Featured ETC Member -AWPhotography !

Congratulations to Annette of AWPhotography.etsy.com. She is our newest Featured Member.

As a part of the Etsy Texas Crafters Team, Annette has been active in all Monday events. She uses her shop announcements to promote these events and as well as links to the group shop and activities . The items in her shop are tagged Teametsytx and she lets people know just how to use the tags to find the work of fellow members. Annette also participates in group promos and swaps (both team and gift) which we all love!

In her shop Annette offers beautiful Fine Art Prints from her original photography. She also offers these same photos in notecard form, too! I have long admired Annettes photography, especially those she has of Italy (someplace I dream of going one day). I can just stare into her photo and imagine I'm there!

Take a look in her shop HERE as well as her flickr account HERE to see her beautiful work.

Read on to find out more about her.

Tell us a bit about yourself (where you live, affiliations, achievements/awards, and any personal stuff you want to share). I live in the Heights in Houston with my husband and our new baby girl (2 months old). I usually work full time as an accountant, although I am currently on maternity leave. We have been back in Houston about a year and a half after living in Hong Kong for two years.

Are you an Etsy Buyer, Seller, or Both? I am both a buyer and a seller. I love to shop on Etsy!

What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it? As a child, I loved to draw and paint. I would spend hours making colorful images of nature - sunsets, mountains, flowers and trees were my favorite subjects as I recall. Other than that, the first thing I remember making are clothes for my dolls when I was about 8. My mother helped me use the sewing machine to make some very basic dresses. My mother also taught me to crochet and knit around the same time - we still like to spend time together while we are working on various projects.

Why do you create? I create because it is what I genuinely enjoy doing. I like to create things that reflect and capture the beauty of the world, primarily through photography. I also like to sew, crochet and knit things that I can wear or use so that I feel that I am more connected to my surroundings and to enjoy things that are not mass produced.

What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from? I am inspired by pretty much everything around me. I find myself always getting ideas and inspiration from my experiences on a daily basis.

What are your favorite materials?My cameras are my favorite creative outlet, which are not quite a material. I also like to work with digital images to create art. In addition, I love to work with fabric and bamboo yarn.

What is your favorite color? Dark blues and greens.

What are your two most and least favorite films? 2 most favorite: The Lost Boys and all the Harry Potter movies2 least favorite: Edward Scissorhands and Titanic (it was just so long!!)

What are you reading right now? Four Blind Mice by James Patterson (when I want to relax and not think too much)Montessori from the Start (from my mother, the Montessori school teacher)

What is your favorite item you have purchased on Etsy? It is hard to choose a favorite item because they have all been great. The item that I use the most these days is my pyramid pin cushion from SweetWolf.

Any tips on selling handmade stuff? The only tip I can think of is to create things that you really love and enjoy. This will ensure that you are happy and there is a good chance other people will like it as well.

Apart from creating things, what do you do? My favorite thing to do, other than spending time with my daughter, is to travel. My husband and I find that we start to go a little stir crazy if we have not gone somewhere for about 6 months.

Thank you Annette for your lovely work and for sharing your pictures with us.

Want to be a Featured Member for Etsy Texas Crafters? Go HERE and fill out the application link on the bottom of the page.