Artist Interview - feltmeupdesigns

Each week we invite a different Etsy seller to visit us at our home: The House of Mouse, where all the mice live. This weeks guest is UK based fiber artist Melanie Green from feltmeupdesigns.etsy.com

Mel and I wander down one of the many paths in The House of Mouse garden eventually finding ourselves at the old pond surrounded by trees, twisting vines and the tumbledown remains of a potting shed. Mel’s little birds are happily playing splashing games in the shallow end of the pond, letting out little squawks and twitters of joy. Our mice scamper around their feet and dance up and down the vines, they are so happy to have new friends to play with. The mice were a little weary of Mel’s owls at first, but they are so sweet and gentile that all fears are soon forgotten. We sit ourselves down on the old wooden bench (well out of splashing range). Mel watches the merriment while I locate my notes.

Ahhh, here they are! Welcome to our home Mel. Thank you so much for talking to us today.
Thanks Anna, Thanks mice! I brought you some homemade fudge to share with the mice... I hope they like chocolate... it's my malteser fudge which I make for special occasions, very chocolatey and yummy but very sweet so they'll have to remember to clean their teeth before bedtime!

Ohh that sounds delicious! I am sure they will love it. (All the mice scurry over and start tucking in, silence follows, punctuated with a few appreciative squeaks)

We'd like to begin by asking you a little bit about your Etsy store and what it means to you: when telling someone about your shop for the first time, what do you say about it?
I'm get very shy talking about my shop to people (mice of course are another story, it's very easy to open up to a mouse... I think it's probably the whiskers!) I don't know why I get so bashful about it... here goes then!

I make needlefelted birds, I call them Tweets because that's what they call themselves! Needle felting is a process where you take pile of fluff and turn it into something wonderful using only a barbed needle, big foam pad and your imagination! I make all sort of birds from little tweets with love hearts on their bellies right up to the owls which are much more complex.

Would you share a memory with us of when you first fell in love with your craft?
I started out doing a wet felting course at my local community centre and the teacher mentioned needlefelting… I tried it and didn’t like it at first, so my needles returned to their box and stayed there for over a year, then when I moved house I found them again and decided to have another go. After making a few bunnies and aliens I decided to try my hand at making a bird and the first tweet was born! I fell in love with him straight away he was a little skinny blue tweet with pink spots on his belly. The basic design hasn’t changed much since then… it’s just got more complicated as I have started making real bird portraits!

I adore your shop name, it is so clever and easy to remember. How did you come up with it?
I wish I could remember! Me and a friend came up with it one night after sharing a few glasses of wine… and it just kinda stuck!

I have watched your designs become more and more complex over the last few years, is it important to you to continue challenging yourself as an artist?
Most definitely, I have the world’s shortest attention span so I need to keep it interesting for my self and keep developing my designs. It has to be fun, I always said the minute it stops being fun I’ll stop… I still love every minute of it tho!

How do you plan for a new item in your Etsy Shop, if at all? Do you know how something will look before you start?
I tend to work in lots of different ways; sometimes it’s just a case of putting colours together and seeing what works. When I make the owls and real birds it’s a different process though. I watch a lot of nature documentaries for inspiration and when I find a bird I like I research its markings and shape so as to get it as close as possible… the hardest part is working out what to leave out so the tweet will still look like its real life counterpart! I only have a vague idea what they will look like when I start, they tend to take shape under the needle.

We do hope that you're a keen Etsy buyer as well as seller. What are some of your favourite shops on Etsy and why?
Thehouseofmouse… of course… gotta love those mices!
I love Alibalijewellery http://www.etsy.com/shop/AliBaliJewellery I met Ali on a weekend away with some of the etsy girls and watched her make some speckled sparrow earring, her work is so beautiful.
Kitlane makes the cutest Jacabobs and Jacabunnies http://www.etsy.com/shop/KitLane she an inspiring needlefelter... Her creations have real character.

We'd love to get a little snippet of your home life, please describe your home in just 5 words.
Ooo… hard question! Leaking? I live in an attic flat with slopping ceilings and lots of quirky corners so:
Quirky, cosy, felt covered loft!

Värmod the Viking Mouse loves a midnight snack. If he were to raid your refrigerator right now, what treats might he find there?
Cheese… lots and lots of cheese… so he’ll have crazy cheese dreams.

If you were a mouse living in The House of Mouse, which one would you be and why?
I’d be the devil mouse because I have a wicked sense of humour!

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit us, Mel. Please let us know how we can find you on the internet by sharing some links.
Thanks Anna, thanks mice… I had a great time, I love your garden! I’ll leave you the rest of the fudge… oh wait… the mice ate it all!

My Felty shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/feltmeupdesigns
blog http://feltmeupdesigns.blogspot.com/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Felt-Me-Up-Designs/31648065832
twitter: http://twitter.com/Feltmeupdesigns
My Inky shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/inkmeup
http://inkmeupdesigns.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Wisdom

Feed your inner artist regularly.

...No, I'm not talking about eating a varied diet, though that is of course important ;-)
What I'm refering to is filling your artistic "pool", or nourishing your imagination. If you're any kind of artist or you rely on your creativity for any part of your life, then the chances are you've had days when you just don't feel very inspired or creative. I've realised that many people are trying to call on their imagination to help them when they haven't been taking proper care of it!
Your creative mind needs fuel and some time to spark that fuel into a flame before it will start working for you. For me, the very best way to allow this to happen has always been taking some time to appreciate nature. My second in line is listening to music that makes my spirit soar.

Please treat your inner artist this week to something that makes YOU feel inspired, and see how rewarding it is! I don't want to hear "but I don't have the time..." - There is always time enough to invest in yourself ;-) and in the long run, you will find that it is always worth it.

Much love,
Naomi xxx

We invite all of you to share your Wisdom with the blogosphere by
posting a link to your Wednesday Wisdom in Mister Linky below!
(Just the individual WW post please, not your whole blog- that way we can find your post later!)
Photograph from PetitPlat

Calling the Universe to help an amazing Artist!

A good friend of ours from the European Street Team on Etsy, Frances J. Melhop, is on an amazing adventure, and she needs your help! Frances is an amazingly talented New Zealand-born photographer, and her wonderful Etsy shop matchstickgirl is filled with her unique artwork.

At the beginning of October, Frances embarked upon a singular journey through Italy after being awarded an artist's residency with the Mira foundation in Puglia, Italy. On her photographic adventure, she came across the most amazing ancient trees which she believes can symbolise worldwide peace.


She has been using her artistic skills to photograph these wonderful creatures which appear to have human bodies and faces interwoven inside the trunks, and her vision is to create a giant exhibition of these natural beauties. She also hopes to publish a book on the Ancient Olive tree portraits, which will include a collection of recipes and dark stories from the Italian grandmothers that she meets on her travels.


Frances is depending on us to help make her dream come to life. She is an amazing artist on a magical journey, and we truly believe that the Universe can pull through for her and help her to reach her goal of $4000 by 3rd November. She doesn't have a lot of time left, so come on Universe, find it in your heart to help this girl to achieve her dream! These amazing trees and the stories that Frances has picked up are timeless, they need to be shared with the world and kept alive! There are some wonderful treats in store if you want to become a backer of Frances's unique project, and a sliding scale of pledge amounts available for any budget.

We believe so strongly in this project that we have decided to dedicate 10% of all profits from The House of Mouse between now and 3rdNovember to the Ancient Olive Tree Project. Alternatively (or as well as this!) you can be a part of the amazing universal energy that will help to bring this project to life by pledging any amount here.
Thank you so much, and all the best to you!

Naomi and Anna x x x x

Artist Interview - Heartshapedcreations

Each week we invite a different Etsy seller to visit us at our home: The House of Mouse, where all the mice live. This weeks guest is Athens based polymer clay artist Maria from HeartshapedCreations.etsy.com.


Maria and Anna are sitting in The House of Mouse garden, a place in our home that is very special to the mice as they love to spend time outdoors. Buddy the Gardener mouse spends all day looking after the plants that grow here. We sip wine and nibble on cheese while we enjoy this beautiful autumn evening. Anna pulls out her notepad and begins the interview.

A - Welcome to our home Maria! Thank you so much for talking to us today.
M - Thank you for inviting me over in your wonderful garden on such a lovely day. I already feel like home!

A - We'd like to begin by asking you a little bit about your Etsy store and what it means to you: when telling someone about your shop for the first time, what do you say about it?
M- Well, I can say for sure that my Etsy shop means quite a lot to me. I decided to open it during a rather hard period in my life and it was one of the things that truly helped me and filled my heart with joy and positive emotions. When I talk to someone for the first time about what I do, it is a bit difficult to express all the feelings that I have inside of me. The one thing for sure is that I talk about it with a lot of love and as something that gives me great joy, inner peace and lots of happy creative moments.

A - Would you share a memory with us of when you first fell in love with your craft?
M - My first attempts to create something out of clay were not very successful I must say. As with everything new you must have patience and practice a lot in order to say that you are happy with the outcome. The most important think is not to give up and try your best for something you truly love and speaks to your heart. I think that I fell in love with what I do the very first time I saw that I was able to create something from a shapeless piece of clay. I never knew that I was able to do something like that and my enthusiasm was so big that for the first months I was literally in a creating frenzy! Of course the more I worked, the better were the results and that motivated me even more, I haven’t stopped ever since.

A - How do you plan for a new item in your Etsy Shop, if at all? Do you know how something will look before you start?
M - My ideas change constantly, even during the creation process. However, I always start with a basic idea and then make changes or additions as the sculpture starts to take its form. I usually have brainstorming during night time, so I always keep a little note book by my side to write my thoughts. Sometimes it’s hard to sleep afterwards coz I wanna get up in the middle of the night and start working right away! So, yes I can say that I do have an image of what I will make beforehand.


A - We do hope that you're a keen Etsy buyer as well as seller. What is your favourite shop on Etsy and why?
M -Yes, I do love Etsy as a marketplace. The variety of items is amazing and the creativity of people never seizes to amaze me. I know that when I own something from another Etsy seller is something unique and that the person who made it devoted not only time but also his/her heart and soul, to make that special item. It’s really hard for me to pick just one shop among my favourites. The only thing for sure is that I buy things (either for me or my loved ones) that stir something within me, either with their beauty, their sensitivity or warm up my heart and make me smile.

A - We'd love to get a little snippet of your home life, please describe your home in just 5 words!
M - Peaceful, Creative, Love, Organized, Cosy.

A - Musculus Maximouse gets terrible midnight cravings. If he were to raid your refrigerator right now, what treats might he find there?
M -I think that Maximouse would be delighted if he raided my fridge, since there are always fresh fruit and veggies. But if he craves for something sweet, chocolate is never absent from there as well!

A - If you were a mouse living in The House of Mouse, which one would you be and why?
M - Let’s see… I guess I would be Lizzy the Guitarist Mouse, because I have always wanted to know how to play the guitar :)

A - And finally, one of the mice would like to ask you a question. This one comes from Mr Applecheeks the Librarian Mouse. He'd like to ask you: What is your favourite book or author?
M - My favourite book has to be the: "Manual Of The Warrior Of Light" By Paolo Coelho. It has a very special meaning to me as it refers to the warrior each one of us hides within him/herself and the battles we have to face during our journey in life. Every difficulty we come across must be faced with strength, faith, hope and positivity in order to mature as individuals and achieve personal growth and inner peace.

A - Thank you so much for taking the time to visit us, Maria. Please let us know how we can find you on the internet by sharing some links!

My Gallery in Deviantart:
http://www.heartshapedcreations.deviantart.com
My Gallery in Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39911550@N06
My Twitter page:
http://www.twitter.com/heartshapedcr
My FaceBook FanPage:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heartshapedcreations/259029738984?v=wall#

Thank you for honouring me with this wonderful interview. I had tons of fun and I really enjoyed talking to you and your little furry friends!!!

Artist Interview - ingermaaike

Each week we invite a different Etsy seller to visit us at our home: The House of Mouse, where all the mice live. This weeks guest is Inger from ingermaaike.etsy.com. Inger is originally from Holland but now lives in Norway.


We find Inger sat comfortably in our living room, she has chosen a seat next to the fireplace because it is a cold day today. Many little mice are huddled together on chairs with cups of hot chocolate in their paws and some blankets that they made to keep their toes warm. Chris the Chef mouse wobbles into the room carrying 2 large mugs of tea for Inger and Anna. Anna sits down on the sofa, takes a sip of her tea and then begins the interview.

A - Hi Inger, welcome to our home! Thank you so much for talking to us today. We'd like to begin by asking you a little bit about your Etsy store and what it means to you: when telling someone about your shop for the first time, what do you say about it?
I - I do not reside in artistic circles so usually people are a little incredulous that I would earn my money with felting, if they even know what felting is. So first I explain what felting is and what I make and then they say 'oh nice' and we move on to other things :)

For me this shop means I can keep on learning and improving my skill, one can only own so many scarves,bags and dresses after all. If there would be no place to send them to then it all would just have remained a hobby and probably I would have lost interest by now. This shop has given me so much confidence and validation which I would otherwise never have found.


A - Would you share a memory with us of when you first fell in love with your craft?
I - I have always been crafting but never considered making it a way to make a living, I did various studies to prepare me for a professional 'grown-up' life. Never finished a study and never grew up either..I tried working a regular job for about a year and ran off with slamming doors. Then one day saw advertised a workshop for felting,signed up and nearly cancelled as I do not do so well in groups..but went in the end. And it was love at first sight. Obsessively I started felting at home, experimenting,reading,learning...I continue to do so to this day.


A - How do you plan for a new item in your Etsy Shop, if at all? Do you know how something will look before you start?
I - Planning is not something I do at all, I pull open a drawer and see what is in there. Or suddenly I jump up to go dye wool with colors that just popped in my head. All rather random except for the fact that it all is inspired by the nature around me.

A - We do hope that you're a keen Etsy buyer as well as seller. What is your favourite shop on Etsy and why?
I - Oooooh just the one?? I love well made clothes that are comfy but feminine ,most I make myself but NYHop and IheartFink do things I can not do myself so I totally love those shops.

A - We'd love to get a little snippet of your home life, please describe your home in just 5 words!
I - Warm, open, happy, chaotic, loving.

A - Musculus Maximouse gets terrible midnight cravings. If he were to raid your refrigerator right now, what treats might he find there?
I - Umm not particularly much I fear, we never have much in there but for some jam, cheese, milk and a few odd pots of this and that. The most exotic thing in there at present is a bloc of Norwegian brown caramelised goats cheese. An acquired taste to be sure :D



A - If you were a mouse living in The House of Mouse, which one would you be and why?
I - That is a very hard question...but I think Indiana Jones mouse. I always wanted to be him when growing up.

A - And finally, one of the mice would like to ask you a question. The mice tend to be a little random with their choice of questions! This one comes from Spidermouse. He'd like to ask you: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
I - To travel in the blink of an eye from here to there and back again, I would love to see so much but dislike being away from home too long. So zipping back and forth would be just perfect :) Plus I could go get food in a flash from all over the world and never need to think up what to eat any more :D


A - Thank you so much for taking the time to visit us, Inger. Please let us know how we can find you on the internet by sharing some links!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ingermaaike
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ingermaaike2/
http://www.facebook.com/ingermaaike
http://twitter.com/Ingermaaike
http://www.ingermaaike.nl

I - Thank you very much for this most pleasant chat :)

XXXXXXXXXXXXInger

Artist Interview - Nancy van den Boom

Welcome to the first of our interviews here at The House of Mouse. Each week we will invite a different Etsy seller to visit us in our home, where all the mice live. We chose someone very special to be the first to meet the mice: our friend Nancy van den Boom. Nancy is a Dutch painter based in her studio in The Netherlands, in the little village Uitgeest.

Nancy is greeted at the front door by several thoroughly overexcited mice, they clamour to take her coat and show her into our home. In the centre of the hallway in The House of Mouse is a long wooden staircase that twists out of view. Several quivering mouse noses are peeking out of little gaps in the banister, their owners are very curious about the new arrival but too shy to come downstairs just yet.

Nancy is shown into the heart of our home: the kitchen, where 20 or so other mice are sitting expectantly on the kitchen table, some are bouncing up and down in their joy to finally meet her. Naomi pulls out her clipboard and begins the interview.

Welcome Nancy to our home! As you can see, the mice are very excited to meet you. You are their first visitor, and as both Anna and I are good friends with you online, they feel as if you are their friend too. Thank you so much for talking to us today.
Thank you so much dear Naomi, I am so glad with your invitation.

We'd like to begin by asking you a little bit about your Etsy store and what it means to you: when talking about your store to someone for the first time, what do you tell them?
I am very proud to be able to tell I have a webshop on Etsy. I really feel like an owner of a shop! I tell I paint (which is a surprise sometimes too) and that I sell very vibrant paintings and necklaces with small oil paintings. I love to see the surprised faces!

Oh, why do you think they are surprised to learn that you paint? Do you think that you don't look like a painter?
Well, how could people tell I paint lol? From the paint in my hair sometimes perhaps... But I think too that most people admire artists and when I tell them I paint, it is like "Wow! She paints!"


Would you share a memory with us of when you first fell in love with your craft?
I remember the first time in 2004 I painted the Tree of my Life with acrylic paint. I loved painting light and dark right away. This took me back to my childhood when I looked at the work of my Dad, who painted and worked with dark and light a lot. It felt so good to work with this again, after, lets say 30 years.

So your father was a painter. That's fabulous! You're carrying on a sort of family heritage with your artwork!
And my mother painted watercolours years ago. She was very good with colours. I am sorry she doesn't paint any more nowadays.

How do you plan for a new item in your Etsy Shop, if at all?
When I feel like painting, creating... I look forward to listing!

So do you choose what you will paint before you start, or does the inspiration come once you pick up your brushes?
The feeling of inspiration starts somewhere in the day... then I think of colours and what to paint, finally I pick up the brushes, decide on the format... put my stuff ready... and then I decide what to paint and start painting! And the excitement begins, the magic of the colours, the structure filling the blank canvas


We do hope that you're a keen Etsy buyer as well as seller. What is your favourite shop on Etsy and why?
Listen Naomi please! I love the mice around here, I really do and you too Naomi, but this is a very mean question. How could I possibly give an answer on this? I love shops like www.staroftheeast.etsy.com, www.jealousydesign.etsy.com, www.jkphotography.etsy.com, www.stephmel.etsy.com and many many others... just too many to mention!

Hehehe, we know it's a bit cruel to ask you to choose just one! All of those are favourite shops of mine, too.
But I must say too that I never was in a shop before like I was here in the House of Mouse. So this shop (I am looking around and seeing lovely and cute mousies everywhere around me) is very special to me! To see all the mice in real!

We'd love to get a little snippet of your home life, please describe your home in just 5 words!
Kids, Cor, cats, studio, garden!

Ah yes, Cor is your lovely husband, is that right? Does he love your artwork?
Yes, Cor is very fond of my artwork indeed! He loves the colours and vibrancy of them!
He shows his admiration all the time and he is very encouraging and supporting me with all that goes with painting, framing, making pictures. He likes it a lot I found painting, he knows it makes me really happy.

Musculus Maximouse gets terrible midnight cravings. If he were to raid your refrigerator right now, what treats might he find there?
Not so very exciting stuff really: beans, yoghurt, tomatoes, cheese (ahhhh cheese!, THAT's exciting for mice), lettuce.

That all sounds fairly healthy really, no chocolate?? Would you say you're a fairly healthy household then?
No chocolate left. I have eaten it all! Sorry!

If you were a mouse living in The House of Mouse, which one would you be and why?
Only one answer possible: the Witchy Mouse since I am a witch!

We are intrigued! Do you have a broomstick and a black cat?
I do have a black cat (Zorroluna) and a broomstick indeed. I am connected to nature like witches are. I love the night, the moon and lots more!

And finally, one of the mice would like to ask you a question. The mice tend to be a little random with their choice of questions! This one comes from Terry, the Mouse in a Cat Suit. He'd like to ask you: who do you think would win in a fight, a cat or a hedgehog, and why?!
If it is Terry in the catsuit, it would be Terry who wins of course.

(Terry looks very pleased with himself on hearing this answer!)

While Nancy has been talking, even the shyest mice have crept downstairs and are now crowding the kitchen table and floor, looking up at her with adoring eyes. She has fit right in here at the House of Mouse, we'll be sorry to see her leave so soon but the mice will doubtless be gossiping proudly about her visit for weeks!

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit us, Nancy. Please let us know how we can find you on the internet by sharing some lovely links!

Thanks for the hospitality Naomi and bunch of lovely mice. It was great being with you.

Here you can find me online:
www.wix.com/nancyvandenboom/oilpaintings
www.nancyvdboom.etsy.com
www.nancyvandenboom.blogspot.com
www.nancyvandenboom.com

Interview with a Mouse: Alfonso the Artist Mouse

Those of you who have already subscribed to our new The House of Mouse newsletter will know that we've started doing monthly mini-interviews with the mice. They're lots of fun, and hopefully will give you a unique "mouse's perspective" on things! We thought it was only fair to share them here on the blog as well, but those of you subscribing to the newletter will see them at least a week in advance as a special treat ;-)

Our very first Interview with a Mouse features a very special Mouse: Alfonso the Artist Mouse was the first Mouse ever sold at The House of Mouse! He's a bit of a veteran, really, so we hope you enjoy meeting him.

Hello Alfonso, welcome to the newsletter! Thanks for talking to us.
'Allo, merci, I am 'appy to be 'ere! I 'ope I 'ave plenty to talk aboute.

Well, why don't we start by talking about your work as an artist. Are you inspired by any particular famous artists?
Aaahhh oui, I 'ave zeveral idols from zee artiste world. I admire zee vork of Mouselangelo and Vincent Van Gogh Mouse, 'oo can alzo be found at zee delightful 'Ouse of Mouse. But my all-time favoureet artiste, 'ee iz Leonardo Da Vin-Cheese.

We hear from The House of Mouse that you sometimes get so excited in your painting that you splatter the paint onto the canvas with your tail, is that true?!
(Alfonso shuffles around in embarrassment) Uhm... Zat vas just... Uhm... Zumtimes, oui...

What do you most love to paint?
I love to paint zee cheese, and ven I 'ave 'ad a leetle too much of zee Roquefort, I zumtimes paint zee dancing cats in pink pyjamas!

Sounds intriguing... What about your time at The House of Mouse? Who has been your greatest friend there, have you come across anyone you don't like?
Ahh, vell, I 'ave to say, 'Ootie zee 'Wise' Brown Owl can be a leetle bit of a pain in zee bottom ven you get 'im talking. But my most special ami 'as to be Nona zee Cellist Mouse. She is very very artistique and a very sweet Mouse. I 'av very much enjoyed 'er company at zee 'Ouse of Mouse. It is a vonderful 'ome, vee all 'ave great fun zere.

That's fabulous, thank you so much for sharing with us Alfonso, and best of luck with your next adoptive family, whoever they may be!
Merci beaucoup, mon ami! Au Revoir, zee you again.



Don't forget; to be the first to read our monthly mini-interviews with the mice, as well as to receive special discount vouchers and hear all of our other news and updates, subscribe to our monthly newsletter!