Pretty Things Spotlight: * Elephantine *

Update:

Congratulations! Amber is the winner of the Elephantine "Menagerie Tour" notecard contest! Thanks so much to everyone who entered...and be sure to check out this week's give-a-way treat by Tambatoys!

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Elephantine is a whimsical little shop full of quirky little monster plushies, cards and stickers. Each little cutie plushie is lovingly handcrafted and therefore has a unique personality of its very own.

"I love making things. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to open a little shop and share my creations with other people."

In my own little wunderland imagination, these little critters seem to come alive... romping about the flowers in a lush green meadow or hiding behind the mushrooms in the forest, just waiting to jump out and play!

Spotlight: Elephantine

*Tell us a bit about yourself
My name's Rachel Blakley and I live, work, and play in Seattle, WA. I'm an interactive designer by day, then trade in my keyboard and mouse at night for some felt and a needle. I'm an only child, I took German during college, I used to make a magazine when I was really young called "Kid's World" but sold it to my (adult) relatives, my contacts are different colors so I don't mix them up, I like 80's music and 90's movies, I would eat pasta for the rest of my life if I could, since the very beginning I've wanted to be a novelist, and I've known my boyfriend since we were in kindergarten.


* What inspires you?
Other Etsians constantly inspire me – I love having that, "wow, I would have never thought of making it that way," reaction to something. Before I starting creating things, I had this kind of hard-to-pin-down idea in my head about what I wanted the overall look and feel of my work to be like, and I've been working hard since then to attain that daydream. Usually I'll sketch a lot until something evolves that I think would work as a plushie or as an illustration.


* Apart from creating things, what do you do for fun?
Pretty typical activities, I think: watching movies (a sucker for sci-fi and good foreign films), cooking (nothing gourmet), both window and splurge shopping, reading (salinger, plath, and ellis are some of my favorites). I like to play tennis during the summer. My moody, complaining cat named Rufus keeps me on my toes as well.



* What has been your most memorable moment selling your art?
Being contacted for wholesale and custom orders is a great confidence booster. I also always love when someone lets me know how they found my work, or what occasion they're purchasing it for. Etsy is such a great support system for both brand new and experienced artists.

* Any advice for fellow artists...
I think what's most important is to make things because you love to do it. And try to show not only what you can make but who you as a person. People are more drawn to work when they can learn about the process or know a little about the artist's life. It makes perfect sense... when you really think about it, the point of all this creating and crafting is to connect with other people.

Etsy Shop: http://elephantine.etsy.com
Blog: http://elephantine.typepad.com

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Enter this week's Give-a-way!!

The give-a-way for this is week is the sweetest little notecard entitled "Menagerie Tour" by our featured artist, Elephantine!

The "menagerie tour" notecard is a print of an original artwork illustration drawn first in ink, then colored digitally. Printed on a natural colored card.

How to enter:
Take a peek into Elephantine's shop and comment here on what your favourite item is from her sweet little shop! If your favourite Elephantine goodie is not part of your comment, your entry will be disqualified.


All entries must be received before next Sunday's feature, meaning the deadline is to the very last most littlest minute and second of Saturday, March 22nd, 2008, PST. This contest is open to everyone around the globe, but please leave a viable way for us to contact you. Duplicate entries will be deleted. The winner's name will be drawn out of a hat...the good ole' fashioned way to do things.

Best of luck!