Danny Mansmith

"My Shrine for Me" by Danny Mansmith

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SCRAPdannymansmith

Hello.

I'm an artist who, for the most part, is self taught.  Making art and working with my hands fuels me to be in this world.

So much of today's society doesn't appeal to me so I have turned to creating my own world in my art.

I really wish to share my art with others and try to inspire others to express themselves to follow their own paths.

Artist's statement:  Working with my hands has saved my life.

Instead of being the fastest or the smartest I found my strength, sanctuary and cushion from the world in making art.

My grandma gave me my first art lessons when I was very young. She sewed my clothes growing up and this influenced me to later teach myself how to use the sewing machine - allowing imperfections, emotions, and child like energies to fuel and inspire me to create.

Danny Mansmith's studio.

I want to push myself to make art with the things around me, to be resourceful and to follow my heart’s inspiration.

Making something wearable, drawing with sharpies or the sewing machine, sculpting, to creating installations that incorporate all of these elements has become my spirituality - my survival.

Location:  Chicago, Illinois, USA

Online shop:  SCRAPdannymansmith
Social media:  
   LinkedIn
   Facebook   (personal page)
Languages spoken:  English 

"Fabric Leaf Cut Out Necklace" by Danny Mansmith

Tags:   unique, individual, authentic, inventive, spiritual, installation art, sewing machine, self taught, resourceful, evolving, outsider art

pedestrian

 

http://www.pedestrian.etsy.com

The Nomad Cowl by Pedestrian
The Nomad Collection is based on the idea of how clothing would be made after the apocalypse.  This cowl is knitted together from random bits of torn cloth and fiber remnants, complete with fallen tree branch buttons.

Hi there!  My name is Christine and I am the hands behind Pedestrian Designs!  I specialize in whimsical designs for children and grown-ups who like to dress up as part of their everyday attire.

I have been designing crochet/knitwear for nearly 15 years.  After making numerous hats, scarves, sweaters, and blankets for myself, I dove into consigning my line at B+M stores and craft shows.  This gave me the experience to open my own Etsy shop.  Now I have 'quit my day job', focused on Pedestrian via Etsy and have my designs in boutiques throughout the United States.  I still participate in fall craft shows and, most recently, am prominently featured at an indie shop in my local mall.

My work is available at Roadies in the Platte River Mall of North Platte, Nebraska, Wholly Craft in Columbus, Ohio, and Lemonade Couture in Austin, Texas.

In 2010, Pedestrian's Dragon Hats were included in the Parenting.com costume guide for Halloween.

This has been such an excited time for me!  With over 500 hats sold in the last year, I can't wait for the weather to get cold every year!  My customers are amazingly sweet with a zest for life that is contagious.  I really do have the BEST job on Earth!!!! 

Artist's statement:  I am inspired by the classic fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Grimm, and Louis Carroll as well as apocalyptic science fiction novels. 

What would Little Red Riding Hood wear if she walked her dog down my street?  What would Rapunzel wear if she had to shovel snow in a Nebraska winter?  What if Dragons worked at the post office?  How would a Nomad make a scarf after all modern technology broke down?  These are the questions I answer with Pedestrian Designs.

Location:  North Platte, Nebraska, USA

Online shop:  pedestrian

Blog:  pedestrianchristine

Other social media:

   Twitter

   Facebook (personal page) 

Memberships:

   Etsy FAST Fiber Artists Street Team

Languages spoken:  English, Latin, and Pirate

Dragon Hat by Pedestrian Designs
 Dragon Hats ferociously keep the chill off children and grown-ups.  Rawr!

Tags:   costume, halloween, cosplay, dress-up, pretend, fairy tale, imagination, children, colorful, nebraska

Billie Bags Etc.

 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/floorartetc

Hello!  I'm Billie Anderson from Bigfork, Montana USA.  Bigfork is a small Village snuggled in on a Bay on Flathead Lake in Northwest Montana that is very arts oriented with many artists and galleries as well as a world class Repertory Theatre. The Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts is the premier venue for musical theater, stage productions, dance, music, and educational programming in Northwest Montana. In the lobby of the Theatre is a 9' church pew that I painted a few years ago and sold.  The buyers donated it to the Theatre.  Needless to say I was so excited to see it there and to know that thousands of people will see and sit on it for years to come.

I'm a third generation Montanan and grew up in Bigfork and have lived there most of my life for over 50 years. My three wonderful adult children were born and raised in Bigfork with two of them living here and my oldest daughter living in Colorado with her husband and my  adorable grandson.

I am a Digital Artist designing digital collages, also known as photomontages, using Photoshop CS4.  I then have my designs professionally printed onto designer fabrics where I then give new life to military surplus laptop sized messenger bags by sewing the fabric onto the flaps.  I also make beautiful pillows and pillow covers with the fabrics.  My designs are also printed in a square format at a Professional Photo Lab online and I sell them in five sizes.

I am inspired by the fabulous Artists and Designers of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco Eras.  I have a collection of roaring 20’s Era Vogue books and magazine covers and also books on Erte’ a designer of the same era that I have always loved. I have focused all my time on designing and sewing for now. My plan for the future is to have silk scarves and wall hangings made using my designs.  The possibilities are endless.

I'm also an Acrylic Artist specializing in painting large wall Tapestries, Canvas Rugs, Fabric and recycled Furniture.  You can see my past painted work in this Portfolio.    

I’ve been an Artist and Crafter for over 40 years.  I was a Basket Weaver for many years, owning my own shop for 10 years with my sister-in-law where we sold our handmade baskets as well as other local artists and crafters work. I’m also a  Photographer and Chandler.  I learned to sew when I was about 13 years old and made clothes and costumes for myself and for my children for years as well as making many quilts. I love creating something with my own hands and ideas and I'm always thinking of something else to create.

My challenges are to keep focused on what I'm doing at the time and my goals are always to produce the best product possible. I have always loved and bought hand made Art and Craft items for myself and for gifts.

I am always available to answer any questions you have.

Location:  Bigfork, Montana, USA

Online shop:  floorartetc 

Languages spoken:  English

"I'm No Angel...But I've Spread My Wings A Bit"

Pillow Cover by Billie Anderson

Tags:  laptop, messenger, bag, pillow, cushion, roaring 20's, theatre, erte, collage, print

Sally Manke Fiber Artist

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SallyManke

Despite my high energy level, there is never enough time to create all the ideas bouncing around in my head!

Fiber and creativity have been a part of my life since a very young age. I created a pattern from newspaper then sewed my first garment on a Singer Featherweight at around the age of eight. An undergraduate degree in home economics and a master in art lead to a twenty-five year career teaching art and life skills (current idiom for home economics).

Although, I enjoy crafting traditional quilts, dolls and holiday items, my passion is fiber art. A perfect day is one spent in my home studio with fabric spread far and wide creating confetti art. Confetti quilts bring together color and texture with the skill and methods of stitching layers of fabric. Each confetti quilt has thousands and thousands of tiny bits of batik fabric “painted” on quilt batting and backing. Inspiration comes another pastime; hiking trails and beaches here in Michigan or on far flung family vacations.

My confetti quilts have been in several juried local quilt shows here in northwest Michigan and Wisconsin. Additionally, my quilts have been selected for display at the International Quilt Festival in Chicago, Long Beach and Houston. I teach at quilt shops and quilt guilds.

Artist's statement:  My mission it to delight others with textile art that allow for my joyful, creative expression with color and texture.

Location:  Arcadia, Michigan, USA

Online shop:  SallyManke

Memberships:

   International Quilt Association
   American Quilter’s Society
   Quiltsy Team on Etsy

Languages spoken:  English 

"Autumn Trees", Art Quilt by Sally Manke

Tags:  fiber art, art quilt. textile art, confetti quilt technique, machine quilting, wearable art, landscape artist, fine art, color, texture