FEATURED SHOP - thatSandygirl.etsy.com

Starting today...a  new addition to my blog will be FEATURED SHOP ...shops from Etsy and other handmade markets where I will interview a diverse group of individuals creating handmade items..  I hope you will enjoy reading their stories and will support these wonderful artists and craftspeople by buying items that are made by hand.

Sandy of thatSandygirl.etsy.com is relatively new to Etsy.  She told me that she has only been making jewelry for six months (which is hard to believe given the quality and difficulty of her pieces).  She says she is enjoying every second of it! 

Here is an interview with Sandy along with some of her beautiful jewelry.

                                                

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED MAKING JEWELRY?

"Through some strange quirk in the universe, I actually had several hours one day with all three of my children otherwise occupied.  I'd noticed the local bead store on Main St. and I just decided on impulse to stop in and maybe give some support to a small downtown business.  I've always enjoyed interesting and unique jewelry, but it never occurred to me to make my own until I walked into that store and saw all of the glorious variety of semiprecious stones - I was hooked instantly.  I bought some carnelian and amethyst beads, the components to make two pairs of earrings, a pair of round-nose pliers and a magazine, and I haven't looked back!"

DO YOU HAVE AN ART BACKGROUND, OR ARE YOU SELF-TAUGHT?

"My art background stopped at ninth grade art class.  I really thought that because I couldn't draw (and still can't) I wasn't creative.  I've always been a do-it-yourself type - gardening, canning, sewing some pillow covers - but I never considered myself artistic until I found jewelry.  I've taught myself, working with a few wonderful books and plenty of experimentation."

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS THAT YOU WORK WITH?
"I love to work with wire - I love the beautiful warm gleam of the copper, and the clean simplicity of silver, and how it all bends so wonderfully into the shape I want.  And I love my new torch - I'm just getting started with it, and I'm looking forward to experimenting."

                                            
FROM WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR CREATIVITY AND INSIGHTS?
"I draw a lot of my inspiration from the town I live in.  Mt Vernon is a very small historic city, with a lot of interesting old houses surrounded by gigantic trees, formal and informal gardens, and brick streets.  There's a river with a wonderful paved biking trail that runs more than twenty miles beside it through the countryside and to the next three towns.  I love it, and I think a lot of my work takes it's tone from the atmosphere here.  That being said, sometimes it's simply the materials themselves that inspire a piece.  I might find an interesting focal, or some cool beads, and then poke through my stash to see if I have anything that sets it off.  And sometimes my husband will suggest a combination of things that might not have occurred to me."

AND FINALLY, SANDY...I KNOW YOU ARE STILL RELATIVELY NEW TO ETSY BUT WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS SO FAR?
"I think it's terrific, a wonderful venue!  I adore that it's international, and I can see that people from all over the world have looked at my jewelry.  I shipped an item to Israel a few weeks ago, and my kids and I plan to learn about the cities and countries where people buy my jewelry.  I also love what I've been able to do with my shop - it looks so professional!  There are a LOT of jewelers on etsy, and it's been a bit of a challenge so far to get my pieces noticed among more then a million items in the jewelry category.  I'm working hard at it, though!  The forums are an amazing resource - people are so generous with their knowledge!  Marketing and self-promotion are really foreign concepts for me, and I've gotten so much help from the forums in that regard."

Visit Sandy at thatSandygirl.etsy.com to view more of her beautiful pieces!