Full Moon in AriesOctober 22, 2010 6:36 pm pdt

Spotlight on Aries Artist - Alice England Hanceville, Alabama, USA Making Stuff With Love Shop

1. What aspect of creating your art or craft do you find the most enjoyable? The most enjoyable aspect of my craft is, without a doubt all the wonderful people I get to meet through making these little dogs. Without exception every dog I’ve made has gone to a wonderful owner, many of whom have become friends. I recently became a member of an Etsy team, Pets Jubilee. This came about when I recognized a past client in the Etsy forums that I had had a particularly nice experience with and spur of the moment went to say ’hello’. That quick hello has resulted in many new and wonderful friendships that are enriching my life in ways I never could have expected. All thanks to a little pair of needle felted dogs -- and the lovely lady that had me create them.

2 & 3. What originally got you started creating your art or craft? How did you decide what medium to work with? My great love for dogs is the root of my passion. When I saw my first needle felted dog I was amazed. That a figure could be sculpted from fiber was magical to me. I have to say that the love surrounding the dogs I make is astounding. The owners of the dogs themselves are so special, the dogs are each so beautiful and the creation itself is absolutely full of my love. They seem to develop a little soul of sorts as they come to life. And as the miniature dog emerges I get to know them and their owners to my great delight.

4. How does your zodiac sign influence your creativity? Aries are fiery and full of enthusiasm and I think this helps me connect with my clients. I love every dog I get to meet and therefore I am very excited each time I get to begin a new one. The dog owners are also very enthusiastic, so together we have all the ingredients needed for an ideal project and experience.

5. What do you like best about your sign and least? I like that Aries are leaders and that they are unafraid to march into unknown territory. This has helped me to go ahead and jump into this new (to me) craft and to begin making custom dogs instead of continuing to make ‘generic’ dogs. This leap has been remarkable to me and is SO rewarding. On the other hand Aries have to watch out for ‘burn out’ as they start so feverishly it can be hard to keep that same level of excitement. So far this hasn’t been a problem with my mini dogs because each one I do is very different from the one before it.

6. What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft? The message I try to convey with my work is the immeasurable love that dogs have to give. I want my miniatures to give a feeling as sweeping as their real counterparts give to the people that love them. Of course this isn’t possible, but I try with every one to encompass this vast affection. If I can represent only a tiny fraction of this great love I feel I’ve succeeded.

7. If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe your art or craft, what would you choose and why? I had to think about this one for a while but I decided a tomato best represents me. Not a tomato that comes from the produce department at a store but one that has been fresh picked from my back yard. It is always so delicious and just right. Warm, because it’s been out in the August heat and proud, because it was grown by me at my home. So it’s very personal and has that homegrown edge. Much like I want my little dogs to be.

8. If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be and why? The other medium I’d probably use is fabric. I love to sew and I gravitate to fabrics with animal themes. I make anything from purses and fabric storage boxes to scrub shirts for my mom. I may go for a long time without sewing and then the urge comes on me and I’ll sew for days on end. My grandmother sewed and I feel a real connection to her when I’m sewing.

9. What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively? My advice to some one who is just beginning creatively is typical Aries: follow your heart! I don’t know who said it, but it is so true:

Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.

The creations of someone who loves what they do appear to be just a little more special than less lovingly created things. Put a part of yourself into everything you make.

Alice's Bio: I am a happily married mother of four dogs and a quaker parrot. I live a few miles out of town in rural Alabama. I’ve been making things my entire life, thus my shop name ‘makingstuffwithlove’. I am very blessed to belong to a most creative family. These family members are responsible for my love of ‘making stuff’ which they cultivated from my birth.

Spotlight on Aries Artist - Justine Smith Moon Dancers Boutique Atlanta, Georgia, USA

My name is Justine and there is no doubt that I am a true Aries. As a child I took ballet lessons. My mother was very pleased when I told her when I grew up I wanted to be a dancer. She was however a little concerned when I told her I wanted to be a go go dancer (I grew up in the 60‘s). I ended up working in accounting. I found that I needed a release for all my creative energy. I have always loved creating; it could be cooking, decorating or crafting. I am always finding something new I want to try. Usually I will put all of my passion and energy into a new project and once I get really good at it I am ready to move on to something else.

One thing that has always remained constant is my love for creating hair bows. As an Aries I tend to get bored very easily however, when it comes to hair bows I am constantly finding new styles, themes or designs I want to try. There have been times when I sat down in the evenings to create one or two bows and the next thing I know it's 4:00 in the morning and I have made several hair bows. There is nothing I enjoy more then hearing a customer tell me how many compliments she has received about her hair bow. It’s very hard for me to create a simple, plain hair bow because I want my bows to stand out. I like to create custom hair bows that are unique and reflect the personality and interests of the person wearing them.

I originally started making hair bows for my two daughters when they were young children. I loved sending them to school with unique, custom hair bows to match their outfits. Other mothers started to inquire where I got them and of course I loved telling them that I made them myself. The next thing I knew I was making hair bows for the whole cheer leading squad and friends and class mates of my two daughters. I pretty much considered it a hobby at the time. I now have two granddaughters and of course I make hair bows for them.

Early this year the printing company I worked for shut down and while looking for a new job I started making a few hair bows for a craft show. My Aries personality took over and now making hair bows is my new job and I am my new boss. While I enjoy creating hair bows more then the business side of marketing them, I will take on the challenge just like any Aries would, with energy and determination.

My advice to anyone who is just starting to discover their creativity is to jump in with both feet and try anything and everything that peaks your interest.

When you find that one thing that you feel passionate about that is what you need to stick with.

I am true to my Aries sign and knowing this helps me in all aspects of my life including my new business. The positive side is having the confidence and drive to get MoonDancers Boutique up and running. The negative is to avoid the pitfalls of my Aries nature and not let myself become bored, but instead keep looking for ways to keep it exciting. I started out going to craft shows and posting pictures of my hair bows for my friends on Facebook then started a web site as a way to take custom orders. I then started my Esty site to have a way to reach thousands of new, potential customers with the bows I have already created.

Spotlight on Aries Artist - Edi Royer Memories for Life Scrapbooks Iowa, USA Blog

1. What aspect of creating your art or craft do you find the most enjoyable? I love that I am helping people preserve their memories for years to come! I also love the creative process. In my "real job" I don't get to be creative at all, so scrapbooking is such an awesome creative release.

2. What originally got you started creating your art or craft? A presentation on card making during a 4-H meeting got me started paper crafting. When this same company started selling scrapbook supplies...I was hooked!

3. How did you decide what medium to work with? Through 4-H I was able to make several types of crafts and get a feel for what I enjoyed and what I didn't. Something about scrapbooking just clicked. I've always enjoyed photography, so scrapbooking was a nice fit.

4. How does your zodiac sign influence your creativity? As an Aries, I can never sit idle. My brain is always looking for the next project and I have more ideas than time it seems! Being an Aries has also helped me promote my business. I am very out-going and love telling people about my business. As an Aries, I am also very motivated. Being bored just isn't an option and I work well on a deadline. I also love to try new things and branch out my scrapbooking where I can.

5. What do you like best about your sign and least? Best: I am a leader and not a follower. Least: I can be very impatient! I've learned to always have something with me to work on at all times.

6. What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art or craft? Preserve those photos and memories in a fun and creative way.

7. If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe your art or craft, what would you choose and why? I would have to choose a strawberry. They are bright and cheery...which is what I like my work to be.

8. If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be and why? I am in love with handmade jewelry! I have bought more jewelry since joining Etsy than I had the entire rest of my life! I love all the different colors and mediums!

9. What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively? Do what you love and enjoy the process!

Edie's Bio My name is Edi and I live in rural Iowa. I work night shift in a factory and scrapbook every other waking hour. I have been paper crafting for almost fifteen years and love custom work. I spend my "free time" with my boyfriend Jesse and our dog Harley.

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