Greeting Card Maker Of The Month: Royal Regards

I'm Sara, of Royal Regards Handmade Greeting Cards and I am a member of the Michigan Trolls on Etsy. I was born and raised in Michigan and have lived here my entire life. I grew up on the East side of the state, attended college in the middle of the state and moved to Southwest Michigan with my husband after we got married a little over 8 years ago. I work full time in the commercial real estate industry (not a realtor though) and spend my weekends and evenings (often into the wee hours of the night) making cards and working on my etsy shop. I enjoy scrap-booking, reading, shopping, movies, photography and interior decorating.

My motto when making cards is that "less is more." I like a clean, simple yet cute and elegant look. I especially love the look of embossed cards so I have a pretty large selection of those in my shop.

Spotlight On MelJoy Creations

MelJoyCreations on Etysy

Hello, my name is Melissa, I’m “Mel” of MelJoy Creations and a member of the Michigan Trolls on Etsy. I’ve lived in various areas of Michigan over the years, mostly in the “thumb” of the mitten, which is where my husband and I reside now.

I love all things creative, and art has always been a big factor in my life. In my younger years I was a dancer until illness changed my body forever. Move ahead a few years (okay, maybe more than a few) and I'm still creating, just not in a choreographic form. Crafts are my new outlet. Jewelry, quilts, scrapbooking, card making, wirewrapping...you name it and I enjoy it!

The other half of MelJoy is my mother, Joy, who also lives in Michigan 9 months of the year (I don’t have to tell you which 3 months she prefers to be away from Michigan..ha ha). Over the past two years our jewelry making passions have led us into teaching classes. Then last fall I was introduced to Etsy. The land of handmade…where have you been all my life!? Ha! Within a month, I had our shop up and running.

I would describe our shop as traditional jewelry with a modern makeover. Some styles are classic patterns that my mother learned many years ago. But we’ve taken these patterns and styles of weaving to a new level with designs in modern colors, using more modern styles and variations of beads, crystals and findings. We are very particular of the beads and crystals we use and we’re known for spending hours and hours just deciding on color combinations and weave patterns. This year we plan to begin selling our jewelry at craft shows throughout Michigan. And we’re really hoping to meet up with some of the other members of the Michigan Trolls Etsy Team, too!

February 20, 2011

Spotlight On Michigan Artists

Howdy, I am Willew or Lisa, if you find me in real life. I am currently residing smack dab in the palm pit of Michigan, but dreaming of relocating to a more rural area to live the farm life. About six years ago, I transitioned from the corporate world to life as a stay-at-home-mom and embarked on a journey to a more natural, less-is-more lifestyle. I documented my journey on my blog and discovered the wonderful world of the blogosphere and all that inhabit it. Through this, I found Etsy and immediately knew I wanted to open a shop. It took a few years, but Willew Creations opened this year and I have been thrilled with the experience.

I describe Willew Creations as a treasury of handmade items to green up your self and your home. Our signature item is the hand knitted, cotton, washcloth sets. One of the first things I did to green up my home was to toss all paper products and these washcloths made it possible. I’m still amazed at how much money that one act can save. Soon, I will be expanding our product line and offering: market bags, plastic bag holders, sweeper covers and more. I envision Willew Creations growing into your one stop shop for items to help you save money and be earth friendly.



Contact Info:
Etsy Store: www.etsy.com/shop/WillewCreations

Facebook fan Page: www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Willew-Creations/143248295725451

Blog: bemyleaves.blogspot.com/