Whimsical Designs. Meet Milusha of MilushaDesign

Colorful Bears, Whimsical Designs. Meet Milusha of MilushaDesign

                                                      (2011 Copyright MilushaDesign. All Rights Reserved.   
                                                       Please do not copy or alter my work in any way or make 
                                                      derivative works without asking for permission) 

"Surrounded by artistic people within my family, I've always loved being creative.  I started drawing at a very young age and took part in many art competitions and won lots of awards for art at school. 

 I decided that I wanted to invest my future in the design industry (typography and graphic styles appealed to me). I went to school, graduated and have worked in the industry for over 9 years now.

I've always been influenced by colour and by graphic and interior design.  I love melding my love of home decor into my art.  I love the clean lines, simplicity and whimsy of mid-century modern design but also enjoy that vintage/retro look.  My style has evolved over the years from being rough and grunge influenced to being colourful and vivid.  I love geometric patterns and so that also shows in my art.  It is ever evolving as my life takes on new challenges and I mature as a designer.

 My inspiration comes from my love of my son, design and art, film, fashion, home decor, people, places and life.  I try to find inspiration every day.  Some days are harder than others.  You cannot force it of course!  It keeps my mind moving, trying to find new things to create.

I've worked for many advertising agencies, as a graphic designer, over the years and decided that I wanted to create graphic art, for adults and children, that I would love to have and of course that would appeal to others too!  And so was born MilushaDesign . And what better way to start than on Etsy. So here I am!

 I want my pieces to make people go 'wow, that is so cool' or ' I really, really love that'. The way I react to pieces of art I come across.  There is nothing like the feeling when someone loves the art that you love creating.  I would hope that people fall in love with my pieces and want to own them because of that."

  Milusha's beautiful work can be seen in her Etsy shop : http://www.etsy.com/shop/MilushaDesign?ref=ss_profile

CREATING A BETTER BAG...ARTIST TERRY COVELL INTERVIEW

Artist Terry Covell of OriginalCopyDesigns was looking for a "better bag" while on a trip to France and so started her quest to "build a better bag" but let me have her tell her story in her own words.

"A trip to France with my sister in 2006 started a journey that continues today.  We did a lot of shopping, of course, but I couldn't seem to find a bag that suited my needs exactly.  I purchased one which just didn't work out as it was hard to find items in the 'abyss' (the dark bottom of the bag) and the handles weren't comfortable.  My own quest to 'build a better bag' began and almost six years later I haven't stopped.

  I immediately bought fabric and a pattern and made a quite suitable bag.  However, it wasn't MINE!  I decided that I needed to look at all types of patterns and bags to discover what was best and most appealing.  I purchased many books and magazines and made many of the bags and purses for myself and family for practice and to discover which techniques,methods,designs and materials worked best for me.  I cam to the realization that I needed to design my own bags with the best features that came up in my research.  By trial and error (and plenty of mistakes to learn from) I sketched, made patterns and stitched my own creations.  My husband often asks,'Well, how many bags do you have?', knowing full well the crates that are tucked away with samples, trials and finished products!

  For some time I had been encouraging my own creativity, and looking for sources of inspiration by following The Artist's Way by Julie Cameron.  The morning pages, or journaling process, and Artist Dates had set the stage for me to find inspiration on a continuing basis.  I continue to often do activities, by myself, although totally unrelated to bags or sewing, which inspire me to use certain color combinations, designs or features.

  Family and friends encouraged me to sell my bags.  After a lot of research I decided that an Etsy shop would be the best way for me to begin.  I had so much to learn about selling on the internet, decisions to make about a name, policies, writing descriptions and photography (and the editing process).  Finally I jumped in, opened my shop and here I am! "

Terry's wonderful bags, purses and more can be seen and purchased at:http://www.etsy.com/shop/OriginalCopyDesigns?ref=ss_profile

    Terry's Blog:http://www.originalcopydesigns.com/

TODDLER MOM? An Interview With Fleece Bedding Artist Nadine Calcek

One of the many talented artists on Etsy is the owner/designer of Midnite Pine Creations.  Here's a sample of her beautiful and comfortable bedding for toddlers:

I interviewed Nadine about her work, motivation and more. 

Nadine how long have you been making fleece bedding? What got you started?

 " I stumbled into sewing fleece by accident. Four years ago when my son was born. He was the kind of baby that didn't tolerate a blanket over him. The cotton crib sheets we had were too cold to sleep on in winter. He was uncomfortable and not sleeping well. I ended up sewing fleece fitted sheets because I couldn't find anything of quality to buy. I chose fleece for its warmth and fuzzy,cuddly nature and modified the designs. I wanted the sheets to be deep enough that I couldn't SHRINK them and stretchy enough that I didn't have to fight to get them on.  'Lazy Bug' fleece sheets were born."

What inspires your designs?

 "My children are my inspiration. I wanted to give them something better than was available in the stores and since I couldn't find it.....I made it. Then, I wanted to share them with my friends and family...they loved them and from there it just snowballed."

How did you learn to do this?

 " I am a self taught seamstress. Trial and error. I basically tore apart one of the cotton sheets, changed the pattern to fit my needs and then tried it out. I continued to tweak the patterns as I perfected my skills and as I started to ask other moms about their pet peeves with their current bedding products. In  some cases I have come up with novel ideas that solve age old problems...such as kids kicking off covers at night...all night long..."

Any advice for beginners wanting to learn these techniques?

 "I have no specific advice for learning 'the technique'. I am the kind of person who starts a project saying,'Yes, I can do that...' So I guess my advice would be that if you want to do something/make something/build something....just do it and believe in yourself, and try not to let others talk you out of it."

Nadine's "Lazy Bug" bedding can be found at her Etsy shop:http://www.etsy.com/shop/MidnitePineCreations?ref=ss_profile

Interview Series With Artists Of Handmade Items

So many times we see items we would love to be able to make if we had the time and technique.

In these interviews I will highlight the creative process each artist uses (regardless of item type) and what advice they have to give for those wanting to try their hand making things for themselves, their family or friends. 

And if you are instead inclined (as I am most times), to simply want to know the the human behind the item and want to see more of what they have to offer in their shops, a link directly to their shop will be given in the article. Hope you enjoy reading about them and their wonderful talents! Fist in the series was Interview with Melissa Broadwater(see article)