Yay for fabric!

I*ve been sitting around the house all day, i need to get all my stuff off my floor & hang my clothes up & get them in my closet. It*s beautiful outside & I*ve had the window open all day, it*s getting hotter though. I*ve been in a fairly creative mood today. I made my first key chain. It*s a snarky smiley face. :P I had to sacrifice a throw pillow to stuff it though. I*ll post the picture when i add his ring.

I pulled out some fabric ive been holding out on forever & I*m going to attempt a new way to make zipper pouches. Mom bought me an awesome sewing machine for Christmas & I*ve been scared to play with it. I did do the few pouches i have listed but it was nerve racking because if i cut my felt it wouldn't fit into the pouch. Today im being adventurous, whats the worst that can happen? I*ll just have to cut a few stitches out. Hopefully these little cuties will make it into the etsy shop & UC.net. I*ll only have 1 kitty pouch though, i made my little cousin a pencil pouch when i got the fabric.

Welcome to The Rainbow Room

Every now i love color, that is no surprise! So i don*t know how i have missed this lovely blast of color! Today's feature is The Rainbow room. She has a lot of unique items from felted soap to Christmas cards. I*m digging the soap! Here is her interview.

1.) What is your name?
My name is Claire aka Claraluna of ‘The Rainbow Room’

2.) Tell us about yourself.
I am an artist & mother who lives in Mid-Wales in the UK. I stay at home and look after my 3 year old daughter and when she hanging out with her dad or asleep...... I become Clara Luna and I save the world in my own special way by filling it with colour & rainbows!!
The internet plays a large part in my life, especially for my work and in keeping up to date with the real world!! I share my photos on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/therainbowroom/
and I blog too http://therainbowroombyclaraluna.blogspot.com/

3.) What is the Url of your store?
www.therainbowroom.etsy.com

4.) How long have you been a crafter?
Always!! I think I inherited the gene from my Nan, she was an amazing artist who started her own lampshade factory and craft supplies business, she was an amazing lady : )
I have been crafty all my life. I am a trained designer and have a BA (hons) in Fashion & Textile Design. I have worked professionally designing socks, creating mosaics and doing some interior design, but I am most happy working for myself and experimenting in many different mediums including felt, feltmaking, mosaic, polymer clay and anything I can use to express my love of vibrant colour and pattern. Did I say I LOVE rainbows!!

5.) Please list the type of item( s) you sale.
I sell colourful felt hair accessories and brooches/pins, felted soaps, recycled crayons. Also I have some special items for Christmas, mini felt stockings and a special Christrmas card printed with my ‘Christmas Rainbow’ illustration. I have a lot of ideas for expansion in the new year too.

6.) What / Whom inspires you to create?
My favourite artists are Gaudi, Hundertwasser, Klimt & Keith Haring, anything with bold colours and exciting patterns. I also find mainstream design inspiring, window shopping really helps me focus my ideas, I like to visit civilization every so often to see whats new!
Living in the countrytside, I take a huge amount of inspiration from nature and have also learnt a lot helping to run a Steiner Waldorf inspired playgroup, and love the natural toys and materials used for creative play.

7.) Why did you choose to create the items you make?
My work is constantly evolving, I have been selling my handmade natural soap for five years now, which is how I found out about felting. I felted a few bars of soap for gifts, then took a couple of courses to learn some more techniques. I was totally surprised I had done a degree in textiles but never heard about felt making, its very therapeutic! My work with craft felt was inspired by an amazing trip to Ibiza, the craft markets, fashion and art is so colourful, I returned with a great passion to make special ‘Art Accessories’ in vibrant colours, felt was just the perfect material, and exciting beads and sparkly sequins add the finishing touches that make my pieces extra special. I started by making a birthday card for my daughter, then some hair clips, then some more cards for friends and as gifts etc etc

8.) When did you start your store/selling the things you make?
I started selling online through my Etsy shop this September. Etsy is just such a great place to be, so inspiring and such an eclectic mix of fantastic work from all over the world - I LOVE IT!

Felted Flower Hair Accessory

Heart Felted Soap - Lavender wrapped in a Rainbow

Funky Felt Mini Christmas Stocking

Christmas Rainbow - Pack of 7 Colourful Christmas Cards

Spotlighting ModernClassicsPaper

Last week i was browsing through etsy shops & came upon this shop. It drew me with in particular with it's color's & beautiful prints. So i decided to interview the modern classic. If these photo's catch your eye you should see the rest she offers. It was so hard to just pick 4 to feature.

My name is Jaimee McClellan of Modern Classics Designs. I’m a native Jersey girl now in Pennsylvania with my happy little family…my college sweetheart/husband, our four year old son and our Katrina Pup, Maisy! Having been born with the “creative bug”, I’ve been drawing, painting, crafting for as long as I can remember. I enjoy working in a variety of mediums. Right now, my focus seems to be on photography but I also like to dabble in illustration and graphic design, hence, my two individual shops: http://ModernClassicsPaper.esty.com & http://ModernClassicsKids.etsy.com . My shops offer everything from a macro shot of grapes to children’s custom stationary.

Everything inspires me…other artists, nature, everyday life. It all has an effect on you and what mood your work conveys. My creations are an extension of myself. What better way to connect with people? To have them find a piece of your art that speaks to them for whatever reason it may be. I think that’s really special.

It’s only in the past few years that I’ve taken the plunge into the world of sales. A friend introduced me to the world of Etsy and I’ve been having a fantastic time learning the ins & outs of Shop Life. Just recently, I’ve been lucky enough to pair up with some wonderful boutiques who are now carrying Modern Classics Designs. So, I guess I’m officially “on my way”.

Leaves - 8 x 8 Photo Print

Zinnia - 8 x 8 Photo Print

Kodak - 8x8 Photo Print

Moroccan Gate - 8 x 8 Photo Print

Pieces Of Me

I was so tired when i got home last night. I did so much work yesterday! After so we had a cook out at my moms. The drive way looked like a parking lot there was so many of us there. My aunt came with my little cousins & she had went shopping yesterday morning so she bought us matching Liz Claiborne purses. I love it! they are tan & not to small but not to big, just right. Everyone had fun we stayed forever!

I had a doctor appointment today to get the problem solved with the dizzy feeling i feel when i get really hot or when i stand up really quick. I have BPPV also known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. I also got my anxiety attack medication filled. I hardly ever take them though so they last forever.

I re listed the "Pieces Of Me" Bracelet. I love this bracelet because it*s so colorful & eye catching. It*s really fun to make i love playing with mine. Everyone loves it around here too thats the main reason i cant keep them in. I*m trying to make a few things & trying not to sell over 5 or 6 of the same pieces. I want them to stay unique.