.  Here you will see wires, papers on a desk, and the trash can pulled out, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t try!

 

Linking up with:

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Show and Share at Coastal Charm

Sizzle Into Summer at DIY by Design

Treasure Hunt Thurs. at From My Front Porch To Yours

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

 

The Artist Behind The Etsy ~ The Shabby Chateau

Being a part of the Etsy community, not only as a seller but as a customer, I have come across many talented individuals.  With this series, I hope to introduce you to some of these creative people, finding out where they find their creativity, and a little bit more about them.

Please welcome Donna from The Shabby Chateau!  Donna also has a blog called My Shabby Chateau.

Hi, my name is Donna, and I'm so thrilled that Kathy asked me to participate in her “The Artist Behind the Etsy” series!

I opened my Etsy shop, The Shabby Chateau, in March 2010. Soon after that I started my blog “My Shabby Chateau”. I must have spent a good month researching and planning before I got up the courage to open my shop! At the time, I didn't know anyone else who had a shop, so I just had to learn as I went along, and let me tell you I was more than a little nervous! Since then, I have learned a lot about being a shop owner, but of course I'm never really finished learning!

Let me back up and tell you a little bit about myself. I've loved to create for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I would spend hours fashioning clothes and furniture and accessories for my beloved dolls, all from found objects around the house. My mom was always making something from nothing, whether it be sewing my clothes, crocheting things of beauty for our home, or other handiwork. While I didn't inherit her “sewing gene”, I do believe that my urge to create came from her!

For the past few years, I've been blessed with the opportunity to work from home, so most days you'll find me in my craft room, working on new creations for my shop, packaging up orders, or just trying out new techniques for future projects. When I first heard of Etsy, I thought that would be the perfect venue for my work, as I would be able to stay home and create to my hearts content. In the past, I dabbled in selling at flea markets and craft shows, but they just don't seem for me. I would much rather be home working in my craft room! I find inspiration just about everywhere, from my own backyard to my travels. My husband John and I love to travel. As a matter of fact, we just returned from 10 days in Italy! Paris is our very favorite place in the world, so you will notice that many of my creations have a bit of a French accent! While I love cream, white, and all shades in between, I also love working with color! Shades of blue, aqua, turquoise and pink also are favorites of mine to work with.

When I first opened my Etsy shop, I featured mostly decoupaged items, such as trays and wall hangings. Well, I found out that not only were they very labor intensive (cutting out all those intricate little details by hand!), there just didn't seem to be a very big demand for those items. So, I eventually started creating and selling pieces that are mostly upcycled: everything from painted picture frame collections, wall shelves, chalkboards, painted candlesticks, and other home décor pieces I still occasionally add decoupaged items to my shop, as I just love working in that medium! For me, one of the most exciting parts of the creative process is knowing who will be using my creations. I've had many brides to be purchase my chalkboards to use at their weddings and receptions, and many mother's have purchased my picture frame collections to use in their babies nursery’s. It gives me a little thrill to know that I've played a roll in their special day, or special stages of their lives!

There is hardly a week that goes by that I'm not hunting for treasures to transform! I'm constantly searching thrift shops, consignment and antique stores, as well as yard sales, for treasures in the making. Even John gets in the act, I call him my official “picker”, as he now knows just what to look for! My husband is also very talented, and will often build shelves for me to paint, or cut boards that I can paint and stencil.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing a small sampling of my work. It has been a pleasure being featured here today, and I welcome you to visit The Shabby Chateau! Thank you again, Kathy!

Thanks so much for sharing your Etsy journey with us, Donna!  I’m so glad you plucked up the courage and took the plunge in opening your shop!  You can visit Donna’s shop The Shabby Chateau here and her blog here.