Cleveland Handmade

Tell us your name, your Etsy shop name, and what city you live in.
Gina DeSantis. My etsy shop is http://GinaDeSantis.etsy.com. Clever, huh? I live in Lakewood.

What is your first memory of your craft? Did someone teach you, or did you learn on your own?
I was always making something. As an only child I could always entertain myself. It was usually by turning my parents’ kitchen table into a craft zone. Both of my grandmothers are artists. Both were seamstresses. My dad’s mother was a painter and did beautiful portraiture. My mom’s mother is a quilter and is generally crafty. She was always letting me help with projects.

What is it that draws you to clay?
I like the different stages of clay and its changes through firings and glaze application. It’s nice on a day I don’t have the focus to throw that I can sit there and glaze. I also like that everytime I open the kiln I am greeted by a surprise, good or bad.

How would you describe the style of your work? Does it reflect your personal style?
I have always been drawn to simple, well-executed design. I don’t like a lot of bells and whistles. I like clean lines. I love black or white against rich saturated color.  If you look into my closet you will see my glaze colors.

What are your inspirations? How are they expressed in your work?
Artists I look to are Lucie Rie, Eva Zeisel, and Georgia O’Keefe. I am a visual merchandiser by day for a home furnishings store. It has helped me see vessels as they function as compared to works in progress in the studio. I tend to be far more inspired when I have classes going. The energy of the studio environment has always inspired me to take more chances than I do alone in my own studio.

Do you have an all-time favorite creation? What about it makes it your favorite?
I made a tray set in grad school. The tray was a matte black with crackled white patterns. It was not functional as far as food safety but looked great. The mugs were a brown clay with a white glaze that let the clay show through. The set looked like a landscape. Looking back it inspired my whole thesis show.

When did you realize that this was more than a hobby?
When I spent a lot of money to get a Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics.

Describe your workspace.
My studio is in the Lake Erie Screw Factory. Its a cool building that houses artists and businesses. It was once the Templar Auto Plant. Something was always being made in this space and I think that lends to its charm. My space (aka my bubble) has great windows so the natural light is amazing. I have an area set up with shelves to display work. I have an accumulation of shelves, my wedging table, a glaze area, my wheel and two kilns. Its very dusty.

What is your favorite task related to your work? Your least favorite?
I love to thrown and trim. Its relaxing to me. I hate to wedge clay. It’s necessary yet boring.

What is your favorite tool? Why?
My friend gave me a Pampered Chef knife that she claimed was excellent for cutting clay. It is better than any clay knife I have tried.

Do you have artistic talents in other areas?
I painted through most of high school and then I got into jewelry design. But then I took a ceramics class in college and it was clear that this was my favorite medium. But I still miss painting and printmaking as well.

Tell us something about you that we might be surprised to hear.
I love to cook. I think it goes hand and hand with making vessels. I make dishes for dishes. But I can’t bake to save my life.

Where can we find your work?
www.ginadesantisceramics.com
Local Girl Gallery, Lakewood, OH
Planet Green, Rocky River, OH
Commotion!, Lexington, KY
Beehive Co-op, Cincinnati, OH
and of course Etsy!

Miss Erika Laine Hansen resides in Lakewood, Ohio, with the famous artist playnature and their six pets.
She sells her work under the name erika originals.

What is your first memory of your craft? Did someone teach you, or did you learn on your own?
My mother worked as a graphic designer and illustrator, and she brought art into my life at a very early age. Some of my earliest memories are of painting and drawing. She would always bring home free paper samples from work, as well as makers and pens that were no longer of the quality needed for illustration, but perfect for a toddler to play with. When I was about 5 years old, my grandfather gave me a huge bag of plastic beads for christmas and I started making jewelry. I would also use the beads that he and my father created fishing lures out of to make necklaces.

What is it that draws you to making jewelry?
I love creating new things out of old components. Vintage beads and findings inspire me to create glass beads that will compliment them. I love making things that are new and fresh, yet have a sense of history. I also enjoy the chemistry involved in flameworking glass beads: the way that the elements in different colors of glass react and create different organic effects.

How would you describe the style of your work? Does it reflect your personal style?
No two of my pieces are alike. Each necklace or pair of earrings is original and will not be duplicated.
That’s why I call my company erika originals — each piece is truly an original.  My work is vibrant, quirky, stylish, and modern. I don’t think that a person can help but to create things that are an extension of his or her personality. What you make is a visual representation of how you see the world around you.

What are your inspirations? How are they expressed in your work?
Nature is one of my biggest inspirations. As a biologist I love organic forms and try to incorporate bits of shell, sea glass, and found objects into my work. I also believe in reclaiming the past and incorporating it into current work. Salvaging and recycling vintage and antique beads and images is both an ecological and philosophical inspiration.

Do you have an all-time favorite creation? What about it makes it your favorite?
I love too many of my creations to call any one a favorite.

When did you realize that this was more than a hobby?
I don’t think I have ever viewed creating as a hobby. It is just something that I feel compelled to do, and that I have to do to find balance in my life. Making things makes me happy.

As far as when did I know I could possibly profit from my passion, that probably happened when Among Friends gallery in Peninsula, Ohio, accepted my work at the age of 15. To become a part of the artistic community at such a young age, I felt that I must be creating something special.

Describe your workspace.
Unfortunately for playnature, my workspace is everywhere at the moment. During the milder months of spring and summer, I work in our somewhat finished attic. In the freezing cold of the winter, and heat of the summer, most of my work moves downstairs to the dining room table and living room! I set up my torch in front of the windows on the kitchen counter, too. Hopefully, once I graduate and we can afford a larger house, we will have a room devoted to creating!

What is your favorite task related to your work? Your least favorite?
I love making things. I hate having to figure out pricing and promoting my work.

Do you have artistic talents in other areas?
I would say I am an all around creative person. I paint, draw, knit, cook, sew a bit, sing and I used to be a part of the modern dance department at school.  I am also a life long member of the International Thespian Society!

Tell us something about you that we might be surprised to hear.
I once danced on top of a picnic table with Beck.

Also, one time after consuming too much rum,  I allowed two of my ex-boyfriends to shave my head. I was so punk rock back then.

Where can we find your work?
Currently, I only have my work for sale online at www.erikaorignals.etsy.com. I will soon be listing some of my handmade beads for sale in my supply shop: www.misserika.etsy.com.

Both galleries I was selling my work in closed due to the economy.  Hopefully, I will soon find new representation in the northern Ohio area.

Tell us your name, your Etsy shop name, and what city you live in.
My name is Rob Merwarth and I am the CEO of Playnature Productions™. Our corporate headquarters is in Lakewood, Ohio, with many satellite locations across the globe.

The history of the name playnature is a bit uncertain, but definitely classified anyway.

What is it that draws you to creating?
As far back as I can remember, the toys that interested me the most were hands-on and had a constructive nature; I was heavy into Legos, Lite Brite, and Spirograph. The best part about the beach for me was always sand tunneling and sand castling. I spent a great amount of time growing up trying out different creative outlets. I continued on to get a degree in fine art photography. Photography is perfect for me.

How would you describe the style of your mandalas?
Nature photography to me is a way of searching through the world and picking out the best spots, the way you flip through an old issue of National Geographic to clip out a image for a collage. Nature mandalas are twice that. After the initial search and discover comes the second phase, searching within the frame to find the “slice” of image that will make the most interesting tessellated pattern. The main aim above all else is to try to create a finished image that is soothing, invigorating, and intoxicating.

What are your inspirations?
In respect to photography, my inspiration is nature. Light and color play a giant part in my compositional decision making.

In respect to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, many things inspire me (creativity is contagious in my opinion).

Do you have an all-time favorite creation? What about it makes it your favorite?
Actually my favorite all-time creation is an abstract painting I created in my junior year of college. I devised a method and painting layers upon layers of acrylic in a way that stacked like a sandwich, but remained somewhat wet still, and then, after 20 or so layers, using a printer’s squeegee to wipe away that which remained wet and left what had dried so far. To me it was very topographical. In this particular piece the colors just killed me.

Describe your workspace.
Unfortunately a lot of my work these days uses light and pixels and things that are not really tangible. My two main workspaces are the rectangular frame of the camera viewfinder and the rectangular computer monitor.

What is your favorite task related to your work? Your least favorite?
“My favorite part was everything.”

Do you have artistic talents in other areas?
I draw (inaccurately), paint (poorly), play guitar (miserably), write (riddled with errors), and dance (flail and seizure). But I enjoy it all!

Tell us something about you that we might be surprised to hear.
One time I got in a very shady situation with famous photographer Arthur Tress. After a one-on-one photo shoot with him, he tried to convince me to be his boy-toy and move in with in him! Yipes!

Where can we find your work?
You can find my work within the bustling global marketplace that is etsy.com (playnature.etsy.com).

And I’m sure many museums are sending me purchase orders. The last time I called the Guggenheim, the receptionist assured me the check was in the mail.

However you don’t have to be a NY hotshot to see my work. I have remained humble and true to my roots, and show locally in the Cleveland area as well.

This week’s featured artist is Lori Paximadis, who sells on Etsy as virtuallori.

Which is your favorite tool? Why?
Oh, it’s so hard to pick a favorite. I’m such a tool girl, and there are probably at least a dozen I’d be lost without. My current favorite is probably my torch. I’ve been playing with it a lot lately, perfecting my bezel technique and making headpins.

What are your favorite business tools?
I am a slave to Quicken, for both my personal life and my businesses. Absolutely everything gets entered there, and it’s so easy to see where I am and what I need to do to meet my goals.

What keeps you going?
Caffeine. An overwhelming need to express myself, through whatever means (art, writing, gardening…).

How has Cleveland Handmade/Cleveland Etsy team affected your business and your craft?
Cleveland Handmade has really blossomed this year. What a fantastic, supportive, crazy-creative group of individuals. That we’ve been able to build this community and keep it positive and thriving is a miracle to me. That support system has been invaluable in helping get my work out there and seen.

If the Internet disappeared tomorrow, what would you do?
Cry. Scream. Throw things. The Internet is such a big part of my day and the way I work, both with my publishing business and with my jewelry business. And it’s such a fabulous way to keep in touch and build new relationships.

You’ve been around the crafty block awhile. Any wisdom you don’t mind sharing?
First, you have to establish your own style and hone your craft. There will always be copycats, but I find it pretty easy to tell when someone is just copying something and their heart isn’t in it. That said, there really isn’t all that much new under the sun. It’s kind of hard to take complaints seriously when what’s being “copied” is, say, a simple circle of sterling silver on a stock chain. It’s been done. Repeatedly.

I teach, and I would be highly disappointed (although maybe not utterly surprised) to see a student producing and selling an exact copy of one of the sample pieces I bring to class. I do take pains in my handouts and in class to address copyright concerns, and I may mention something if I encountered “my” work by someone else in the wild, but mostly I leave it up to karma to sort it out. I am a big believer in the karmic boomerang.

Fill in the ____.
Odd, isn’t it, that we always want to fill in the quiet spaces with something?

Selling on Etsy is:
Fun. The majority of my sales are still in shops, at shows, and in person, but I’ve made some great friends and connections and have learned a lot by being part of the Etsy community.

When I close my eyes at night I see:
Vivid, crazy dreams.

My dream house has:
A magical, invisible, deer-proof fence to keep them from eating all my plants.

If I were stuck on a desert island:
I’d probably be the first one to lose it.

The post office is:
Irritating. The people are generally nice, but the rules are so byzantine and incomprehensible.

I can’t live without:
Strong black tea. Dark chocolate.

The only ugly color is:
The purpleish, brownish gray the former owners painted numerous rooms of this house.

The best day of my life was:
The day I got married. Not in that creepy way over-the-top brides view it as the best day (with the implication that it’s all downhill from there), but from the standpoint that it was the beginning of a grand new adventure with the love of my life.

The song I would like to erase from the world’s collective memory is:
Where to start? I could spend a week or two just on that project, starting with most of Fergie’s solo output.

This is how I feel about sending freebies in my packages:
I’m not cheap, but I’m not a fan of random, unrelated freebies, since they’re not something I like to receive myself. Now, if someone ordered, say, a dozen pairs of earrings or bookmarks or something, I’d probably throw an extra one in there just for fun, but not as a rule.

Sunbeam or Kitchenaid?
Either.

World Market or Pier 1?
World Market. They have wine.

Starbucks or your local coffeeshop?
Local coffeeshop, that currently being Russo’s in Fairview Park. I drink coffee very rarely, though. I’m a tea girl. I wish Russo’s had a better selection.

Good shoes or good purse?
Sadly, I have to say good shoes. My feet do not do well in cheap or poorly constructed shoes. I do adore a lovely purse, though…

Orange or pink?
Blue.

Chunky necklace or dainty necklace?
Dainty.

Gift card or cash?
Cash. I tend to forget about gift cards, and I’d rather spend the cash on supplies than some random sweater at Macy’s just because I have a card for there.

Where can we find your work?
My Etsy shop: virtuallori.etsy.com
Rometrics Salon-Spa in Westlake
BayARTS Gallery in Bay Village
Assorted shows throughout the year (listed on my website)
Through January 2, 2009, in the gallery at Avon Lake Public Library

Kathy Patton, who sells under the name smashing, lives in an undisclosed location (i.e., “hideout”) in the western suburbs of Cleveland. Her striking designs are a perennial favorite among Etsy Treasury makers and people with discriminating taste. She is one of the leaders of Cleveland Handmade.

What is your first memory of your craft? Did someone teach you, or did you learn on your own?
My first memory of metalwork is from college. Our first project was making a simple band ring out of copper. I remember being ridiculously excited thinking that if I could make a ring, I could probably figure out how to make anything.

My first memory of making jewelry (maybe accessories would be a better word?) involved brightly colored scraps of fabric, woven and tied around my ankle. My parents really loved that look. No, they didn’t. I was just kidding. They said I looked like a hobo, but I thought I looked fabulous and wore the thing all summer. Oh! I should mention that was when I was eight years old, not last week or anything.

What is it that draws you to silver and glass?
Silver is such a beautiful metal. It shines, it glows, it can be gloomy or mirror-bright. I love it. And I love glass, too! You can find or make glass in every color and, if you take care of it, it will last forever.

How would you describe the style of your work? Does it reflect your personal style?
My work is simple, in plain shapes, without a lot of decoration. I try to balance bright colors and sugary pastels with gray and darker gray. My home and my clothes are that way, too. So, they do carry over into each other. (But sometimes [shh! don't tell!] I daydream about living in a victorian home, with ornate everything, busy wallpaper and lots of fabric, fringe and ribbons, and i would wear one of those poofy-sleeved blouses and a couple of lockets . . .)

What are your inspirations? How are they expressed in your work?
Sometimes, I see colors next to each other that are together by accident (usually somewhere glamorous like a laundry pile or dishes in the sink) and then I’ll try to use them in jewelry. A little pomegranate-blueberry juice left in the bottom of a glass was the inspiration for the colors in this piece. And this Treasury. And an outfit. Yay for dishes!

Do you have an all-time favorite creation? What about it makes it your favorite?
My favorite is a bracelet. It was blue and green. It lives with a nice lady in North Carolina now. It is my favorite because the colors were just right and the shapes were pleasingly wonky. It’s been six months since it left. Sigh. Wink.

When did you realize that this was more than a hobby?
Making jewelry was never really a hobby. I knew I wanted to make things and sell them. I went to school for art hoping to someday do something creative, but knowing it might not be the way I would make a living. That was long before the internet and digital cameras were so accesible and affordable. Now, it seems like a less daunting task for an artist of any kind to get their work seen. That is really exciting.

Etsy has given me the opportunity to make that hope for a creative career into something that can grow and change as I need it to and I’m grateful for that.

Describe your workspace.
My workspace has slowly commandeered most of our downstairs. There are a couple of workspaces: one for enameling, one for soldering/brazing, a worktable for measuring and sawing/piercing, and another area for wrapping and packing orders. My family doesn’t know this, but I plan to take over the rest of the house, too. The living room will be a gallery/showroom, the bedrooms will be offices and customer lounges. It’s going to be great. I don’t know where we will live, but, oh well.

What is your favorite task related to your work? Your least favorite?
My favorite task is working with torches. No! Don’t make that oh-she-is-such-a-pyromaniac face. It’s not the fire I like, it is the changes it can make in the metal and glass. I promise.

My least favorite is making jump rings or links. I stubbornly refuse to buy them, but I dread making them. The only time I’ve really hurt myself was when I was sawing wire. now I’m superstitious. Or saw-shy, maybe.

Do you have artistic talents in other areas?
Yes. but I cannot sew. Or sing or dance. (I don’t stop trying though, no matter how horrified my friends and family look.)

Tell us something about you that we might be surprised to hear.
There is nothing surprising about me.

Where can we find your work?
My Etsy shop: smashing.etsy.com
Renegade Handmade in Chicago
The Paper Sparrow in Troy, New York
The Beehive Co-op in Cincinnati

Cleveland Handmade artists offer a huge variety of goodies for everyone on your list. Shopping locally keeps our community strong.

Click on the “Shop” link above to view items by category, or click here to see all our members’ items listed on Etsy.

A number of our members will be at the Bazaar Bizarre December 14–15. It’s a free event, so stop by to say “hi” and pick up something special for the people on your list. You can see other shows our members are participating in in the sidebar on the right.

Jodie of la petite libellule hand knits lives in Euclid, Ohio.

What is your first memory of working with yarn? Did someone teach you, or did you learn on your own?
I have a fuzzy (no pun intended . . . well maybe) memory of my mom trying to teach me to crochet, which never took, and some 4H leader trying to teach me to knit, which also didn’t take. Then my poor mom tried again when I was in college because I was determined to knit my baby nephew a sweater, which my mom ended up finishing. It must be one of those moments of bringing the horse to water and trying to force their head into the stream — they don’t have to drink, just hold their breath. But then about 5 years ago I bought an “I can knit and so can you” type of book, some needles, and some cheaper than cheap yarn and tried again. This time it took. Like an idiot, though, I had no idea how to pace myself and took on the task of knitting my mom a jacket . . . but I did it and she still loves it. And I have not put needles or yarn down since then.

What is it that draws you to yarn?
I can create something purposeful that is beautiful, some small jewel of art to warm your head or neck or carry your things. There is no boundary, no end to the possibilities of creation, either. There is only the limit of time and money for yarn.

How would you describe the style of your work? Does it reflect your personal style?
I cannot describe my style terribly well because I keep moving to another sort of project or look. I like to think that I have fused tradition with modern: something old in the stitch, something new in the purpose — 0r is it something old in the purpose and something new in the stitch? I love the idea of fusion-felt, knit, fabric, traditional, new, simple, complex, all in one.

What are your inspirations? How are they expressed in your work?
Sometimes the yarn can be the inspiration — I see a potential when I pick up a skein. I see potential when I look at a design in another medium like fabric, or when I see other people’s work and their design sparks an idea for my own design. Sometimes the idea comes while I am working on a project and then I’ll be blasted with the vision of possibility — another design on the edge of my mind that works itself out as I complete a project. And then, it’s too late, I am obsessed with seeing it be born.

Do you have an all-time favorite creation? What about it makes it your favorite?
I love my abre de vie bags.  I’ve done 4 now. They take a tremendous amount of time to complete because of the felted tree detail on the felted bag, but the final product is show stopper. And that would be what is my favorite thing about it. When I am at shows, people stop to touch, to see that it’s all handmade and are amazed at the art of it.

When did you realize that this was more than a hobby?
About 2 years ago it became clear that I needed to sell for real because the ideas were starting to transcend knitting for someone in particular, for a gift. I do miss the time devoted to knitting gifts, but it was time to start to sell.

Describe your workspace.
My workspace is a seat in a meeting, an auditorium, on a couch, in a movie theater.  When I am not working on complex items that need my devoted attention, I carry my projects everywhere. If I could knit and eat or knit and drive I would. At home, I have a guest room closet that serves as storage space and an office for the sewing, cutting, and computer end of things.

What is your favorite task related to your work? Your least favorite?
Favorites: casting on a new project, stitching on the last embellishment of a hat or a purse. In other words, the beginning and the end of a project. Least: sewing linings for purses. I learned to sew forever ago (that’s what my mom, grandma and the nice 4H lady taught me that did stick), but never really liked it. But for a superior product, all purses must be lined. And I hate filing and organizing desks and papers and such. I like to think I am stimulated by visual chaos, but I think it’s really a rationalization for my clutter.

Do you have artistic talents in other areas?
I cannot sing, I cannot dance, I cannot draw for beans. I can speak French and help students learn to be their best self — maybe that is also an art?

Tell us something about you that we might be surprised to hear.
I really hate raspberries and raisins and I can ride a snowmobile really well.

Where can we find your work?
On Etsy: petitelibellule.etsy.com
At Cut Hair Studio, 2254 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, OH
On my site: www.lapetitelibellule.com

Here are some special offers from Cleveland Handmade members for your holiday shopping pleasure, available through their Etsy shops. These offers are good Friday 11/28/2008 through Monday 12/1/2008 unless otherwise noted. Just click the name to be taken to the shop.

Lori Paximadis is offering free standard U.S. and Canada shipping. Additionally, if you order a custom charm necklace, you’ll receive a free pair of sterling silver and glass bead earrings.

The Vintage Brooch Co. is offering free U.S. shipping.

Shiplett is offering free U.S. and Canada shipping; other international shoppers can enjoy discounted $2 shipping. All customers will receive a free gift with purchase. Also offering 10% off your next purchase on orders of $75 or more — great for custom mommy/grandma bracelets.

Lake Erie Beach Glass is offering free U.S. and Canada shipping through the end of December.

Stonz is offering free shipping with the purchase of two or more items through Sunday, November 30 at midnight. Place the order as usual, and she will issue a Paypal refund for the shipping charges.

Stacie Pate is offering free shipping and a pair of glass bead earrings for purchases over $25.

LazyTcrochet is offering free shipping on orders of $40 or more, plus a free gift with every purchase (custom orders not included).

Blue Orchid Bags is offering free shipping and layaway options.

jmtglass is offering free U.S. and Canada shipping.

Simple Elements Design is offering free U.S. and Canada shipping, and half-price shipping to the rest of the world.

zJayne is offering one free recycled basic pouch with every order ($5.00 value). Three days only: Friday (28th), Saturday (29th), and Sunday (30th).

daisymadedesigns is offering free shipping in the continental United States and free holiday wrapping on all jewelry items.

Jane Pierce is our featured artisan this week. Her artist and shop name is zJayne. Early on Jane wanted to be found easily online so she added the “z” in front and the “y” in the middle because when she Googled “zJayne,” not a single name came up, and she thought that would make her easier to find. You’ll also find her using “artzJayne.” artzJayne came about when she realized that “z” meant she was at the end of blog and team lists! Let it be known “She can be taught, even if it is learning the hard way.”

What is your first memory of your craft? Did someone teach you, or did you learn on your own?
I have two areas of creative enjoyment. My art pieces, which have received awards in altered art doll and assemblage categories, and my recycled products, which include market shopping bags, pouches, wristlet purses, lunch sacks, and more made from reclaimed t-shirts. The underlying theme is the reuse of items into artful and useful products. I like to think of it as making a difference with art.

Art cards, also called ACEOs which stands for Art Cards Editions Originals and the size for them is always 2.5″ x 3.5″ are the first form of art I shared online. My preference is to work with Copper shielding and one day turning a card into an altered art doll body, I was hooked and just wanted someone else to “get it”, to get my art. I spent time at the library looking for something that would validate there was a name for this type of art. . . and there I found metal arts, assemblage, mixed media and collage.

While I have enjoyed art classes and training, for the most part I am self-taught and always evolving. I have many ideas and inspirations, and try to stay in the moment without stressing that I’m not getting enough done.

What is it that draws you to your craft material?
Using recycled metals like keys or jewelry long forgotten about, I like to meld together meaningful objects that can be worn or displayed. Being able to recreate with already made materials—especially metals—that draws me to my craft in art and in recycling.

How would you describe the style of your work? Does it reflect your personal style?
Eclectic, mixed media, funky, edgy, earthy, artsy, spiritual, meaningful . . . my decorating at home borders on what I tend to call Cave Art style.

What are your inspirations? How are they expressed in your work?
Often I find my inspiration comes from music, emotions, something I’m reading or learning from in an awareness or spiritual type way. Life experiences seem to impact me as well in my art. I believe the law of attraction works well when I am creating with a vision of what I want to draw into my life.

Do you have an all-time favorite creation? What about it makes it your favorite?
My altered art doll assemblages are my favorites. Here’s the thing: as soon as I finish a piece I put it up for sale. Having created over 70 treasured heirlooms, I am certain that if I didn’t let go of them immediately, I would keep them all.  So when I look at the photographs of my work, I am moved by them, and I see where I came from and what I was bringing to my day to day life with them. Many of them have visual meaning from my life and are defining images for others as well.

A favorite — well, there is one that I have only one adequate photograph of and wish I had taken more; it’s called “Imagine Peace.”  When I look at the photograph I see what looks to be a comforting hug encircling the original work.

When did you realize that this was more than a hobby?
Defining moments: Several come to mind and I hope for them to keep coming and I find myself paying attention to the coincidences that happen and lead me to new experiences.

• When an out-of-state store owner contacted me from seeing my art on MySpace and bought all of my remaining pieces at that time, and, as each one was created, for months, purchased them one after another.
• When a reycling facility held a conference and ordered over 90 recycled market bags to hand out instead of plastic for their attendees.
• When a store owner asked recently if I would consider adding labels to my pouches (after her order for over 80) so that others want to know where they came from (and I’ve ordered them!).
• I can not leave out a most exciting moment, when I opened the new book The Vision Board: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life by Joyce Schwarz (HarperCollins) and saw my altered art doll “BE” fully featured on page 99.

Describe your workspace. 
My workspace for my art is open and surrounded by windows. Alas, I’ve taken over the dining room in our California contemporary ranch home. I have California job cases, vintage cigar boxes, frames, and oodles of found objects, treasures, and vintage jewels.

The workspace for our recycled bags, beach glass, and other misc. finds is a converted family room to an office with two vintage sewing machines, shelves, racks, etc. Dan T. (my great guy!) calls it Jane’s sweat shop.

What is your favorite task related to your work? Your least favorite?
When I am creating with my art finds and mixing them up for upcoming potential pieces, I can’t even find the words to explain how peaceful that is for me. I have found something that makes a difference in my life, and am learning that is has for others as well, and for that I am grateful.

Least: The shipping department. But alas, Dan T. has that covered and he’s so detailed.

Do you have artistic talents in other areas?
Yes. I like to think I bring my thinking outside the box to my day job.

Tell us something about you that we might be surprised to hear.
zJayne Products and Co. (zJayne and Dan T.) make available a wonderful line of postconsumer glass that is handcrafted entirely from glass bottles and jars collected from Ohio household curbside bins. Each piece has its own unique characteristics, which makes for an unusual and appealing recycled suncatcher, ornament, and/or award. Custom designs are available using logos and emblems. Large orders and custom designs are welcomed.

Where can we find your work?
www.zJayne.etsy.com
www.zJayne.com
Aunt T’s Front Porch (Arkansas)
It’s a Cooler Planet (Chicago)
Sandra Dee Art (Florida, Michigan, Aspen)

http://www.myspace.com/artzjayne
http://artzjayne.blogspot.com/

Thanks to everyone who came out to shop and say “hi” at the Cleveland Handmade Market at Mojo’s Coffee in Bay Village on November 23. We had a great time meeting everyone and received lots of positive feedback on our group and the artists in it. We hope to do many more of these events in the future.