During the early days of this blog, I was asked to do a “Getting to Know You” interview.

Most of you have probably never seen it, so I thought I’d post it here, today.

An Interview with Crystal

1. Please tell us more about yourself.

I’m a woman who loves all forms of art. Ever since I was a child I’ve had the desire to learn to create something beautiful. Of course at first it was with paper and a little box of crayons! 🙂 Over the years I’ve learned many different types of crafts including needlework, decorative painting, sewing, knitting, floral arranging, doll making, and beading. My work has been sold in gift shops and at artisan shows and craft fairs. I’ve been making jewelry for about 5 or 6 years, and I enjoy it tremendously. On a more personal note, I’m married to my best friend and we have two wonderful daughters, who are all grown up now.

2. How was your shop started?
After making jewelry for friends and family for a few years, I began to receive many kind compliments on my designs and also encouragement to begin selling my creations. I discovered etsy around the same time, and it seemed to be the perfect place to display my work. I’m so impressed with etsy – it’s a wonderful community of people who appreciate the beauty of items made by hand. I think it’s so important to support the arts and the spirit of creating. Everyone benefits from art – those who create it, those who buy it, and those who simply look at it! It’s inspiring and soothing all at the same time. Bravo to etsy for recognizing that the Internet needed a place dedicated to showcasing handmade treasures.

3. What inspires you?
Art in general inspires me, but I am particularly inspired by vintage jewelry. It is definitely an art form. Although the materials used were often inexpensive (rhinestones, Lucite beads, glass beads, and plated metals), many vintage designs truly rival the finest pieces of precious jewelry. One reason for this is that many of the designers were originally trained to make fine jewelry. That’s another whole topic, however! LOL

4. What handmade possession do you most cherish?
Ah, that is a tough question! I absolutely cherish anything that someone has taken the time to make for me. It would be impossible to choose a favorite but . . . I treasure doll clothes that my grandmother and my mother made for me many, many years ago, and an afghan that my husband’s mother made, and a set of prayer beads that my sister-in-law made for me, and the handcrafted gifts and cards that my daughters have made over the years, and finally, although my husband has not made gifts for me – he chooses very thoughtful gifts with cards and wrappings that have a coordinating theme and this I cherish as well.

5. Which items in your shop receive most compliments from customers?
I suppose it would be my earrings simply because I sell them most often. Earrings are a more affordable purchase – something that we can buy to treat ourselves now and then. Women love a new lipstick, or a pretty new scarf, and earrings also fall into that “something small to jazz up my wardrobe” category. I receive compliments on my necklace and earrings sets, as well, along with the beads that I select for my designs. Beads are one of my passions so I love working with them, especially vintage beads – which truly are treasures from the past, and an art form in themselves.

6. What is your favorite bead/gemstone?
That is easy! Amethyst! I love purple! 🙂

7. How do you promote your work?
Well, I actually have two shops – one is my website and the other is my etsy shop. After I started to make jewelry, I became so interested in beads that I studied everything available to learn more about them. I began to use more and more vintage beads in my designs and eventually decided to offer them for sale. My customers are very helpful in recommending my shops, and I also have a blog, which has brought me new customers and also many new friends!

Hang on, Kids! The weekend is almost here. 😀

Hugs,