Artist Feature~Yellow Bird Yellow Beard

Happy Monday!

So we survived Artlantis without completely melting...but just barely.  It was a great festival and fun...but HOT!!! 

I am glad to say that we sent off some pieces to live in good homes...but the one I am most happy about is Lead Belly!  He went home to live with someone totally amazing.  
We're pretty sure Evereman, the Atlanta street artist purchased him from us and being that we LOVE street art, I couldn't be more proud to have Lead Belly in his possession.  Not only that, but when breaking down we found a little piece of Evereman art stuck to a portion of our table.

If you haven't heard of Evereman, you can find out more about him here and here and here!  

We'll be back later this week with photos from the festival...but for now on to our Monday artist feature...

I am so excited to share a new artist/blogger with you all today.  Janee of Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard has given us a great interview.  Check it out!

Janee! 

I LOVE your work and your blog! 

Please tell us a little about yourself and all the cool things you do. 
(We especially want to know about that bearded man on your blog!)
 

 What and who inspires you?

Well, cheesy as it may sound, my husband is a huge source of inspiration to me. We got our BFA's in Art together and I respect his opinion more than anyone else. He always encourages me in what I'm doing and gives me honest critiques that help me be the best I can be.  I am also inspired by many, many other things as well.  I've taken in so much inspiration recently from other bloggers.  Scrolling through endless images on the interwebs (:::wink wink:::) I find all kinds of things that start chain reactions of ideas for me.  Some of my favorite blogs/bloggers are Lushlee, AE : Inspirations, sfgirlbybay, MAKE, Aesthetic Outburst, Wild Olive, Lola Nova, Color Collective... Just to name a few. 

How did you decide to start an etsy shop and what have been your biggest challenges in doing so?

What came first the etsy or the blog?

This may be a long answer... We will need to start last July when The Beard and I got married. When we got married we were both unemployed with jobs lined up that didn't start until September. So we had a whole month of job free wedded bliss. It was absolutely fantastic. The best times of my life without a doubt. During that month of unemployment I started randomly searching through blogs and collecting images I liked, images that inspired me in one way or another (something The Beard has done for years!). As I meandered through the vast caverns of the internet I started getting to know certain bloggers, and becoming more involved in the blog world.  I made friends, and discovered there is a whole community of people I'd love to be a part of.  So I started churning the idea of starting a blog all my own.  

 
At the same time, I am someone who has to constantly be making something!  
Anything!  I've been that way since I was a kid.  However, since we had basically no money I had to come up with projects that I already had the supplies for or could get for a cheap cheap.  I started making things I'd never considered making, like crocheted stuffed animals, which I still love by the way.  Then, I wanted to crochet with embroidery thread, and after I'd started doing that I stumbled upon granny squares on The Purl Bee (here begins the link between my craft and blogging spheres), so I crocheted granny squares out of embroidery thread (they can be found in my shop).  I liked them and thought other people might too, now the plans for opening a new Etsy shop and a blog simultaneously were churning.  
 

Fast forward a ways, I research, plan, design and scheme. I recruit The Beard to build a blog for me (he is an html ninja!) and then I start my blog and open my new Etsy shop almost at the same time.  They've been growing and transforming ever since.  My biggest challenges so far have been my own doubts and fears.  Probably sounds cheesy again, but I mean it.  Often, I wonder if people are really going to want to buy the stuff I make, or read what I have to write.  In fact, my biggest seller, my paper garlands, only went in my shop because some of my friends basically pressured me into it. I  had made some for a party The Beard and I were throwing and my friends LOVED them!  It was such a surprise for me.  I struggle with convincing myself I can actually do this daily.
 

You have so many different types of items in your shop...Please tell us your favorite items to work on?

My favorite?  Wow, that's a toughie.  I do love my paper garlands.  I like the versatility they offer and the fact that I can easily make custom garlands for anyone who wants one. I like my toy alphabet letters quite a bit also.  They are so fun to make and I get so excited about all the different patterned fabrics I get to use.  There is such a wide variety of items in my shop because I'm always trying new things and pushing myself to think outside my own box.

What is your favorite part about blogging and where do you hope to see your blog go in the future?

What are your future plans for the YBYB empire? 
 
 My favorite part about blogging is the beauty I find in the world through it.  In meeting other people, in seeing other people's creativity, in the images I find... and even in the way I've learned a few new things about myself.  On a less whimsical note, I really like it when I post something that seems to be of real interested to everyone else.  It makes me feel like I'm doing things right.  In the future I hope to see my blog continue to grow.  I'd love to really hone/perfect my content.  I have ideas for many new things, more tutorials, printable downloads designed by The Beard and I, guest features, silly stories like that of Captain Roamen, and so much more.  I've just got to figure out how to make it all happen. There are only so many hours in the day you know!  I have so many plans for my Etsy shop as well.  Both the blog and the Etsy shop could be full time jobs in and of themselves. But I'm determined to do both!  Ultimately I'd like for my blog and my etsy shop to be my full time job.  Well, they are my full time job right now, but I'd like to see a bit more income from them :)

What is your favorite band?

    You ask really hard questions! Hahahaha. I have so many.  Right now my very, very favorite is Radical Face.  I also have been totally hooked on the Hanna Soundtrack.  Some of my other favorites include Mumford and Sons, mewithoutYou, Regina Spektor, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, The Psalters, Linkin Park, AFI, The Beach Boys, Coldplay, U2, Devotchka, Explosions in the Sky, Flobots, Radio Head.... Shall I keep going?  No, I'll stop there.  There is just so much good music out there! OH! But one last band, I must make a shameless plug for our friend's band The Devious Means.  They are really very talented.  You can find there cd on iTunes.

Shameless. 

And lastly...does heaven on earth REALLY exist in a combined fast food drive thru?

Oh yes my friends, it really does exist.  I'm totally kidding.  I'm not really obsessed with fast food.  In fact, The Beard and I rarely eat fast food.  We were out on an adventure and just happened to stumble across our two favorites (In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A) in the same parking lot which we thought must be a cruel joke.  They are delicious, but the most certainly are not nutritious!

Since you asked so sweetly I'll give you a little snippet about The Beard :)  He and I grew up together, known each other since we were born, literally.  Our parents went to the same elementary school, and our grandparents worked together.  He has been in love with me since Junior High (when he started growing his beard - 8th grade!!!!!!!).  I didn't pick up on it till summer between our Junior and Senior years of high school.  We started dating then.  Dated through college and a year beyond that, and finally after 6 years of dating we got married.  It's been truly magical.  He is my best friend and my whole world (well, he and God).  I love every minute we spend together.  But if you want to know something really secret and silly about him, sshhhh... come closer.... he's a true nerd, he's played D&D since high school.  He actually got me into playing also.  Not LARPing though, never that. If you don't know what that is, good.  If you do, you understand what I mean.  Don't tell him I told you!

Thank you Janee!  
Keep your eyes peeled FFA readers because Janee has offered to do a giveaway with us which we will announce on the 14th!  
Today is the last day to enter the Folklure giveaway...so please head over if you haven't already and enter!  We will announce the winner tomorrow along with our next giveaway from Ginny of Daisynconcrete!


Whew!