Spotlight on....

Welcome to our 9th installment of the Spotlight series by Sophie n Me.

Today we are meeting....

1. Your name and name of your shop(s)?

I'm Michelley QueenofQueens.

My etsy shop bears the incredibly creative name "queenofqueens". 2. Day or night job if you have one.

Like most artists I've worked a wide variety of day and night jobs. Currently I'm lucky enough to work solely in the field of visual art. I paint, make wacked out art doodads and - I tattoo. I don't enjoy hurting people for money, but they keep asking me to do it so how can I refuse? Seriously though, I actually love helping people manifest the visions they have of themselves. It's the only collaborative work I do. Its incredibly gratifying to permanently imbue a person's body with art they get to keep forever. Handpainted Teapot Lonely Hearts & Shrinking Violets 3. Where do you get the inspiration for your designs/shop?

Nothing gives me a bigger brain boner than nature's infinite diversity and beauty. I've also been deeply influenced by early Warner Bros cartoons, Low budget horror movies, Watership Down, Angela Carter, Beatrix Potter, Madeline L'engle and the American Revolutionary War. Surreal Fine Art Giclee Print Fancy Frosted Cupcake 4. What was your favorite vacation as a child?

I mostly took vacations of my own imagining when I was small. I liked to think of our backyard raspberry patch as a jungle. I imagined the daffodil bed as a fairy kingdom and the woods behind my best friend Veronica's house were a place of deep mystery and intrigue. This is probably the impression most grade school kids have during daytime explorations of woods inhabited by teenagers at night. Necklace Sweet and Charming Retro Sparrows 5. What did you have for dinner today?

Spaghetti! 6. Finish this sentence "If I had all the time in the world...."

I'd see as much of the world as possible, down to the infinitesimal details. I'd spend hours scouring all its dark corners, unearthing hidden treasures to share in show and tell with those I love. Think of all the mogwai, mermaids and jackalopes I'd find! Surreal Fine Art Giclee Print What Makes Us Different Makes Us Special 7. Jimmy Fallon or Jimmy Kimmel?

If I really have to choose, I'd say Stephen Colbert. 8. What makes you smile?

Absurdity. And baby animals. Surreal Fine Art Giclee Print Some Bunnys Gonna Pay 9. What don't people know about you?

In middle school, I once inhaled helium at a 4-H fair where my friend Janice and I were selling balloons. We'd inhale then ask passersby in cartoonishly high voices if they wanted to buy our wares. It was our marketing gimmick. It didn't raise our revenue but we got a stockpile of weird looks and nervous smiles from the adults passing by. So worth it. 10. How many hours do you spend a day searching for stuff on Etsy?

If I'm curating a treasury for one of my teams (I'm the Captain of the Etsy Queer Team and I'm also on the Etsy Ugly Cute Team as well as CCCOE) I can truly enter an etsy worm hole and not emerge for hours. Seriously, shopping on etsy is like walking through the back of C.S. Lewis' wardrobe, time just flies when you're surrounded by so much magickal deliciousness.

Spotlight on....

Welcome to our 8th installment of the Spotlight Series by Sophie n Me.

Today we are meeting....

1. Your First name and name of your shop(s)? Heather, Pretty Paris

2. Day or night job if you have one. I have a day to night and day again job! I have 5 year old twins ;)

I Do Me Too Vintage Wedding Fork Set

3. Where do you get the inspiration for your designs/shop? I love the garden! I love to dig in the dirt, plant stuff, and watch it (hopefully) grow. Love nature and being in it. That is where I find my inspiration.

Herb Garden Vintage Spoon Marker

4. What was your favorite halloween costume as a child? Wonder Woman!

5. What did you have for dinner today? Oh...this is weird. Peanut butter toast, hardboiled egg, and won ton soup?!

6. Finish this sentence "It was a dark and stormy night...." ...and I was in the garage hammering away the days frustrations on some spoons and forks!

We Are All Mad Here Vintage Spoon Flatware Garden Marker

7. Jay Leno or David Letterman?

David Lettterrrrmannnnn

8. What makes you giggle? My kids trying to tell jokes. At 5 they just don't get what is funny yet. Or maybe they do?! After all...it makes me giggle every time.

Chives Vintage Flatware Spoon Garden Marker

9. What don't people know about you? I like to sing. Unfortunately I am awful. ahhh well 10. How many hours do you spend a day searching for stuff on Etsy? Not many during the day...but I find myself up VERY late at night with the "pounce" feature looking at all the shops and the treasures they hold!

Spotlight on....

Welcome to our 7th installment of the Spotlight Series by Sophie n Me. Today we are meeting...

1. Your First name and name of your shop(s)?

Hi, I'm Kelly from Perfectly Paper

2. Day or night job if you have one. During the day I work from home as a clinical analyst for a pharmaceutical health insurance company. Basically, I do a lot of math.

3. Where do you get the inspiration for your designs/shop? My inspiration came from wanting to create gorgeous flowers that last forever. I wanted to keep the bouquet from my wedding and it didn't turn out so well. Now I create flowers that look beautiful the day of your wedding and continue to look great for years to come.

Lilac Paper Rose Bouquet Hand Painted

Pretty in Pink Paper Rose Bouquet Hand Painted 4. What was your favorite board game as a child? I played a lot of Sorry. 5. What did you have for lunch today? It isn't lunch time yet here in SoCal, but I had a strawberry/banana/peach/blackberry smoothie for breakfast this morning. Mini Paper Rose Hair Pin Hand Painted

Fire Paper Rose Bouquet Hand Painted

6. Finish this sentence "I wish I could...." Quit my day job! 7. Deal or No Deal or Who wants to be a Millionaire? Who wants to be a Millionaire - takes skill instead of just luck.

8. What makes you smile? My husband and my cute kitties Paper Rose Pew Clip Hand Painted

9. What don't people know about you? Hmmm...probably lots of things. I have about 2 terabytes worth of movies and TV shows on my computer. :)

10. How many hours do you spend a day searching for stuff on Etsy? Not nearly as many as I should. I usually spend an hour a day on Etsy, some days a lot more and sometimes I go a few days without any Etsy-ness.

Spotlight on....

Welcome to our 6th installment of the Spotlight series from Sophie n Me.

Today we are meeting... 1. Your First name and name of your shop? JoAnne - Crazyartdolls 2. Day or night job if you have one. Retired 3. Where do you get the inspiration for your designs/shop? My ideas come from many different things, maybe a word, picture, conversation, being outside, so I now started to write thoughts down, I try to see an idea in almost anything, especially if I've been to a place that I have never been before like Japan.

3 Aqua Turquoise Taffeta w/Japanese Blossom Print Bobby Pins 4. What was your favorite pet as a child? Dog, but I actually a Cat person. 5. What did you have for breakfast today? Coffee Summer Gold Orange Handmade Silk Flowers Bib Necklace

6. Finish this sentence "If I could...." I would love to study under a master craftsman to learn how to build furniture..so I could incorporate my artwork. 7. Family Guy or The Simpsons? Both, but I think my fav is Family Guy 8. What makes you laugh out loud? Anything funny, especially all of Seth McFarland Shows, Mel Brooks Movies Red Chirimen Crepe Kanzashi Fancy Haircomb

4 White Handmade Kanzashi Flower Hair Pins

9. What don't people know about you? My age...lol 10. How many hours do you spend a day searching for stuff on Etsy? Depends maybe about 1-2 hours a day depending on the day.

Spotlight on....

Welcome to our 4th edition of the Spotlight series by Sophie n Me. Today we are spotlighting... 1. Your name and name of your shop(s)? i'm Vel, and my shop's name is milkwood edition. 2. Day or night job if you have one. i'm a writer. 3. Where do you get the inspiration for your designs/shop? my inspiration comes mainly from my travels to the arctic and the tropics. i've lived in the florida swamps for some years and have traveled the caribbean, which is where the ideas for my tropical designs come from. and then i've always felt drawn to the arctic. i can spend hours looking at maps of the ice or planning a travel route for my next trip north. my dream is to make it to the northwest passage some day. Great White Heron & Southern Swamp Card

Blue Iguana & Spanish Moss Window Hanging

4. What was your favorite candy as a child? since i grew up in europe, i have to say milka: no fluff added, it's the perfect milk chocolate. 5. What did you have for dinner today? i'm in the mood for a warm salad tonight. Tundra Swan Hand Cut Window Hanging

6. Finish this sentence "If I could fly I would...." if i could fly i would! first to northern canada, then to the south pacific. and hopefully collect lots of material for the next designs.

7. Jerry Springer or Oprah? i drove by oprah's former south florida mansion many times and am impressed with all her projects that evolve around the letter O. Moleskin Linocut Journal Arctic Fox

8. What makes you smile? my ferret sonora. ferrets are hard to capture, mine's always squirming around stealing my eraser or pencils. she's actually quite organized and keeps all her treasures in different places, depending on size and color. ferrets impress me cause they're so small and yet so fearless, sonora will easily scare away a grown golden retriever, or hiss at my neighbor's cat. i have yet to do a ferret design. i'm thinking it should probably be a ferret ouroboros.

Marie Byrd Land Linocut Post Cards

9. What don't people know about you? before i do a design, i do extensive research about the animal or landscape i'm trying to capture. i start out with a fairly complex design and then try to break it down in several steps, until i arrive at the final design which ideally portrays the creature in as few cuts as possible. 10. How many hours do you spend a day searching for stuff on Etsy? one or two days a week sure get lost on etsy. at least.

Spotlight on....

Welcome to our 3rd installment of the Spotlight series from Sophie n Me. Today we are spotlighting..... 1. Your First name and name of your shop(s)? Jodi, JPantuck, One of A Kind 2. Day or night job if you have one. I'm a full time Mommy (and an accountant during tax season). 3. Where do you get the inspiration for your designs/shop? I like to add a new twist to and old idea. For example, I designed a piece using a vintage locket with black and white photos inside onto a long gold chain piece with modern accents, like Swarvoski crystal and gold charms. One of my favorite pastimes is to seek out unusual objects and give them new life by re-purposing them.

Delicate Black on Black Pearls

Lovers Sterling and Brass Necklace

Sometimes I'm just attracted to colors or textures. For example, I love cream pearls with brown leather. The pearls are classic but combined with the leather makes it modern. Neutral Suede with Pearls 4. What was your favorite cartoon character as a child? I liked Sesame Street better than cartoons as a child and still do! I just went to see the Henson production called "Puppet Up" and loved it. (for adults only!) 5. What did you have for lunch today? Coffee- My one vice is my caffeine addiction. 6. Finish this sentence "If I had superpowers I would have...." The ability to take away sickness.

Silver Wrapped Coin Pearl Bracelet

7. Days of our Lives or General Hospital? I watch two shows right now- 1.Glee 2.The Big Bang Theory

Sexy Leather Crystal & Pearl Choker

8. What makes you giggle? I giggled this morning while listening to the podcast "Risk". Also, my daughter does stand-up and watching her makes me giggle too! 9. What don't people know about you? I love to paint.

The Perfect Turquoise Necklace

10. How many hours do you spend a day searching for stuff on Etsy? I bet I spend an hour on Etsy a day. I am planning for my sons bar mitzvah and I found an artist on Esty who is designing the center pieces. She is using old tools she found at garage sales and old computer mother boards that will blink. The theme is "making or building things / electronics" because that is what my son is into. The other person I found on Etsy is someone who will make the gift bags. He is putting together kits for the kids which will include making a robot out of a toothbrush and making LED circuits. I love being able to support amazing artists on Etsy.