Star of David and Zirconia Necklace
Eleanor Bookmark
Heart of Gold Necklace
And now, for the interesting interview!
1. Please introduce yourself. =)
My name is Theresa, a metal smith who crafts jewelry and accessories in my home studio. I'm also a mom to a teenager.
2. Why was your shop started?
I love creating and designing. When my handiwork starts piling up, then I wanted to sell some off to get more cash for the next experimentation. I usually have more design ideas than I have time or cash for the materials though.
3. What/Who inspires you?
I'm easily inspired. Other artists' work inspire me to push myself to go further. Simple geometry can be basis for an entire collection. I am inspired by my cultural backgrounds, literature, special techniques, or even graphics. One thing that is not terribly inspirational to me is time limit. It seems like I can't think of good designs when I'm pressured. I like it much better when ideas come naturally.
4. Tell me about your most precious possession.
Friends, family and knowledge are most precious to me. In terms of material possession that I own, I would say it is my jewelry tools and my bedroom set. My bed frame (including headboard) and 2 dressers were handcrafted by Debey Zito, a furniture maker who uses traditional Japanese joinery to create her Arts and Crafts style furniture. They are made out of natural cherry, which is a sustainable wood grown right here in the US. I took her woodworking class and made a pine bench and a maple hinged chest myself. Check her work out. You'd be blown away by her work.
5. Which items in your shop receive most compliments from customers?
Item that has the most sales in my shop is my hand inscribed bookmarks, probably due to the fact that the inscriptions can be customized. These personalized bookmarks are like a permanent written notes or messages to the recipients. I inscribe each of the bookmarks with my own handwriting, making each one unique. Hand inscriptions appeal to those who prefer the handmade appearance instead of letter stamping (using machine produced tools) or machine engraving (which can appear too perfect and lack the handmade charm). Both letter stamped and machine engraved messages can take up a lot of space, resulting in more materials used that add to the cost. My hand engravings can adjust to fit, much like the way you write sentences to fit in a given blank space on a sheet of paper. Hand inscriptions require total concentration and extremely steady hands. Of course, good handwriting is essential. Read my blog post on micro engraving.
6. What is your favourite material used when you're making jewelries?
My current favorite is silver, even though gold is a lot easier to work with. Under the current economy, I am working more with silver, brass, bronze and copper.
7. How do you promote your Etsy store?
I am just not very good in promoting. So far, I'm relying on my blog, Twitter, Facebook, and several networking sites. I also have an ArtFire store which sells different items than my Etsy store. So be sure to check out both stores.
8. Make a wish for yourself / your friends / family etc.
I would like to wish everyone patience (until our economy recovers), peace, health and happiness. And for you Aik, I wish that you would be surrounded by beauty each day of your life.
Thanks for giving me the chance to interview you, Theresa! I'd like to wish you happiness, beauty and good health! And not forgetting my dear blog visitors, readers, and followers too! Have a nice day, everyone! =)
Lovely links:
Theresa's Etsy store : http://studio618.etsy.com
Theresa's Artfire shop : http://studio618.artfire.com
Theresa's blog : http://studio618.blogspot.com
3 comments:
Thanks so much for the feature. You've picked some of my favorites too. :)
Beautifully done, Aik!! :-)
Theresa's work is wonderful!
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