Member Interview: Allison of Moondust Jewels

Allison of Moondust Jewels specializes in one-of-a-kind tiaras, headbands, hair combs, crowns, and hair accessories for any occasion!

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How did you learn your craft?
I've been crafty and creative since I was in middle school, and I got really into art in high school. I started making tiaras when I was about 16, and everything was trial and error! I've made over 200 unique tiaras.

If you were a fantasy character, who would you be and why?
Hands down, I'd be Galadriel from Lord of the Rings. She's ageless, is endlessly talented (she like made all those elven cloaks and brooches for Frodo and his friends!), and so graceful!

What do you do when not crafting?
I work full-time as a museum tour guide in Seattle. I love art, so it's great to be around it and get to talk about it all the time! In my free time I love to go out into nature, craft, read, and play video games! My hobbies are: going to thrift stores and collecting postage stamps.

Member Interview: Sarah Alden Art

Sarah Alden started her journey as a watercolor painter in 2001, but knew from a very young age that she wanted to be an artist. All of her prints are made in her studio where she's able to ensure every print's color is as close to the original painting as possible.

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What inspires you to make your creations?
My inspiration comes from many areas in life: nature, fairytales, personal experiences, family, friends, fashion, music, and daily life. One of the biggest reasons I love to paint Fairy art and Butterflies is because to me they represent the beauty of "Wild and Free." Really anything uplifting and inspiring, that’s the beauty I want to share!

I love all things Fairy and fantasy. So, I have a deep love and passion for bringing my imaginative ideas to life on and off paper. I've always loved fashion and had my own unique sense of style. So I like to create beautiful fantasy inspired accessories and jewelry along with my art. Things that truly represents me and my brand.

What advice would you give to other Etsy sellers?
Be patient. It takes time to build up your shop and gain followers. Really focus on photographing your products with great lighting and non-distracting backgrounds; it truly does help. There are many blogs and youtube videos on how to improve with light boxes. The right lighting makes all the difference!

If you were a fantasy creature, what would you be?
If I could be any fantasy creature I would certainly have to be a fairy because of their gorgeous wings and the ability to weightlessly glide through the air, wild and free. Though more specifically, a Spring Fairy because it's my most favorite time of the year with all of the gorgeous Azalea flowers blooming.

Member Interview: Samantha Jean Illustrations

Samantha Jean is a freelancing illustrator with a love for fantasy, mythology and the human form. She produces her own prints and handmade magnets.

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What sparked your love for fantasy?
I don't recall a time when I didn't love fantasy and fairy tales, but I'm going to go out on a limb and blame Disney films. I grew up watching Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty as a little girl, and then Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc as they came to theaters and VHS (and then again in DVD). The stories always fascinated me, and I would also check out tons of books from the fantasy and fairy tale section in libraries, because I wanted to learn about all the variations out there.

If you were a fantasy creature, what would you be and why?
A gargoyle. I love their mythology, the cartoon series, and how strong they are by night, but vulnerable by day. They protect those they love, and are a very good example of "you can't judge a book by its cover" or "real beauty is found within" mottos. Also, they have wings and fly. Gotta love that.

When did you decide to pursue art as a career?
Age 10, after acquiring the book “Aladdin: The Making of an Animated Movie”. I discovered these awesome people called animators - people who got paid to draw and make movies! Fantastic! I wrote to Mark Henn, a supervising animator for Disney, for advice on how to do what he did. He wrote back, and I still have his hand written letter. Obviously I did not become an animator for Disney like my original plan, but I'm still an artist. A freelancing artist who gets to be my own boss. And that's pretty fantastic too.

Member Interview: Erika Heins, Illustrator

Erika Heins is an illustrator with a special passion for the works of J.R.R. Tolkien; his themes of friendship, love, and loyalty never grow old.

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Steampunk Clothing Shop on Etsy



How did you learn your craft?
I have drawn illustrations ever since I was very young... in fact, before I could write. I used to write "stories" by drawing the pictures and then asking my mother to write the story I dictated. I took watercolor and drawing lessons off-and-on between the ages of 10 and 16. When I went to college, I did not major or minor in art, but I did fill in elective hours with art classes absolutely whenever possible. My first introduction to pen and ink was in one of these classes. It instantly captivated me, and I used it for my first Tolkien illustration that same semester - a poem I wrote and illustrated for my best friend. Now, I teach art at a small private school and in private lessons as well as selling my work on Etsy.

If you were a fantasy creature, what would you be and why?
A hobbit ... no question. My love for flowers and food and stories of the long-ago-and-far-away are almost embarrassing. My friends and family are deeply important to me, and I have a need to put down roots deeply and quickly - a need to have a real "home" ... and it better have more green around it than cement. I tend to look at life in a positive and whimsical way, but when it gets tough, there's a simple, deep stubbornness that ensures that I'll stay on the adventure. Although I'm almost 6 feet tall, I do have extremely curly hair ... and have even glued hair on my feet for themed events before!

Do you want to illustrate your own books?
No. For me, I don't use word-painting and image-painting to express the same story, although I will often do head-sketches of my characters as a way of exploring their personality. I actually like to think of other people interpreting my story visually - of them having the freedom to imagine it as it comes to their minds instead of being bound to my visual interpretation. I don't want to limit their imaginations ... it's more important to me to communicate the essence of personality and character than specific physical appearance. So I find myself illustrating others' works, but steering clear of any serious illustration of my own work.

Member Interview: Martinique Louise Fisher Art

Martinique Louise Fisher is a fine art painter inspired by the romanticized past. Human emotion and how memory affects our view on our present reality fascinates her. She is currently working on a tarot deck and a few books.

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How did you learn your craft?
I have been drawing since I was two years old. Art is what I have always known. I live and breathe it.

What advice would you give to other Etsy sellers?
My advice would be to network with like-minded people and push your products on many different blogs and sites. Also, helping others out and giving advice is a great way to receive advice in return and get invited to different shows and events. If you are unwilling to help out fellow artists and only view others as competition, it will not get you very far.

What sparked your love for fantasy?
I have always loved fantasy. I have used fantasy both as a way to escape from this world for a little while and give myself time to create my own world and explore, as well as used fantasy to comment on how I feel about the word from an outside perspective. Fantasy allows us to see ourselves from an objective perspective, and evaluate who we really are as well as who we want to be.

Monday Member Interview: Janet Chui

Janet Chui is a freelance fantasy artist living in Singapore. She has worked with various writers and role-playing game companies to produce pencil and watercolor illustrations for books.

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How did you come up with your shop name?
"Magic and Meditation" is the unofficial name for my Etsy store. I'm big on meditating regularly and the results from it have been pretty magical. I used to be quite negative about my own art - which doesn't mean I don't still get crises of confidence, but nowadays I try to get back to painting and brainstorming more quickly! I hope my paintings inspire people towards introspection and hope!

What sparked your love for fantasy?
Enid Blyton books when I was a child. I really used to be so envious of those kids from England - I always wanted to find fairies in my backyard, too. Now I have.

What are your other passions?
Learning, teaching and getting out of my comfort zone. My interests are wide, and I have fun connecting my various interests with my creativity, whether an idea finally expresses itself in a painting or a crafted object. I think it's not enough for me to learn, but I often need to re-express ideas or put them into a physical form. So I've started blogging and reaching out to others via meetings and meditation circles to share some of the ways I've learned to incorporate art-making (itself a form of meditation) into everyday life.

Monday Member Interview: Meredith Dillman

Meredith Dillman is a watercolor fantasy artist and published illustrator. Her Etsy shop is filled with fairy prints, steampunk postcards and original artwork.

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What inspires you to make your creations?
I'm inspired by nature and the twisting forms in Art Nouveau architecture and illuminated manuscripts. Fairy tales and myths all contain stories and characters that spark my interest.

What sparked your love for fantasy?
Ever since I can remember I drew fairies and unicorns. I think My Little Pony might have something to do with it.

If you were a fantasy character or creature, what would you be and why?
I think I would be a flower fairy or a dryad. I love gardening and love trees.

Monday Member Interview: Stephanie Ann Moyer Art

Stephanie Ann Moyer's World is full of bright and colorful fairies. She uses colored pencils and watercolors to transform a human's likeness into a fantasy portrait.

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What inspires you to make your creations?
I love fantasy and especially fairies. I combined this with my love of portraiture so a lot of my fairy and fantasy images are inspired by my family and friends. I reference photographs of them when I am drawing and creating my artwork. My other passion when creating my art are bright colors! When I am coloring my art that is when I feel my fantasy creatures really start to come to life!

What sparked your love for fantasy?
As a little kid, I loved fairytales, dollies, mermaids, princesses, fairies and Disney movies. All these things, as well as my love for drawing at a young age, sparked my love of fantasy. I still love all of these things!

What do you do when not crafting?
Warhammer, World Of Warcraft, going to random conventions, reading comic books, listening to music, watching movies, hanging with my friends, my boyfriend and my family, playing random card games Like Apples To Apples and Killer Bunnies, cooking, sushi, Starbucks (hehe), shooting pool, going bowling, video games (particularly Xbox) ... and more!

Monday Member Interview: IMPossible Dolls

IMPossible Dolls are dolls for the magically inclined. Waldorf-inspired primitive folk art dolls and quality polymer figurines of faery lasses, mermaids, and more beautiful beasties are handmade by Jesse Alora, or 'The Faery Lady'.

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What inspires you to make your creations?
Just being around certain colors or seeing certain animals. Most of my creations are born from the thought, "I wonder how I could do that ..." The peg leg dolls, for example, came into being after a young boy at my local coffee shop asked me if I could make him a pirate. He then began to hop up and down on one leg and cover one of his eyes with his hand as he told me it should have an eye patch and a pegged leg. I started making the mermaids late one night after watching my two beta fish swimming around their bowls.

What sparked your love for fantasy?
Quite simply, fantasy is in my blood. When I was a baby, I went to the Southern California Renaissance Faire strapped to my Mum's chest and I watched movies like Willow, Legend, The Dark Crystal, Hook, and Labyrinth until the tapes snapped. I can't (and don't want to) see any other way of being!

What do you do when not crafting?
When I'm not crafting dolls, I am face painting. My honest to goodness day-time job is as a full-time face painter. I work for a company at the moment, but I am slowly transitioning towards running my own company. When I'm not doing that, I'm practicing my sketching or taking a drive to nowhere in particular in my car (Smaug), or I'm checking out my favorite vintage/thrift shops, or quite possibly ... I'm sleeping. My face painting has me driving no less than 200 miles a weekend.

Monday Member Interview: Feathery Leathery

Azalyne Skye and Aurelius Rune of Feathery Leathery craft cosmically divine one of a kind leather masks, witch hats, pirate eye patches and fantasy accessories.

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How did you come up with your shop name?
Aw-'Muse'-ing as the conversation was, half-jokingly Azalyne expressed a desire to create one of a kind feather adornments, "Feathery," she stated. Laughing, Aurelius replied "and Leathery," which just so happened to be his creative forte. Thus Feathery Leathery was born, an illustrious combination of earth and sky.

What sparked your love for fantasy?
Azalyne: When I was between the ages of 3-5 years old my mother would take me to Bidwell Park in Chico, Ca where I was raised. Chico has magical old trees and I was afraid of the large Oak trees because I could see these branchlike creatures, with red eyes and an intense energy moving about and watching me from above. I was quite little and I remember them frightening me terribly. My mother obviously didn't believe me and told me it was just my imagination. Eventually I stopped seeing them :( It wasn't until my early 20's when I was gifted Brian Froud's book, Good Faeries Bad Faeries, that I discovered his drawings of the oak men, the same creatures that I had seen as a small child. He has drawn them exactly the way they look!! That very early experience tuned me into the unseen worlds that live within/beside our earthly human realm. As an artist I strive to bridge the gap between those worlds and bring thru that otherworldly magic to the here and now. Tolkien has definitely left his mark on my imagination, as well.

Aurelius: In 7th grade at Waldorf a friend came to school talking about Astral Projection and traveling to other dimensions and worlds. I was instantly fascinated!! Since that moment I've been a lifelong student of energy, magic and ones ability access other states of consciousness.

If you were a fantasy character or creature, what would you be and why?
Azalyne: A Faerie Queen, because I am very much connected to those realms and communicate regularly with the elementals, devas and mycelial intelligence. I don't feel of this time and place or these modern ways. I am most at home mushroom hunting, collecting medicinal herbs, foraging for wild foods ... I love to play in the woods, climb trees and play my harp for Mother Earth.

Aurelius: A Jedi Knight, because I am very kinesthetic and I can feel the force! I just haven't figured out how to master it yet!

Monday Member Interview: Serpent's Dance Designs

Amber of Serpent's Dance Designs has been making jewelry since she was old enough to put beads on a string. After soldering classes, reading books and learning through trial and error, she now handcrafts sterling silver and gemstone rings, sterling and copper dragons, unique hair accessories and more.

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How did you come up with your shop name?
It comes from a line in a song by the band The Tea Party. "Do you see the serpent dancing."

If you were a fantasy character or creature, what would you be and why?
I'd probably be a dragon, just because I love to accumulate shiny, precious things much like a dragon hoards treasure.

Do you have any pets?
I have a pet goat named Biscuit. I actually bottle raised him, so he acts more like a dog than a goat. He has a fondness for watermelon and dried apricots, to the point that he rejects usual treats like carrots and bread.

Monday Member Interview: Fabled Earth Art

Fabled Earth Art carries original art, note cards, sketchbooks and other goodies featuring fantasy paintings by Emily Fiegenschuh! Several of the available prints are illustrations from her how-to-draw book, The Explorer's Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures.

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What inspires you to sketch new art?
When pursuing personal work, I'm inspired by animals, nature, and mythology. I also feel compelled to create and draw interesting characters. Otherwise, I need to find inspiration within the subject matter of a job for a client. The majority of the artwork I do is illustration for tabletop RPG companies and young adult and children's books and magazines, all usually related to fantasy, mythology or science fiction in some way. As for the artists that influenced me the most, I wrote a Top Ten Inspirational Artists blog post awhile back.

What sparked your love for the fantasy genre?
I really can't remember how old I was! I've always been drawn to fantasy. At a very young age I was fascinated by dinosaurs. It was amazing to me that they existed. At the same time I was into dragons and other mythological beasts. Maybe, to me, dinosaurs were the real-life versions of these creatures. I was always drawing animal and monster characters. I was mostly interested in fantastic worlds with creatures and robots when I was a kid. As I grew older I realized that human characters in the same settings were also essential and just as exciting.

What goal do you hope to achieve with your artwork?
Other than making a living doing something I enjoy, what I most hope to achieve with my work is a connection with other people. If my work sparks a conversation or inspires someone, even in some small way, then I feel like I am doing my job. One of the best compliments I ever received at a convention was "Your artwork just makes me so happy!"

Monday Member Interview: On The Wind Art

On The Wind Art offers original paintings and giclee prints of Heidi Eisenmann-Jones' watercolor fairies and original mixed media collages in many styles, sizes and colors.

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How did you learn to draw?
I drew and drew as a child, then had a few art courses in college, but by far, I have learned from studying the work of other artists, like Brian Froud, Linda Ravenscroft, John Arthur to name a few.

What inspires you to make your creations?
I have no idea. It's a great mystery in my life. But I do know this: There are many invisible beings in nature longing to communicate with us, and my mission is to help others connect with them. Working with color, textures and shapes is a joy to me.

How did you come up with your shop name?
On The Wind is actually the name of our farm in the Ozarks, and it fits my art so well I have kept it for my art business as well. I was pondering what to call our farm one day, and said to myself: the name is somewhere on the wind ... Eureka!

Monday Member Interview: Imaginative Arts of Carol Ochs

The Imaginative Arts of Carol Ochs features magical paintings, fantasy art gifts, handmade bath and beauty products, and candles to grace your or a cherished one's home. Spread the magic! And save some for YOURSELF!

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What inspires you to make your creations?
A need to express my own interests in the ancient, the natural, the mystical, the beautiful.

What sparked your love for fantasy?
Since birth, most likely! Children's literature and my own encounter with a fairy started it all.

How did you meet your husband?
When we met, it was truly a love-at-first-sight moment (and I'm a die-hard cynic about things like that.) We both instantly knew. David is a plumbing contractor and also an accomplished jazz guitarist. I met him while taking an out-of-town friend to a jazz club (her request) to hear music. He was setting up his equipment, our eyes locked ... and BAM! ... that was it! Two weeks later he asked me to marry him. We waited a couple years to get to know each other, but have been together ever since and married 30 years. We both have so many creative endeavors, as well as each of us running our own day job businesses. It's really nice to have a partner who "gets" that and we can talk about and support each other that way.

Monday Member Interview: Dryad Tea

Rubiee of Dryad Tea hand-blends her one of a kind artisan teas with health and happiness in mind. Whimsy and fantasy brews in every loose leaf.

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What sparked your love for fantasy?
I've loved Fantasy for as long as I can remember, those were the only books I read, and as a child my Father gave me "The Last Unicorn" on VHS - which I promptly watched until it fell apart.

If you were a fantasy character or creature, what would you be and why?
Pooka!!! I like to have fun, and sometimes can be a trickster.

What do you do when not crafting?
I melt glass, write and sing in a band, Pandora Celtica. I also work as a receptionist ... but that's not as exciting.

Monday Member Interview: Ethereal Earth

Get fairies at Ethereal Earth! Beautiful digital paintings by Alison Spokes are available on art prints, fantasy cards, key chains, glass pendants, kitchen magnets and more.

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How did you learn to paint digitally?
A lot of trial and error. I really just jumped in and tried it. My sister was the first one to prompt me to do it while she was tinkering with digital art in school. I rejected it at first because I found Adobe Photoshop too overwhelming. Later, I read a digital painting tutorial on Corel Painter by Nene Thomas in an issue of Faerie Magazine. I played with the brushes she recommended in her tutorial over top of a line drawing done by another artist just to get a feel for the brushes. When I found I was happy with the results, I gained the confidence to try painting one of my own drawings. The rest is history.

What inspires you to make your creations?
Nature. Colour. Costumes. I like to take real life animals and environments and give them an enchanted quality or persona. I also really like colour and pay a lot of attention to how they interact with each other. I can be inspired simply by a pallet. Often costumes will inspire me, and I'll create a character with a certain costume in mind and the rest of the image is built around that costume.

What sparked your love for fantasy?
I was probably around 8 years old when I fell in love with The Chronicles of Narnia. A few years later I discovered Labyrinth and The Princess Bride. As a teen a started reading (listening to) the Dragonlance series and played a lot of video games. At 19 I discovered fairy artwork and have been hooked ever since. My mother was/is a fantasy geek; my father was a sci-fi geek, so I had a lot of parental influence. I think I took a little more after my mother in this case.

Monday Member Interview: CristinArt Fantasy and Fine Art

Cristina Recto-Hansen of CristinArt has been practicing art professionally since 1988 and several of her original paintings reside in private collections of notable art collectors. But anyone can afford her beautiful reproductions on photo prints, fantasy cards and ceramic mugs.

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What sparked your love for fantasy?
As a young child I would always watch my grandma paint. She painted me a mermaid on my school pencil box and that all started my love for mermaids and the fantasy realm.

What inspires you to make your creations?
I usually get inspired by anything in nature. I love to draw and paint mermaids, flowers, birds and most anything to do with the sea and its creatures. As far as art influences, I love the works of Flemish artists, the Italian artists Raphael and Botticelli. I also appreciate art nouveau styles and the impressionists.

Do you have any pets or children?
I am married and blessed with a loving daughter who loves cats like I do. We take care of a mixed siamese lynx cat who is forever vocal and noisy.

Monday Member Interview: The Evergreen Nest

Once upon a time there was a little fairy named Miss Evergreen who lived in The Evergreen Nest. Customers can meditate upon her wish candles or pick out a beautiful handmade crown to magically transform a human into a fairy!

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What sparked your love for fantasy?
I think I believed I was a changeling baby the moment I dragged Brian Froud and Alan Lee's "Faeries" off my grandfather's bookshelf when I was three or four years old. That book inspired me to delve headfirst into the fantasy world and I have yet to come back to reality.

What do you do when not crafting?
I am usually writing or taking photographs. I rarely go out without a camera or a notebook. At the moment, I am working on building up my blog and finishing my fantasy novel about shape shifting wolves. I try to draw and work on my painting as much as I can, but writing and crafting for my shop have kind of taken over my studio for now.

Do you have any pets?
I have two beautiful mutts I rescued. The oldest is named Dany. He is a huge furry black dog. The other is named Toby. He is a short little blonde puppy and the newest member of the family. I keep several beautiful beta fish in my room too. They are all named after my favorite fantasy characters.

Monday Member Interview: Dromme Lund

Eirini of Dromme Lund started crafting copper tree sculptures when she was 18 years old. She now sells her art on Etsy as tea light holders, window suncatchers, Christmas ball ornaments and other beautiful home decor products.

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How did you come up with your shop name?
I decided to open my shop and share my art with the world once I moved to Denmark. I really wanted to work with my art and my husband supported the idea. I'm not all that good in Danish, but my English is rather good so at first I decided to name my shop Mystic Grove. Then I asked the opinion of a friend and she told me that it didn't sound right ... So I decided to name my shop in an unusual way. Since I do live in Denmark now, I decided to use Danish instead. Drømme Lund means Dreamy Grove and I think the name embodies everything my art stands for. The ability to use our imagination and walk into enchanting, dreamy forests :)

What sparked your love for fantasy?
Hmm.. I must have been younger than 10. Someone has bought a book of Hans Christian Andersen but it was in English. I didn't know the language back then, but I enjoyed looking at the photos and imagine what the book was about. The thing that opened my mind, soul and heart to fantasy was The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien. I was mesmerized and this book made me dream of fantasy worlds every night. I was 16 at that point :)

If you were a fantasy character or creature, what would you be and why?
I would like to be an elf in Middle Earth. I love the ethereal beauty and their wisdom, but honestly, I think I would be a hobbit because of my love of food, drink and nature :)

Monday Member Interview: Shannon Valentine Art

Shannon Valentine is fantasy artist who's been creating fairies, angels, unicorns and other magical creatures since she could hold a pencil. Her Etsy shop offers limited edition prints, fantasy cards, glass tile jewelry and more featuring reproductions of her original pencil drawings and watercolor paintings.

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What is your favorite fantasy book/movie/series?
Disney’s Sleeping Beauty was highly influential to me in developing my art style. I was given the book as a child, which contained art by Eyvind Earle, who is one of my favorite artists. I then saw the movie and it remains a favorite to this day. My favorite fantasy books are by JRR Tolkien, Lloyd Alexander and Peter Beagle.

Do you have any pets or children?
I’m a gardener and consider my plants and trees my children. I have a young pine tree I call ‘Junior’ that I’ve raised from a seedling. It’s over 9 feet tall now.

How did you meet your husband?
I met Jay over a decade ago in the SCA. He was a heavy-weapons fighter and tried to talk to me while in full armor. According to him, I blew him off - twice. Honestly, I didn’t notice him until I saw him in formal medieval garb (not armor) at a coronation event. I was instantly attracted to him and asked my friend if he was single and local to our area. I gently flirted with him during the rest of the event and he eventually asked me out. We’ve been together enjoying life even since.