Audrey Country Crafts is our featured artist today

Who are you?
Audrey Friesen

Where are you located?
Manitoba, Canada

What do you create?
I do Decorative/Tole painting on anything that will sit still long enough. Everythng from wood (which I cut out myself), tin, jean blankets, jean tote bags, sleighs, stools, you name it. I've also started making raggedy tote bags.

Where do you sell your creations?
On Etsy mostly, I do have one other shoppe, and for Oct - Christmas my friends and I have a "Christmas Craft Store" in the local mall. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6272600

Where do you create?
I have a wood shop attached to my hubby's shop, and also have a room in the house where I can paint and sew. It's nice being able to close the door on the mess sometimes.

What inspires you?
Oh my - well, I would have to say nature, other crafters, things I see at the store, on T.V. or anywhere really.

What are your goals?
Well, it would be nice to make enough money selling crafts to make my hubby happy (LOL). I would like to be able to support my crafting addiction with what I sell.

Are you able to support yourself with your creations?
Not even close! It would be nice though.

What do you friends and family think of your creations?
They are quite impressed. Most of my friends also are crafters/artists but we all create different product. It's still great to get together and compare experiences and ideas.

What do you do when you are not creating?
Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning - the everyday duties of a mom/wife. I drive a school bus to help support the family and my crafting.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I've been crafting for about 15 years now. Started when the youngest was 2 years old. I saw an ad in the local paper for a beginner folkart painting class and hubby suggested that I go as a way to get out of the house for awhile. At the time I was a stay-at-home mom. Obviously he didn't realize it would become an addiction and take over a room in the house and part of his shop!! He might be sorry now. (LOL)

Please list your blog, twitter, Facebook or other address you would like to promote.
Three blogs: http://audreyscountrycrafts.blogspot.com
http://audreyscountrycraftsgiveaway.blogspot.com
http://audreysrecipes.blogspot.com

Thank you for answering my questions and sharing with us.

Thank you for entering my contest

We have a winner! Congratulations daisycakesoap!

I inputed the 5 commenters names into random.org. I listed the results below.

There were 5 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
daisycakessoap
Digital Misfit
Liz
LizardQueen
bijouxdesignsforyou
Timestamp: 2009-02-16 14:00:53 UTC

Thank you everyone for giving me some insight to what you want to see in my Etsy and Artfire shops.

Featured Artist CaffeinatedFrenzy

Who are you?

Kelsey, also known as CaffeinatedFrenzy

Where are you located?

I live in a suburb just outside of Cleveland.

What do you create?

I create hand knit accessories, gloves, scarves, hats, pillows, coffee sleeves, steering wheel covers, and more. I like to create knits that people wouldn't have thought of before.

Where do you sell your creations?

I started by selling at a local boutique, then moved on to Etsy. Now I sell on Etsy, Artfire and 1000Markets.

Where do you create?

My bedroom is my studio. More than often it has more yarn than anything else. :)

What inspires you?

The yarn itself inspires me. The color, the texture, I think the yarn sort of figures out what it wants to become itself.

What are your goals?

I would like to continue CaffeinatedFrenzy as a side job. I think keeping the business small will keep the personal, handmade charm of my shop.

Are you able to support yourself with your creations?

It certainly helps! But right now I have two part time jobs as well. What do you friends and family think of your creations? They're very supportive. One of my friends just bought a scarf from me!

What do you do when you are not creating?

I cook, I dance, and I drink too much coffee.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

My favorite orders are custom ones. I encourage buyers to not shy away from special requests! I love to create one of a kind things that reflect the people my customers are.

Please list your blog, twitter, Facebook or other address you would like to promote.

Here is my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Cleveland-OH/CaffeinatedFrenzy/124801195234 My blog: http://caffeinatedfrenzy.blogspot.com/

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

Giving my contest a bump

What do you want to see more of in my shops? Wallets, purses. money clips, or what? Any designs you wish I would make? Like what I do now? Tell me. =)

My contest:Leave me a comment of what you want to see in my shop and any designs you want to see. I will randomly pick one winner (using random.org) who leaves me a comment between today and Feb 15 at 11:59pm EST.

Please leave comments on http://copperspringsleather.blogspot.com/2009/02/little-contest.html Thanks. Right now you have great odds of winning. I only have 2 comments.

Little acts of kindsness

Support your troops,
originally uploaded by copperspringsleather.

Little Acts of Kindness can go a long way to cheering up someone's day. I have permision to post about a event that recently happened to me, but asked to not names or states.

I recently was comissioned to make a leather item for a young miltary family. Before I was finished, he received orders for a tour a duty. His wife emailed me and asked if I could ship directly to him instead of their home. Of course was my responce. I then noticed the wife's signature line. She stated she was a proud miltary wife and a sahm to a young baby.

I decided I would send her a little token of appreciation of being so supportive of our miltary. I sent her a key fob just like this one. I never expected to hear back from her.

A few days after I mailed both packages I receive an angry email from the wife. She was upset that I sent the custom order to her , not her husband. I emailed back to her her husband's delivery confirmation number and told her this package was for her.

The next morning I had an email waiting for me from her. She told me she had tears in her eyes as she was writting. She never expected someone to be so kind to her. It really brightened a bad day. She was really having a hard time with the baby and missing her husband. She told me she rushed to her keys and added the fob right away.

Sometimes a little kindness goes a long way.

Craft show season will be soon upon us again

I have been thinking about what sales to send applications to and what to change to be successful. As I sit here looking at my past sale receipts, I have noticed a trend. I wonder if other crafters do to.

I have noticed when I am actively crafting, I sell more. Days I either set up my marble block and tools and actively tooled leather or started hand lacing or sewing my sales increase. It makes me wonder if people attending craft shows expecting handmade items have been burned by factory made items that had stickers on them just momments before they were placed on the table, shelf or display.

Don't forget to leave your comment for my contest. Right now two people have great odds for winning the drawing. Don't be afraid of telling me to continue making what I'm making.
http://copperspringsleather.blogspot.com/2009/02/little-contest.html

Happy Birthday Son

eagle,
originally uploaded by copperspringsleather.

I am sitting here in my office taking a break. I gaze at your pictures and see you grow right before my eyes. I am proud to see how far you grown, not just in height and weight, but as a person.

You remind me of a soaring eagle so free. You have a great presence. The world is yours to explore.

Happy Birthday, my dear son.

Come follow CSLeather on Twitter

I'm trying a new marketing venue, for me, called Twitter. If you wish to follow my Tweets about new products, blog posts, sales, ect please sign up and follow me. You can find me at http://twitter.com/CSLeather .

I tried to sign up under my store and blogging name of Copper Springs Leather, but it was too many characters. I thought of signing up under just Copper Springs, but that just reminds me of the spring by the house where I grew up and first learned the art of leathercraft. I didn't think it would remind anyone else though.

Google Alerts

I wanted to introduce my fellow handcrafters to a great tool call Google Alerts. http://www.google.com/alerts I'm sure most of my fellow handcrafters that have been around for awhile already use this helpful tool, but it's a great reminder.

You use google tools to search for certain terms. It can be your business name, products you make, blog addresses, website address, or anything. Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.

Using Google Alerts is a great way to see who is praising you or giving you hints to improve. Who knows you may even see someone who gives you the most sincerest form of flattery.

A little contest

Sundance Suede Leather Handbag,
originally uploaded by copperspringsleather.

My Art Fire shop is now officially open. Well there is not much there now, just this beautiful suede handbag. I do have plans of filling my store to the rafters. I am working on finishing up some custom orders, right now.

What do you want to see more of in my shops? Wallets, purses. money clips, or what? Any designs you wish I would make?

My contest:

Leave me a comment of what you want to see in my shop and any designs you want to see. I will randomly pick one winner (using random.org) who leaves me a comment between today and Feb 15 at 11:59pm EST.

What will the winner receive? I'm glad you asked. The winner, anywhere in the world, will receive a beautiful horse shaped leather coin key chain similar to this one, although color may vary.