Etsy Featured Blogger - Designs by Vanessa

It's that time again, hard to believe it -- the months just keep flying by. It's time for our featured Etsy blogger and this month it goes to designsbyvanessa, a lovely shop with handmade paper goods and jewelry. Here's just a sample of what you will see in her shop! You also might like to stop by her blog to see what she's up to creatively.

Baby Blue Little Birdie Card


Darling Swallow Necklace

Going back to the beginning

I have been going through some of my favorite Etsy shops from when I first joined Etsy a couple of years ago and here are a few things I found, so many great shops on Etsy, too many to mention on one blog in a lifetime!

Lilac Felt Necklace, hatsy


Night Coffee Greeting Card, blacklilypie


Mini Pop Art Key Lime Pie, jelene


Chocolate Cream Cloche, boutiquepinkdesigns

Greeting Cards

Balancing Cat Card, pocketstudio

I think I must be on a paper hunt this week, because I found some more adorable paper art. These greeting cards have wonderful cutouts of various animals -- I thought I'd preview the cat cards that I found at pocketstudio. I just love these cards. I'm hoping that some doggies will come to the shop soon.


Love Cats Valentines Card, pocketstudio

Handmade Cards -- A-dorable!!!

Kissing Reindeer Card
Thumbelina Card Company has the sweetest greeting cards. Each card is a little original piece of artwork using thumbprints and fingerprints and embellished further with ink drawing. I love this simple and sweet idea, it's a wonderful creative process and the cards are just a-dorable!
Froggy Card

SweetB Studio

Never Leaf You Alone Card
This SweetB Studio is full of sweet drawings that seem to come alive and jump out from the page. The artwork is very personalized and the artist does glorious things with each letter. The artwork as a whole is full of wonderful stories, but it's in all the little details of this artwork that surprise and delight. This shop has prints and greeting cards and many of the art pieces can be personalized with names, dates and other details.

Close up of Autumn Fun Desk Plate

time2cre8

Cally and Co
time2cre8 is a wonderful Etsy shop run by Mary Lou and filled with lots of handmade goodies. The first time I came across MaryLou was through her blog and started looking at her beadwoven jewelry, but then I started to browse around her shop and realized there was way more to Mary Lou than I imagined. She also creates many other items such as greeting cards, gift tags, rings, but her ACEO cards are one of my favorites. They showcase Mary Lou's artwork which is bright, colorful and oh so whimsical -- and a lot of them depict animals, a subject that's near and dear to my heart.

Fruit Cocktail

Haley's Handmades

Poodle with Pearl Earring

I would like to introduce everyone to Haley of Haley's Handmades. Haley makes some wonderful handmade cards and her themes are so creative. She designs her cards, which are based on famous works art and incorporates her beloved poodles (I believe Sunny is her muse) . I hope you'll stay for a moment and get to know Haley, her pets and her vibrant and innovative works of art. They will definitely put a smile on your face.

1) Tell us your name. How many dogs do you have, the name of your dog/s and how old are they? My name is Haley A. Ping. I have one dog named Sunny. He'll be 2 years in November.

2) What breed of dog do you have? Standard Poodle.

3) How long have you had your dog and how did they come to be your dog? I've had Sunny since February. We were looking for a standard poodle for about a year before that wasn't a puppy, local, and not outrageously expensive.

4) Do you find that you've come to favor a certain breed of dog and if so, what are their unique characteristics that you've found to be so wonderful? I love standard poodles because they are intelligent, athletic, and great companions. They are dogs who love people and want to be with them.

5) Any favorite stories you'd like to share with us about about your dog? When we first brought Sunny home, he saw his reflection in the mirror and barked at this "other dog." He then realized that the reflection was himself because the other didn't make any noise when he barked!

6) Are there any other pets in the home other than dogs? We have a cat named Mollie. She apparently has unusual coloring with her red classic tabby pattern.

7) What kind of art do you create, i.e., paintings, plushies, photography, sculpture? I create mostly greeting cards and other paper products, but I made a yellow kitty plushie recently.

8) Is your main focus on dog art and if so, what made you choose the dog as your main subject for creating this type of art? My theme is poodles in famous art. It came about because I had to find an art theme in college. I liked it so much it stuck.

9) Do you create or make anything other type of art/craft that's not dog related? The other half of my business is to make invitations and do calligraphy.

10) If you sell your artwork, where can we find your pieces for sale? You can buy my art on my website, www.haleyshandmades.com or on Etsy at haleyshandmades.etsy.com, the AKC Museum of the Dog (St. Louis), A Floral Gallery (Clayton, MO), and various craft fairs and other events in the St. Louis area.


Poodle Grande Odalisque

Thanks so much Haley for the interview!