Lauren Urban ... Virginia, USA

Artist: Lauren
Business: Lauren Urban
Web site: laurenurban.etsy.com
Location: Alexandria, Virginia (just outside Washington, D.C.)

What do you create?
I am a fused glass artist who primarily focuses on jewelry and house wares. My most popular items are sushi dish sets.


Where and when do you do your creative work?
I have a studio in my garage and can be found creating something nearly every minute I am at home.

Do you have another "day job"?
Like many artists I have dreams of leaving my "real job" to work for myself, but the truth is that I also love my career. I am an engineer who specializes in automobile safety testing. I spend my days crashing cars and working with child safety seats.


Where and what did you study?
I have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Throughout college and afterwards, I supplemented all that left brain education with as many studio art classes as I could take. One of those classes was a one-day glass fusing workshop in April of 2005, which served as the foundation for my current endeavor. Besides that I am largely self-taught.


Where do you find inspiration?
I actually get a lot of it from the glass itself. I also obsessively monitor high fashion and home decor design and love trickling those concepts and trends down into my pieces.


What motivates you?
I love to create things, obviously, so that is a factor. I've been pretty strong-willed and independent since I was a kid, and I love the feeling of seeing something through from start to finish. I find that's about all the motivation I need!


When did you start doing this?
I have crafted all my life, but I began glass fusing about three years ago, in the spring of 2005.

Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
My mother is extremely artistic, and we were rather poor growing up. Lots of our childhood games and activities revolved around egg cartons, toilet paper tubes, pipe cleaners and crayons. She always came up with the neatest ideas; she is the #1 reason I am a creative person.


When and why did you decide to start your own business?
I officially started a business in April of 2007. It was a combination of trying to offset the cost of my hobby as well as demands from family and friends. At the time I also had an abundance of product that I didn't have any room for... a girl really can have too much jewelry! Once Etsy was created I knew that would be a great solution for me and it has just gone on from there.


How did you choose the name for your business?
Unfortunately my real name is rather common; I also have to share it with a teenage Canadian actress. In an effort to better distinguish myself on the Internet, I decided I had to come up with a "stage" name and liked the rhythm and feel of "Lauren Urban". I also think it reflects the modern feel that a lot of my work has.


What do you love most about creating your work?
I love ending up with finished products, of course, but I also find working with glass very relaxing – scoring, breaking, arranging, stacking, grinding – I actually find the monotony to be kind of Zen.

What's the most fascinating place you've been?
London, hands down, though Vancouver is a close second.


A book you love:
I love The Stranger by Camus, as well as The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.

What is the most interesting thing about you?
People are often surprised to hear that I was born and raised in Brooklyn.

What achievement are you most proud of?
I am most proud of learning to love and listen to myself. It sounds so corny, but it's really true.


What advice would you give women starting their own business?
Seek out your local small business association! I took a number of business start-up classes and the majority was either free or cheap. They are an excellent resource.

What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
Time! Glass fusing is a lot of hurry up and wait… It can take up to eight hours for a single dish to cool properly.


What do you love to do in your free time?
Fuse glass! I also love bad television, cooking, sewing and traveling.

What are you working on right now?
I’m working on quite a few sushi sets, as well as earrings and bracelets, which are both kind of underrepresented in my shop right now.


What do you hope to achieve next?
I’d like to hit 100 items on Etsy in the next few months, and I always think about incorporating soft goods into my shop as I’m also an avid seamstress. We'll have to see, though – I feel overwhelmed sometimes as it is, but I really wouldn’t have it any other way!

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.

Kathleen Bostick Studio ... Vermont, USA

Artist: Kathleen Bostick
Business: Kathleen Bostick Studio
Web site: http://studiometalsmith.etsy.com and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katkrafty/
Location: Wilder, VT (but soon moving back to Southern California)


What do you create?
I make jewelry and small metal sculpture and objects.

Where and when do you do your creative work?
I make my work on my days off and I stay after work and use the studio. I try to fit it in whenever possible.

Do you have another "day job"?
I do have a day job right now. I am the assistant jewelry studio manager at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. I teach people how to make jewelry. It’s a temporary position for me, one school year. I will be leaving here in June to go back to my home and husband in California. In September I will be going back to school. I will be a grad student at San Diego State University in the Jewelry/Metals program.




Where and what did you study?
I have a BFA in jewelry/metalsmithing from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.

What inspires you and what motivates you?
Lots of things! I just really like making things. I like problem solving, thinking of an object and the figuring out how to make it. I like to make people laugh, and think, so I will use humor and sarcasm in my sculpture pieces. I also like to make narrative sculpture. Vintage ads, cookbooks, and magazines from the 1940s to the 1970s amuse me, some of them are so ridiculously funny and I intend on working with images from these in the future. I love graphic designs especially Japanese crests and op art.

When did you start doing this?
I started working with metal in 2000, right before college, so I’m still pretty new at it. I have a lot to learn.




Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
I have always loved to draw. I was a horse girl when I was really young and would draw them for hours in my room! I used to paint fantasy landscapes in high school. Art and craft have always been a big part of my life.

When and why did you decide to start your own business?
I started selling jewelry on EBay in 1999, I think. Nothing like what I make now, but wire wrapped, beaded things. It was fun, but I wasn’t really making a profit. I took a long time off from trying to sell my work. It’s hard to make art when you are thinking about a customer. I just starting selling on Etsy and I hope to sell enough to keep from having to get a job while going to school.




How did you choose the name for your business?
I opened my original Etsy shop under the name KatKrafty. I still have it and will be selling supplies and crafty things I make in that one. I chose the studiometalsmith.etsy name because that’s what I am! I lucked out and was able to purchase the domain name, so I wanted them to match. I don’t have the web site up yet, but I’m working on it.

What do you love most about creating your work?
I love working with my hands and becoming one with my tools. It’s a great thing when they become an extension of your hand and mind. It takes years for this to happen, to really hone your craft. I feel like I’m getting there. I’m becoming more knowledgeable of my materials and what their limits are and this is going to make me freer to create what I envision.




What's the most fascinating place you've been?
Kazakhstan. I actually went there to work on a Rocket Launch in the 1990s.

A book you love:
One book? Gosh I’m a book junkie! I love “how to” books. Right now, I’m building up my knitting book collection. Yeah, I knit!

What is the most interesting thing about you?
Hmmm… I used to play bass guitar in a Goth band in the late 1980s and I have the tattoos to prove it. That usually gets some laughs.




What achievement are you most proud of?
I had my (metal) artwork shown at SOFA Chicago and SOFA New York a couple of years ago and I will be in a show later this year at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco.

What advice would you give women starting their own business?
Network; meet as many people in your field as possible. Those connections can really pay off.




What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
I find it challenging to feel confident. I am always worried what others think and that can be paralyzing at times.

What do you love to do in your free time?
I love to knit. I have four projects in progress, two sweaters, a hat, and some mittens.




What are you working on right now?
I am making samples for an upcoming class I’m teaching on Damascene, the process of inlaying fine silver and gold into steel.

What do you hope to achieve next?
I hope I can get that MFA! After that, I want to be a University Professor.