Pieces of Home Mosaics Shop

Sunday, January 27, 2013

My Interview with Dawn Harrison

 
I love Etsy! There is so much to see and buy! I love having an online mall at my finger tips! I also, enjoy learning about people and their shops! I found Dawn's Shop and fell in love with it!
 
         Just4FunDesign 

My Interview with Dawn Harrison!
 
 
 
 
What do you sell?
 
Handmade Jewelry specializing in the Tree of Life Pendant
 
 
How did you get started with Etsy?
 
 
I was referred by a friend. Whenever I mentioned to someone that I had a store online selling my jewelry the same question always came up . . . Do you sell on Etsy? I had my own website and had been selling on Yardsellr for over a year – but, everyone suggested to succeed I must set up shop on Etsy. I took their advice and here I am.
 
 
When did you get interested in making your Art/Craft?
 
 
I have always been into crafting. Sewing, crocheting, knitting, drawing, painting, and costume design – mostly the renaissance and Civil War period. It was suggested that I attend an after work gathering to make jewelry with several co-workers and I jumped at the opportunity. I have been making jewelry for several years now. I love it! I discovered the concept of the tree of life pendant on You Tube…once I saw the finished product I was enthralled.
 
 
When did you get interested in Vintage items? 
 
 
The vintage items that I have made and sold would be the costume design – mostly the renaissance and Civil War period. I started making clothing for our entire family to attend the Renaissance Faires here locally, and it quickly spread to friends and fellow renn fest folks.
 
 
Where does your inspiration come from?
 
 
My inspirations on the tree of life pendants come from nature. I am surrounded by my beloved trees. As a child I had a favorite tree that I would draw constantly, then I went to Gettysburg, PA with my family for a Civil War reenactment, on that trip I discovered the Gettysburg Witness Tree at Devil’s Den. I was mesmerized by its beauty and shape. I’ve recently had a fellow artist paint the tree on a glass pendant for me. It’s image hangs in my living room and with each tree of life pendant I make I try to recapture the beauty of nature. I have been a camper my entire life and feel so blessed to lie under a tree and dream. Mother Nature has blessed us with so much beauty…nature is my inspiration.
 
 
Who taught you or how did you learn your art form?
 
 
For the most part making my trees is self-taught. I typically can look at something and re-create it. I found myself following the path of the wire in others trees and then I let my fingers and love for the tree do the rest. Each creation is very personal to me and I can recognize my own work, even after more than 500 tree creations. Give me a string of wire, some gemstones and a ring to attach them to . . . and my fingers and imagination does the rest.
 
Who taught you about vintage items?
 
 
Once again.- self-taught. I am not big on using patterns. I have used patterns to get the basic shape of an outfit, but when I get to the end of the piece of clothing it is all me, totally unique. I have woken in the middle of the night with a vision of an outfit I want to create and the next day I typically get started on the pieces. I have a very restless mind…it is always clicking fast forward. Crafting helps me slow down the process and enjoy the art. I get very focused when I am working on a new project. The house could fall down around me and I would barely notice. Good thing I waited until my children were grown to discover my craft.
 
 
Where do you see your Shop in 5 years from now?
 
I see myself retired from my fulltime Marketing Manager position. I will move out of the office cubical and retire to work my craft and sell my beautiful trees. My goal is to become the number 1 tree of life pendant seller on all my online stores. My hope is to continue developing the store that I share with my daughter, Amanda Harrison, and keep our relationship very close. She makes all the earrings, bracelets in my shop (or soon to be in my shop). We find crafting together keeps us close and we both love making jewelry TOGETHER.
 
 
 How do you manage your time between Etsy and the rest of your life?
 
Right now time management is very hard. I am working 14 hour days and I spend every vacation making trees. We have a cabin in the woods and while there between hiking, riding my golf cart (I just love that little cart), cooking on the grill and playing with my puppy I am making trees. If I am sitting still I am making trees. It is tough right now but I am happy when I am busy, never been one to sit still long.
 
 
Is this a hobby, part-time job, or full-time job?
 

I would say a part-time job first, hobby second. I like making money from my craft because it provides me the funds to make more and build my business. I love beads and gemstones. Some days I will just pull the box of beads out and explore my treasures. Both my daughter and I have that in common. We have built a gem oasis in our basement. To most it is a box of worthless rocks, to us it is beauty. We could go down there and get lost in the glitter of beads and stones. It is such a blessing to be building a business doing what I love.
 
Do you make or stock items you love, or what will sell?
 
I try not to stock. Most of my items are one of a kind and I typically sell them as fast as I post them. I have three monster boxes full of our creations. It is very nice when you are going out and need something super special to go with an outfit. I will show the outfit to my daughter and say to her—create me something special for this outfit. By the time I come down dressed she has made me a beautiful set of jewelry to go with it. She has an eye for color and style. I have my own private designer – very nice indeed.
 
Where else can we find you online?
 
You can find me at
and of course now on ETSY
 
 
Did you always want to have your own business?
 
No. Never really thought about it until I found I was creating more than I could ever give away as gifts, keep myself or donate to fund raisers or benefits events. The reaction from friends, family, co-workers, and winners of the donated jewelry caused me to consider opening the doors to our online stores. Plus, when my daughter and I started drifting apart and we found one of the best connections between us was making crafts together it seemed like a no-brainer. Our business (which she named) keeps us strong.
 
 
Any other thoughts you want to share with us?
 
I want to thank Kate Brooks for giving me this opportunity. I made some statements here are are very eye opening to me. I have a habit of totally speaking my mind and I realize my tree of life pendants and my jewelry keep me grounded and focused on what is important in my life. My family, my craft and to God for giving us such a beautiful canvas to work from. Thanks Kate.
 
Dawn You are Very Very Welcome!
 
Here is a sample of what you will find in Dawn's Outstanding Shop!
 
Enjoy!
 
  





Please come on over and check out my shop
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PiecesofhomeMosaics?ref=si_shop



Saturday, January 19, 2013

All You Need Is Love



All You Need is Love
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest
 
 
 
            Love...
is a Beautiful Thing
 
is Kind
 
 makes the World Go Round
 
I believe it!
With Valentines Day just around the corner, I thought, I would write a bit about love.

Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest

As I look back on my life, I know, I have had what I feel is an abundance of love. I haven't always felt this way however.

I am adopted. I came to live with my new parents when I was 15 months old. For years and years I felt like a "throw away" person. It took me a long time to feel self worth. I could tell you a ton about how wonderful my Parents were. I could tell you that I knew I was loved. But, if you don't love yourself... you just can't understand why others would love you.

Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest


Self worth is something I take very seriously.  To this day, 45 years later, I still struggle with it.

But, I vow to help all children understand that they are
Important, Smart, Worth It,
and
Who They are is Outstanding!

I am a Preschool Teacher. All, my students will walk away from my class knowing this! I hope to have given them the first Key to their Self Worth from someone outside their family circle.
 
I am also, an artist and enjoy creating. I fell in love with taking broken items and making them whole. Some people might look at the items I use in my art as "throw away" items. I see them as important items of beauty.
 
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest

As I said before... I know I have had and have an abundance of love. I have an amazing family. An outstanding husband. And, I now know that I am worth having all the love and giving all the love I can.


Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest

My Love Story:
When I was 27 years old I found my birth mother. My birth mother came out to visit me, my husband, and my children. The airport she was flying into was in the same city that my Parents lived. My Parents invited my birth mother and my family to their home to spend the night before our 2 hour drive to my home.
 
I will never forget the hug my Moms gave each other. I will never forget the "Thank You" they both cried to each other. I will never forget walking into the family room in the very early hours of the morning and seeing them together laughing, talking and crying and knowing that both of them had not gotten to bed yet.
 
Both of my "Moms" are gone now.

          I think to myself...
 
 Love is an Amazing Ride!
 
Love does make the World go Round. 
 
 Love is Kind!

I strive to give Love and Beauty to all!




Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest


When you look in the mirror... repeat after me....
I am who I am
I am perfect
I am worth love
I am worth giving love
I am important


Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest

To My Hubby

When I reach out... you are there
When I need support... you hold my hand and hold me up
I have loved you for 26 years
You are my heart




In the Sprit of Love.....

Enjoy these Amazing Shops!




Saturday, January 12, 2013

Spice Up Your Kitchen!



Spice Up Your Kitchen!

Today, I want to share my new line with you. I have started making mosaic pieces for your kitchen!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
The heart of the home is always the kitchen. I think some of our favorite memories started in the kitchen. Baking with Grandma. Learning to cook with Mom. Or trying to learn to how to make pickles with Dad!
 
People love a beautiful kitchen. There are so many wonderful items to help you make your kitchen reflect your personality. Today, I am going to share my kitchen goodies with you. I also am going to share some recipes on how to make your own infused vinegar and oil! Also, a site that will help you create your own spices!  

Now, I just can't show you my stuff! I am an Etsy Fan... At the end of this post look for some other shops that will help you add beauty to your kitchen!

 
Here we go! Spice up Your Kitchen!

With my Vinegar Bottles!




Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest



 
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest


Make your own Herb Vinegars! Click on this photo and go straight to some amazing recipes!



 
Salt & Pepper Set!
 
(I am making more sets in different colors... so keep your eye out!)


Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest

Check out this recipe!! Just click on the photo and spice it up!


My Olive Oil Bottles
pretty pretty

 
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest
 






 
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest
 
 

 


                                        
            <-------------------- very cool site!





                                 Now You Need .......
                                             
                                      A great site to learn how

                 to make your own infused oils!
 
 
 



 

Here are those Etsy Shops I told you about!
Check each one out!!
 
Thank you for sharing part of your day with me!
For more of my items please visit
Find me on facebook: www.facebook.com/piecesofhome

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Get to know Troy Stengel

 
 
Today's Featured Shop Owner
 
Troy Stengel
 
Owner of California Mermaid
 
Etsy Shop
camermaidjewelry
http://camermaidjewelry.etsy.com

I am so excited to be interviewing Troy. She had done a feature on me a few month ago. Troy has a wonderful blog http://camermaidjewelry.tumblr.com. Please go check it out!

Here we go!!!!!
 
Get comfy....
Sit back with your coffee and enjoy getting to know Troy!
 

Q. What do you sell?
 
I sell custom, made to order, one of a kind (OOAK), and vintage jewelry and accessories. My Pink Diamonds line of jewelry is made with Swarovski crystals.
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest
 
 
Q.  How did you get started with Etsy?
 
I believe my sister introduced me to Etsy about 1-1/2 years ago. I was in awe (and still am) by the amazing talent and originality of so many artists of all crafts. As someone else termed it, I fell in love with the sheer "creaminess" of all the products and beautiful photography!
 
Q.  When did you get interested in making your Art/Craft?
 
I have an artistic background in mixed media and have always loved crafts of all kinds. I didn't start beading and making jewelry, though, until my (now) 6-1/2-year-old triplet girls were toddlers - about four years ago. My Etsy About Page discusses how California Mermaid came to be (long story short, I created the Pink Diamonds line of jewelry after my grandniece came up with the name for an abandoned clothing line).
 
Q.  When did you get interested in Vintage items?
 
I have always admired to quality and beauty of vintage and antique costume jewelry. I became interested in cleaning and repairing vintage pieces within the past year as I started to discover lots for sale.
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest
 
Q.  Where does your inspiration come from?
 
I simply love creating things! Currently, I'm offering a wide variety of styles of jewelry and accessories because I am interested in learning so many different techniques with different materials and finishes. With vintage pieces, I love the idea of restoring something to it's original luster or "upcycling" it into something new and beautiful.
 
Q.  Who taught you or how did you learn your art from?
 
I am completely self taught. I've learned from books, YouTube videos, articles and instructions on the Internet - you name it - plus countless hours of practice! I am very new to the vintage jewelry scene - this is a real work in progress and learning experience for me!
 
Q.  Where do you see your Shop in 5 years from now?
 
Some of the things that have occurred in my life during the past few years have made it difficult for me to plan more than six months in the future. However, I would love to have a successful shop with daily sales that provide a real income. I am hoping and expecting that in five years I will have honed my craft a lot more and defined a real personal style that is distinctive. Right now, I'm in a phase of experimentation.
 
Q.  How do you manage your time between Etsy and the rest of your life?
 
It's a challenge for me to manage my time between Etsy and everything else. I am currently a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM), but that will be changing in the new year. I will be looking for at least a part time job to help support my family. My goal is to respond to convos and emails during the day, as I can, and focus on making, listing and promoting items in the evening and during the weekends.
 
Q.  Is this a hobby, part-time job, or full-time job?
 
Currently, my Etsy shop is almost a full-time job, because I am still in the learning and experimenting phases. I could work on my Etsy shop 24/7 if time allowed!
 
Q.  Do you make or stock items you love, or what will sell?
 
I make and stock items that I both love and think will sell. I would to say that all my ideas are completely original, but when I see colors, patterns, materials, etc. that I like and that are popular, I can't resist dabbling in that area to make my own items.
 
Q.  Where else can we find you online?
 
Twitter: @camermaidjewelr
Instagram: @camermaidjewelry
California Mermaid and Pink Diamonds products:
http://www.cafepress.com/californiamermaidlogowear
 
Q.  Did you always want to have your own business?
 
Yes. My first business idea came to me when I was about 12-years-old. I wasn't able to get a real job during summer vacation, so I ripped off a slip of paper on a street lamp that said something like, "Earn $500 a week stuffing envelopes!" My journey in that direction didn't work very well, obviously, but I did embark on my path of slowly learning what doesn't work!
 
Q.  Any other thoughts you want to share with us?
 
I'd like to share my personal philosophy that, sometimes, it is necessary to fail in order to succeed; each failure has a lesson in it for us and leads us closer to reaching our goals. Don't be afraid of failure - there are famous successful people that failed hundreds of times before they succeeded. Keep at your craft, keep improving and keep being inspired.

Here is a Sample of Troy's Shop!
Make sure to pop over to her shop and find your favorites pieces!

Enjoy!
 









 

Come by my shop & find yourself something to love!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Magnets and Shops

Today I thought...hmmmm....
What do I want to say on my blog today??
 
To be honest, I am sick as all get out. I have a sinus infection and both ears are also infected! I think my Day Job is trying to kill me!!! I own and teach preschool. I love my preschool, I love being with all those cute little germ makers! I know if I didn't teach I would be lost! I Have the Best Day Job in the World!!
 
Anyway, back to blogging and thinking...
 
I came up with a plan for today! I am going to show off my magnets and show off some of my favorite shops!
 
As most of you know... I love fusing glass. I love the way that I never really know what will come out of the kiln.
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest
 
Some of the coolest things I have ever seen are abstract. I love abstract art!


Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest

 
Plus, being a Mom, Nana and preschool teacher..... I always have something hanging up on my fridge!  I also, thought of office spaces and how magnets would be helpful.
 
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest
 
Spice up your kitchen!
 
Add beauty to your office space!
 
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest

 Now, I can't just show you a few of my Fused Glass Magnets without showing off a Mosaic Magnet.... Remember Smurfette???
 


 
Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest

Swing on over to my shop to see more magnets! While you are there... check out the other stuff too!
 
 
Now it is time to show you some Outstanding Shops!
 

 
 
I hope you enjoyed the magnets
I hope you enjoyed the shops
 
Take care!


Friday, January 4, 2013

 
 
Today's Featured Artist is
 
Lori Howard
 

Lori has a beautiful shop! I can't wait for you to get to know her and see her creativity at work!

Q. What do you sell?

My Etsy shop has been stocked with wreaths... Christmas wreaths, fall wreaths, Halloween wreaths, mesh wreaths, fruit wreaths... lots and lots of wreaths! I also created some Christmas garland and topiary. A good catch all would be home decor! In 2013 I plan to add some different home decor items. I am itching to experiment

Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest
>

 
Q.  How did you get started with Etsy?

In 2011 I found myself in a bit of a crisis. My son started school and I was lost! My background is personal finance and before we adopted our son I worked in the banking industry. The possibility of heading out into the "banking" workforce was not something I really wanted to do again. My husband and I also own a network consulting business but honestly, that is "his" thing. I am the person behind the invoicing, contracts, and emails. He and I sat down one day to talk about my future since our little bird was taking his first little flight outside the family nest. My husband shocked me. This... all of this... was his idea! I don't think he envisioned me going after it with such gusto! I dove head first and never looked back.

 
Q.  When did you get interested in making your Art/Craft?

  Wow... that is a hard one to pin point. I have always had an artistic heart and mind. I love to draw, write, and create. I feel lost when I don't have some "outlet" to get all these ideas bouncing around inside my head out. One of my very first arts and crafts memories was making a decoupage Christmas ornament in kindergarten using an ostrich egg. I was bitten by the bug that early on! Through the years things just grew! My love of art and literature... this insane need to create... It's no longer an extension. It is me. It's in my blood!
 

Q.  Where does your inspiration come from?

  This may sound cliche but some of my inspiration comes from my son. Children are not fettered by an adults thought processes. He will see something and he wants to know if I can make something from it. He loves trains. It is an obsession in the Howard Home. Not just Thomas but real, honest to goodness trains. And he'll ask "Mama, can you make me a train wreath". Why yes! Yes, I can! We also live in the south where snow is almost as alien as E.T. We have "flurries" maybe once a decade. He wanted a snowman for Christmas and I figured out how to give him a snowman. A lot of my inspiration comes from nature... a piece of fruit, a bird, the color of fresh cut wood. I love those things and want to replicate nature... capture a bit of it to bring into my home. Of course my customers are a never ending well of inspiration. You want a wreath 50 inches long... well let me think on it for a bit but I promise I will find a way! All in all, life is my inspiration!

 
Q.  Who taught you or how did you learn your art form?

   I think some people are just more creative than others just like some people are better at math or more out going. It's just there for me. I can't paint though I have tried and tried. Drawing and sketching run in my family. It didn't come easily and it is something I still work with. But floral and home decor... it is like having a sixth sense. It's just there... racing through my blood. Give me flowers and I can arrange them. Give me ribbon and I can make a bow. Show me colors and I will pick out what I think goes well together. I had some not too successful endeavours and I love to experiment. Even with a failed attempt you learn and grow! 

 
Q.  Where do you see your Shop in 5 years from now?

  Hopefully I will have a brick and mortar shop! It is one of my long term goals. I want to try new mediums. I am currently researching wood veneers and I am extremely excited by the results. I'm also going to start a children's line of home decor... DyZZy Designs. This... well this will be something super special. The inspiration comes from my son Dylan and my niece Isabelle who we called affectionately Izzy Bug. She passed away January 2012 at the age of three. Isabelle was born a special needs child. At birth she was diagnosed with 18p deletion, holoprosencephaly, and agenesis of the corpus callosum. She was a miracle... a one in a million, both literally and figuratively. With each item sold, a portion of the sales will go to a charity which touched our lives and research for chromosomal abnormalities. She changed our life and for that I am thankful. Hopefully I, in turn, can help to change some ones life.

 
Q.  How do you manage your time between Etsy and the rest of your life?

  Separating work and home can be tough when you do your work at home. I try to do the majority of my work when my son is at school and my husband is at work. That is when I create. Then after my son goes to bed is when I catch up on emails and orders... getting everything ready to be shipped out or delivered the next morning. Christmas threw my schedule off. My husband even volunteered to help out where he could which was amazing. I had a lot of late nights. The orders I received on Etsy was a fraction of my over all orders. My local customer base is phenomenal. It was a learning experience.

 
Q.  Is this a hobby, part-time job, or full-time job?

   I want this to be my career. It has been tough and even scary but this is the happiest I have ever been when it comes to work. I think I have been exceptionally lucky for my first year and I want to build on that.
 

Q.  Do you make or stock items you love, or what will sell?

  Both... though I do enjoy making the items I love far more than what will sell. But customers' tastes run all types of ways. There is a definite market for all of it. When I started DyJo designs I did it to sell wreaths but I wanted to create something different. Not just any old wreath or wreaths for Christmas. I wanted to create something special... something anyone would love to display in their home whether their decor is contemporary, cottage, or country kitsch. Slowly I am getting there but if a customer wants something different than my vision I will do it in a heart beat. We wouldn't be able to do this without our customers.

 
Q.  Where else can we find you online?


Q.  Any other thoughts you want to share with us?

   Utilize social media! If you aren't familiar with facebook, twitter, pinterest, and all the other free social media sites out there set aside time to learn. It is free marketing! You are in control of it all. It is a great way to interact with customers and potential customers. I enjoy posting photos of the materials I plan to use then the finished product. And if you feel like you are drowning take a deep breath.



More of Lori's Shop!
 
 
Please come by my shop for a visit!


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

 
 
My Little Winter Break is Over!
 
 
 
Happy Hello all! Well, it is time to go back to work. I am looking forward to seeing my little students and hearing all about their Christmas! I know they will be excited about all the new gifts from Santa! I love teaching 3 - 5 year old people. I also know, that if I get a word in tomorrow I will be lucky!
 
 
 
The sprits of my little preschool kids amaze me. They are so active and ready for anything. They love to learn and when their eyes light up with the "I get it" magic look... let's just say, it makes me so happy I could cry! By the way, I do.
 
Kids are so important to me, little gifts from above, that I tend to "Happy Cry" all over the place when they do something that they are so proud of.
 
 One of my students wrote her name for the very first time.. All By Herself. She looked up at me with a look of shock. The shock turned to pride...her eyes got big..her smile got even bigger.. she didn't say anything. I jumped up... did a happy dance.. hug her tight and happy cried. She in turn, hugged me back and said.. "Mrs. Brooks that is a happy cry. I do it too! I think I am going to do it right now!"
 
On my winter break I kept busy. I followed the lead of my preschool kids and was ready for anything... I put my "Ready for Anything Art Hat" on and created a few pieces.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I am inspired by my little preschool students. They are fearless in their art. They love to get messy and create! Nothing stops their imagination. They are always original, involed in the process of "Making" and truthful in the way they experience art. That is my goal.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

 
Today's Featured Family of Artists
 
William Rosenberg
Helena Al-Kubaisi (wife)
Flynn Rosenberg (2 ½ yr old son)
 
Here is my interview!
Ejoy!
 
A.  What do you sell?
 
Q.  Nature-inspired jewelry, fiber art fashions and expressions in wood. Only have one wood item in our shop, as my woodworking area is outside and it is so very cold in Colorado during the winter season to work in that space. I will hopefully be back to doing some woodworking this summer :-)
 
 
A.  How did you get started with Etsy?
 
Q.   My wife and I started knitting together during the evenings and she also attends a knitting group in the community once a week. The nice ladies there talk about Etsy often. That's how we got to know Etsy and then finally opened up a shop.
 
A.  When did you get interested in making your Art/Craft?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/118355977/hand-knitted-toddler-girl-smocked-bodice
 
 Q.    I have always been interested in handmade crafts. As a young boy, I would help my mom with her loom. As most folks probably feel the same as I do, I believe working with your hands to create is very soothing to the soul. The very act of creating/the steps you take to get there (no matter what the final product is) brings much happiness and peace to my brain. Truthfully, knitting and working on jewelry after work (hospital lab day job) in the evenings is the best therapy on the planet and even cheaper than a therapist :-). I appreciate that my wife and I can share in this time together. Our toddler boy Flynn brings us much inspiration and enjoys crafting too. Kids naturally are interested and drawn to creating and as they grow into adults, sometimes that aspect of their lives moves to a lower position. When I used to teach high school science, I always wondered why teaching high school kids was harder than the elementary kiddos. The elementary kids naturally want to ask questions, design and experiment. My high school kids had so many other things going on in their lives, that asking questions and designing experiments (what they did so freely as youngsters) actually became a very difficult task. Anyways, this has been my observation with interest in arts/craft creation and it has helped me to rethink/evaluate what I enjoy most and to incorporate a little more of crafting in my life.

A.  Where does your inspiration come from?
 
Q.  Hands down, my inspiration comes directly from the places my wife and I have lived. She is from Hawaii and I am from Colorado. You can see some of the ocean-mountain exchanges in our jewelry. Our toddler boy, Flynn, provides a push for designs as well. I will see him poke around in the yard or see things on our hikes that he points out. I'll start with colors or textures he interacts with in his natural world and use that a sounding board for the jewelry I design.
 
A.  Who taught you or how did you learn your art form?
 
Q.   I took a few classes in jewelry making, checked out many library books and visit our local rock and mineral shops. The people at the rock and jewelry shops are always helpful in answering your questions. I took a few classes from them as well.
 
A.  Where do you see your Shop in 5 years from now?
 
Q.   Five years from now, I intend positive changes and growth for MountainUrsusDesigns. We learn everyday about how to improve our methods, how to tackle the continual day-to-day lists and at the same time, balance life as a family. I see shipping our handmade items worldwide and hope that these folks are inspired just as much as we. Etsy is a great tool for connecting with people on a global scale. We can take that opportunity to connect with people all over the world and find out that we share so many things in common.
 
A.  How do you manage your time between Etsy and the rest of your life?
 
Q.   Managing time for Etsy and the rest of my life is difficult. It is a daily challenge to keep up with it all. But, I am continually fueled by the positive experiences I have had with folks in the Etsy community. My wife does all the photography for the handmade items we make and this is a HUGE help. Each day, I try to chip away at a few more things to do on the daily list she leaves for me to do when I get home from work. Whether that be answer convos, work on an activity she organized for Flynn and I, or even to take my jewelry apart and start over again. By the way, Helena as the final say in whether a jewelry item gets posted in our shop. Ha! Helena keeps me organized and I am so grateful for her organizational skills. It also helps that I work 8 days on at my day job in a hospital lab and then have 6 days off. I really power through those 6 days off spending time in the evenings when our boy is asleep to create jewelry. During those 6 off days, I pack in as much time with Flynn as I can. We do beading work together and he has been learning to knit. Got through at least 2 cast on stitches without him wiggling away and heading on to the next thing of interest.
 
A.  Is this a hobby, part-time job, or full-time job?
 
Q.  Currently, all of our crafts you see in our Etsy shop are things we have created as a hobby.
 
A.   Do you make or stock items you love, or what will sell?
 
Q.  We make items that we love. For us, part of creating is loving what we make, otherwise the stress can really get to you. Also, it has to be fun! This encourages positive growth in your craft. Just like for kids of all ages, learning is a healthy and positive experience when it is fun. Why should it be any different for us old folk? I learn about new methods, techniques and what works and doesn't while crafting. We truly intend for people to be uplifted by our handmade items just as much as we have been inspired to make them.
 
A.   Where else can we find you online?
 
Q.  Currently, you can find us here:
 
A.  Did you always want to have your own business?
 
Q.  I had my own business cutting firewood for people in Durango, Colorado right out of high school. I learned very early on in that endeavor not to let your business own you. I reflect on those memories often.
 
A.  Any other thoughts you want to share with us?
 
Q.  Intend for positive change, ask questions daily, and above all be grateful and give thanks for the opportunity to be a part of this world and the experiences you become a part of along the way.

Here is a sample of what you will find!
Enjoy!