12 Days Of Etsy: Boopsie Daisy

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Missy and I'm a happy-go-lucky misfit living in British Columbia Canada alongside my merry little family of 4.

2. How did you choose your shop name?

It's a play on the old phrase 'oopsy daisy' tied in with a tribute to the First Lady of Kitsch, Miss Betty Boop. As a youngster I got hooked on a VHS compilations of old black & white Betty Boop cartoons and a love of Betty's big eyed beauty and sweet persona have stayed with me ever since. 

My entire body of work is heavily influenced by cherubc dolls and charming toys from back when Betty first became a world sensation. I should also mention a nod to the stirring ee cummings poem 'a winter afternoon'. The last line of this poem in particular, "I thank heaven somebody's crazy enough to give me a daisy" encapsulates all that I aspire to put out into the ether with my wacky unsual images and whimsical dolls. 

3. What is your favourite item to make?

Print work is the most rewarding for me. When my daughter was born there was a particular type of decor I yearned to decorate her room with, but it just did not exist. I set about bringing the things I saw in my mind's eye to reality and it all took off from there. Being surrounded by a large arsenal of junk food and bright kooky play things all day tricks me into thinking I never grew up! :)

4. What is the best seller in your shop?

The dolls sell the quickest and I can't re-stock them fast enough. 'Oh Deer' and 'What the Frank' are the prints purchased most often. 

5. Your work sells all over the world, in which parts of the world is your work most popular?

I'm sure there is more boopsiedaisy stuff in the United Kingdom than anywhere else on the planet. For whatever reason, my work really seems to resonate with the wonderful people there. 

6. What inspires you?

Big eyed dolls, colorful food and candy, words, dreams, fairytales, holidays, different eras of the past. 

7. How long have you been crafting?

Crafting is big in my clan. In the 80's we had a Saturday morning tradition of making breakfast people out of whatever was in the fridge & cupboards. There was always an abundance of crafting materials at the ready, handmade Christmas ornaments would be added each year to the tree, etc. My sister & I made our own 20 page magazine 'The Cheeseball Update' when we were pre-teens that always kept our friends & family in stitches. The women in our family all just seem to exit the womb with a pencil
or paint brush in hand. Crafting is in our very blood.

8. What are your other hobbies?

Thrifting almost daily, reading, writing, drawing, baking, collecting, and I can never watch enough horror.

9. Do you collect anything? 

Dolls, cameras, books, magazine clippings, Pez, vintage squeak toys and salt & pepper shakers, vintage Halloween & Christmas decorations, Snow White or Frankenstein related items. Things too numerous to mention. My husband likes to say I "collect collections".

10. What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
Wearing pajamas all day while basking in the ambient light of the tree as carols play on the turn table and the kids try out their new toys.

11. Do you have a favourite Christmas song or carol?
I like the really fun ones like "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas' and 'Baby it's Cold Outside'. I feel like I instantly officially catch the Christmas spirit though when I hear 'O Holy Night' for the first time each December. 


12. What is the funniest Christmas present you have ever been given?

When I visited Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in New York a couple years ago my Mum snapped a shot of me with my eyes closed dreamily, puckering up to Boris Karloff's 'The Monster' for a long deep kiss and for Christmas that year she presented me with a hard bound journal with that picture as it's cover. It always makes me snort so I suppose that is the funniest holiday gift I ever got.



Many thanks to Missy from Boopsie Daisy for taking part in this feature. Click here to visit her Etsy shop.

12 Days Of Etsy: Photography Dream

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Yann, I'm 37, I am half French and half Czech by my mother. I was born in the centre of France, and I now live right next to Paris, 10 mins from the historical centre. I work as a professional photographer, in many different areas : corporate events, portraits, product packshots (wine, champagne, jewellery, fashion accessories... )

2. How did you choose your shop name?

I chose photographydream as a shop name, because I am hoping to make people travel in my own dreams and stories through photographs. 


3. What do you enjoy photographing the most?

I love all the photographs I publish (else I would not publish them ;) ) because each one of them is a moment of my life, a memory, an emotion, a dream...
My current favourites are pictures from my "Tiny trades" series : self-portraits of made-up tiny trades, in a simple and poetic world. I love this project, because it makes you think of all the little details in life, I am sure you will never look at a kiwi fruit the same way after you met the kiwi hairdresser, and when you see the moon has changed quarter again, you will know who did this ;)

www.etsy.com/listing/108831121/kitchen-art-food-photography-still-life
www.etsy.com/listing/62888439/photography-print-wall-decor-original
www.etsy.com/listing/90842937/i-love-you-photography-valentine-book
www.etsy.com/listing/71204756/paris-photography-france-eiffel-tower-in

4. What is the best seller in your shop?

Many different photos have been bestsellers : 
The border, the blizzard, Allo Big Ben, Eiffel tower in the mist, the rainbow umbrella, the birds .... 
Currently, it's The seed gatherer, one of the photos from the Tiny trades series, together with the strawberry seed-sticker and the leave cutter ! 

www.Etsy.com/listing/97778755


5. Your work sells all over the world, in which parts of the world is your work most popular?

60% of my photos leave for the United States, many are now living in Australia and Canada, and of course, many in France. It is really exciting to know your work is appreciated in so many different places !


6. What inspires you?

What I try to convey with my photography, is a reflection - sometimes a naive one - of the world I dream of: simple, happy, beautiful, colourful and peaceful. This is not really what the real world is like, but it's what I would like to share with my view.

7. How long have you been a photographer?

I have been a professional photographer for 9 years, but taking pictures since I was about 11. I used to take pictures of my friends, cats, landscapes... All the time, with an old camera I found in my parents'attic. Of course, now I can see all the faults in them, but I do feel a pinch of nostalgia looking at these memories. 
At age 29 I decided to become a professional photographer, and joined a photographer school in Paris. After two years of intensive study I received the 5th prize in my class with honours and then my career was launched. Since then, I have been working for many, many different companies, and making a lot of creative photography for myself too.


8. What are your other hobbies?

I really love going to flea markets, in Paris and elsewhere ( there are a lot of flea markets here in the spring and summer ). There, I can find really unusual items, which I can use in my tiny trades pictures. I love looking at and feeling old items, and it's even better when the seller can narrate the item's story..' 

9. Do you collect anything?

I don't have a specific collection, but if I happen upon an old caméra, or an old item related to photography for example old glass plaques from 1900, I can spend a lot of time looking at them... And often end up buying them !!


10. What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

My favourite tradition is the Christmas Eve supper, when the whole family is gathered ( with nice things to eat and drink, which is never a bad thing :o). Then opening the presents next to the chimney ! I guess I am still a child at heart :o)
It's one of the rare moments of the year when the family is together, and this is really nice. 

11. Do you have a favourite Christmas song or carol?

No, I don't have a favourite Christmas carol, I'm not too much into carols, I prefer by far the talks and laughters from everyone who is gathered around the fire at present-opening times :o)

12. What is the funniest Christmas present you have ever been given?

The funniest present... or rather presents : one year, I said I liked cooking, so at Christmas, I received 3 cookbooks, cooking tools, a cheesegrater, two apple-peelers... so now , before talking about what I like to do, in the pre-holiday season, I think a lot !


Many thanks to Yann for taking part in this feature. Click here to visit his Etsy shop.

Trip To The Museum

As part of my Mum's birthday, we decided to visit  an exhibit we were both interested in. It was the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee exhibit. The photographs of the Queen and her family were taken by the legendary Cecil Beaton. The exhibit was in association with the V&A and it was very interesting. The majority of photos were in black and white and there were also a number of pictures of Cecil himself taken by other photographers. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any photographs.
          We had not visited the museum for a while so we decided to have a good look around.

I really liked this head dress made from Polo Mints. Although not too sure if many people could carry it off.

I also really liked this Victorian dress. I would really like to wear something like this, black is one of my favourite colours.

These were some of the things my Mum really liked. She has a love of vintage and artistic flair.

Also on display was this iconic Wallace's shop window. This takes me back to my childhood, still miss those pies now.

We had a great day and Mum really enjoyed her birthday.