rubygirl ... Oregon, USA

Artist: Shannon Conrad
Business: rubygirl
Web site: rubygirl.etsy.com
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA

What do you create?
I make metal jewelry.

Where and when do you do your creative work?
I have a small studio in the basement of my house. The floors slope and the lighting isn’t the best, but it’s all mine! I have a toddler, so currently studio time = naptime. Once in a while, when my husband’s work schedule permits, I am able to squeeze in a few more hours in the evening or on weekends. I also have an 8-year-old son who is an incredible help. He steps in and keeps his sister occupied if I need him to. I try not to abuse that privilege!



Do you have another "day job"?
My children (and other people’s children) are my day job! I had always worked outside the home. About a year and a half ago, the company I worked for had some financial difficulties and underwent a restructuring. I was one of the employees lucky enough to lose their job. No, really – it’s the best thing that ever happened to me! I get to spend my days with my daughter and I get to be home when my son gets out of school. I also care for my 2-year-old niece and my son’s best friend. My hope is by the time the girls start school I will be fully supporting myself with my art.



Where and what did you study?
I do not have a degree of any sort. In another life, I was an English major at Portland State University. Currently, I take an adult education metalsmithing class through one of the local community colleges.



Where do you find inspiration?
I am really inspired by the materials I work with. When I am ready for a new project, I just sift through my beads and stones and the ideas start flowing. I am a bead/cabochon junky! I have so many, I can’t possibly use them all, but I can’t stop buying more! There’s always something new, something I haven’t seen before. I have a trip to the bead store planned for this afternoon…




What motivates you?
My family is my major motivation – they are my biggest fans! My kids “oooh” and “aaah” over everything I make. My son brags about me at school. And then there’s my husband. I could not do this without him! He has so much faith in me – more than I have in myself sometimes! All of that support and pride is extremely motivating.

When did you start doing this?
I picked up a torch for the first time about a year and a half ago. I seriously had this “aha” moment and knew I had found what I wanted to do with my life.



Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
I was more of a writer. The plan was to write the great American novel before I turned 30. Obviously, that didn’t happen. There is a box somewhere filled with the bad brooding poetry of my youth.




When and why did you decide to start your own business?
It wasn’t planned – it just sort of evolved into a business. I started selling to be able to buy more tools and supplies. I’m lucky in that with the childcare income, I can dump every dime I make back into my business. By the time my daughter starts school, I plan to have every tool I could possibly want. I’ll be able to focus full-time on creating and (hopefully) turn a profit!



How did you choose the name for your business?
Actually, my son chose the name. Ruby is his sister’s name and when she was a baby, that’s what he called her – “Ruby-girl”.

What do you love most about creating your work?
I love the whole fabrication process – making something out of nothing. You start with this plain sheet of sterling silver or a piece of wire and depending on how you cut, bend, hammer, etc. you create a beautiful object. Oh, and I love to play with fire!



What's the most fascinating place you've been?
Honestly, I haven’t done much traveling. I’d love to go to Ireland. My husband and I are talking about a European trip in a few years when the kids are older and can appreciate it more.

A book you love:
Oh, that’s a hard one! I am a huge reader and always have been. For sheer enjoyment, I would have to say To Kill a Mockingbird. My mother gave me that book when I was nine or 10 and I have reread it every year or two since then. For nonfiction, it’s The Complete Metalsmith, hands down.


What is the most interesting thing about you?
That’s a loaded question! I’m really actually pretty boring. I was wild in my youth, but have found home and family and contentment to be much more exciting.

Ok – one mildly interesting tidbit. My husband and I got married less than five months after we started dating. We had a lot of people who were skeptical, but we knew. We will celebrate our 10th anniversary in January.



What achievement are you most proud of?
On a personal level, I would have to say my children. They are great – smart and funny and thoughtful. Professionally, I am proud of how far I have come in such a short time. I know I have a long way to go in both knowledge and skill level, but I look at the differences in my work now and my work from a year ago and am thrilled with my progress.



What advice would you give women starting their own business?
I think one thing that has helped me tremendously is having a strong support system in place. I get a lot of support from family and friends. On a different level, I get support from groups that I have joined. Through Etsy, I have joined two different street teams that have been wonderful in completely different ways. My local street team (pdxetsy) is working on its second all-Etsy art and craft fair. It’s nice to network with other artists/crafters locally – I have met some really great people through this group. The other street team I belong to is Etsy Metal. There is so much talent and knowledge there – it’s a truly inspiring group of artists.




What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
Finding the time to do it! I think that balancing work and family is really a universal challenge.

What do you love to do in your free time?
Free time? What’s that? No, really – I love to spend time with my family. I love to read, watch movies, spend time with friends.



What are you working on right now?
I am learning a technique called mokume gane. It’s a Japanese technique that involves layering different metals (in my case, copper and fine silver) and then manipulating the layers to produce a wood-grain type pattern. It can be mildly tedious – the metals are soldered together, rolled flat, cut in half, and then soldered together again anywhere from six to 24 times – but the effect achieved is stunning.

I just started selling wholesale. You can find my work at Presents of Mind here in Portland, Oregon. I also have three shows that are quickly approaching. The Mississippi Street Fair, The Handmade Bazaar and The PDX Etsy Art and Craft Fair.



What do you hope to achieve next?
Business-wise, I am working on getting a personal website up and running. I have purchased the domain (www.rubygirljewelry.com), now I just have to build the site!
Artistically, I have a never-ending list of techniques I want to learn: enameling, fusing, reticulation, granulation, filigree, inlay, casting, the list goes on and on and on…

South Street Designs ... Ohio, USA

Artist: Julie Joliat
Business: South Street Design
Web site: puffluna.etsy.com
Location: Chardon, Ohio

What do you make?
Handmade jewelry.

Where and when do you do your creative work?
I live in an old Victorian house on South Street. I do most of my work in a room upstairs that is currently being renovated. I sit on an antique wooden folding chair and listen to NPR most of the day.

I prefer to do most of my work when my daughter is in school, and from 9pm to midnight.




Do you have another "day job"?
I've been working since I was 14. I worked 15 years at one company and was not thrilled sending my daughter to day care.

I quit in December of 2005 and I've been doing this "full time" since then.

Where and what did you study?
I am self taught with the help of a few books on wiring technique.




What inspires you and what motivates you?
I am inspired by nature... fabric... open spaces... art. When I really think about it, I guess inspiration can come at any moment from practically anything.

My motivation is my daughter Amelia. I am determined to make enough money doing this to pay the huge bills that come along with owning a 130 year old house. I really want to be home with her, so it is a huge motivator.

When did you start doing this?
I started selling locally to friends and family (I think) in June of 2005. I signed up with Etsy in November of 2005, watched, bought a few things and started selling in May of 2006.





Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
My mom and grandmother are both artistic so I guess I was exposed to the arts and crafts world by them. They both made amazing works of stained glass. I remember going to glass stores and seeing walls of colored glass.

I don't really remember being too artistic other than shrinky-dink keychains and noodle necklaces. Although, I used to make hairclips decorated with ribbons (which in fact, my sister and I might try to bring back into fashion someday soon! We loved those!).




When and why did you decide to start your own business?
I never really decided to start a "business"... it just sort of happened. Once I realized there was money to be made and I actually LOVED what I was doing, I just started pushing myself. Over time, I started to have a scheduled work day, lots of supplies and enough sales that it turned into my business. I'm still trying to get a grasp on what it means to run a small business professionally.

The why goes back to my desire to be here, at home, with my daughter. She starts school full time next year. I may just keep doing this and actually try to make it bigger. Who knew!





How did you choose the name for your business?
I wish I would have put more thought into that. Again, who knew!? I live in a century village on the South side of the square on South Street. My user name for Etsy... again, who knew?... was simply my email name – Puff and Luna, my crazy cats. Once you have it in Etsy, you can't change it... so now I'm puffluna!

What do you love most about your work?
I love standing in my work area and deciding what to make next. I feel like the kid in the candy shop. It's exciting and spontaneous and very gratifying once it comes together.





What's the most fascinating place you've been?
In my dreams, Paris. In reality I'd have to say the museums near Cleveland, Ohio. I love and am always fascinated by any museum that I've been to. I could do it everyday. I really enjoy learning and looking so it's my favorite atmosphere to be in.

A book you love:
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.

This book changed my way of viewing things. It taught me to realize what is truly important. Even if you just read Chapter 1 paragraph 4, you'll see what I mean.






What is the most interesting thing about you?
I became a vegetarian when I was young after making the "meat = cute little piggy" connection. I didn't like the way the factory farming industry abused the animals used for egg and dairy manufacturing, so I became a vegan later on at about 19 or 20 years old. I used to be very involved in animal rights issues prior to becoming a mom. I plan to start that back up as soon as my daughters old enough to join me.

I love old things. We bought an 130 year old house 2 years ago and I love it. It's creaky and full of character. I am pretty normal, not too interesting.

Hmmm, this is making me think that I need to spice things up a bit!

What achievement are you most proud of?
My daughter (of course!). She is an amazing, beautiful, smart human being. She has reminded me of the delicate beauty of nature, the joy of squishing play-doh, the fact that it's actually fun to get water all over the bathroom. It's really an incredible thing having a child. I'm loving every minute of it and I feel so blessed to be home with her right now.





What advice would you give women starting their own business?
Stay motivated and confident. If they are married or involved, they really need to get the support from their spouse. I found that without it, things got pretty hectic around here.

Also, if you can't clean the whole house because you are too busy working, just make sure the kitchen is clean. It's made a big difference for me. I feel a little overwhelmed at times trying to balance everything and I found having an empty sink, for some reason, makes me feel better.

What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
The lack of hours in the day. The balance is the hardest part.




What do you love to do in your free time?
I love to be outside with my daughter. She helps me to see things that I otherwise wouldn't. She can spot a bumblebee on a flower 25 feet away. Kids are amazing! I also like to go to the museums and parks.

What are you working on right now?
I'm trying to master knotting. I've made a bracelet and a necklace. I have to take the necklace apart though. it's not perfect. It's good practice.





What do you hope to achieve next?
Precious Metal Clay. I want to create some unique pieces that I have designs for stored in my mind. Now if only I could find the time! :) I also want to focus a bit more on earrings. I'm more of a bracelet/necklace girl so the earring production could be better.

Alphabetti Spaghetti Design ... Italy

Artist: Wendy Humphreys
Business: Alphabetti Spaghetti Design Ltd
Location: Modena, Italy
Web site: http://alphabettispaghetti.etsy.com

What do you create?
Precious Metal jewellery. So, rings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. Mostly in sterling silver, but sometimes with gold accents, and in mixed pieces with bronze, which creates an interesting contrast. I'm not a big "stone" person, but I do like using rough, uncut stones in my work, like rough, uncut diamond cubes which have proved really popular. They're great to work with.

Where and when do you do your creative work?
I have an absolutely gorgeous attic space where I live in Italy. It's got exposed beams and floor-level windows. It's just great, and my own little sanctuary. I'm up there pretty much every weekday, but if I'm not too busy, I try and take Fridays off to get out in the fresh air!

Do you have another "day job"?
I'm very fortunate that this is what I do pretty much full-time. I do the odd translation or proof-reading job, but that's quite infrequent at the moment.



Where and what did you study?
I went to uni in Portsmouth in 1995 to study languages. I'd been teaching English in Portugal for three and a half years, and decided that if I was going to get on, I'd better do a degree! Languages come quite easily to me, so it seemed the natural thing to study. While at uni, I did a evening class in jewellery-making, even though I had dabbled a few years before. This class made me more confident in things such as soldering and stone-setting, and I just made my own way after that. I like to read about a technique in a book, then have a go for myself! After that, I went back to teaching English for a bit, before doing a Master's in Ecotourism. I'm very keen on environmental issues and wildlife, and I thought it would be an interesting course to do. It was! Unfortunately, I was unable to find an interesting and decently paid job in the environmental field, so eventually, my partner and I decided to up-sticks and move to Italy, his place of birth. We've been here for about 18 months now, and making my jewellery has been a life-saver in terms of having something of my own to do while trying to acclimatise to living in a foreign country.

What inspires you and what motivates you?
My mind's buzzing pretty much all the time with ideas. Ideas can pop up from all over the place. I look in jewellery magazines and books, and online, and in jewellery shops, but I couldn't really say what my main source of inspiration is. I belong to a couple of what are called a "street teams" on Etsy – "Etsy Metal" and "Etsy for Animals". This group is composed of people with a common interest of sorts. Either geographical, in terms of interests, or the things they make. My street teams are called "Etsy Metal" and "Etsy for Animals". We recently joined forces to produce a piece to support a ban on the hunting of harp seal pups in Canada. It was a terrific campaign, and I've sold three seal-themed pieces so far and am donating the proceeds to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.




Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
I've always been interested in art, but my drawing skills are truly awful. I can copy things really well, but drawing something from my head is just a joke! If I need to get a design down on paper for a jewellery project, it's usually composed of an illustration that looks like it's been done by a 5-year-old, and rather lengthy written instructions.

When and why did you decide to start your own business?
We've had an online shop for about 3 years where we sell very nice laptop bags, made with designer fabrics. As resellers, this has had its limitations, and since we moved to Italy we've let that slide a bit. Before we moved to Italy, we had all kinds of ideas, one of them was to source locally produced olive oil and honey and resell it in England. The problem is that postal costs in Italy are phenomenal, so it wasn't really feasible. It's on the back-burner for now! I was going to learn bee-keeping, too, but that's also on the back-burner!

How did you choose the name for your business?
We wanted something that sounded Italian, but that English people understood as well. Since part of our business is graphic design, and involves using different fonts at times, the "alphabetti" bit seemed to fit in. We were amazed that Alphabetti Spaghetti was available as a domain name, so we snapped it up while the going was good.




What do you love most about creating your work?
I've always liked jewellery and my mum used to call me "Magpie" when I was little, for my love of shiny things. So now, I can make my own. That's very satisfying. I love seeing a thing materialise into reality just from an image in my head. The latest project to create a seal-themed piece for charity was very special for me. Difficult, but fun to make, and I was so proud of the result. It is my favourite piece to date. I like thinking "Oh, I wonder if I can make that", having a go, and it turning out okay. It's a constant learning curve, and I love the buzz that gives me.

What's the most fascinating place you've been?
While I was studying for my languages degree, I spent 4 months in Corsica. The university there was this tiny place in the mountains. It was just heaven. The scenery, the wildlife, the people... It was just beautiful. I really cried when I left. I got the chance to go to Turkey on a field trip while I was doing my master's. Again, scenery, wildlife and people featured strongly, but I have to add food to this list!

A book you love:
Anything by Tracy Chevalier who wrote Girl with a Pearl Earring, particularly her book Virgin Blue which is just captivating. Also anything by Alistair McCall-Smith. He just makes me laugh out loud.




What is the most interesting thing about you?
I don't think I'm very interesting, per se. I'm interested in a lot of things, so can pretty much talk about anything! I (think I) can communicate telepathically with animals, and I'm obsessed with bees and wasps! (In a positive way).

What achievement are you most proud of?
Going to university after hating school. I wasn't an under-achiever or anything, but left with only one A-level after two attempts! I was pretty much burnt out, thanks to a history of being bullied and racially abused.




What do you love to do in your free time?
We have a fabulous climate here in Italy, and so I love to go out walking or cycling. We live next to a nature trail which takes in lakes and fields. It's just fantastic, and I always see interesting wildlife when I'm off down the trail.

What do you hope to achieve next?
I'm hoping at some point to be able to expand to sell my jewellery in places other than Etsy. It's quite hard to get set up selling at markets in Italy, because the culture is very closed, and they don't want to let any outsiders in. At the moment, I'm trying to build up my confidence to make more challenging pieces, and to not get scared if someone asks me to do a commission! An exhibition would be nice at some point!