Discover This: IlzesCreations

The Discover This Series is on a roll!  Today I bring you a wonderful artist named Ilze all the way from Latvia.  Talk about talent!  She crochets, she knits, she felts, and she creates some of the most stunning pieces on Etsy.  I am always inspired by the talent of others, and Ilze certainly brings inspiration.  Enjoy this Q&A with her, and be sure to visit her links posted at the end.


Name: Ilze
Location: Latvia
Description of work: Freelancer

How long have you been creating your items?  I've been creating handmade items as long as I can recall. At first it was sewing. I made simple clothing for my dolls. At age 10 I learned to knit and crochet. Since approximately age 14 I had learned mostly all the basics and was able to earn some pocket money with selling my handmades. 

Felt Case in Black with White Daisy
for iPhone

How did you get started?  Art and crafting is in my family tree. My great grandmother was a teacher in craft school. Both my grandmothers had good skills in sewing and crafts. Also my mother is an artist and creates handmade items. Spirit of handmade has been there already before I even was born.

What inspires your designs?  I'm getting inspiration from color combinations, nature, flowers, internet, movies, magazines, my own mood and from many other things. For example, I was inspired from my own photo of a bee in my garden and I made felt bee hair clips.

Do you sell your items?  I'm an individual merchant. I have a small shop where I sell my crafts and different amber jewelery and souvenirs. Also I accept custom orders. Recently I joined Etsy where I offer felt and crochet accessories - felt flower brooches and pins, felt hair clips, felt purses and cases, crochet hats and knitted items. 

Red Flower Felt Brooch

Are you a formally trained or a self-taught artist?  Mostly I'm self-taught. At first I learned from books and my mother gave me advice. I have also taken several courses. I find information on the internet, in magazines, from other artisans, then I try to turn my ideas in reality. I don't stop self training until I get good results and myself and others are satisfied. 

Why would someone benefit from purchasing your designs?  Accessories have the capability of changing any clothing look to more brighter and stylish. For example, felt flower brooch can change boring, casual black shirt or dress in seconds. Even if they are served as a gift, but gift receiver doesn't wear brooches in the regular way, brooch can be pinned to a bag or a hat! There are many options how to use brooches, so all can find best way of using them. I also offer felt iPhone cases, they are a great and useful gift if you are not sure about gift receivers taste in style. Here in Latvia we have quite cold winters, therefore it is important to keep body warm and crochet hats, shawls, knitted socks can help in that alot! 

Anything else you’d like to share?  I have many ideas, therefore check my shop often for new crafts and designs. 

My Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/ilzescreations
My blog: ilzescreations.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ilzescreations

3-6m Baby Pink Beanie with Cherries

Where It's All At: Mom Fuse

So one day I'm tweeting away on www.twitter.com and happen upon a tweet from the owner/creator of www.momfuse.com looking for someone to review their site. Having only quickly scanned the site in the past, I decided it looked interesting enough to take on the task of writing a review. After "researching" the site for a few weeks, a/k/a perusing all its helpful, informative features, I must say that this is one of the best sites for Moms that I have seen on the web. Their tagline is "for moms. by moms." and they couldn't have described their site any better. Moms everywhere will find useful information on everything from recipes to crafting to beauty tips. I will opine briefly on some of my favorite categories the site has to offer, but this list is in no way meant to be exhaustive as this site offers ALOT! And I do mean ALOT!

1. "Fab Finds." The title says it all! The site's 'mommy' reviewers search out some of the best deals out there on the hottest fashions, nursery decor and gifts, and electronics, just to name a few. I think it's safe to say that if it's fab, they'll find it!

2. "Recalls." This feature lists recently recalled items due to safety concerns. Contact information for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and, in some instances details on a specific store, are also listed. Check out this page before purchasing that toy your little one's been asking for.

3. "Featured Recipes." As a mom, I'm always on the lookout for new recipes that hold my kids' interest at mealtime. Here you will find everything from quick-fix suppers to decadent desserts to holiday-specific treats. At the time of this post, Easy Mochaccino Cupcakes adorn the home page and were looking so yummy I was almost tempted to lick my monitor. Almost. :)

4. "Reviews." I don't know how they did it, but Mom Fuse found some of the best mommy reviewers around. These incredible ladies review a vast array of products such as books, clothing, toys, and video games. I found the reviews to be helpful and informative....these mommies definitely know what they're talking about!

5. "Just For Kids." This is a really fun feature for the little ones. There's crafts and recipes that will turn any youngster into a budding artist or chef. I even found a great article on this page on organic food choices for baby and toddler from Plum Organics.

6. "Pregnancy." OK, I have no intention of getting pregnant again ever, but if I did, this is one page I'd put at the top of my bookmarked list. Geared toward pampering the mom-to-be, this feature's only writer (as far as I can tell), Nicole Ibarrando, offers up some innovative finds. My favorite: Utterly Yours Pregnancy Pillow. If only I had known about this pillow when I was pregnant!

7. "Beauty." I'm sure any Mom would agree, it's a little hard to feel even remotely beautiful when there's a glob of baby spit-up in your hair or a toddler's chocolate handprint on your cheek. The writers at Mom Fuse found some lovely little products to help keep you looking and feeling beautiful while enduring the messes that go along with having little ones.

I have only touched on the many wonderful features this site has to offer Moms. There's also contests and tips on money and parenting. There's even a spot for mompreneuers to promote their business, and Mom Fuse has advertising opportunities which are an inexpensive way to get your business seen by a vast audience (the site receives 600-1000 visitors per day and averages 6000+ unique visitors per month).

You really need to see for yourself why this is the only site you'll ever need when looking for mom-related resources. I could sing the praises of Mom Fuse all day long for a week straight. Seriously, the site is that good.