Featured: Rachel Ballard, of Moonflowers photography

Today's ambush is the kind I LOVE. The kind where I find (somehow) an undiscovered-to-me artist and Etsy shop that I end up really adoring! The lucky victim is Rachel Ballard of Chicago, whose beautiful Etsy photography shop Moonflowers was an instant fave.

Rachel is a self-professed camera addict, and she uses both digital and film to create the dreamy moods of everything from fabric and antique thread spools to surreal beach scenes. But my absolute faves are her Carnival series! You would not believe the color that a Polaroid film can show- even as a scanned print. And I love that the photos have the quality you would remember a picture of the carnival to have- summery, slightly faded skies but vibrant flags and stands. I can almost taste the doughboys! Here are some of my faves!

Visit Rachel's blog to learn more about her and her beautiful, unique way of seeing the world.

Ambush Victims - Cassia Beck & Mandy Bryant

I love this idea that my Etsy team, (Female Photographers of Etsy) came up with. It's called an Ambush, and every few weeks a "victim" is chosen and everyone goes shopping in their Etsy shops, blogs about them, and generally makes them feel good for a day or so. Not only is it nice to do, it's fun to have an excuse to shop...:)
I'm running a bit behind, so I must mention our last ambush was Cassia Beck, owner of two lovely shops: Cassia Beck  and Lola's Room! I purchased a vintage, summery, sunshiney postcard set from Cassia which had prints worthy of framing. Swoon! See below!

I can feel the sun already. And today's victim is Mandy Bryant, recently featured in F-stop magazine, whose slightly surreal, dreamy, vintage-processed pieces are pure heave. Her shop is called The Light Fantastic, and that's a great description, as all her pieces have an ethereal, warm light to them. I love the dreamlike images of girls and balloons and the idea of escape and hiding that she conjures, such as in the piece below "Don't See Me."

The best thing about these two talented ladies is that their work is not only totally original and beautiful, it's affordable! Check out their shops and see what I mean.

I love being able to support the talented photographers of fPOE, it feels so good to give back to the artist community...and live in a dream for a day (or forever, if you're lucky enough to own a piece.) :)