Etsy Around the World: halfanacre

This week's featured Etsy seller is from England, and not only was she willing to share her crafts she also gave a peek into her studio and her favorite place to vacation. She also shared her memories of visiting North Carolina!

Who are you?

I am Anna Hull. My three children are now in school and its time for me to re-discover myself and get back to what I really want to do!

Where are you located?

I live in West Sussex, England, in a little village called Ifold. It is very small with one shop!

What do you create?

I design and paint wooden decorations in funky fun colours to cheer up your home.

Why did you choose your company name?
We are named after a quote heard on the radio. It was from a 1950s gardening programme: 'No matter how small one's garden one should always set aside at least half an acre for wildflowers'. Names are really hard, we used to be called Bluestar-red but it wasn't working for us so we are now Half an Acre.

What inspires you?
Colour - always, and the desire to surround myself with interesting things. My house is a very colourful place to live!

Where do you create?

I've take over one room of our house. I love it! I have shelves of paint pots piled up, unpainted stuff, my collections of things, such us unusual beads and marmite jars, the phone, the computer, an irritating rug that keeps moving around, some applecores and half drunk cups of coffee. I hang my stock on the walls - its the best way to keep it safe - and its looks fabulous too!

What is your favorite place to sell your items?
I really enjoy being online - I've only sold two things through my Etsy shop so far but I haven't had it very long. I'm involved in some other exciting online projects and I love the freedom the internet gives me. I've had enough of standing behind tables on village greens trying to sell to people who just aren't interested!

Have you ever been to North Carolina?

Actually I have! Many times! I travelled there with an old friend years ago, before I was married. We hired a car in New York and drove there because someone told us it was nice! We ended up on Ocracoke Island and stayed a while! I met a guy there and spend several summers living and working there with him. Apart from the mosquitoes its was heaven. I remember seaching for sand dollars at low tide, the smell of the wood of the boardwalks, my footprints glowing with phosphoresence at night on the beach, the wooden, stilted houses .... now I think about it my fish would look great there!

What is your favorite place to visit in your town?
My favourite place is not nearby at all. Our nearest proper town is 20 mins away so i'm going to go further afield for my favourite! Its a place called Seaview on the Isle of Wight. My family has had a flat down there for about 30 years and we go every summer. It is a stone's throw from the beach. My children catch crabs and fish whilst I beachcomb for hagstones to make my stone wreaths. Last year we caught 986 crabs! The hagstones I find on the beaches there are used in my stone wreaths.

How do you envision your creations being used by your customers?

All our wooden things are designed to simply hang on the walls of your home. I'd love them to be cheering up the walls of homes across the Atlantic - perhaps one might end up in a beach house on Ocracoke!

What is your next project going to be?

I'm going to start making some cards - based on the snakes, fish and lizards - just a few to see what happens. I love to make anything so if its not successful I will still have had a great time doing it!

--If you'd like to read more about Anna's life and work, check out her blog. Don't forget to visit her Etsy shop to see her items too!