Introductions!

[#1]

Hi all!

I see we have a few members now, yay! I would love for everyone to introduce themselves and their shop, feel free to share whatever you'd like!

I'll start!

My name is Jen and this is my 2nd shop here. I started my first (jenuinecrafts.etsy.com) over a year ago. I do mostly hand painted wood items there but am starting to go into some different areas of crafting. My 2nd shop is my bakery. I love to cook and started selling locally. I live on the NE side of Kalamazoo with my soon to be husband, 2 dogs, 2 snakes and a gecko =]

[Former_Member]

Hello! My name is Tracy and together with my husband and nine year old daughter we operate a small handmade natural soap business. Our soaps started out of a necessity for my husband's eczema and my sensitive skin. Friends and family became interested and we decided to start a business with it. My husband is the soap maker, our daughter helps where she can, and I do everything else.

In our spare time, my husband works for a public school, I am a stay at home mom, and our daughter is a full time student. We live on a small piece of property just north of Parchment that we are slowly making into a small farm. We have one fat cat and one crazy dog (Border Collie). Our goal is to live simple and be as self-sustaining as possible. We are all gifted with an artistic ability. My husband can build just about anything and my daughter and I love painting, sculpting, drawing, baking, and just about anything that involves being creative.

Thanks for inviting us into your team. We look forward to growing our relationship with all of you!

[Former_Member]

So happy for all the new members! The summer is coming, is anyone doing any shows?

[Former_Member]

Hello all! I'm Amanda, and I live in the Eastwood area of Kalamazoo. I was introduced to Etsy (and this team!) by my aunt (KalamazooSoapCo).

I started crocheting again in December of last year after not crocheting for years, and I decided to make things and try to sell them. I opened my shop in March and made two sales, which I was extremely excited about.

Right now I only have cell phone cozies in my shop, but I've been making pet beds/mats to sell and have also started making things out of plarn (plastic yarn made from grocery bags).

I've been married for almost three months, have five cats and three dogs, and I'm glad to be a part of this team!

[Former_Member]

Congratuations on your recent shop opening and your marriage. Sounds like you opened your shop right before your wedding. I'm impressed. I love your style - the cell phone covers are unique. I feel like you see a lot of the same thing with covers for cell phones, iPads, Kindles, Nooks, and other handheld electronic devices so it's nice to see something new.

My mom purchased a pattern from your aunt a while ago and made me some knit Christmas ornaments. I love them!

[Former_Member]

Hi everyone! It's nice to meet everyone. I am an artist, recently moved to Kalamazoo area after living in Chicago for 6 years, finishing up a BFA and MFA in art. I am an artist, printmaker, and painter. I have a studio in the Park Trades Center...

COME CHECK IT OUT MAY 4TH (or any other art hop, first friday of the month!). I will be showing all new work and paintings!

Here on Etsy I am showing my printmaking work. More is coming soon!

It is nice to meet you all!

[Former_Member]

Thanks! Looking at the cell phone covers on here actually helped me figure out how to embroider on mine.

I know about the printing in the Park Trades Center! A guest speaker in my Literary Publishing class worked there making paper and printing. I think it was the Park Trades Center anyway... They might be in a different building now, I forgot exactly what the speaker said.

[WeddingsAndWreaths]

Stop by and visit us! We would LOVE to see you!
www.facebook.com/WonderstruckWeddingsAndWreaths

[Former_Member]

Hi my name is Erin and I create pregnancy silhouette paintings. I am from Kalamazoo even though I don't live there right now. My shop has been open about a year and a half now and I am working on my 25th belly right now! When I am not chasing after my toddler, I paint, scrapbook and I am learning to sew.

[BellaEweCo]

Hi, I am a SAHM to 5 kids. Highschool on down to preschool age. I live on the Westside by KC. I love this area by the way. Very family friendly. Anyhoo, I crochet and knit anything and everything from kitchen/cleaning items to baby booties. I specialize in Baby Ugg look-a-like booties. Patterns are also availble on a few of the products I make for those that already know how to crochet or knit. I accept custom orders/colors on anything I make or I will design or make anything that the customer needs.

I have been crocheting and knitting for many many years and I just love it. I decided a few years ago that I should try my wares online and it has been wonderful for me. I am very blessed.

My husband is very supportive of my "habit" and totally accepts that our house is over-run by yarn and crochet/knit related items. hahaha.

[StoneCairns]

Hi everyone. My name is Mike Wilson and I my shop is stonecairns. My love of Lake Michigan, art, geology, and history is the inspiration for my artistic outlet. It took almost 40 years, but I found my creative niche. I'm excited to be a part of this circle and look forward to sharing info and meeting some of you sometime. I'm looking forward for spring so I can beachcomb, play in my kzoo urban garden, and walking around downtown. Keep up the creativity KZOO Etsians!

[Former_Member]

Hello Etsy, my name's Amanda but you can call me Amantra! I am an artist that expresses herself through creating exciting jewelry art. I'm a women of many talents; I consider myself a freelance couturier, a writer, and more. Prolific Art & Accessories is my cabaret that's constantly expanding its horizons! Pop culture is my life, this shop is my homage to Lady Gaga and Cher for their fans who live outré vogue, and <3 vintage Hollywood!

[Former_Member]

Hello everyone! I just stumbled across your team and thought I would join and introduce myself. My name is Jim and I've been a member on Etsy for just over a year now. I got hooked on lapidary awhile back and now like to create wire and stone jewelry, and am absolutely addicted to it! I just became of member of the East End Studio and Gallery in Marshall so now I feel like I'm officially an "artist" : )

My wife Paula loves pottery and we're hoping to get a shop opened for her work soon. I look forward communicating with you all!

Thanks!

[ecarnellpotter]

Good morning Kalamazooligans!

I ran across this team and smiled - good to see the locals networking! I'm looking forward to getting to know you all!

I'm a potter who lives on the squatty-little-cape-cods southern edge of Westnedge Hill, although I do most of my work utilizing the KIA facilities (big kilns FTW).

Thanks for having me! :)

[Former_Member]

I'm new to this team and would like to introduce my shop and myself... I'm Judi and this picture is of my parents while they were dating back in 1930... they are seated on a stone bridge at Milham Park... My father was one of the men that helped to create the park during the WPA times...We are part of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo is a part of us...

They raised up 3 pretty craftsy kids through their example of hands on creations of their own. My sister and I are the creators of items in this shop...
We are both vintage now ourselves, but as we see here on Etsy... vintage items still hold a lot of value...
So come by for a visit sometime soon... We'll be over to visit your shop soon...

[Former_Member]

Hi! My name is Mary Claire and I'm in the process of opening a shop selling mostly knit goods, but possibly some crocheted ones as well. I just finished my junior year as an Instrumental Music Education major at Western. I'm in the Bronco Marching Band there, which is great fun. I also worked with a couple of my peers to start a new a cappella singing group on campus this past semester. I love music, and I've had great fun performing in a variety of ensembles. I started knitting my freshmen year and have been honing my skills ever since.

I have been wanting to start an Etsy shop for quite some time, and I figured the summer would be the best time to start up and get on my feet (or at least one foot) before school starts again in the fall. I'm spending this summer at home in Chicago, but will be visiting Kalamazoo frequently. I'd love to hear any advice that you all have for beginning a shop and look forward to getting to know you all! I cannot wait to be back in Kalamazoo full time in August!

[Former_Member]

Hey everybody!

My name is Amber and I make eclectic jewelry from found, new, and vintage peices. I have been on here for a couple years and opened my shop just a little bit over a year ago. I love everything about etsy including all the members its so nice to be in touch with soo many people with the same tastes and interests as me.

If there was ever a crafty get together for our kalamazoo team i'd love to come!

[Former_Member]

Hello I'm of course A. Garfield as you can see from the header on my post. Just so you know I don't generally give my full name on line. So you can call me Garfield or you can call me Iesha. Yeah Iesha doesn't match the A but it is my online name and I have had it for a good 15 years now, so it's almost like my real full name and actually I like Iesha better then my real name anyhow.

I have been doing arts and crafts of some type all my life. And I am a total geek, so I love all the fantasy, gamer, sci-fi stuff. I was a SCAian for quite a number of years and thus have a very strong love of making costumes, "Garb" for those in the know.

Recently I fell in love with the idea of making Lace Mini Top Hats, I just really love all the skills it takes to make them. So I decide I should sell these puppies and since I open my store ideas have been bursting at the flood gate. So hopefully I can make this work because then I can keep making all my pretties.

I have lived in Portage off and on for over 25 years.

[Beechtree]

Hi, I just joined the group! Thanks for having me! I live in Kalamazoo and have lived here for about 30 years. I just retired from my job as a speech pathologist for Schoolcraft Schools so now I have a lot more time to devote to my jewelry and my Etsy shop. I have been on Etsy for about a year now, it has been a great experience so far! I am looking forward to connecting with other Kalamazoo Etsians. I have a busy husband who does Home Inspections, 2 large dogs, 2 guinea pigs (they are my grandsons) and way too many beads in my workshop!

[HollowedSecrets]

Hello Guys! My name is Daren and my wife Danielle is right beside me:) We live in portage right behind the new Dicks sporting goods and we run the shop www.hollowedsecrets.com and make custom book safes! This ranges from gun concealment books, flask books, custom design books, and recently a custom order to Israel for a book with 4 hidden shot glasses :) It is a lot of fun and I love that there are so many people on here!

[Former_Member]

Hi my name is Erin, My shop is New Life in Color. I make pregnancy silhouette paintings. I am from Augusta (just outside of Kalamazoo). I currently live in Virginia Beach for the time being with my husband, the sailor, our 2 little ones, and our dog.

[beachgrasscottage]

Hi everyone, new on this team. I'm Shari and I'll so be celebrating my 5 year Etsyversary. I live in Portage and have two teen boys and a hubby.

I sell coastal home decor like shell and sea glass mirrors and frames, plus a lot of other coastal things. I love the coasts, be it Lake Michigan or the sea coasts, I'm just a water baby.

I sell here and my own .com, plus some drop ship. No shows, I don't know how those of you who do them can do it... So much work!

Anyway glad to be here. I've lived in this are all my life, I'll be 50 this year.
Shari

[Former_Member]

Well I see it's been awhile since any one has introduced themselves and since I never have yet thought it was overdue to do so!
Hello! My name is Debbie and I live in the Millwood Neighborhood in Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo is my home town but I've lived in every nook and cranny of the Kalamazoo County boundaries as my dad moved every 18 months the whole time I was growing up!
I retired from State Farm on Portage Rd in 2006 at the early age of 50 and have since been having a blast creating with paper in my PaperQuick shop and shabby chic creations are in my antiqueorvintagenew shop here on Etsy.
Am working my way through the previous intros and visiting your shops as I go....a lot of very talented people in this group!

[Former_Member]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/209153376/on-sale-decorated-tissue-box-pink-crown?ref=shop_home_active_...

Proof that I have way too much fun on Etsy!!

[CuLove]

Hello!

Glad to find a local "team." I'm a native Michigander, born and raised in the west end of the U.P. I currently reside in the Village of Richland and have lived in the Kalamazoo area since 1977. (Came down to attend WMU and never left!) ~Patrice

Here's my shop info:

"Earthy. Eclectic. Elegant."

Copper Amazon Jewelry Design began in November of 2012 as an unexpected "muse-driven" midlife creative burst -- an artisan level "adventure" for a woman wordsmith who had never before worked with her hands. I'm a former broadcast journalist, radio news anchor, 1970s rock-n-roll DJ, an itinerant storyteller and continue to be a published professional writer.

My jewelry designs primarily feature Copper, Amazonite and other semiprecious gemstones. Assemblage, hand hammering and reusing old copper are an integral part of my evolving creative process, including upcycling vintage copper jewelry findings into new creations. I place particular emphasis on Nature motifs and timeless designs.

My work is showcased at SW Michigan artisan shows, on my Facebook Gallery page, and here on Etsy. I'm a native Michigander, growing up in the heart of Iron and Copper country in the Upper Peninsula, now based in Kalamazoo. Thanks for visiting my shop!

Patrice - The Copper Amazon

[Former_Member]

Hello Everyone,

My Im DB and I'm quite new to Etsy. I have lived in this area my entire life with extended periods away from time to time. I work for the Michigan Air National Guard full-time and have for over a decade. I started my Etsy shop coinworksusa.etsy.com about 2 months ago. I make handcrafted coin jewelry and other handcrafted coin related items. If you have any advice for a new Etsy seller I'd be happy to hear it. Thanks.

DB - Coin Works USA