Odds&Ends is One Year Old!

My Etsy shop turns one year old this month! I can't believe that it has been a year since I discovered felting, Etsy, and its vibrant community of artists. I have enjoyed meeting all of you and I'm excited about what the next year will bring!

Elena

Hello!

Hello everyone! It's so nice to meet you :)

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I discovered felting quite by accident through Etsy less than a year ago; I fell in love with ingermaaike's kelp felted scarf and decided to try felting for myself. I bought some wool roving, read as much as I could in books and online, and began to felt through trial and error. I've been addicted ever since! There is so much to learn; I am currently experimenting with shibori techniques as well as with integrating more yarns and fibers into my work. 

My favorite materials include wool, silk, and tencel. I love adding vintage finds like keys, buttons, and lace that I find at the local flea market. I tend toward neutral colors, like browns, grays, and white and away from very saturated color combinations. To add contrast, I usually combine white with a bright color or I choose the classic contrast of black + white. 

My biggest challenge when it comes to my Etsy shop is publicity. Because I do not produce a lot of work, it is difficult to continuously update and therefore stay current in the felted accessories category on Etsy. I began to realize early on that if I add an item every two weeks, it gets lost among the many, many felted listings. I try to draw attention to my work by taking good photos, but this adds to the amount of time it takes to post each new piece. My current strategy is to make a batch of pieces ahead of time, photograph them, and post them one by one within the month while I am working on new projects behind the scenes. This has been working out so far, but I am always looking for new ways to draw attention to my shop. Getting on the FP is of course the biggest challenge and provides the greatest publicity.

In future projects, I want to experiment! I want to treat felting as illustration with cloth, to make collages of different textiles and textures, and to try my hand at creating very intricate, abstract wearable pieces that are way over the top in comparison to the fairly dressy-but-everyday work I am featuring now. 

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There are so many talented Etsy sellers! I can't pick just one favorite to share with you, so I have made categories and selected a few :)

I love...

Handmade soaps :: Adoration Soap & Soapy Chica

Jewelry :: Michelle Pajak-Reynolds & Adorn Jewelry 

Illustrations :: Kelly Smith, Corid, & Kelly Thompson

Clothing :: VintageOpulence, CLP & joodito

Textiles [too many to name!] tijusai, greavesdesign, & kjoo