Wonderful!
A Merry Christmas to all,
be it digital or in "real" life!
TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
The TAFA Team's Catalog of Shops: Eclectic Mix
Intricate embroideries by InsideOutsideArt
TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List was launched in February, 2010. As it has grown, now to over 200 members, so have the members who have Etsy shops. About half of us use Etsy as our retail platform. We decided to organize as an Etsy Team (a program Etsy has for sellers to organize under themes or locations) and set up a blog where we can talk about what is important to us and where we can show off our shops. The blog has eight pages of shops, divided into themes and serves as our Team Shops Catalog. Although many of us sell things that do not fit neatly into those categories, most of us do have a focus. I am introducing each of those categories here, hoping that this will encourage you to go over there and shop, shop, shop, until you drop! These eight pages have over 100 shops, filled with wonderful eye candy that will surely delight anyone who appreciates all the many techniques and traditions that are found in the needle and textile arts.
Blogger recently allowed its users to add pages, with 10 page limit. Our Team Blog uses this platform and is limited to these pages, although we could use several more. So, we are using Eclectic Mix for categories that didn't fit neatly into the other larger ones. Of these, we have two sub-categories, Embroidery and Paper, each with beautiful shops that also include other items, so do explore them. Manitoba Gifts, for example, focuses on embroidery on wool, but the shop is shared with beautiful hand tooled leather items. Nejiribana's shop owner, Jane Smith, has a passion for Japanese embroidery. These pieces take a long time to complete, so she also carries patterns and vintage Japanese fabric. Jump in and enjoy!
Embroidery
Embroidery and mixed media by Leisa Rich
Emboidered pincushions by Manitoba Gifts
Japanese embroidery by Nejiribana
Paper
Beautiful art journals by Sue Bleiweiss
Handmade paper by The Greene Fairy
Click here to visit our Eclectic Mix section in our TAFA Team Catalog of Shops.
And, while you are there, click on the other tabs to see our other Team member shops. We aim to be the best in textiles and fiber art on Etsy!
Happy Holidays
from the TAFA Team!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Claudia Elliott
Claudia Elliott
There is a fundamental connection when you sell products that is essential in business: your customer base. When you sell online, you do get to "meet" some of those customers and every now and then a bond forms and a relationship develops that becomes a real friendship, even if you never meet in the physical realm. When you have a shop on a busy Chicago street, people come in and out and you get the full impact of their physical presence. Claudia Elliott was one of those customers who filled all the space around her with a powerful light. Ironic, as she was confined to a broken body that slowly deteriorated over the years, causing her tremendous pain and physical hardship.
She and her husband, John, came into my life through my Chicago shop. We did not see each other often, but every meeting was full of stories, wisdom, laughter and the desire, at least on my part for more, much more. Claudia had been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Brazil in the 1960's, at about the same time when my parents went down as missionaries. So, there were many stories about that and both of us had a chance to practice our rusty Portuguese. My friend, Donna of Razzle Dazzle, did Claudia's hair (and mine for 15 years!) so there was always news flowing through her, too.
I moved to Kentucky. She and John moved back to New Harmony, Indiana, where she was originally from. Laura Foster Nicholson was another connection as she joined TAFA and we got to know each other online and through a meeting at the Paducah Quilt Show. All of those circles that connect us through both business and common ground. Claudia passed away, or rather, was released, earlier this year and Laura just sent me a beautiful, poignant video that captures the end of this cycle of her life. Claudia had a distinctive manner in how she spoke and held herself. I am so glad to have a record of her voice! Those of you who did not know her will appreciate the strength and dignity this woman had, a role model for any of us who wish to live life fully and honestly!
I am honored to carry Claudia's light. May I also shine as she did!
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