studioahimsa

Where are you from and tell us a little about yourself?
I am originally from Vancouver, where I now live, but lived in Houston, Texas for most of my childhood. My teen years were spent in Calgary, Canada. I am an art historian, and have a background in interior design. I live with my best friend of more than 12 years, and we collectively run our studioahimsa shop.

Why did you start your Etsy shop?
I have been creating art in some form for over 20 years, but finally decided to sell things (online) in early July. Turning 30 this past June made me realize that I should stop waiting to do the things I want to in life. If not now, then when?


How did you come up with your Etsy shop name?
We strive to live respectfully in everything we do. Ahimsa is a Sanskrit word literally meaning the avoidance of violence.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
I started a series on Canadian Provincial flowers with the Alberta wild rose card set: http://www.etsy.com/listing/51583276/card-set-alberta-wild-rose-linocut I also love Greg’s Coffee Coffee Coffee Limited Edition print http://www.etsy.com/listing/51050372/art-print-coffee-coffee-coffee-on-cloth

Apart from creating beautiful pieces, what else do you do?
We both love to travel, read, play video games, hike and camp, and watch movies.
We have travelled to many places in the world together, and plan on doing a lot more of this in the future. A business with a flexible schedule would be ideal for us because of this!

Any advice on selling things handmade?
“Know what you’re worth, and respect yourself as an artist!” I believe that handmade artists need to value their creations and the time they put into their business. This should be reflected in the way they promote their business, the prices they set and how they present themselves as a seller of handmade items.

Why should people buy homemade?
It is important for people to realize the true value of products. On the surface, a mass-produced item may appear to be ‘cheap’. There is a lot more that goes in to the production of these readily available retail items. When considering the environmental, social and other impacts of buying mass-produced goods solely, it seems like a logical choice to buy handmade or locally produced products whenever possible.

Any works in progress?
I’m working on a series of Canadian provincial flower greeting cards, which will also be used for a flip calendar in the fall. Greg is working on a new print for every month. These prints are limited edition. We are both working on new stationery items apart from greeting cards and letter sets, as well. These new items will be coming out throughout fall.


Any other sites you can be found on?
Blog – www.beingtazim.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/studioahimsa
Twitter – www.twitter.com/studioahimsa

**Please take a moment to visit studioahimsa.  If you comeback here and leave a comment with your favorite item you can have a total of five extra entries to leave on any or a combination of my current giveaways.  You MUST leave the comments for the extra entries on the giveaways you would like to be entered into.  This offer ends on  8/23 at midnight.