Friday, October 14, 2011

Artisan Spotlight -- Honey from the Bee

7Questions is our spotlight on our favorite artisans.

Janet is the creator of Honey from the Bee!
1. What do you sell in your shop?

I sell unique and one of a kind Artisan jewelry inspired by my love of nature and travel.  I use materials that range from semi-precious stones to fine silver to found objects and vintage materials.  Jewelry that's sometimes full of color, sometimes tells a story or touches a memory, but that's always beautifully handmade with quality materials and techniques.


2.      What is your favorite thing about etsy?  

The broad range of handmade goods at various price levels that allow me to shop and buy special home and personal accessory items that tell my story and my family's and which supports artists around the world.


3.      What is your least favorite thing about etsy?  

I wish they would do away with the renewing and charging you every time you post a new item.  I think the pay structure should be a % of what is sold.
 

4.      What does your studio/workspace look like?

uh...  a glorious creative mess...  I have a bad habit of not putting away all the materials used in a new piece before starting a new project.  It happens because while working on one thing I think of another idea and I don't want to stop the creative process, because that's the most fun!  I'm working on making it a glorious creative calm environment though.  This means not only putting away all materials and tools after finishing a project, but also editing my stash and creative storage solutions.  It's hard to let go of stuff you love though.
5.      What do you do to relax?

Hike, knit, sketch, cook, watch movies and television...

6.      What accomplishments are you the most proud of?

Personally, I'm proud that in the past couple of years my cooking has gotten to a level where I impress folks.. including my husband.  The best part is that I'm relaxed about it and like to try new recipes all the time.  We rarely eat something that isn't made from scratch and I feel we're healthier for it.

As far as my business I'm proud that my blog in the past year has grown and become a wonderful place for me to share not only my work, but my personal travels and interests and to connect with other bloggers and readers who share my interests.  I have grown a lot from these interactions and found some amazing creative and wonderful people that would not have been possible without it.

I'm loving creating statement necklaces with the focus it requires and the stories or memories I can share.  I've found a rhythm where I can fill in with smaller items like earrings and bracelets when I need to just create for the sake of creating something pretty.

7.      What are some of your goals for the next year?

Definitely start fresh with a clean studio and method of working so that I'm not always apologizing for the state of it.

I'd like to continue to grow my blog follower base and of course sell more of my artisan jewelry online.  I've now had a couple of direct sales overseas which is exciting.


Honey From the Bee: Nature inspired jewelry
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HoneyFromTheBee
Blog: http://thehoneyfromthebee.blogspot.com
FB: http://facebook.com/honeyfromthebee
Twitter: http://twitter.com/honeyfromthebee

10 comments:

Erika said...

Janet, thank you! The photos are wonderful and it was great to learn more about you.

Erika

storybeader said...

seeing creative jewelry like yours makes me thing about getting back to my jewelry designing. Love the fish!

Anonymous said...

I donno, I think a glorious creative mess is a great thing! Sometimes if you put everything away, you really can't bare to get it all out again...sort of like the blank canvas affect.

Splendid Little Stars said...

Janet, I'm sure I'd love your "messy" space! It must be a place filled with possibilities and inspiration!
You stated so well what blogging means in relationships, inspiration, and creativity.

Memories for Life said...

"A glorious creative mess"...I love that line! Makes it sound like a nice mess :)

Your make beautiful pieces Janet! Wanna teach me how to cook :)

BeadedTail said...

I enjoyed learning more about you Janet! Kitties are a cure for leaving glorious creative messes since I can't leave anything out! Your work is beautiful and I love that there's a story to them too!

Rose Clearfield said...

Great feature, Janet! I agree with others about the glorious creative mess. That's often the best way to do it!

Judy Nolan said...

I agree with everyone else about creative messes...although sometimes that mess becomes so deep that you can't even wade through it to get to the creative part. LOL! Janet, your vision comes through clearly on your lovely pieces. Thanks for sharing the photos with us.

Amy F said...

Love all the beautiful things you made!

Honey from the Bee said...

Oh no.. you all have given me an excuse to not clean up! ; ) Thank you for all your kind comments and that my work at least doesn't reflect what my studio looks like. LOL!

I thought the comment about the blank canvas effect was very interesting. It's true that I've sometimes come up with new pieces just from shuffling the beads and pieces on my table.