Etsy Twitter Team Shop Of The Week!

This week Noadi's Art takes the center stage as the Etsy Twitter Team's shop of the week! There's a genuine love and passion behind the sculpture and jewelry that you find swimming at Noadi's. Cephalopods, fossils, crabs, and other denizens of the sea fill this shop and artist Sheryl Westleigh wouldn't have it any other way. A 27 year old Maine native, Sheryl's love for science and these unique and intelligent creatures inspires every one of her original, polymer clay creations.


From intricately tentacled steampunk cephalopods bristling with gears to quirky specimen jar pendants and platypus ornaments, you can find the perfect gift for the science lover in your life, or for yourself, in this unique shop.

Sheryl says, " I really do love the subjects I base my creations on.It's really wonderful that I've found an outlet for it that sells, and that allows me to bring in my other interests."
In addition to the Etsy Twitter Team, Sheryl is also a member of Seller Helping Sellers on Etsy, and has plenty of tips for those wanting to use Twitter as a means of promoting work and building your business.
"Make strategic use of autoposting of new items and deals. No more than 3 new items at a time. When I have deals that are scheduled to autopost, I do it no more than once every 4 hours. That seems to be a frequency that gets enough attention from my followers without becoming annoying. I also network with others who share my interests in science, etc, outside of the Etsy community, and that has led to sales. "

Sheryl's favorite thing about her art? "That I can do it for a living. And working with polymer clay is a joy, too. I love the stuff! Its so versatile." But marine animals and polymer clay aren't her only loves- she has a beautiful llama named Lauren, as well.

Noadi ships internationally to the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and all of Europe. Visit Noadi's Art at http://noadi.etsy.com/ or find her on:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/noadi
Blog: http://noadi.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.noadi.net/

Free stamped octopus cards with every order, no code needed.

Ok.....DON'T Laugh...

I thought I'd try my hand at art...my oldest son and daughter are both good at it. My hubby, who is an artist (darn good one too, imho) and when I showed him this ACEO (art cards, editions and originals) he was like, "it's good".



Anyways, with all the creative juices constantly flowing throughout my family, this is what I came up with. It's an original drawing/sketching using charcoal and colored pencils on matte paper measuring 3.5 x 2.5 inches. My oldest son saw it and was like, "is that an expression of how you are feeling?" Wow, kids can pick up on everything! I dunno about that, but if I get a lot of positive feedback on this I may have a new "art section" in my shop!

Craft Showwwww!!!!

I am sooo excited!! I met with the show director at the Northaven Garden Center in Dallas this morning to show her some samples of my work and confirm my standing as a vendor at the upcoming craft show on May 2! She loved my work and I am just tickled pink! Now the adrenaline is really flowing through my veins as I try to make final preparations for the show. If you are in or near the Dallas area, do stop by and offer your support! The craft show is being held to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer awareness. Show hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ! The Northaven Garden Center is located at 7700 Northaven Road, Dallas Texas 75230. Don't miss it!

Treasury Time AGAIN!!

Wow, what a way to greet the morning! I got an email informing me that one of my Vintage Inspired Ascot Neckties have made it to This Etsy Treasury!! This is so amazing to me that one of my items would be included in this awesome treasury! Woo Hoo!!

Keeping It In The Family...

You all know that I have dabbled in a bit of art in my high school years. But what you don't know is that I have a few talented artists in my family as well! My neice came over a couple of days ago to show my husband (an artist) some of her work. As you can see, she's definitely quite an artist! Go Shae!

Double WHAMMY!!

Wow what a glorious Monday morning! I woke up and snagged this treasury and I can't begin to tell you how EXCITED I am! I included many of my favorite Etsy artists whom I admire and respect. THEN I got this convo from The Silver Dog Jewelry to tell me that she's included my fingerless gloves in this treasury! I truly hope that one of these babies makes it to the front page of Etsy, and that a lot of unrecognized talent will finally have their spotlight moment!

A Message To Handcrafters Everywhere!

So I opened a new shop on Etsy 5 months ago and had such high hopes. I wanted to offer popular designs in knitted and crocheted items, as well as introduce my own designs for the whole world to see. As I tried to settle into the Etsy community, I was very overwhelmed when I visited the forums for the first time. There were people talking about leaving Etsy, and many unheard complaints to the Etsy Administration about the favoritism towards certain Etsy shops and their constant reoccuring appearances on the front page of Etsy. I also noticed the constant question asked by newbies, "am I charging too much?" or "do my prices seem fair?" and even also found myself asking the same question in the forums.

There's so much talk about the economy and how much consumers are "pinching pennies" and how everyone is looking for a bargain. Many consumers are being conditioned to think that they "must" sacrifice quality in order to make ends meet while the lesser quality mass produced items that they purchase fall apart or don't last as long as a better quality item would.

The handmade movement is taking the world by storm, but the handcrafters and artists MUST TAKE A STAND! Don't devalue your work...think about it: if it takes you 8 hours to knit a pair of gloves, why sell them for $10? Those are sweatshop prices! I fell into this trap "thinking" I was charging too much and did that. $10 for 8 hours of work? Heck, you pay more than that to your son to cut your lawn! Never again will I make that mistake! I was told by people in the Etsy forums that my prices were a little high. These same people would not DARE go in Sak's or Tiffany's and tell them to lower their prices...heck, not even Walmart! When you buy something handmade it's much more personal. You can ask questions about the products directly to the artist/crafter and at the time of your purchase, you have confidence in knowing what you purchased was made with great care. So the next time you are looking for something special for yourself, that special gift or an original work of art, look into purchasing something handmade directly from the artist. You will be supporting entrepeneuralship, your next-door neighbor crafter and helping the average business owner survive in the so-called "economic crunch".

Art BLASTS From The PAST

While visiting my parents this past summer in Chicago, I came across some of my old artwork that I did in high school! I was amazed that I was able to do this over (ahem) 20 years ago. Click here to see the entire collection!