Sunday Spotlight: DreamRaes

Happy Sunday everyone! Also, happy first weekend of November (it's getting chilly here, even for Florida!), and happy Daylight Savings Time day (go fix your clocks, if you haven't done that yet!). It's also time for a new Sunday Spotlight! This week we're chatting with Raedin from DreamRaes.

Dreamcatcher Dangle Earrings With Chain by DreamRaes on Etsy

 Remember dreamcatchers? If you don't still have one, you probably did at some point in your life. I love them, as I think the sentiment of having something to give you good dreams is a lovely idea, and Ms. Raedin makes some rather stunning dreamcatchers by hand.

Tell us a little about yourself, your craft, and how you got started:

I'm the not so typical 30 year old who doesnt want to grow up I suppose. I always wanted to do something I was passionate about, but few things could hold my attention. I fell into dreamcatchers by chance.I wanted one for my room, and I was bored enough to try and make it myself!

What inspires you every day?

I'm inspired by the beautiful world we live in. There's beauty everywhere, in everything, you just have to be able to see it, or want to see it. I grew up in Quartz Valley, CA which is in Siskiyou County, at the very tip top of California. It is a small rural area surrounded by mountains. Mountains filled with lakes, rivers, flowers, wild animals and everything beautiful the world has to offer. I spent a lot of time hiking and exploring the mountains growing up. When you finally reach the top of the mountain, after hours and hours of hiking and 

sweating and thinking you were never gonna make it to the top.. you come over the last hill and step out onto the top of the world. It takes my breath away every time, thats what inspires me. The overwhelming beauty that surrounds us. I make dreamcatchers that are inspired by beautiful places, experiences and thoughts/quotes. They're like postcards, sent to you from somewhere you may have never been, and I do love postcards!!

 

Starlight Dreamcatcher by DreamRaes on Etsy

Have you had any crafting mishaps/disasters/funny stories?

I havent had to many mishaps thankfully.  I am naturally accident prone, so I am surprised I haven't had more. The worst thing that happened so far is fish hooking my lip with the little hook I use to pull thread through bead. I've just started using soldering irons, dremels and other power tools. I hope my luck continues!

 

Is there another artist that you admire?

I admire all artists. I admire people who create; who see things differently and who bring the images from their mind to life and bravely show the world. 

What do you think the biggest challenges are for handmade artists?

Finding somewhere to sell.There are lots of people who want to buy handmade items, but being found in the bazillion pages on Etsy is tough, and getting to the front pages of Etsy takes a lot of time. Other sites don't have the traffic Etsy does, so you may be on the front page of that site, but people aren't looking for what you're selling. Selling locally, while ideal, comes at the cost of 50% commission at most places. Its hard to find the right place to sell your creations!

Earth Goddess Dreamcatcher by DreamRaes on Etsy

What else do you enjoy in your spare time?

I spend every single spare second I have creating dreams. If I'm not making one, I'm planning one or searching for something to make one with. All my trips this summer were planned around the natural resources I could collect from the places we went.

What is YOUR favorite item that you’ve made?

My all time hands down favorite is Midnight Sun. It started with a metal coil a friend gave me to use for a hoop.. and from that, 76 feet of chain, and a handful of earrings, pins and other jewelry bits came the most amazing piece. It just recently sold on Etsy, I was ecstatic and sad at the same time. I had a hard time parting with it, so I used bits of the leftover chain to make a smaller one. I actually decided to wear it, and it was a hit. I started making chain dreamcatcher necklaces which led me to earrings and hair clips.

With the fall and winter holidays coming, share with us YOUR favorite holiday, and one of your favorite holiday traditions:

My favorite holiday is New Year's. I'm a huge fan of new beginnings and sparkly things! But I have to say, my favorite holiday tradition is cutting the Christmas tree. Every year on the day after thanksgiving, we go up in the mountains and hunt for that perfect tree. Its quite a process, and since my family lives in different places we have to find 3 perfect trees!

Give your words of wisdom to other artisans and crafters:

My advice is to be courageous! Take chances with your art, even if you don't think anyone will love it but you, chances are, there is someone who will love it more than you! It will probably be your best seller. And don't give up just because people don't see what you see, you're not crazy, you're creative.

 

You can find DreamRaes on Etsy, of course, where new, gorgeous dreamcatchers are always popping up - I've seen several over the course of this week while we were coordinating this interview! - but don't forget to stop by her Facebook page as well.

 

And, she has generously offered FREE SHIPPING to any of our readers who would like to pick up a dreamcatcher! (Can I recommend a custom one for the kids in your life for the holidays? Or my personal favorite, the Starlight Dreamcatcher featured above!) Just use coupon code DREAMS4BUNNIES at checkout!