Happy Monday- Introducing Ashley Greenstone from OwlBolt

Happy Monday ALL! This weekend flew by like all the weekend's have been lately. Nothing exciting on my side. The weather put a damper on fun shenanigans so hoping for a sunnier weekend ahead :)

I'm excited to introduce you to the lovely Ashley Greenstone of OwlBolt. Her beautiful knits are too cute not to share. I came across Ashley 1st on Instagram and her Etsy shop.Thank you Ashley for taking the time to stop by and share your story.

Enjoy :)

OwlBolt

I am 27, My bday is March 31st so almost 28..haha.
I grew up in San Diego California. I have always loved every form of Art, I have been a hairdresser for 10 yrs. I have been a stay at home mom since I was 7 months pregnant with Johnny, who will be 2 in May!

 -How long have you been crocheting?

I started crochet in September, so 7 months :)

He's so cute!

 -How did you become interested in it?

Ever since I found out my best friend from high school new how to crochet, it always made me think someday I will learn too! My Aunt is a master Knit/Crocheter so when I was visiting my family I asked her to teach me the basics.

 -Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from COLOR! I love being able to blend any color I want together. Usually while I am crocheting one thing I am thinking about other things I want to crochet. Sometimes I feel like there isnt enough time for all my ideas! haha

 - Do you do other crafts besides crochet?

YES, I am an ART girl. I love to paint! Which is another thing I am looking forward to doing this Spring and Summer. When all the leaves on the tress and flowers on the ground come out it usually starts to inspire me.

 - Your pieces are so cute! Do you have a favorite design to make?

I always Love what I first come out with, For instance making Headbands! I knew my orders of beanies were going to slow down as winter ends, so I needed to come up with something new to keep my Etsy shop active! I just love creating new things that I havent seen before.

-What things do you do to market your business?

Every time I post on Etsy I advertise on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Instagram is where I get 90% of my orders.

 -What do you love most about running your own business, and what do you like least?

Running my own business gives me that sense of independence! It lets me know that others appreciate and love my art. What more can I ask for? I am a stay at home mom, and my part time job is my hobby :)
The only thing I like the least is I wish I had more time in the day to keep on creating, that may sound cheesy but its true!

 -Do you find it easier to craft for boys or girls?

It depends on what season we are in, Winter time means scarves and beanies..with those my ideas are endless!
Summertime means light accessorizing, so coming up with boy creations can be a bit more challenging. But a girl/ woman wear headbands/purses all year :)

-How do you describe your style?

Colorful, and Hippie lovin

-How did you come up with the name Owl Bolt (love it)?

Owl- From my obsession with Harry Potter books/ movies, I loved how the owls were the mail carriers.
Bolt- being raised in Southern California its hard not to become a Huge San Diego Chargers fan. Their symbol is the lightning Bolt.

Somehow when I was creating an email account I blended the two and have loved it ever since!


 The one and only Ashely creator of OwlBolt. You can find her wonderful crafts http://www.etsy.com/shop/owlbolt or Instagram @owlbolt

Featuring- Emma Bazan of Bella + Bunny

Hi all! Happy March 1st! Hope everyone's week is going great!  Mine's been good so far, no sick kids or co-workers. Last week was full of sniffles and coughs!

This is my first "Be Featured" feature and I'm really excited to introduce you to a very talented artist Emma Bazan from Bella + Bunny. I've been a big fan since I ran across her art on Etsy ( I just ordered my art piece) . She was gracious enough to take some time off to share her story with me (and all of you).  Stop by Emma's Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaAndBunny where  you will find  her watercolor & ink creations of colorful girls, animals and more!

Ondine, Sing Me A Song

Your art work is amazing! Did you get formal training? School? If so where did you go?
Thank you for the kind words! Yes, most of my formal training, I received when I studied Illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Before that I studied fine art at a local community college and also attended the High School of Art and Design, all in New York City. I guess you can say I was a professional art student for a while, before I was a professional anything. With all my studying, I’ve found my work now is very different from anything I’ve done in school. For example, I never took a watercolor class while I was in school, and my main medium in my artwork that you see now, is watercolor or ink.  Not being trained in that medium, I think helped produce a style of my own and find my “voice”.

Robin's Reflection

When did you begin drawing? 
I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t drawing or painting. It’s not the sort of thing I discovered later on, it’s always been a part of me. My love for it really started to develop early on, I recall in grade school, I was picked to draw and paint mural size scenes for the school play of “My Fair Lady”. The smell of tempera paint that was used, brings a wonderful feeling of nostalgia, it makes me smile when I think about it.

Stella's Glowing Fire

How long do your pieces take to complete?
It depends on the piece itself. Some pieces can take only a few days to complete, while others may take weeks.  Since I paint with watercolor and inks, for the most part, I can move along at a faster pace. These mediums dry much more quickly, unlike lets say oil paint, which can take forever. I get impatient, and I like moving onto new projects. I’m always anxious to see my finished piece.

Cherry Blossom Girl

Besides the usual magazines, books and galleries, from what or where do you draw inspiration? 
I like to think I find inspirations in everything. But I would have to say, most of it comes from nature. Nature provides so much information for an artist’s imagination. Like, finding great a color combination in a sunset or patterns in bird feathers, it’s really all around us. Sometimes I can come across a tree with amazing leaves and think “maybe I can use those shapes and colors”. They eventually make their way into my work.

Lovey-Dovey / Watercolor birds

Many of us running small business I find have a day job :) Do you have a day job? If so what do you do? 
I’m also a freelance makeup artist, working in the beauty/fashion industry. So, when I’m not painting on paper, I’m painting on faces.

The Dreamcatcher

Which of your artwork pieces is your favorite?
This is a hard one, because I really love all of them. But if I had to choose, I would say my favorite piece would be,  “Marigold’s Butterfly Wing”. There is something really simplistic but bold about her. The color combinations, the detail without being obvious, and how can you not love that big hair. I also favor “Ondine, sing me a song”,  I like that she’s kind of abstract, in the way she looks like a splash of blue on a white.

Marigold's Butterfly Wing

Where can people purchase your work?
 As of right now, I am only selling on Etsy. I eventually want to start selling on other online markets, craft shows, and boutique shops. The more places I sell my work, the better chance I get to share my work with others who want to add a little color and happiness to their homes. That’s my mission.

Watercolor Peacock

Where would you like to see your art work go? Do you want to be in a gallery, stores, etc...
 For a long time, I kept my work to myself. It’s only been the past year or so that I’ve made it available publicly. Since I’m fairly new to the commercial art world, there are so many things I would love to do. Showing in galleries is at the top of my list, I think it would be a great way for my work to be noticed. I’d love to get published, maybe magazines or books. I think it would be nice to see my work on other media, jewelry perhaps.
It would be really fun to collaborate with a store, something like Anthropolgie (maybe see my artwork on a plate, or anything really)... we’ll see.

Green Blue Zebras

Which creative medium would you love to pursue but haven’t yet?
I would like to start painting with acrylics again, it’s been a while. I’ve always been interested in textile design, creating some of my own patterns

The one and only... owner and creator of Bella + Bunny, Emma Bazan. 

Check out her complete line at her Etsy Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaAndBunny

Emma's giving a special discount to mishshell readers, whoo hoo! (Thank you Emma :) ) .

Coupon code: bymishshell