Meet Etsy Jewelry Artist: PrettyInPeace

The classic talent behind PrettyInPeace is a 34 year old native New Yorker, who home schools her children while managing her Indie electronic label Next Dimensions ( http://nextdimensionmusic.com). She's a self described "Yogi, Hippie, Liberal, Pacifist, Martha Stewart, Friedrich Nietzsche, Dr. Spock, and Lisa Simpson all rolled into one 5'3 curvaceous bod." An introvert like myself, she tends to "see the things that others miss while mingling." Her "Hippie Couture" jewelry designs are what she herself would wear. "I'm totally green, and anti murderous bling, but I'm stylin' and I'm all about it at the same time. I just want people to know that eco-conscious isn't always rubber bracelets and hemp cord." She has been creating her entire life. "Before I started on tangible craft, it was imaginary friends," she jokes. "I worked in fashion for 7 years in NYC's Greenwich Village before moving to AZ, and now-I write (my first and deepest love) and make jewelry." Her design process is "an outlet and a way to keep a balanced mind. When I'm done writing about life's harsh realities, I like to escape to a pretty peaceful place with beads and pliers and epoxy and such." As for Etsy her goals were small in the beginning. "I came into this wanting to feed the right hemisphere of my brain, no more, no less. As it turns out, I've been able to feed my grey matter and myself." She reminds her fellow artists to "focus on *your* work, and stay on *your* path-this is *your* life, goal, dream and no one else's...Anything that isn't contributing to your success is taking away from it." Please check out her shop: http://prettyinpeace.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: rtisan and rtisan2

The extraordinary talent behind Rtisan (jewelry) and Rtisan2 (art) is an ethnic folk art painter and illustrator in San Francisco. With a BA in Graphic Design it comes as no surprise that she loves color and texture, which is also reflected in her earthy, nature-inspired designs. "(I) think of jewelry making as sculpture, in a way," she explains. She began making jewelry as a hobby a mere two years ago, but spent so much on supplies she soon realized she should begin selling it. Of course her first love is art, which she does exceptionally well in her second shop, and has become her passion. She advises Etsy artists have a wide range of prices to accommodate all budgets. Please check out her shops:

Jewelry - http://rtisan.etsy.com/

Art - http://rtisan2.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Jewelry Artist: lorelei1141

Self-taught jewelry artist Lorelei lives in Upstate New York - and like me is 33 and married without kids. She is a full time registrar at an art museum, which inspired her to find a creative outlet to "make (her) soul happy." She finds inspiration in other artists, many from Etsy: Green Girl Studios, TheLolaCollection, Cindy Hoo, theOrangeBell, Heather Wynn, Andrew Thornton - there are simply too many to name. Her love of nature is reflected in her earthy pieces, which she's only been creating for just over a year. "I started last Christmas (2006) when I decided to hand-make jewelry for gifts...Bought some beads, and some basic supplies and got busy!" She admits her designs have grown since she began. "My style has gone from simple one stranded seed-beaded necklaces, then moved onto big fat chunky beaded bracelets and necklaces, and now back to a more simple look with thin chains and wire-wrapped beads." Etsy is currently just a hobby for her. "I love making it, but I also love wearing it. I am my own advertising human billboard," she jokes. "Selling it wasn't my first intention but as I was making so much of it, my husband suggested I try selling it so that the money I would make, I could put back into the hobby by buying beads and supplies." She never wants her art to feel like work and strives to keep her jewelry affordable. "I never intended to make a living, but only intended on keeping the hobby going." She has some of the best advice I've ever heard for fellow Etsians: "I just do my thing. I make a piece. I list it. If it doesn't sell I take it down, wear it, love it. And when I get sick of it, I take it apart and making something new." Well said! Please check out her shop: http://lorelei1141.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: jenlo262

Jenlo262 lives in the scenic Skagit Valley of Northwest Washington where she takes full advantage of the outdoors hiking and camping. Not surprisingly she is inspired by her natural surroundings. "I enjoy the contradictions of nature to the perceptions of people (e.g. trees that aren't green, skies that aren't blue)." She considers herself "a whimsical, painterly, abstract impressionist." Acrylics are her preferred medium "because I find painting fast helps keep me from over-thinking my painting and enables me to easily layer my colors and keep them bold and vivid while I paint." After a 10 year stint in the tech industry she is proud to now call her art her career. Aside from selling on Etsy Jen is also an avid buyer. "Etsy is a great way to support artists, and my biggest goal is to start making enough to BUY more from other Etsy artists!" She advises her fellow Etsians "keep following your dreams and use your talents to their fullest." Please check out her shop: http://jenlo262.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http:dharmadesigns.etsy.com

Meet Etsy Jewelry and Clay Artist: TheArtisticTouch

The talent behind TheArtisticTouch may have a full time job, but her art is her true passion. Her mother claims the first steps she took were for a pencil - and she's been creating ever since. In fact she's afflicted with what she calls "Craft/Art ADD." She thrives on learning new mediums and eagerly delves into what ever strikes her fancy. "I love animals and specialized in pet portraits for years," she says. Recently she got up the "nerve" to try graphite portraits of people and was quite successful just by word of mouth. Her latest endeavor is polymer clay. Ideally she's love to be able to support herself through her art instead of doing it on the side. She'd like to remind her fellow Etsians that "if you have a question, this community is the best place in which to try to find answers. Everyone has taught me so much with their wisdom and nobody knows better than someone who has experienced it already. I really like the 'pay it forward' mentality, and I do hope I am able to help a fellow Etsian in the future with my knowledge I learn over time." Please check out her shop: http://theartistictouch.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Metal and Jewelry Artist: BShehu

Bela, the hip young talent behind Etsy shop BShehu, is an up-and-coming jewelry and fashion designer, who had her own retail boutique in Center City Philadelphia for three years. "Being in love is the ultimate inspiration for me," she admits, which is expertly reflected in her elegant and romantic style. It may seem hard to believe, but she has only been selling her beautiful jewelry pieces for two years. At the moment Etsy is both a hobby and a job - and she hopes to get more exposure this year. She knows the importance of promoting on and off Etsy and reccomends her fellow sellers be dilligent in getting their name out there. Please check out her shop: http://bshehu.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Jewelry Artist: natureallwell

The life-long artist behind Natureallwell is a 21 year old newlywed from Alberta, Canada, who - aside from Etsy - is passionate about biology and the ecology. She has successfully combined her love for her craft and the environment in her eco friendly jewelry. "It’s so sad that we’re destroying this vast planet with our human greed and ignorance. Hundreds of species are endangered or extinct every day, we add tons of waste to landfills, burn and chop down forests, pollute the ocean and waterways. In doing so, we’re killing ourselves." She believes a natural lifestyle is the answer. "Handmade itself is better for the environment, helping to stop mass-production and the massive waste (it) causes." She even donates some of her profits to animal charities and buys organic products. Many of her pieces incorporate recycled, natural, and vintage materials - and all of her props and displays are second-hand or natural elements. She has even gone as far as switching to corn-based biodegradable bags for craft shows. Additionally, she offers restringing and jewelry repair so less material ends up in landfills. "I’ll happily take old jewelry and revamp it for new life in this generation." Her hip retro style definitely reflects her eco-centered mission, each beautifully showcasing aspects of earth and life.

"Currently my day job isn’t satisfying at all and I think my jewelry is what keeps my sanity right now," she confesses. Although Etsy is not her current career, she acknowledges that it is more of a business than a hobby. "I spend far too much money on it to justify it otherwise," she jokes. She actually maintains two shops - one for her beautiful jewelry and another for supplies (naturefinds.etsy.com). Eventually she hopes to make Etsy her full time job, but in the mean time is working diligently to get her name out there. "Concentrate more on your store than talking the forums," she advises. "Forums chat is great and helps advertise somewhat, but it’s your product, photos, packaging, prices, customer service, etc. that really get customers coming and coming back for more." Please check out her shop: http://natureallwell.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Jewelry Artist: HippieHempstress

The talent behind HippieHempstress is originally from an art community in Tennessee - "one could even call them hippies," she admits. Her environment - and necessity - inspired her to become a crafter. "If there's something I want really bad, I always try to make it before I'll buy it." As her Etsy name would suggest, she is inspired by nature and spirituality. "If I'm feeling cheerful on a sunny day, I might paint a polka dotted flower pot. If I'm angry, sad, or depressed, I draw or paint on canvases. If I'm feeling particularly spiritual, I like to work with the elements (like clay or sea shells)." What ever her medium, she is sure to create something quirky yet practical - and always urbanely classy. Her mother taught her to crochet at five and by the fourth grade she was selling knitted headbands. "I've been at it a while," she jokes. Aside from Etsy she works full time, but hopes to turn her passion and lifestyle into a career someday by opening her own brick and mortar shop. She recently reshot all of her pictures and is amazed at the difference it has made in her exposure. "Within 3 hours of posting my new shots, I received more than twice as many views than I normally make in a WEEK. " She recommends her fellow Etsians "put as much into the photos as you do the piece itself." Please check out her shops: http://hippiehempstress.etsy.com/ and http://craftiefaerie.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Pottery Artist: TuxedoJunction

The self-taught potter behind TuxedoJunction had her first experience with clay at summer camp. She's been in love with her craft ever since, honing her skills along the way. She draws her inspiration from her surroundings and it could come from a walk outdoors, a museum - or even "a repeating pattern on a brand name tissue box." She's a fan of the the Arts and Crafts Movement, Frank Lloyd Wright's art glass, and prefers the Art Deco and Art Nouveau pottery styles. Adept in stained glass techniques, her pottery style combines her two loves beautifully.
Right now her craft is a hobby, but she hopes to turn it into a career. She acknowledges that shipping pottery is very costly, which makes it hard to keep the prices down. To even the score a bit she offers an affordable line of jewelry that is more easily mailed. She advises her fellow Etsians be patient. "Stick with it, make what you love, the sales will come." Please visit her shop: http://tuxedojunction.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Jewelry Artist: CastoCreations

The hip talent behind CastoCreations may be turning 30 this year, but she still feels like 18. "I have a hubby who gets as excited as I do when I get a sale - and three dogs who could care less about my work. They just want attention," she jokes. "We live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest where it rains enough to keep me inside and creating."

While she enjoys working full time for a large global financial company, her art is her true passion. As a child her grandparents created jewelry and she remembers being amazed at their work. Following in their footsteps, she began beading bracelets and necklaces for family members at age 12. During high school and college she switched to making greeting cards with rubber stamps, but soon realized it was as costly as it was fun. That's when she re-discovered jewelry - and sold most of her rubber stamps. She's been creating her classic jewelry ever since. Her clean and simple style reflects a timeless sensibility, showcasing a myriad of lines and shapes.

She recommends patience and good photos to her fellow Etsians. "Selling on Etsy is fabulous, fun, and frustrating...Some sell almost immediately upon opening up their shop. Others take several months to get going. And if you sell jewelry you're in for some competition. But do NOT under price yourself," she warns. "Handmade should not be equated with cheap. Pay yourself even if it is just a hobby. You'll be taken more seriously and your work will be perceived as more valuable." Please check out her shop: http://castocreations.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/