7 Questions is our spotlight on our favorite artisans. Please welcome...
What
do you sell in your shop? I sell
jewelry. It is all handmade using items like semi-precious stones, pearls,
shells, art glass, enamels or the occasional beachcombing item like sea glass.
I use gold, silver and copper earwires as I have allergies to base metals, and
so I swear by not using them for the items I create. I rarely duplicate an item as I create each
piece as an artistic outlet.
What
is your favorite thing about etsy? I
love the ease of being able to set up a shop to sell my jewelry, but still
continue to create and run everything out of my home. I don’t think I would
have ever built up a following like this, or so quickly if I had needed to
build my own website.
What
is your least favorite thing about etsy? The fees, of course. I’m lucky
that this is a hobby for me, and I don’t need to focus on the margins. I am
just trying to afford my bead-a-holic tendencies so I can buy more beautiful
beads! But because this is a hobby for me (I have a day job) I also don’t have
as much time to dedicate to pushing sales volume in my Etsy Shop. So the fees
rack up, without the offsetting of sales.
What
does your studio/workspace look like? Originally I had taken over a
corner of the living room with all my bead tins and baskets of supplies. But
about a year ago, I cleaned out the kid’s playroom and took over part of that
room … complete with a table that seats 6! So I have lots of space to spread
out. But honestly, it usually just means my mess gets bigger!
What
do you do to relax? If I’m not hanging out with my
kids, then you’ll find me beading! I love to make jewelry. Some people knit to
relax, I don’t knit. But I do find it relaxing to bead weave.
What
accomplishments are you the most proud of? Well, if we’re talking about my jewelry, then I would say that
I’ve recently had my first published design in Stringing magazine. I’ve
submitted a few more pieces and I’m hoping that another design or two might
make it into a magazine. Fingers crossed!
What
are some of your goals for the next year?
I have an idea for
a book series, and so I’m hoping that I’ll get the chance to ‘pitch’ the idea
to a publisher. Who knows what might happen!
Find more of Cynthia here:
Blog:
http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @AntiquityTravel
