TapadhLeibhCards -- Travel and Nature Art Photography

Kimberley of TapadhLeibhCards on Etsy has put her photography hobby to work for her.  She specializes in cards and prints. I've always admired her work and own a few of her cards.  I tend to see them as small works of art, so instead of sending them, I decorate my walls. Maybe I need more! Check them out and see the great deal she has just for readers of this blog at the end of the interview.    

                               Blank Greeting Card, "Dragonfly"

Lets warm up with a few fun questions:  

ETTeam Blog:  Favorite color? 

Kimberley:  My favourite colour is green.

ETTeam Blog:  What's your favorite dessert?  

Kimberley: Favourite dessert... This one is tougher. I try not to
be prejudice against any desserts. I guess my favourite would 
be cake. Or pie. Or ice cream... Oh dear.

ETTeam Blog:  ETTeam Blog:  If you weren't human, what
animal would you most want to be and why?

Kimberley:  I would definitely be a cat. I would love to lie and 
say that I would be something really flashy like a zebra or parrot, 
but I know in my heart I'm a domestic house cat. I love naps, I 
love cuddles but only on my terms, and I am fairly independent. 

ETTeam Blog:  Most fun item in your shop?

Kimberley:  Most fun item? Probably the cards or prints with my 
Vietnam photography. I went there summer of 2011, and it was 
an amazing trip. I like to think that my pictures give an idea of 
how beautiful the country is.

"All in the Detail"

ETTeam Blog:  What made you open an Etsy shop and how long have you been creating the types of items you sell in your shop? 

Kimberley:  I created my etsy shop when I was in a bit of a lull in my life. I had just finished my fifth year of university, and wasn't starting work until June. I had a lot of time on my hands, and not a lot of money. The summer previous I had been on a trip to Vietnam and had a lot of my photography up on a website I had created to show my friends and family my adventures. I sent out a sort of "distress" call to my facebook friends, letting them know how bored and poor I was. One of my good friends suggested I start selling my photography as art cards. This led me to finding etsy and the rest is history. Now, I stay on it because of the community of artists I've discovered and because it is basically a hobby that pays for itself.

"Hint of Yellow"8x10 Print Spring Garden 

ETTeam Blog:  Where does the inspiration for your work come from? Is there a connecting theme or style that ties your items together? 

Kimberley:  Inspiration... I am inspired by so many different things including my travels, my humour and my home. I am very lucky to have grown up in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I can go on a ten minute walk and find numerous subjects for my photography. The world is a beautiful place, how can we not want to capture just a little bit of that?

                       Fine Art Photograph: "Faux Paris" 8x10 Print

ETTeam Blog:  What was one of the nicest or funniest experiences 
you've had with a customer who purchased from you on Etsy? 

Kimberley:  I really can't say that I've had a nice or funny 
experience from my buyers, but I do have to say that some of my
buyers have been members of etteam. Etteam has been an 
amazing part of being on etsy. I have met a wonderful group
of women with an awesome set of skills. They provide me with advice, encouragement, funny stories AND sometimes they buy my stuff.
Usually after I make a sale, I buy something else on etsy. 
I like to think I keep the cycle of supporting artists going.

ETTeam Blog:  How do you want people to feel when they purchase
 one of your items?

Kimberley:  When one of my cards comes in the mail, I want the
buyer to feel like the photograph looks even better than it did on 
their screen.

  "Old Growth"

ETTeam Blog:  What's your best advice for shop owners?

Kimberley:  I suppose my best advice for shop owners is to be
patient. And to have fun with everything they do. Because if 
we aren't having fun, why are we doing it?

ETTeam Blog:  Do you have any special promotions you'd like to
mention?

Kimberley:   If you read this interview and think you may like some 
of my photographs, please use the coupon code BLOGCOUPON to 
get 15% off any of my items.  TapadhLeibhCards 

Art By Beata-- Inspiration to Dream

Dream the Biggest Dreams Today

Prepare to be inspired upon entering the magical wonderland of ArtbyBeata on Etsy!   Her whimsical mixed media art includes original paintings,  fine art prints, ACEOs, fridge magnets and jewelry with inspirational thoughts and colorful illustrations.  I like how she puts it in one of her magnet listings:  "Do you want to have an inspirational little message on your fridge? Choose from my magnet collection and you will be reminded of something positive every day."  Perfect beautiful gifts of affirmation for the women and girls in your life!  Lets get to know Beata, the artist behind the inspiring work, and check out her Giveaway below. 

Fridge Art Magnet

Etteam Blog:  What made you open an Etsy shop and how long have you been creating the types of items you sell in your shop? 
Beata:  I opened my Etsy shop because I wanted to show the world who I was and what I was doing. When I opened it in February 2011 I hardly had anything to list and I was not sure yet if I found my style, but I started it anyway. Obviously nothing happened as I didn't know about how promoting works on Etsy, I guess I was not ready. I didn't do anything about the shop for awhile (I also have my own website www.iyobodesign.co.uk , that's where my attention went during this time), until a year later I felt something calling me and I started to pay attention to my Etsy shop, started to promote it and slowly started to list my things. It was in May 2012 when I finally found my own style in mixed media. That was the point when I really started to enjoy this journey and I started to have sales too.

Magical Moments Art Print

Etteam Blog:  Where does the inspiration for your work come from? Is there a connecting theme or style that ties your items together? 
Beata:  I'm a notorious daydreamer. Ever since I remember I had dreams, big ones. It was not easy with my family background where I was expected to get a degree and a job. I always felt like I was not fitting in and never got my family's approval. While my classmates were going out I was watching football and was drawing the footballers from magazines, which soon led me to their stadium where I was getting orders for more drawings. : ) Then later instead of dating a guy from next town, I got together with someone from Africa (in Central Europe that's very unusual), we got married and later we moved to the United Kingdom. During this time I went to study in Germany, I visited Africa and then had a gorgeous cappuccino color baby girl with pretty curly hair. All my dreams kept on coming true, because I always felt it in my heart what was that I really wanted. Just like now, I know what I would like to achieve and I am very committed to get it. With this I want to prove it to my daughter that dreams can come true, regardless their strange or impossible nature. And that you don't necessarily have to have a "real job" to be able to make money. My art represents all the feelings that come from my heart. I'm trying to inspire myself to keep on going and more importantly hoping to inspire other ladies and young girls to dream big and never give up on their dreams. Women are never happy with the way they are, I would love to be able to change this, I want them to believe in their abilities and they should always remember, that they are all worth the magic! : )

Spread Your Wings Necklace

Etteam Blog:  What was one of the nicest experiences you've had with a customer who purchased from you on Etsy? 
Beata:  Oh, this is something I really love! Whenever I receive feedback it makes my heart really really happy! I love when they write something in their feedback that makes me feel that they know me very well now that they 

have my art in their hands. Amazing feeling! And I'm very happy to have a customer who keeps coming back and she keeps on saying how much she loves my art. I'm hoping to have some more fans like her. : )

Etteam Blog:  How do you want people to feel when they purchase one of your items?

Hand Painted Flower Mirror 

Beata:  All my art has deep meaning. Which obviously has meaning to me, as I was the one creating it, but I believe when someone is drawn to my art so much that they feel they have to buy it, that same thing must mean something similar to them as well. I'm hoping to make their heart feel that warmth what I feel when I am ready with a piece. I want them to get hope that their life can be the way they would love it to be. i want them all to be happy!

Etteam Blog:  Do you have any special promotions you'd like to mention? Please include a link.
Beata:  I have a giveaway on my blog which will end on 26 February, the details about how to participate can be found on my blog:
studiofordreams.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/giveaway-time.html