Ugly kitties need love, too!

In the forums of etsy.com, I met a special shop owner. Her shop is called Ugly Kitty.


This is Ugly Kitty:



The owner of this shop adopted Ugly Kitty from a pound. They aren't sure what happened to her, but it may be a birth defect.

I've always felt sorry for things. As a kid, I thought that nobody liked black. I didn't like it either, but I made it my official favorite color for a while because I felt sorry for it. I also tried to adopt a yucky cat once because I thought nobody else would love it. It was gone by the time I got back. Another time, I adopted a cross-eyed cat because, again, I thought nobody would want it because it looked funny. Alas, cross-eyed cat turned out to be Satan's spawn. If you're ugly, you better be nice on the inside, is all I've got to say.

But Ugly Kitty IS nice, apparently. And her owner sells "a picture" of her cat and donates the proceeds to Cool Cat's Rescue Center, a no-kill adoption center in Annapolis. You aren't actually buying the picture. It's complicated, but visit the site, and you'll see. Basically, you are donating a dollar, and what you get is a thank you card from Ugly Kitty. OK, her name is Quasi, so I should stop calling her that. Your thank you will come with an "UglyKitty" button, and your money will help animals like Quasi!

So off you go:
www.uglykitty.etsy.com.

Inspiration discovered right here on Burst of Happiness

I spent the last week previewing shops on etsy.com. I did this as an advertising opportunity for other sellers. I have a shop on etsy that has yet to sell anything, but I'm waiting patiently.
If you haven't figured it out by now, etsy is a place for crafters to sell their handmade items. The handmade rule weeds out all the crap that's sold on eBay. It can be hard to sell on eBay when there is so much really cheap, mass-produced junk on there. Plus the fees are awful.
Anyway, my etsy store features skirts, but doing these profiles of other sellers has inspired me to try other things. Not only am I trying knitting, which is much harder than I expected -- harder than crocheting, in my opinion -- but I'm also going to make some cute pillows and pouches (like makeup bags). I might also do some purses. I think this will help my shop because these things aren't size-related and therefore can appeal to more people.

It takes a while to make things, especially with school going on, but I'll get there.
www.burstofhappiness.etsy.com.

Check It Out, part VII: Abacus

Today's featured www.etsy.com seller is Abacus. Abacus makes colorful, beautiful, feminine jewelry. The purples and blues jump out at me, particularly. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the colors of this one:


Abacus is self-taught and started making jewelry about 10 years ago for herself. She ended up with so much jewelry that she couldn't wear them all (I know how that goes. Hence MY etsy store!)
Abacus hit the craft show circuit "in order to finance a growing bead addiction. Love to find little bead stores where ever I travel. Can't resist acquiring something I've never seen before. It's led to a pretty quirky and eclectic mix in my bead stash. I work with beads of stone, wood, metal, glass, shell, pretty much anything that strikes me. My own taste runs to small beads and dainty, classic pieces but every once in a while I like to break out and try something 'out of character.'"


Abacus discovered etsy through her daughter, whose store on etsy is www.cascade.etsy.com. She says an online store is "oh-so-different from what I am used to at craft fairs. I've only sold one small item, but I'm in the most crowded category so I'm trying to be patient and meanwhile learning as much as I can from fellow etsiers who are incredibly generous with advice."

"I have joined a fantasticly talented and motivated street team, EJA (eclectic jewelry artisans) dedicated to improving our visibility and success on the site. The team has its own Web site: www.eeja.org.
I plan to continue craft fairs but see etsy as a way of expanding my horizons and extending my selling season. My etsy shop serves as a convenient gallery when I apply to juried shows and allows me to accept credit card sales (too expensive for me otherwise)."

If you're looking for something pretty and completely unique, pay Abacus a visit at www.abacus.etsy.com.

Check It Out, part VI: Why Not

Martha, aka Whynot, says she mainly does crochet, but also does notecards "when the inspiration hits me."
OK, if this isn't the cutest thing I have ever seen ...



"I prefer projects like baby blankets and sweaters, because they make adorable gift items. I'm in NJ except for August, when I'm in Puerto Rico."
She welcomes custom orders, which is perfect for gift giving.



Here is an example of her cards, which are just as cute as her crochet work:

If you know someone who is having a baby and you want to get them something they'll keep forever, visit www.whynot.etsy.com.

Check It Out, part V: athaclena

Today's featured etsy.com seller is athaclena. She lives in Israel, and is 25 years old and a mother of a baby. She's Israeli and Jewish ("orthodox, so weird religious practices"). Athaclena makes cards with cut-outs and does bead work. She has neat square items with geometrical shapes.



"I used to make all sorts of patterns at school when I was bored, some of those same patterns are now being used for my cards, others are new ones I still create.
I still love beads but have less time for them - I get the feeling it's not worth getting them out unless I can bead for over an hour at one sitting.
I'm thinking about new and different things to do all of the time and also getting better at what I do."



"I'm hoping to sell and make more things for my shop and for my own enjoyment, and would like to make custom orders (it sounds like fun)."

Valentine's Day is coming up, and here's a cool card for your sweetheart:


www.athaclena.etsy.com.

Check It Out, part IV: Happy Bee

Here is part IV of featured Etsy.com sellers. Etsy.com is a place for crafters to sell their stuff. All you will find there (ideally) is handmade stuff. Today we meet Happy Bee.

Oh, Happy Bee. Your stuff is so adorable. And judging from your name, you're a girl after my own heart. But not in a weird way.

Happy Bee is an etsy.com seller who makes the cutest stuff, like little flowery bags and pillows.


Happy Bee is a secretary by day and a crafter by night. She lives in Italy and is married. She makes a lot of her items as gifts for friends and family. I want to be her friend.


Go check out her stuff and support a great crafter! At the same time, you'll look just precious with one of her little bags on your shoulder. Everybody wins.
www.happybee.etsy.com

Check It Out, part III: Design by Lara

Today's featured Etsy seller is Design by Lara. She has absolutely gorgeous jewelry, from necklaces to earrings. Her designs range from delicate to chunky. I love the feel of this turquoise necklace, but maybe that's the New Mexican in me.




Lara photographs her products beautifully, which makes you want to open up every item for sale and examine it.


Lara is a mother of four and a grandmother to one boy. She speaks highly of her family, "I have the best husband ever!! My family is my strength, inspiration and sanity...well they can be my insanity at times as well! I have heard that through insanity the most significant creations can be formed..."

She says she left teaching for a while to further her education and found that "I had a lot of extra time on my hands, too much time! My daughter and I began beading as a pastime and a way of spending time together. Soon, we had so many pieces that a friend encouraged me to have a home party. It was a great success.

"Since then I have continued to have home parties, I participate in festivals, I have created my own web site, and now I am here.

"I completely enjoy designing and creating jewelry. I started making my jewelry with natural precious and semi-precious stones and have moved on to include wire and metal work(silver and copper).

"I am a jeans and t-shirt girl myself, but occasionally I like to get dressed up for a night out. This is why I design a variety of pieces that can be dressed up or down. I have found that even a pair of old jeans can look great in pearls and semi-precious stones!"


Visit Lara's Etsy site:

www.designbylara.etsy.com

or her regular Web site:

www.designbylara.com

Check It Out, part II: Artnoose

I'm still on my mission of featuring cool Etsy shops. Today's shop is Artnoose - Crafty Cards.


I'll let Artnoose speak a little for herself:
"My shop name and my actual name are in fact both `artnoose.' I do letterpress printing, and it runs the gamut of individual zines, artist books, and announcements. Letterpress is also my day job, and I make my living printing custom wedding invitations. When not working, I like to draw, ride my bike, and bake cookies. I also am involved in several unpaid, volunteer projects. I hope to be able to focus more time in the coming few years on some larger projects such as a handmade pop-up book as well as writing a novel."



This store is full of cool issues of Artnoose's zine. Stolen from the store page is a good description, "Ker-bloom! has been published bimonthly by one vegan anarchist since 1996. It has been featured in clamor, the Utne Reader and Morbid Curiosity magazines."


It sounds super-cool, so check it out. Click on the photos to visit her store or go to www.artnoose.etsy.com.