__1337 Art is Accepting Custom Orders!

__1337 Art is taking custom order requests again! If you are interested in a custom piece of jewelry, bookmark, or accessory please look no further. I have a lot of new items currently in the creative process including rings, hair clips, bobby pins, bookmarks, chokers, masculine jewelry, and so much more.

You can email me with your serious inquiry/request at 1337art@gmail.com In the meantime please feel free to visit my online shops:

http://1337art.etsy.com
http://1337art.artfire.com

I look forward to working with you in the near future.

-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
[Elite Art for the elite at heart.] Featuring jewelry for men and women, awareness items, bookmarks, brooches, cards, cell phone charms, clip on earrings, cuff links, hair accessories, wine charms, and more!

You can also find _1337 Art on:

Twitter / Myspace / Live Journal / Deviant Art / Etsy / Artfire

New! Weekly Specials on 1337art.etsy.com

I've decided to start offering a weekly sales section in my Etsy Shop. Each each I will feature three items with some sort of special discount!

This week I have chosen to offer free global shipping for my Coffee Addiction mini swirl bookmark.









I am offering $5 off of this beautiful Creative Process in Pink necklace.

And the third item, the Rainbow Wine Charms set, I am offering $3.95 off!











You can view these sales by clicking on the links below:

Coffee Addiction Bookmark

The Creative Process - in Pink Necklace

Rainbow Wine Charms

Thank you so much for reading!

-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
[Elite Art for the elite at heart.] Featuring jewelry for men and women, awareness items, bookmarks, brooches, cards, cell phone charms, clip on earrings, cuff links, hair accessories, wine charms, and more!

You can also find _1337 Art on:

Twitter / Myspace / Live Journal / Deviant Art / Etsy / Artfire

Etsy Artist Feature - ptitebaloue

It is important to show the world the charms of handcrafted items, and I plan to do this one artist at a time. Today I feature ptitebaloue of Quebec, Canada. She has an amazing shop full of handcrafted plush animal toys.


Below you can read her interview:

1. What is the first memory of crafting that you can recall?

I remember threading ribbon across two heart-shaped pieces of cardboard to make a Valentine's day card... ...when I was still in day-care, so probably not even 4 years old! :) Plus numerous memories of myself learning to knit with my grandmother... I started really young!

2. What are some of your favorite past times?

...I often think I have too many and not enough time ;) I love to knit (of course!), but also to draw, play guitar, write fiction, learn and practice foreign languages... I actually spent two of the last summers in Tunisia learning arabic!

3. What do you specialize in?

Although I recently finished a bachelor's degree in international studies and modern languages, job search has not been very successful until now so I've taken out my needles and re-started knitting... soft toys, since I've always loved them :) I also recently taught myself how to spin yarn so my latest creations are made entirely from 100% handspun, natural fibers :)

4. What made you decide to open up a shop on Etsy?

I discovered the site very randomly, reading a newspaper article about home-made, and just fell in love with it... I spent 2-3 weeks just browsing Etsy for hours and finding new favourites... Then I decided I absolutly had to try it too! :)

5. How did you choose your shop name?

I called it A-knit-thing since my "things" - plushies, creatures ;) - are both knit and... neat ;)

6. What are your hopes for the future?

I'm currently trying to work out a governmental subvention that would allow me to buy more supplies, offer my products to "real" (physical) shops and maybe even build my own website to sell them on... If it works I should get it within a month or two... I'm keeping my fingers crossed, I really, really wish this could become a full-time job!

7. How do you feel about custom orders?

I haven't got that many sales yet but I've already done two custom orders and love that!! :) I'm always open to any request, either a reproduction of something that has sold or any variation of an existing model... or a whole new one, why not! Bring it on! ;)

8. Try to sum up your workspace in as few words as possible.

It doesn't take many words to describe ;) Basically it's the left side of the sofa (the right one being occupied by my boyfriend to watch TV) and a mountain of supplies boxes piled up around a little table in my bedroom... I really wish I'll have my own room for crafting eventually, when we'll buy a house :)

9. Is there anything else you would like to add?

As I've written on my Etsy page, some toys may appear expensive but they reflect the cost of supplies (natural fibers are expensive, as is shipping!!) and the time spent spinning and knitting - often 5, 6, 7 hours on the smallest toys and even more on bigger ones... but it's an investment you'll probably keep for life, and even transmit to the next generation! :)

How can people get in contact with you?

Please contact me through Etsy - I love to receive comments on my work!! :)

www.ptitebaloue.etsy.com

You can find the pictured soft toys by following the links below:

Leo the handspun - all natural - alpaca polar bear

Marley the wooly -pure wool- lion

Tweet, the itsy bitsy penguin

Thank you so much for reading. I hope that you enjoyed ptitebaloue's soft toys, and please feel free to forward this feature on to your friends and family.

-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
[Elite Art for the elite at heart.] Featuring jewelry for men and women, awareness items, bookmarks, brooches, cards, cell phone charms, clip on earrings, cuff links, hair accessories, wine charms, and more!

You can also find _1337 Art on:

Twitter / Myspace / Live Journal / Deviant Art / Etsy / Artfire

Featured in Sweet Designs Magazine!

__1337 Art was recently featured in Sweet Designs Magazine - a monthly online magazine targeted for young adults! You can view the feature by clicking on the link below:

http://sweetdesignsmagazine.com/200902craftyvdaygifts.php

Sweet Designs Magazine was founded by Stephanie Lynn in January 2007. In her own words: "My goal has been to attract America's best teen writers and give them a venue to express opinions about the world around them. I look for writers with something positive, helpful, fresh, and insightful to say. I also want SDM to be fun to write for and to read. And I want to help teens avoid the traps and pitfalls of youth and become successful, well-adjusted adults."

Journalism Inspired Earrings (more to come!)

I have been experimenting with making my own pendants and charms, and these earrings are a result of that experimentation.

Ever want to share to the world your passions, opinions, and perspective through words? Each earring is unique as it includes a randomly selected bit of real newspaper, and the glaze gives them an antiqued look. These one of a kind earrings are perfect for yourself or as a gift to a special journalist or writer you know.

The gunmetal (dark grey) kidney earwires measure approximately 24mm x 11mm - their elongated form is beautiful and striking. (Sterling Silver is also available.)

The antiqued silver pewter settings are approximately 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch.

I had fun making these, and I have plans to make similar items in the near future - collage earrings, pendants, necklaces, and etc. - and the themes will cover journalism, coffee, and so much more. Please feel free to keep checking back for the release of those items.

Thank you so much for reading,

-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
[Elite Art for the elite at heart.] Featuring jewelry for men and women, awareness items, bookmarks, brooches, cards, cell phone charms, clip on earrings, cuff links, hair accessories, wine charms, and more!

You can also find _1337 Art on:

Twitter / Myspace / Live Journal / Deviant Art / Etsy / Artfire

Etsy Artist Feature - ara133photography

It is important to show the world the charms of handcrafted items, and I plan to do this one artist at a time. Today I feature Amy with ara133photography. She currently resides in State College, Pennsylvania, and her fine art photography is simply amazing! Her husband also contributes his photography, and he has a nice, stylish edge.

Below you can read the interview:

1. What is the first memory of crafting that you can recall?

I've been drawing since I was little... some of my earliest memories are of drawing horses and other animals - I used to draw unicorns a lot! I remember I would draw on my napkins during meals at home.

2. What do you specialize in?

Photography, but I also have a passion for painting and drawing still!

3. What made you decide to open up a shop on Etsy?

I saw a brief note about Etsy in Lucky Magazine one day, and checked it out - I loved all the awesome things and variety! I'd been considering selling my photography but didn't really have a venue (my grad student schedule doesn't allow me to do things like craft fairs, shows, etc.)... once I saw Etsy I knew it would be perfect!


4. What are your hopes for the future?

I hope to become a professor in Biology at a small college, and for my husband and I to get a house someday soon! :)

5. What are some of your favorite past times?

Photography - my husband and I share that creative passion, so we love to go on photography walks together! Also snowshoeing in winter; painting & drawing; reading; training my cats to do tricks (they know "sit", "footsie" (similar to 'give me your paw') and "lie down" but are stuck on "speak"!)...

6. Try to sum up your workspace in as few words as possible.

I'm a grad student so I have 2 workspaces - one at school and one at home for photography. My school office looks like a tornado hit it, but I know where everything is! My workspace at home is a desk with everything I need for packaging orders (it's lovely, we've just rearranged that area so I don't have to wander around the apartment looking for paper, ribbons, etc.!). I do a lot of my digital collages on the couch, so that is a fluffy brown microfiber workspace.

7. How do you feel about custom orders?

I enjoy custom orders - it's really a lovely feeling to be able to help people find exactly what they're looking for, something they'll enjoy looking at!

8. What can you tell us about the pictures you have selected to be apart of your feature? (in order that they appear.)

Bounce - 5x5 Fine Art Photography by MSM

This is one of my favorites by my husband - he took it in Boston when we were going to my cousin's wedding last year!

At Tara in this Fateful Hour - 5x7 Fine Art Photography Print


I like the way this one came out - It's actually exactly what was in my head! I enjoyed doing that digital collage from various photos I'd taken.

Through These Halls - 5x7 Matted to 8x10 Final Size

This is another digital collage I made with photos I'd taken of a doorway and hall on campus - I used mirroring, layers, black and white with color, and I like the way it came out!

Away - 8x10 Fine Art Photography Print

I took this image in Boston (on the same wedding trip as the Red Ball image) and it really brings back the memories of the moment I first saw this memorial. We were walking to the Old North Church (where the wedding was) and we walked through a little park area behind the Paul Revere statue... we heard a light chiming noise and saw lots of metal sparkling and moving in the breeze - and when we got closer we saw it was rows upon rows of dogtags.

How can people get in contact with you?

I can be reached through my Etsy shop http://ara133photography.etsy.com I have plans to develop my own website in conjunction with the shop but that is still in the works.

Thank you so much for reading. I hope that you enjoyed Amy's artwork, and please feel free to forward this feature on to your friends and family.

-
Christina
CM Designs dba 1337 Art
[Elite Art for the elite at heart.] Featuring jewelry for men and women, awareness items, bookmarks, brooches, cards, cell phone charms, clip on earrings, cuff links, hair accessories, wine charms, and more!

You can also find _1337 Art on:

Twitter / Myspace / Live Journal / Deviant Art / Etsy / Artfire