Here's another jewelry artist that I just had to feature. I chose her for her awesome designs and her newness to Etsy.
1) Tell us a bit about yourself.My name is Michelle and I’m a grad student in art history. I live in New York City with my husband and our pet goldfish (hence, the name of my Etsy shop!). You can see some of their photos in my avatar and shop banner, and my husband’s goldfish paintings are also in my shop banner. Because of the student lifestyle, I’m pretty much a minimalist and had never paid much attention to jewelry until just a few years ago, when the stress of my exams caused me to promise myself a beautiful pair of earrings when it was all over. Voilà, a new love was born and I embarked on the road which eventually led to my Etsy shop. When I’m not studying or making jewelry, I read the news obsessively online and try to fill my daily quota of style and design blogs. I’m also an avid runner, and my husband and I enjoy watching movies and teaching ourselves how to skateboard.
2) Where did you hear about Etsy?When I first started buying jewelry online, I bought several things from various jewelry designers on Ebay. One of them also had a storefront on Etsy. I clicked over and made my first purchase at the end of 2005. After I discovered Etsy, it quickly became my primary source for finding jewelry and other handcrafted goodies.
3) How long have you been crafting?I started tinkering with the jewelry that I bought for myself about 3 years ago: making things shorter, switching out uncomfortable earwires for different ones, and making various changes to the design. A bead shop near my campus had a loaner set of tools which I used to make my small repairs and alterations. After a few months of borrowing the loaner tools, I decided to buy my own pliers and wirecutters. I realized then that I had the tools I needed to make my own jewelry and decided to give beading a try. I’ve been making jewelry for myself and others for about 2 years. Although my study of art history hasn’t directly impacted my jewelry-making process, I feel that it gives me an appreciation for the visual impact of jewelry, and crafting is a creative outlet and a source of stress relief for me. A friend and classmate has been trying to convince me to make reproductions of jewelry found at historical and archaeological sites!
4) Tell us about what your Etsy shop and what you make.For now, I am making only earrings. They are the only type of jewelry that I wear, and I feel that the experience gives me a yardstick by which to judge what customers look for in earrings. For even the most die-hard minimalist, earrings are a wonderful piece of jewelry to wear; I firmly believe that the items which frame your face – top, earrings, scarf - are the most important and memorable parts of an outfit. I don’t like repeating the exact same design twice, so most items in my shop will be one-offs. I may start making necklaces in the future, but I’d like to be certain that I can make something unique and which complements the aesthetic of my earrings.
5) What are your favorite materials to use?I love using semi-precious stones and freshwater pearls. It feels good to use natural materials and to maximize their visual impact by thinking through color combinations and which metals to pair them with, and I try to use the highest-quality materials I can find. I like to use opaque stones because of their unusual color patterns, and I also like the contrast of earthy-looking stones against silver and gold findings, which makes them a bit fancier. I definitely take inspiration from my materials and am always on the lookout for unusual-colored beads and interesting bead shapes. I generally stick to a fairly subtle color palette so that my jewelry which will be versatile and easy to wear, and I like to make earrings with a sculptural or volumetric quality to them.
6) What does the future hold for you and your shop?For now, I’d ideally like to keep an inventory of between 20-25 items in my shop – I’ve been building up to that for my turn in the jewelry showcase on 2/16. Since I’m finishing my thesis this spring and job-hunting at the same time, I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew, so I’m starting out slowly. Over the summer, when I have more time, I plan to build up to over 30 items; hopefully, I will also have a steady customer base by then. In the future, I’d like to take classes and learn more about jewelry-making techniques, especially how to work with metals.
7) What advice can you give other Etsy shop owners?Develop a niche – Because there are so many jewelry designers on Etsy, it’s crucial to develop a distinctive look and stick to it. Kerri, you’ve given me some excellent advice on thinking about my target customer.Buy good tools and supplies – Good tools will make practicing your craft so much easier. Don’t stint on the quality of your materials; deliver a product that you can stand behind.Be realistic – Don’t be impatient, and give yourself time to build up a customer base. Think realistically about how Etsy fits into your lifestyle and income sources, and put in the appropriate amount of work to reach your goals.
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