Featured Etsy Artists 6 - Effie the Pixie

This week's featured Etsy artist is the lovely Yuko from Etsy shop Effie the Pixie. Feminine care products may not be what you expect to find on Etsy, but increasing numbers of women are turning to cloth, reusable pads instead of disposable sanitary wear. Yuko's products are functional, comfortable, and environmentally friendly, as well as cute and colorful. Here's our interview with Yuko:

Tell us a little about your shop?
I sell environmentally friendly cloth feminine care pads. I also sell greeting cards, although I haven't made a card for sale for a while due to not having enough time.

How did you discover Etsy?
Etsy appeared on a search result page back in 2006. I can't remember what I was searching for, but since then Etsy occasionally came up in search results. I finally joined at the end of 2007. Etsy changed a lot during this time.

What were the first items you bought and sold on Etsy?
The first item I bought was "Whipped Body Butter Samplers in Your Choice of Scents". The first item I sold was a Mother's Day Card.

What are you working on right now?
I am making mini round pads for makeup removal. Also I just started working on designing carrying pouch for the feminine pads. I am lucky to have wonderful customers who gave me these wonderful ideas.

What is your favorite item in your shop?
At this time, my favourite item is the Butterfly Pad Set [right]. I love the Butterfly fabrics. Paris Cat Pads [below] are also my favourite, as I like coordinating fabrics.

What are your ambitions as an artist/craftsperson?
My ambitions as a craftsperson is to make functional, comfortable, easy-to-care and pretty(most important) feminine pads that a woman cannot resist to use.

Anything else you'd like to tell us?
I appreciate all the customers who have been very supportive, helpful, and encouraging. I am very glad that they like the pads, and I am amazed how pleasant my experience in Etsy has been both as a buyer and a seller. I got to know some very nice people. Finally, thank you very much for the opportunity of this interview.

Thank you for the interview, Yuko! Check out Effie the Pixie at Etsy now for more information and to purchase. Yuko is a wonderful seller to buy from, with great communication and superfast shipping, as well as an awesome product! Yuko also has a wonderful blog, which gives information about her work and new items, as well as featuring other Etsy artists and craftspeople.

Individual Dangles for our Interchangeable Dangle Hairsticks

These are some of the individual dangles that we've been working on for our new interchangeable dangle hairsticks. These hairsticks have a barrel screw-clasp which allows a dangle to be taken off and changed for a different one.


We already have hairsticks at our Etsy shop, which come with 2 interchangeable dangles, but these dangles will be available to purchase individually. Once you have a hairstick with this system, you will be able to buy more dangles individually, so creating an extremely versatile collection of dangles, without the expense of having to keep buying a whole new set of hairsticks each time you fancy a change. These dangles will be available at our Etsy shop very soon!

Featured Etsy Artists 5 - PurrPrints

This week's featured Etsy artist is fellow SquidEtsy team member PurrPrints. Becca at PurrPrints is a wonderfully talented artist, who produces beautiful cat-themed art. PurrPrints is also a member of the Etsy for Animals Team, and donates 5% of all profits to the no-kill animal shelter, the Shamrock Foundation. Here's our interview with Becca:

Tell us a little about your shop?
PurrPrints is a relatively new shop on Etsy that sells my various cat-themed imaginings (and I'm starting to introduce some of my art without cats in it now too). It has prints, cards, ACEOs, magnets and (at this moment) a hand-drawn mini-purse. Soon it will also have pendants and possibly bookmarks--oh, and I often do custom work for people with specific ideas for colors and design combinations.

How did you discover Etsy?
It was mentioned in a blog I was reading--I can't recall which one right now--but I fell in love almost immediately.

What were the first items you bought and sold on Etsy?
I first got involved through Etsy's "alchemy" function, because I had a bunch of gift-giving coming up (my first anniversary, step-dad's b-day, husband's b-day) and I wanted to give some really special custom gifts. I think the very first one was a custom clock for my husband for our anniversary. The first item I sold was the red and brown version of "Kitty Love" [top picture] to an absolutely wonderful woman in Canada.

What are you working on right now?
Bamboo pendants with small hand-cut prints of my cat drawings on them and a custom pointillist cat portrait (I'm too ADD to ever work on just one thing at a time ).

What is your favorite item in your shop?
Ooo. That's a hard one for me. My mind changes based on my mood, really. Right now it would be a toss up between the 8x10 print of Existential Cat [see right] and the original of Indoor Cat Dreams [bottom picture].

What are your ambitions as an artist/craftsperson?
On the small scale, I want to continue learning new techniques--right now I've got my eye on sewing, especially. on the large scale, just to continue to get my work out there and meet wonderful people. I'd love to be able to support myself through my art if that's possible--if not, then I'd love to get to the stage where I can sell enough to buy all the other wonderful things I find from fellow etsians every day :)

Anything else you'd like to tell us?
I know I've alluded to it already, but I really enjoy meeting new people and doing custom work. I like making something that matters specifically to one person, something that fits the idea in their head and brings it into the "real" world.

My hope is that anyone reading this on your blog who likes my shop will drop me a line, even if they can't buy anything right now, just because I love making connections with people. That's really the big reason I'm into Etsy: the community.


Thanks so much, Becca! To see more of Becca's gorgeous art, check out the PurrPrints shop at Etsy. PurrPrints also has a lens (page) at Squidoo, with more information and pictures.

New Asymmetric Hair Sticks

Our latest additions to our Etsy and Dawanda shops are asymmetric hair sticks, like this pair of Green Jasper Asymmetric Hair Sticks.


I started by making the cascade stick with fancy jasper chips, but thought that a pair of them would be a little much. So, instead of a matching pair, I made a more simple, dangle-less stick to accompany it. I love this combination, as the sticks can be worn together, or else individually for great versatility. Of course, if you would like a pair of the cascaded sticks, we'd be happy to make them for you! Fancy Jasper is believed to have meta-physical properties, encouraging mental clarity and relieving worry and depression.


I also made a version using the semi-precious stone Tiger Eye:


These hair sticks are available at Etsy and Dawanda shops so far, we're working on a major website overhaul and will have a variety of asymmetric hairsticks on our website when the new version is up.

Featured Etsy Artists 4 - Kas' Kreations

This week's featured Etsy shop is fellow Team SquidEtsy member punkerkas, and her shop Kas' Kreations. This eclectic shop features wonderful photography as well as textile work. Here's our interview with Kas.

Tell us a little about your shop?
I sell crochet items, my photography in various print sizes, a few of my punk inspired DIY clothes and some other misc. items.

How did you discover Etsy?
Through a friend.

What were the first items you bought and sold on Etsy?
I first sold one of my photos and the first item I bought was a print of a really neat painting.

What are you working on right now?
Right now a '77 punk band dress, a Social Distortion scarf, and a Misfits beanie. I start so many projects at once so there is probably others that I forgot.

What is your favorite item in your shop?
My "Come Play" photo print. [see above]

What are your ambitions as an artist/craftsperson?
I love creating new things without a set plan and see what comes out. As far as my photography goes, it's a way for me to relax and capture weird scenes throughout Southwest Missouri. Hopefully I'll be able to expand out further from southern Missouri and find even more strange sites.

Anything else you'd like to tell us?
I do participate in SNS (when I'm at home at least) and offer 10% off your entire order during the Saturday Night Sales. Plus some surprise sales that will be listed in my shop announcement. [For more info on Etsy SNS, check out this page here]

Thanks so much for the interview, Punkerkas!

Visit Kas' Kreations now to see more of Kas' work and to purchase.

Beaded Spiral Hair Fork Now on Etsy!

We're continuing to develop our line of hair forks, and love this beaded spiral fork we just listed on Etsy. It's hand-carved from red oak, which is a beautiful light red wood, but we wanted to add something. The spiral of dark green beads is a striking contrast to the red wood, and the edges of the beads have a blue flash which catches the light. The red oak is polished to supersmoothness with tung oil. We currently have poplar and red oak forks on Etsy, but are excited about working with exotic woods soon. We aim to offer a selection of woods to suit all hair colors. We'll then be adding forks to our website, as well as Etsy.

Featured Etsy Artists 3 - Gifts, Etc

This week's featured Etsy shop is Gifts, Etc, a wonderful Etsy shop run by talented artist and craftswoman Katie. Gifts, Etc has an amazing array of papercrafts and also offer custom items. Here's our interview with Katie.

Tell us a little about your shop?
I sell handmade greeting cards, gift tags, business card envelopes and more. I also have some of my photography in my shop as well as some diecuts for scrapbooking.

What inspires you to create?
My son is my inspiration for anything I do. He's always so bright and cheery and I want that whole feeling to come across in my items. I do this by using fun, lively scrapbook papers and embellishments.

How did you discover Etsy?
By sheer luck. :-)

What were the first items you bought and sold on Etsy?
Hmm...the first item I sold was my Valentine's Day Gift Tags...on my very first day!! lol First thing I bought was a banner.

What are you working on right now?
Right now, I'm working on some brand new Christmas items! Yes, I said Christmas. :-)

What is your favourite item in your shop?
I loove my Hugs and Kisses card (seen to the right). My inspiration for this card was my amazing boyfriend.

What are your ambitions as an artist/craftsperson?
To continue making beautiful papercrafts that bring a smile to someone's face.

Anything else you'd like to tell us?
I'm having a HUGE Christmas in July sale, the entire month of July! Different specials each week. Stock up on your Christmas needs now!

Thanks so much for talking to us, Katie at Gifts, Etc! Our favourite Gifts, Etc item is these colorful Flower Power Business Card Envelopes. Check out Gifts, Etc this month and make this the year you really are prepared for Christmas!

Gifts, Etc also has a fabulous blog, check it out for more on Katie's work, contests and featured Etsians!

Last day for FREE EARRINGS!

To celebrate our Etsy shop opening at the end of May, we have been having an Opening Special this month:

Free earrings with any hair stick or fork purchase!

However, this is only for orders made and paid for in the month of June - and June is quickly coming to an end! Visit our Etsy shop to make a purchase today to receive your free earrings!

Art for Hair joins the Squid-Etsy Street Team!

We are so happy to become a member of this street team!

Etsy (the online marketplace for hand-crafted goods where we have a shop) street teams are groups of Etsy artists united by a common interest, who band together to support and promote each other. The Squid-Etsy Team is a group of artists who use Squidoo to promote their shops and explore their other interests. Squidoo is site where anyone can create a page (known as a lens) for free, and others can view, rate and leave comments. It's great for networking and pretty addictive! Our Art for Hair lens includes the history of hair sticks and different ways to put hair up using hair sticks and forks, as well as a preview of the hair sticks and hand-carved hair forks currently available at our Etsy shop.

Don't forget to check out SquidEtsy Team lenses here! The SquidEtsy team has some very talented members, we'll be featuring other members here and on Squidoo very soon.

Featured Etsy artists 2 - Barbara Neely Designs

Barbara Neely is a freelance graphic artist and designer who "makes a living doing just about every kind of print design you can image." Her work spans corporate branding and marketing design to personalized baby shower invitations and wedding albums, and her Etsy shop features everything from invitations, note cards and announcements to book plates and book marks, all in her distinctive style.

Barbara started out with her unique stationery and invitations, but photography is her new passion. We aren't surprised, she clearly has great talent for this medium. Her Etsy shop features stunning floral prints as well as landscapes and architectural shots. Here are some more of our favorites:


Check out Barbara Neely Designs (bndesigns) on Etsy and her blog, for more information and to purchase.

More new creations for Etsy

We have more new creations listed today. First up are these hair sticks, hand-carved with a flower design and stunning glass beads:


Here's a preview of more of our hand-carved hair sticks, which will be up on Etsy soon:

Hair Forks now on Etsy!

Yay! We're so excited to list the first in our collection of hair forks on Etsy. This beautiful three prong hair fork is hand-carved from poplar, a light golden-colored flexible hardwood. It has a butterfly hand-carved in relief on one side at the top. It's a total of 6.25 inches long, with prongs 4.75 inches long. We'll be adding more forks soon, in a variety of woods.

Hair forks are used in much the same way as hair sticks. Just weave the fork through a bun in the same way as a hair stick, as this picture of a fork holding a simple, cinnamon bun shows:

Art for Hair featured on other Etsians' blogs!

Art for Hair has recently been featured on two blogs by talented Etsy artists. Check out Just Cool - Adventures in Modern Design and Barbara Neely Designs' blog.

Don't forget to check out their wonderful Etsy shops too, Pop Art Cafe and Barbara Neely Designs.

Featured Etsy Artists 1 - Pop Art Cafe

We're proud to present the first artist in our series of featured Etsy artists: Pop Art Cafe, creation of talented artist Wendy Presseisen. Wendy has been featured in numerous magazines, and is now selling her amazingly colorful and detailed folk art prints of animals, people and landscapes on Etsy. Here are some of our favorite art works:



Pop Art Cafe encourages support of homeless animals. Right now, make a donation to an animal shelter near you and receive a discount on one of Wendy's wonderful cat art prints. Art from Pop Art Cafe is available in a range of standard and custom sizes, as well as ACEO art cards and greetings cards. Wendy is also happy to take commissions.

Wendy runs the design blog Just Cool, which features her stunning photography and design finds from around Etsy. Check out this Etsy artist's stunning work today!

First Etsy Sale!

Yay! On Thursday, we made our first Etsy sale. Our lovely buyer needed some earrings to go with another piece of jewelry she had recently bought, and these turquoise earrings were a perfect match.

We'll be listing more earrings in this style soon, including the semi-precious stones fancy jasper and tiger eye.

Custom Length Hair Sticks!

New on Etsy - custom length hair sticks! We decided to offer something a little different from the other hair sticks we have - with these, when you buy, we will custom-carve the hair stick to the length that you specify. Now you can have this hair stick in the perfect length for your hair! The stick is jet-black, glossy hardwood, topped with a genuine silver and black 'Desert Sun' bead, jet-black faceted glass beads and a genuine freshwater Keishi pearl in a beautiful dark peacock color. The dangles are made up of more Keishi pearls and faceted jet-black glass beads. We'll be adding more custom-length hair sticks on Etsy soon!

Wooden heart?

Our latest hairsticks on etsy! Wear your hearts in your hair with these fun, unique hair sticks! We love these wooden heart hair sticks, which are made with jet-black glass, silver and hollow wooden hearts with a gold and black abstract design that is almost like animal-print.

Our Opening Special on Etsy!

Etsy: Home of all things hand-crafted, a treasure-trove of handmade items made by individuals and small businesses building a new economy with the simple motto 'buy, sell and live handmade'. On Etsy, you can find almost everything you can think of, from soap to clothing and jewelry to cookware, lovingly handmade by individual artists and craftspeople.

We started our Etsy site just two weeks ago, with hair sticks and earrings. Since we are so new, we are having a Grand Opening Special - a FREE PAIR of coordinating earrings with any hair stick purchase before the end of June!

Just purchase a single, or pair of hair sticks on our Etsy store and we'll include a pair of coordinating earrings, FREE!

Our most-viewed item on Etsy so far is the silver-plated Butterfly Cascade Hair Stick above , a 4.75 inch stick with a delicate dangle made up of fuchsia and rose Swarovski crystals and a vintage-style butterfly. Swarovski crystals are known as the finest crystals in the world and are machine-cut for flawless consistency. They have an incredible color, shine, clarity and sparkle. See more details on Etsy here.

Our next post will be about hairstyles that you can create quickly and easily with our Art for Hair, so check back soon!

Hello and welcome!

Welcome to the Art for Hair blog! My husband and I create hand-crafted hair sticks, hair forks and matching jewelry. Hair sticks and hair forks are a great way to show off and style long hair, and add your own personality, style and artistic flair to your hair. They are also some of the least damaging hair accessories you can use. In our blog, we will discuss our latest creations, hair styles and hair care, as well as featuring other hand-crafters who create hair-related and other items, as well as random features on things like cooking and photography. We will also offer special deals and competitions, so check back soon! To view and buy our creations, check out our website, www.artforhair.com, and our Etsy site www.artforhair.etsy.com.