Hot Shop of the Week!

Congratulations to Cathy from EDCCollective -- she has been selected as our Hot Shop of the Week! So sit back, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea, and enjoy Cathy's interview and a few of her lovely creations.


Who is EDCCollective?
I’m Cathy of EDCCollective. This shop started out as a collaboration between my Mom and me. Sadly, she passed away last November, so it is just me right now. My brother has expressed some interest in joining in, so stay tuned. At EDCCollective, you will find my original photographic art as prints, note cards and bookmarks. In addition, I handcraft jewelry (necklaces, earrings and gathering pins), feather pendants and hair accessories (many with a Native American feel) and wood home décor items (using recycled tree parts).


Do you have any other shops on Etsy? If so, please tell us a bit about them as well.
My second shop, EclecticSkeptic, is home to my whimsical flying pig items. You will find earrings, necklaces, pins, keychains, zipper pulls, bookmarks and note cards.


Where else can you be found around the internet (blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc)?
I have a blog, Eclectic Design Choices - Designs for Your Life, that I try to post an article on weekly. I include features about custom projects, gardening tips, new products and more. I post photos to my Flickr page and have had a few accepted by CraftGawker. I have fleshed out my page on ETC’s ning site, and I have the beginnings of a web site.


What do you create and how long have you been doing it?
I’m tempted to say that I create anything I put my mind to. (Did you get a hint of that when you read the variety of things that I have for sale at EDCCollective?) There are many more things that I would love to find the time to learn and do as well. My dad was a designer and my mom was artistic and crafty as well. I can’t remember ever not drawing, painting or crafting. (I still have a pile of artwork that my parents kept from when I was really young as well as a couple of my paintings from high school hanging in my house.)


Where do you find your inspiration?
I find that I am inspired by a challenge. I consider myself a problem solver. So if someone asks if I can make such and such, if it sounds interesting, I’m off to figure out how to do it. It is so rewarding to produce something for someone that fills their need and that they love. I am also inspired by the beauty found in nature.


What is your favorite medium?
I think right now, my favorite is my photographic art. I enjoy taking a good photo as well as taking an original photograph to the next level by manipulating it digitally. I really enjoyed drawing and painting in high school and this seems very similar to me. Of course, my favorite medium is subject to change, I also love pretty woods and turning out custom pieces of jewelry.


Is selling on Etsy your full time job, or just a side project?
Selling on Etsy is the most time consuming part time work I have ever had. In addition to crafting and selling on Etsy, I tutor math and science, and I’m a Garden Coach.

What is your favorite thing to do with the Etsy Texas Crafters team?
I enjoy the challenges the best. I don’t always come up with something to submit for some of the themes, but I always enjoy seeing what everyone comes up with. And, it was so exciting, I placed for the first time in the January challenge.


Any tips for other Artists / Crafters?
Have a good time with what you do. Pace yourself so that you don’t get burned out like so many skaters, swimmers, etc, that don’t have a life outside of their sport. Take time for your family and to stop and smell the roses, too.


Tell me a Secret about yourself.
I graduated from college many years ago with a Bachelor of Science in Physics.


Thank you, Cathy, for such a wonderful interview! We love getting to know our team members better and checking out their amazing creations!

If you would like to be considered for next week's Hot Shop of the Week, simply go to EDCCollective or EclecticSkeptic and pick out your favorite item. Post back here with the link to the item & why it was your favorite -- and don't forget to post your shop name as well! And if you have more than one favorite item, it is perfectly fine to post multiple times, as long as you post all the requested information each time. Then, I'll use a random number generator to pick a new Hot Shop for next week from everyone who has commented on this post by midnight on Wednesday, Feb 10th, and will post the next interview on Sunday, Feb 14th.

NOTES:

>> EVERYONE is welcome to comment on this article, but only ETC members will be eligible for selection as a Hot Shop. Thanks for understanding!

>> Comments by ETC members that do not include the requested information (link to favorite item, why it's your favorite, and your shop name), will not be eligible for selection.