Spring Bash Artist Spotlight: Linsey of Mesa Blue Jewelry

Meet another amazing artist, Linsey Pisciotta of Mesa Blue Jewelry. We’re very excited to share Lindsey’s latest unique jewelry that showcases her love of metal, geodes, and gems!

Linsey started Mesa Blue in 2009 while attending Texas State University. Growing up in El Paso, she often went thrift shopping with her Mom - on the hunt for unique, vintage jewelry. Lindsey would deconstruct and redesign their finds. She inherited her passion for stones and minerals from her Dad, The Rock Hunter.

Today she uses her love of natural materials and timeless designs to create each piece in her Dallas area studio. Linsey currently lives in Plano, TX with her husband, two kiddos, and three pups.

From delicate and minimal to textured and glamorous, Mesa Blue is always a fan favorite at the show.

Be sure to visit Mesa Blue at the Spring Bash to get that perfect gem for moms, grads, or your next night on the town!

Spring Bash Artist Spotlight: Heather Romine of January

Our next Spotlight Artist is Heather Romine of January - Jewelry for your Shine. We’re so happy to have Heather joining us at the Spring Bash this year!

What led you to start your business. How did you get started and how has the journey been so far?

I started making jewelry in college and loved it. I was well into my degree as a designer at Savannah College of Art and Design when I started jewelry making classes as electives. After graduation I worked as a designer and a small business owner for years. Later on, I began making jewelry for friends and family, which kept me inspired. Fast forward to 2017, January is my established jewelry business. You can find me at shows and festivals all across Texas and online.

Tell us more about the products you make.

I make necklaces, bracelets, and earrings by hand. The pieces are whimsical, hippie chic or a combination of the two. Many of the items have handmade links, rings closures, and ear wires. Most pieces are made from glass, metal, and semi-precious gemstones. I also use a combination of vintage beads, hand-painted and artisan-made pendants, and focal beads for a unique look.

What does your art-making process look like?

When I am planning a new series I sketch out what the first several pieces will look like, and plan the colors and style combinations. I search for beads in shops, online, and bead makers and artisan glass sites. I look for the right gauge wire to make links, closures, and metal beads from time to time then I find the accent beads and get to work.

What is your favorite product that you create?

I don't have a favorite product but I do love working with the little glass birds and flowers. It is hard not to smile when you are working with something so bright and sweet. I also love finding vintage hand-painted beads, making a piece of jewelry come to life with something so unique.

Do you have a dedicated workspace?

My dedicated workspace is in my laundry room. It was quite a large room with cabinets and shelves running down the entire wall. It sounds funny but with all the storage it made for a pretty good spot.

What is your favorite part of running your business?

My favorite part of running my business is doing shows, getting out there and meeting people. The crowd, the physical work the general craziness, it is an interesting break from working at home.

What inspires you and how do you stay inspired?

I am inspired by art and nature, I love going to art museums and seeing what Egyptian queens wore or seeing the way colors and shapes work together in paintings. I love the illustrations in old books and children's stories and am equally excited when I see colorful birds and flowers in the park or shells on a beach.

Why do you think people are drawn to your style?

People are drawn to my style because of the colors and the uniqueness of design. I think most people would prefer to wear jewelry knowing each piece is an individual work of art not a mass produced item.

When you aren't running your business or creating, what do you spend your time doing?

When I'm not making jewelry (or all the photos, writing, social media, doing shows, and misc. other stuff associated with jewelry), I am hosting a morning workout class, doing bookkeeping and HR for our family business, sewing clothing for myself or drawing and painting.

Since Mother’s Day is coming up, which of your pieces do you think make for a meaningful gift?

I think most all of my pieces would make nice Mother's Day gifts. Each Mom has unique likes and dislikes, each piece is designed as part of a series created in various styles; everything from hippie-chic to whimsical.

Thank You for Supporting the 2018 Spring Bash

We want to give a huge thank you to everyone for supporting the 10th annual Etsy Dallas Spring Bash. Thank you to the 80 artists who brought such incredible work to share with our more than 2,200 shoppers who came out to Gilley's Dallas on May 5. 

Thank you to Animal Rescue of Texas and to the adorable and very good boy, Nigel. 

Thank you to 7-Eleven for the yummy coffee, snacks and great coupons before doors opened. 

Thank you to Tacos, Bites & Beats, Dough Boy Donuts, The Hot Potato, and The Guava Tree food trucks. So much delicious food, y'all! We are still talking about it. 

And thank you to Julie and Beech-Nut for generously keeping our youngest Bash attendees full and keeping them (and their grownups) happy. 

Thank you to Craft Guild of Dallas for the fun make-and-take crafts. 

And a huge thanks to our photographer Cigi, of Mirrorless Mind Studio, for documenting it all. You can browse all the photos on flickr.

Of course, we couldn’t do it without our Bash volunteers. Thank you to Jan Allison, Rachel Timmons, Caitlin Miller, Amber Jones, Jenn Wells, Carisha Davis, Jenny Chang, Amberly Sisneros, Astrid Mendez, Ellie Pope, Sidney Kintzing and Marta Kihn. 

If you missed the Spring Bash, we hope to see you at the Jingle Bash in the fall. Stay tuned. We will announce the date soon. You can keep up with us and all our upcoming events on our social media and by signing up for our newsletter. 

And again, if we haven't said it enough already, from all of us at Etsy Dallas: Thank you!

{Sneak peek} Y'all Won't Believe What is in These Bash Bags

It's almost Bash Day, y'all. And we know many of you are hoping to get there in time to get your hands on one of our coveted Bash Bags. The first 50 people in line for our 10th annual Spring Bash will get one of these beautiful bags full of handmade goodness. 

We want to thank all the artists who contributed to the 2018 Bash Bags. Check them out. There is some incredible handmade goodness here ...

Ahaha Home

Art of Shannon M. Valentine

Atavist Studio

Byndr Leather Goods

Covert Metals

Eternal Summers Press LLC

Expressions Bracelets

Finn + Remy

Gaston Made

Hearts & Sharts

HiRuna Island Soaps

Inviting: Letterpress Boutique

It's My Party Kids

Jewelree

Lemon Glaze

Love Studio Ceramics

Lucky Franklin

Martolana

Midwest Handcrafted Goods

Mythology Candles

Onderkast Studio

Ox & Pine

Pressed Flowers Crafts

Rat des Champs

Selah Vie Studios

SOS BLISS Natural and Vegan Bath Products

Tesoro Jewelry

The Letter Lounge

The Pig and the Peacock

The Pour Painter

The Velvet Rockbed

Tokodots

Valerie Morgan Designs

Vintage Static

Wandering Paper Co.

Wanderlust Wares

We also have a limited supply of Bash totes and shirts for sale during the show for $10 and $15 respectively. Just stop by the info table to purchase yours. We'll see y'all at the Bash! 

13 tips for shopping the etsy dallas spring bash like a pro

The highly anticipated 10th annual Etsy Dallas Spring Bash is almost here! Admission is free. We will have a free photo booth and fun geofilters. We put together a few tips for making the most of your Spring Bash experience ...

1. Bring your favorite shopping buddies and be sure your phone or camera is charged. There are fun photo booths in the works and you’re going to want those selfies. Don’t forget to tag @etsydallas so we can see too!

2. Make your list before May 5 so you won’t forget anyone on your Spring Bash shopping list. Don’t forget Mother’s Day, graduation, Father’s Day and summer travel are right around the corner. You can even browse the Bash Artists ahead of time.

3. Grab a map when you come in so you can head straight to your favorite booths. We will have some Etsy Dallas Spring Bash swag (hooray for pencils and buttons) at our information booth while supplies last. And be sure to visit the free make-and-take craft table provided by the Craft Guild of Dallas.

4. Bring a tote bag for your purchases if you want to keep your hands free for browsing all the beautiful handmade pieces our artists will have at the Spring Bash. We will have some totes for sale but supplies are limited.

5. Yes, the first 50 shoppers in line get our coveted Bash Bags. But, y’all. We got so many amazing contributions for the Bash Bags this year that those 50 lucky shoppers who are first in line will probably need another tote bag too.

6. That line tho! Don’t stress if you get there at opening and see people lined up outside the door. Diehard shoppers are there to get their hands on our Bash Bags. Once doors open at 10:30, everyone gets ushered right in without a wait.

7. Our all-volunteer leadership team works on planning for our Bashes all year long! We are passionate about putting on an event you will love but we can’t control the weather or traffic. If you’re planning to wait in the line before the show, be prepared.

8. Expect traffic. Plan your route ahead of time. It’s downtown Dallas, y’all. Check the news for construction or any big events that may affect your route. Consider carpooling with friends or taking DART if driving downtown stresses you out.

9. Thankfully on-site parking at Gilley’s is only $5, which is great for downtown. We will have food trucks at the Bash as well. 

10. Expect a crowd. We love how the community comes out to show support for our artists! If you want to browse with a little more elbow room, arrive after lunch. Don’t worry. Our artists are stocked for the whole day.

11. You may want to leave the stroller in the car or at home. If possible, wearing your little one may make shopping the Bash easier for you. Hooray for free hands and extra baby cuddles!

12. Pets shopping with their humans are welcome at the Bash but remember those crowds may not expect little paws on the floor so if your furiend will be stressed out by music and lots of people, you may not want to bring them along.

13. Find the Etsy Dallas table when you get there and fill out a survey to be entered in our hourly drawing for Bash Bucks (that’s money that only works at this Bash, y’all). We want to give you extra $$ to spend at the Bash, so don’t miss it! 

Shop+Interview with Spring Bash artist Jillian of Vintage Static

Jillian and Matt are the makers behind Vintage Static. Her modern, handcrafted soaps, scrubs and bath products are made locally in Frisco.

Vintage Static is bringing new bar soap scents and all of their beard oils to the Spring Bash. “This is our first show,” Jillian said. “We are so grateful and excited to be included.” If you’re shopping for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, she recommends her whipped soaps/scrubs and bath bomb hexes, and the solid shave soaps and beard oil.  

The shop’s name came to her in a dream. “It derives from the nostalgic feel of listening to records, which we do all the time, and the static at the end of the LP side,” Jillian said. She describes their shop as modern and muted, using natural colorants and clean lines with a restrained color palette. 

Jillian describes herself as high-energy and finds inspiration by scanning her Instagram feeds. After sharing some of her favorite grammers, she said, “And of course the Texas ladies crushing it! There are so many. I am constantly impressed by the talent here in Dallas.” We couldn’t agree more! “To see all the talent out there really drives me,” she said. The challenge is to not create every scent or color that comes to mind and to remain selective and focused, she said.

Stop by the Vintage Static booth and say hello to Jillian at the 2018 Etsy Dallas Spring Bash where you can shop the best handmade artists from near and far. We will be at Gilley’s 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 5, 2018. We’ll see y’all at the Bash!

Shop+Interview with Spring Bash artist Stephanie of Ox and Pine

Stephanie is the bookbinder and artist behind Ox & Pine. Her personalized leather journals, handmade notebooks and other leather goods are made here in the Dallas area.

She will be offering personalization stamping on the spot at the Spring Bash. “We’ll have some fun designs stamped onto leather luggage tags for a special price only available at the Bash,” Stephanie said. “It’s so fun to see customers face-to-face, and to be able to physically show them our leather goods.”

Stephanie said she is excited to meet people in person at the Bash. “I don’t do other any other in-person events, so this is a special occasion for me to meet and talk with customers in person.”

If you’re looking for a meaningful, lasting gift for a loved one for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation or some other special occasion, something from Ox & Pine may be the perfect fit. “I love creating leather goods and working with my hands,” Stephanie said. “I’m always on the lookout to create something special that will be useful and beautiful.”

Stop by the Ox & Pine booth and say hello to Stephanie at the 2018 Etsy Dallas Spring Bash where you can shop the best handmade artists from near and far. We will be at Gilley’s 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 5, 2018. We’ll see y’all at the Bash!

Sponsor spotlight: The Pig and the Peacock

If you’re counting down until the Spring Bash, join the club! Sabrina and Jenny of The Pig and the Peacock said they can’t wait to get the party started on May 7. We are excited to check out their new scents.

The Pig and the Peacock’s handmade, skin-loving bath and body products are locally sourced and vegan. If you haven’t discovered them yet, be sure to visit their booth at the Bash. 

Sabrina and Jenny joined us for a quick Q&A and a few hints on what to expect from The Pig and the Peacock on May 7 …

What are you most looking forward to for the 2017 Spring Bash?

We are looking forward to seeing familiar faces from previous shows, and getting to know new shoppers as they discover the bash.

Is your shop offering anything new/special/different at the Bash?

We have a few new scents in our most popular products like soaps, lotion bars, and candles. You’ll have to check out the booth to see if you can spot ’em!

What is your favorite part of prepping for the Spring Bash?

It’s really promoting the event, like making gift guides for our blog and IG posts. It gives us an opportunity to see all the amazing things that will be at the show and start our shopping lists!

What makes this event special for you?

The energy. From the shoppers to the vendors everyone is so upbeat that it really makes it a fun event to be a part of.

Sponsor spotlight: Tokodots

We love Tokodots stationery and we are so happy Molly is going to have a booth at the Spring Bash. Her beautiful quilt-inspired cards and prints are so colorful and fun. Be sure to check out Molly's booth at the Bash. 

We got with Molly for a quick Q&A and the inside scoop on what to expect from Tokodots at the Bash on May 7 ...

What are you most looking forward to for the 2017 Spring Bash?

All of the good shopping! I was too busy at the Jingle Bash (my first big show) to shop. This year I am making a plan so I can still get my shopping done.

Is your shop offering anything new/special/different at the Bash?

Yes! I am excited to offer a new care package gift certificate for high school graduation gifts that I have been thinking about for a long time. I also have a new origami print and card to debut that isn't in my shop yet.

What is your favorite part of prepping for the Spring Bash?

All the bright colors. I have a bunch of cheerful new designs for spring and summer that I am having fun putting together for the Bash.

What makes this event special for you?

I don't do many in-person events so the Spring Bash is a really big deal for me! I'm looking forward to meeting customers in person and getting feedback on my designs.

Spring Bash Make & Take with MakersConnect

Dallas locals, I have a really cool group to share with you today. MakersConnect is an artist collective with a mission to help out fellow artists. They host classes teaching different arts and techniques, and events to sell creations. 

They are all about creative reuse, community involvement, and embracing micro-economics, just like us. We are lucky enough to have them man the Make & Take table at the Spring Bash, so swing by to craft and chat with these awesome people. 

Christine has some really fun projects planned for all ages and levels of crafters. Popsicle stick bracelets for the kids, coffee filter flowers for headbands or bouquets, and layered tissue paper sunset cards. Etsy Dallas hearts MakersConnect!