Artisan Snapshot: Jen Johnson of Mama's Magic Studio

And now, for our final installment of our "Artisan Snapshot Series" - Jen Johnson of Mama's Magic Studio! Jen is our fearless SF Etsy Team Captain (for almost a year now) and we couldn't have made it this far without her. 

Get to know a little more of what's behind the magic by reading just a bit more about Jen:

• Who are you? And what drives to you create!?

I'm Jen, the Mama in Mama's Magic Studio, and I make Handmade Magic. I've always been a crafty, creative sort. Before my kids were born, much of that creative energy went into writing (I'm a published poet). When I became a mother, all that changed. My son was born in 2005, my daughter in 2007, and even as life has settled down a bit after those whirlwind baby days, I still find it really hard to carve out the kind of time and focus that my muse requires. (Aside from blogging, I don't do a lot of writing these days.)

Bird's Nest Pendant for a Boy & a Girl
by MamasMagicStudio - $37 USD

 But I still have a lot of creative energy, and I find myself going a little crazy when it doesn't get used. Handcrafts and jewelry design are good outlets for that energy for me right now while I'm staying home full time with the kids. When the kids see my hands busy making something beautiful, they are able to understand "Mommy is BUSY!" Sitting in front of a computer screen or staring at a piece of paper with pen in hand doesn’t have the same effect!

When & why did you start your Etsy shop?

I opened my first Etsy shop (bfbeads) in 2006, when Etsy was still in Beta. I closed that shop shortly after I opened Mama's Magic Studio in 2008.

I believe that something truly magical happens when an artist's hands create. When the hands finish the work, something new and beautiful exists in the world. To me, that's magic -- even though I know and experience the effort and skill required by every step of the process. Handmade magic is not the result of a wave of a wand! It's a labor of love, and (aside from being a Mama) the most satisfying thing I know. I opened my Etsy shop to share that magic and love with the world.

Knitting Needles & Yarn Earrings in Magenta
by MamasMagicStudio - $20 USD

What other favourite hobbies/activities do you enjoy?

I'm a bit of a crafting junkie, and I enjoy learning new skills and techniques. I've taken classes in basket weaving and millinery (hat making). I enjoy knitting, quilting, sewing, cooking, and playing with my kids. My husband and I used to be pretty good swing dancers; I wish we had more time to keep in practice. I'm also a huge bookworm, and when my hands aren't busy with parenting or crafting, they are usually holding a book.

To find out more about Jen & her awesome creations, please click on the links below:

ETSY // WEBSITE // BLOG // FB // TWITTER 

ARTFIRE // SF ETSY BLOG

Check out Mama's Magic Studio & 16 other artists at Winter Wonderland Craft Bazaar - Saturday December 4th, from 1PM to 9 PM at Urban Bazaar (1371 9th Ave, San Francisco).

RSVP on Facebook!

Artisan Snapshot: Samantha Barsky of noteify

• Who are you? And what drives you to create?!

I am a freelance art director/designer and a crafter/creator of the stationery line, note•ify. I love to create things from photos to cards to big messes.

I consider my work Farm Chic, inspired by the farms and animals I run across in my life.  Most all of my cards are based on my original photography, so I spend a lot of time around animals, but I like people too!

 When and why did you start your Etsy shop?

I started my Etsy shop in 2006 before anyone really knew what Etsy was.  I wanted to try selling the note cards and gift tags that I had been making for my friends and family who kept saying, "You should sell these."

How do you combat "creative blocks" in your life?

I leave my apartment.  I work from home, so I spend a lot of time there.  I get outside and take a walk with my camera, or I drive out to the coast, go to the zoo, or visit some farms in Petaluma.

To find out more about Samantha & her wonderful wares, feel free to click on the links: 

BLOG // WEBSITE // TWITTER // FB

Check out note•ify & 16 other artists at Winter Wonderland Craft Bazaar - Saturday December 4th, from 1PM to 9 PM at Urban Bazaar (1371 9th Ave, San Francisco).

RSVP on Facebook!

Artisan Snapshot: Heather Logsdon of Heathered

• Who are you? And what drives to you create!?

I'm Heather of Heathered- backpacker, musician, and tragically seasick ocean-lover. I hand-make everything in my San Francisco studio from materials that would otherwise end up in landfills- vintage newspapers, maps, postcards, books, airline safety cards, scraps of fabric. 

I create to share with others. Every wallet I make has had a former life. My vintage postcard wallets are the best example of this. One postcard was sent from Germany to San Francisco in 1962 and ended up in a thrift store in 2010. The writer told his friend the museum was closed so he walked around the countryside and made friends with a goat, also to say hello to his cat. The person that bought the wallet wrote the 1962 postcard recipient a letter and asked about her trip and enclosed a photo of herself holding her former postcard that I had made into a wallet. We never heard back from the recipient but the people that live in the Larkin St. apartment now probably had a good time reading the letter. I call them "Found Adventures Furthered". 

Marshall Half Stack guitar amp felt wallet w/ pick pocket
by Heathered - $22 USD

 When & why did you start your Etsy shop?

I opened my Etsy shop in December 2007. My first sale was about 3 minutes after I listed my first wallet. I was hooked. 

It all started after I made a few painted canvas wallets for friends and family. That turned into me sitting at the sewing machine after work, cranking out mustache wallets and cat toys shaped like speech bubbles and Narwhallets (wallets with narwhals on them). I didn't need more than one (or maybe two) wallets and I didn't have any cats. It seemed creepy to keep the stockpile I had amassed so my Etsy shop was created so I'd look like less of a crazy cat lady. 

• What other favourite hobbies/activities do you enjoy?

Scooting and band practice are my two favorite activities. My trusty Vespa S150, Sergio, will soon appear on a new wallet design and I just joined a newly forming orchestral indie-pop band called, Hungry Hungry Ghost. If anything is "meant" to be done, playing in a band is my thing. 

To find out a little more about Heathered, feel free to click on the following links:

PORTFOLIO // BLOG // ETSY //

ETSY (VINTAGE) // FB  

Check out Heathered & 16 other artists at Winter Wonderland Craft Bazaar - Saturday December 4th, from 1PM to 9 PM at Urban Bazaar (1371 9th Ave, San Francisco).

RSVP on Facebook!

Artisan Snapshot: Moriah Hart of Moriahart

Who are you? And what drives to you create!?
I'm a California native who caught the clay bug while still in school and is now a full fledged clay addict. 
When & why did you start your Etsy shop?
I started my Etsy shop this summer because I make more pottery than I can possibly take to shows. And not everything does well at every show.

Describe your creative process 
My creative process is usually, hey I bet I can make that or that would be cool on clay 
How did you come up with your business name?
First name & last name essentially, also used it for my website I made ages ago.
 
Moriah's Photography Assistant
What does a day in your life look like?
Day job, then claywork or sketching for claywork. 
What other favourite hobbies/activities do you enjoy?
I enjoy reading and traveling.  
How do you combat "creative blocks" in your life?
I don't really have creative blocks, I have so many notes and sketches and pictures of things that have inspired me that I have enough ideas for a couple lifetimes. 
 To find out more about Moriah & her wonderful wares, feel free to click on the links:

ETSY // WEBSITE

Check out Moriahart & 16 other artists at Winter Wonderland Craft Bazaar - Saturday December 4th, from 1PM to 9 PM at Urban Bazaar (1371 9th Ave, San Francisco).

RSVP on Facebook!

Artisan Snapshot: Gabrielle Lessard of Mangosteen Jewelry

• Who are you? And what drives to you create?

Who am I?  I'm nerdy, but not cool tech geek nerdy - more like high school literacy society nerdy.  I'm a loner with communitarian ideals.  I don't understand how people can't love animals.   I think that being intellectually honest requires a through mastery of the details and that you don't understand something if you can't explain it in simple terms. 

What drives me to create?  I'm inspired by nature.  KIDDING!  I don't know, I've always made things.  It just took me a while to find a medium that allowed me to produce stuff I like.  When I was a kid we had this craft book called "100 Things to Make and Do."  I wish I still had it.  I think I only made 97 of them.

Ivy Leaf Fine Silver Casual Necklace
by Mangosteen Jewelry - $40 USD

•  When & why did you start your Etsy shop?

I started my etsy shop in 2009, after my friend Anna told me about etsy.  I had started making and selling beaded jewelry about a year before, which was an outgrowth of an importing business I had started. I wanted to put the imports and jewelry on two different sites, especially as I moved the importing business in the direction of fair trade.

•  How did you come up with your business name?

Blue Quartz Drop Earrings
by Mangosteen Jewelry - $26 USD

My business is named for my favorite fruit, which only grows in tropical climates like Southeast Asia. The name made a lot more sense for the imports side of the business, since it was about something wonderful that you can't get here. Unfortunately, after I chose that business name, mangosteen juice became widely available in the U.S. and was widely promoted as having various health benefits.  People who drink the juice often come up to me at craft fairs and want to talk about it. You can't imagine how much I enjoy that.

What other favourite hobbies/activities do you enjoy?

I love to travel, usually alone, and focus on photography when I travel.   Most recently I was in Bhutan and Laos.  I bicycle, which I need to do more, and volunteer usher at the Berkeley Rep.  I also volunteer for a lot of events at the Crucible.

 To find out more about Gabrielle & her wonderful wares, feel free to click on the links:

ETSY // ETSY (DESTASH) // FB

Check out Mangosteen Jewelry & 16 other artists at Winter Wonderland Craft Bazaar - THIS SATURDAY December 4th, from 1PM to 9 PM at Urban Bazaar (1371 9th Ave, San Francisco).

RSVP on Facebook!

Artisan Snapshot: Even Howard of nadene

• Who are you? And what drives to you create!?

I'm Even Howard, a maker of many things and a dreamer of more.  I have a mind that observes and then transforms, it's difficult for me to not create!  Since moving to San Francisco from Montana two years ago, I have found a good hide-out above the ocean and I let my mind work on the combining string with the moods of the natural world at play around me. 

I love to learn from the techniques of the past and then give myself creative challenges like taking a technique of historical value and bringing it into modern accessories or thinking of a design element and imagining how a matched set for a pair of lovers would work.  I identify with my pioneer ancestors, actually familial as well as kindred in spirit; every medium is of interest to me and it all comes back to building up one's own life and home.  An expression of self or a created scene to share.

Custom Bridesmaid Friendship Necklaces
by nadene - $58 USD

When & why did you start your Etsy shop? 

I'm an original Etsy member, the 'oldest' still selling.  I started on Etsy because I was living abroad so any connections to the creative processes of my worldwide peers was a joy that wasn't always easy to find.

How did you come up with your business name? 

Nadene was a beloved raven.  I knew her during one of my summers in Alaska.  She had been pushed from the nest and adopted by my uncle.  She knew her name, sung out in two ringing syllables, and would come tottering to see, especially when it was he who called.  She never quite learned to fly and became as domestic underfoot as a dog.

Custom Driftwood Bib Necklace
nadene - $68 USD

 Her parents often flew over and I watched them converse with their daughter.  She was friendly and would cuddle in your sleeping bag during the night and happily sneak salmon scraps from under the porch by day. Her health deteriorated within one season and she spent the last few days of her life at a raptor center where they thought she had a spinal degeneration issue, perhaps the reason she was pushed from the nest.  I've always been inspired by her expressive voice, her dark eyes, and her great presence.  When I set out to open a shop to celebrate my creative heart melding with travels and the natural world, I wanted to honor her gifts.

Tea Time Set - by nadene - $48 USD

 What does a day in your life look like?

My boyfriend and I sometimes joke about this because some days it is *so* ideal... On a morning when I rise early I like to have tea outside while overlooking the ocean and just see 'what's coming' as I watch the west.  I keep a majority of my string in one box, so it's very portable.  If it's sunny out, I'll sit outside and work on designs.  Later I might go to the art studio which I share in the Sunset and do some finishing work or sewing.  If it's a 'work' day I may teach up to three yoga classes.  My favorite days often end with a burrito.  

Other days I worry because I am far from my family, can't pay a bill, or have little of the trappings that make up the modern 'secure' lifestyle.  I try to turn those days into burrito days.

To find out more about Even and her amazing wares, feel free to click on the following links:

WEBSITE // ETSY // FB // TWITTER // BLOG

FB (Art Studio Group)

Check out nadene & 16 other artists at Winter Wonderland Craft Bazaar -  THIS SATURDAY December 4th, from 1PM to 9 PM at Urban Bazaar (1371 9th Ave, San Francisco).

RSVP on Facebook!

Artisan Snapshot: Amy O'Brien of Me Make Stuff

As one of the curators for the Winter Wonderland Craft Bazaar, I take great pride in the fact that we exclusively hand-picked local artists for this event. We got to know a little more about their products and their stories. 


Before December 4th, we'd like if you came to the show knowing a little bit more about the creator behind the hand-crafted gifts you'll be purchasing. 


Please take this opportunity to discover a little bit more about what it means to "Shop Local & Support Handmade" by reading our Artisan Snapshot Series!

• Who are you? And what drives to you create!?

Hi there! I am Amy Lee O'Brien, I am someone who goes coo-coo if I do not have a creative outlet. I am an only child so much of my childhood was spent using my imagination and I think that has guided me through my life.

• When & why did you start your Etsy shop?

I have had my Etsy shop memakestuff.etsy.com for two years now. I started it as a type of excuse to put a lot of energy into being creative, if I make a couple of bucks at something that brings me happiness...GREAT!

• Describe your creative process.

My creative process....the most important thing is to carve some time out just for me to do my thing...I am seeking inspiration all the time, running errands, hanging out with the kiddos, driving....if I see some colors or an image that looks good to me, I will just quickly sketch it out or take a photo. Then (usually late at night when the fam is sleeping) I play with what has inspired me and create something with it. Sometimes beer or wine is involved.

•  How did you come up with your business name?

My son, who is now 10, used to say things like "me loves you" and "me can does it", this was very endearing to me so I used his 2 year old language and came up with "Me Make Stuff."

•  What does a day in your life look like?

Pretty chaotic to be honest, I have two kids, a husband who travels A LOT for work and a dog...I also teach fitness classes...so every day is a new juggling act really...sometimes the balls are flying gracefully through the air...other times they are rolling all over the floor like crazy.

• How do you combat "creative blocks" in your life?

Hmmmm....beer?

• What other favourite hobbies/activities do you enjoy?

I love to spend time outdoors, hiking, bicycling, skiing...just being calm in nature. Reading is also HUGE for me, I just got a Kindle and I'm getting into a little financial trouble with how freaking fast books are now available to me.

To find out more about Amy & her wonderful wares, feel free to click on the links:

ETSY // BLOG

Check out Me Make Stuff & 17 other artists at Winter Wonderland Craft Bazaar - Saturday December 4th, from 1PM to 9 PM at Urban Bazaar (1371 9th Ave, San Francisco).

RSVP on Facebook!