Randi Dickinson is Ragnazidnar the Artist

Many of us see Randi as the president of the Eastern Washington Etsy Street Team, organized, thoughtful, inclusive. What I wanted you to see in this post, is Randi the talented up-and-coming artist.

Randi graduated with highest honors from Eastern Washington University with a Bachelor's degree in Studio Art (drawing and painting.) In her gracious manner, she elaborates on her credentials, " I am, first and foremost, a draftsman and stumbled upon oil painting less than a year ago after vowing that I would never be a painter- lol. I always thought my tight technical drawing was not compatible with painting, especially oils. I was wrong. :)"

Q. Do you have a vision for the future of Etsy or the future of Ragnazidnar that you would like to share?
A. The beauty of this, to me, is that none of it was "planned." People would ask me what I planned to do after college, or why I was majoring in art and I'd simply shrug. "Because I have to, it is part of who I am" I would tell them. It has been blessing and I am along for the ride. I feel that if I work diligently and never give up the passion, things will go further than I could ever plan or imagine.
Q. What is the most exciting art project you have in the works right now?
A. My house! lol. I actually am really excited to renovate our new house and restore some of its beautiful antique features, but I would have to say the work I am most excited about is some of the oil paintings I am working on. Not currently listed on Etsy, but in the works. I have been given the opportunity, though, to create a commissioned piece for a fellow Etsain and would love to continue in that trend.
Q. If you could fill your shop with iterations of one item, what would it be?
A. The newest item I put up in my shop immediately becomes my favorite, so with that in mind I'd have to say the "Use Your Brain" journal would be that one item. I am in love with this funky little book and if I had a hundred more I would be thrilled. They are so fun and I think its my best book yet. :)

One last thing, my favorite item in Randi's shop:

The Burnt Wood Stylings of BreathoftheDragon

Our friend, Sunfire, is one busy lady. She hosts our team pages on facebook, and myspace. She has her own blog. She runs her etsy shop. She is involved in putting together a store in the East Wenatchee Mall that will run from Nov 15th- Dec 28th. As if that were not enough, Sunfire is in charge of the Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraising Craft Bazaar at her local East Wenatchee Safeway. "I figure I have connections, and I'm sure it would look good to the company that I volunteered to help out. "

Maybe she is living by the sayings on her plaques and magnets? I think so.

The Bazaar will be held October 3-5, from 9am to 4pm each day. Spot fees of $30 per day, or $60 for the whole 3 days, will be donated to Breast Cancer Research by Safeway. Sign-up ends Sept 27, and spots will fill up fast! Contact Sunfire@BreathoftheDragon.com with questions or to sign up.

I picked up the hobby of wood burning over the holidays in 2007... something to pass the time. I played around with symbols and patterns, solid designs rather than artwork. My friends and family encouraged me to list some items on Etsy, and in January, I did. I've made 7 sales since then, and I'm making all kinds of connections through the site. I love it!For me, sticking with something can be tough - I'm usually the one that comes up with the ideas and watches as someone else makes them real. It's weird that I'm still coming up with ideas and I'm the one actually making them a reality. It's fun, though, and I am really enjoying all that this adventure entails.Being on teams may not always increase sales, but it sure is nice to connect with others that understand why you would give up on sleep to make "just one more listing" LOL I'm glad to be a part of this team, and I look forward to helping each other out with promotions, advertising, and whatever else we come up with.

I believe her.

I love celtic designs, so I asked her about this one. It is taken from a design found here: The Ultimate Design Book for Crafters (c) 2006 Search Press Ltd. Sunfire said it took 5 or 6 hours to produce this piece. I think it's great.

The Jewelry Box Opens at Spokane Craft Fair

Visit the The Jewelry Box online, or in person tomorrow at the Fresh Abundance Craft Fair in Spokane. Here are the details on the event:
Location - Fresh Abundance Organic Foods, 2015 N. Division in Spokane.
The hours are from 10AM to 7PM, with live music starting at 11AM.

Brenda is one of our more active teamates and, as you can see, a wonderful jewelry designer.
Look for one of her necklaces in the 2009 issue of "Bead Trends!"
"My first publication! :-)"

The description for this item in Brenda's shop reads like something out of a J. Peterman catalog: "Peridot- Dreaming of peridot is said to be a warning to use caution. The stone is purported to help slow the aging process, both physically and mentally, and also to facilitate the birthing process. It often is said to help speech, increasing its eloquence and removing impediments, and it sometimes used to find lost or misplaced things. Many believe it to increase patience, confidence and assertiveness."Lapis Nevada" is believed to be a source of creativity and protection, and also promotes courage. Pink & green gemstone. The availability is extremely limited since 2004." Love it!

With beauties like these, we think Brenda is one to watch. The best part about making jewelry? "It's like a natural high to know someone is actually wearing something I made. :)"

Fresh Abundance Craft Fair Including Delovelybeads

Delovelybeads will be coming to Spokane for the Fresh Abundance Craft Fair this Saturday, September 13, 2008. We are excited for her to connect with teamates and make sales. Here is a taste of who she is and what she makes.

I first got into making jewelry last December when I was ill for two weeks and couldn't work. I sat down one morning and turned on the tv. and I saw this craft tv show. They were showing how to make loops and how to wire wrap jewelry. I pretty much picked it up then and never put it down! I love jewelry, things that sparkle and shine, things that make you look like a million bucks or make you stand out from the crowd.

I like Etsy because it is so personal. I chose to do this fair in Spokane because it is close to home and because I have a lot of friends up there that are dying to see my stuff!

More of Spokane with SeamsVictorian

The Seams Victorian shop is run by a very talented seamstress who was born and raised in Spokane. If you can attend the Farmers Market and Craft Fair this Saturday, September 13th, you may meet her there and see some of her beautiful items in person. The fair will be located at Fresh Abundance Organic Foods, 2015 N. Division in Spokane. The hours are from 10AM to 7PM, with live music starting at 11AM.

I have been sewing since I was 12. I am self taught mostly. I learned the basic elements of sewing in school and appreciated that knowledge since clothing from stores didn't fit me correctly. I remember taking apart a pair of San Francisco Riding Gear jeans that I had and making my own pattern for jeans. Ever since then, I have been fascinated with "remaking" things into something else. My favorite thing in my shop is the wedding dress that I transformed from "dull" into something unique and vintage looking.

I have an intense love for the Victorian era, hence the name of my shop! I hope to one day inspire the owners of the Davenport Hotel, a famous hotel in Spokane known for it's elegant historical decor, to host Victorian balls or events where people can rent or buy period clothing to participate. Two such outfits for this type of event would be the Embroidered Bronze Bustle Gown and the Victorian Floral Bustle Gown.

I don't like to be nailed down to one particular style, so hopefully people will stop by my shop and be pleasantly surprised at the variety of items I have. I have been working on purses and totes recently and love the way they are turning out. My favorite fabric is the handmade fabric I create, which is very time consuming but the results are fantastic! It is tough to photograph because of the sparkly nature of the fabric so I am still working on the best views.

I love Etsy because the people there are fantastic to talk to! I have had the best experiences with the customers I have had! People that love handmade things seem to be the easiest to work with. I appreciate that so much!

Spotlight Spokane and Studio Cherie

Studio Cherie is an active member of the Eastern Washington Etsy Street Team. A Seattlite who has lived and worked in Spokane for 7 years now, Cherie is beginning to call Spokane her home. "I love the sun, the hiking trails, the wildlife, and the 'small town in a big city' feel of Spokane."

What I am really excited to do on Etsy is to sell my patterns and kits. I love to make bags and baby accessories, but I also need to have the freedom to move on to the next idea. I found I am not really suited to the business of producing an inventory and selling it at shows. I love the shows and the people, it's the inventory part that bogs me down. I really enjoyed the Spokane Baby Fair, and sold out of most of my baby inventory there. I think that is what got me thinking about ways I could free myself up to produce the new designs I had rolling around in my head.

My Laura's Luggage pattern has been the most popular so far. I think that means there is a market for patterns that can be used to produce a boutique quality handbag. I hope so anyway because that is how I would describe my patterns and kits.

My compact travel change pad/bag is available in kit form because it is important to me that when someone makes this product, it turns out right. I also offer licensing of any of my patterns to people who do want to make inventory and sell it. I have kept my licensing fees low because I know how hard it is to produce product, package, pay entry fees, travel and transport, sell and still make money.

Sometimes it's hard to sell the items in my shop because I love them and want to keep them, but I already have so many bags that sometimes it takes me five minutes to find which one has my wallet:) These are two I would love to keep.

The Lacework Motif Hobo and the Modern Romantic Clutch are both done in Amy Butler fabrics. I started making a lot of my prototypes for my patterns out of popular designer fabrics, so that if someone wants to make it look just like mine they can. The clutch pattern is available now, and the hobo pattern is coming in a couple of weeks.

Support Our Team in Kennewick

The details: Kennewick Flea Market. 310 N. Benton. Hours 9am-5pm. Ample parking. Indoor market with approximately 75 dealers. Collectibles, coins, jewelry, country primitives, new & used merchandise. Food available, restrooms, h/a. c/p

Sally will be there with her lovely aprons and cute skirts in toddler sizes. Sally's shop on etsy is sallyjo54.etsy.com

Our team members are going to be actively selling this Fall throughout Eastern Washington. Watch this blog for an event near you.