Engineer by day, artist after hours

Color, texture and playfulness are the earmarks of Melissa of Made by Melissa on Etsy. Melissa, who is an engineer by day, but an artist after hours, is October’s Featured EtsyBlogger. She is a multi-talented needleworker who can’t resist playing with her crochet hook to create such creatures as Gary the Green Garden Snake, Penny the Pink Elephant, and Larry the Monster Chasing Ladybug.

Melissa also produces beaded jewelry that demonstrates how much she enjoys the holidays. Check out her Frosty the Snowman Glass Beaded Bracelet, for example, or her Giggly Ghouls Ghostly Charm Earrings.

While Melissa likes to share her sense of humor with us, she also has a practical side, as evidenced by her crocheted blankets, bath and kitchen items. It’s not hard to see, however, that she can’t resist splashing her work with color, texture or both. A Star is Born Baby Blanket is bright and cheery, as is her Set of Three Yellow and White Extra Large Make-up Removers.

Before you leave her shop, make sure you visit Melissa’s Vintage/Retro/Destash section, where you’ll find such treasures as a Vintage Golden Pair of Leaves Brooch or a Bakers Dozen of Vintage Baseball Cards that you can use for your scrapbooking, altered art and collages.