Amy from JoonieBeads Treasures is one of my wonderful sponsors in the recent Spring Fashionista event. Her Etsy shop is full of handmade jewelry, so unique and beautiful, it’s a real treat for the eyes. I was so happy to receive a pair of amethyst crystal earrings to review!
Description of the earrings:
Tiny sparkling petite amethyst colored glass crystals set in silver tone setting and dangling from silver tone fishhooks.
These are gorgeous delicate, petite amethyst colored dangling crystals set in silver colored settings that will sparkle and shine in the summer sun.
These gorgeous earrings dangle from silver colored hypoallergenic fishhooks.
These hang approx. 1 inch from the top of the fishhook.
I was so happy when I received them! The packaging was so cute, and included a flower greeting card. The earrings were packed in a cute box, and included cute flower earring stoppers! That’s really handy and now I feel the earrings are more secure when I wear them, and they’re not bound to fall off. I already wore the earrings a couple of times, and not only are they light, sparkly and gorgeous, but they also match a lot of my outfits! I wear them to a daily day at the office and also when going out at night for an extra sparkle. I love amethyst and these earrings are perfect!
Here is an interview I made with Amy to learn a bit more about her and her shop:
> Tell us a little bit about yourself …
My name is Amy Thornton, I am a military wife of 21 years. I am also a mom of 1 amazing daughter, who is 20 now and in her 2nd year of college. I’ve been making jewelry for about 5 years and am finally able to devote some real time to the things I love to do, creating, reading, traveling and spending time with my husband.
> When did you first start making jewelry?
It’s been more than 5 years ago now. A friend taught my daughter to make a few simple things and it has grown from there.
> What is your favorite piece of jewelry (that you made)?
I love them all and say all the time that is shouldn’t be so hard to put them in the mail, but I make what I would like to wear. My favorites are multi strand pieces and I had one that was my all time favorite, it was about 42 inches of seed beads in a rusty orange color with funky silver spacers and I actually made it for myself, but ended up giving it to a friend who mentioned how much she liked every time she saw it. I have wanted to make another, actually one in every color is my plan, because multi strand pieces are so versatile and with wrap bracelets so big right now, they can be worn as bracelets as well.
> What’s your favorite material/technique to work with?
I typically love anything antiqued and old looking. You get the feeling that this piece had a life before you found it, like there are stories in it that you can tell as you design with it.
> What’s your inspiration?
Nature, the colors, patterns, textures of all things natural. I love to just go out with my camera and spend the day looking for pretty things to bring home with me in pictures. My family inspires me too, my husband draws, paint, etches glass, stamps metal and is always finding new ways to create something beautiful and out daughter is a photographer and graphic designer with her own funky, fun style and I am always inspired my something they are doing, some cool thing they show me or even something my daughter wears.
> What do you like/dislike about selling online?
The marketing part, which I suppose is most of it. I do not like to promote myself, I want my work to sell itself. I want people to buy because they like my pieces, not because I have talked them into it, so marketing, “tooting my own horn” so to speak, trying to convince people that my work is better than someone elses and all that, it’s just not in me. I look around Etsy and lots of people have beautiful work and I Tweet other peoples work and post it to Facebook all the time, because it’s not a competition for me, it’s just about the process and the selling is just something I do because I would have a house full of things I’ve made if I didnt find an outlet for some of them.
> Any tips for new artisans just starting to sell online?
Don’t let fear hold you back. Do what you love to do and create what you think is beautiful and others will love it too.
Also, good pictures!! Really work on that, it is frustrating to see things you know would be gorgeous, but you can’t really tell because the pictures are dark or fuzzy. Work that out first. Read the cameras manual, it really does help! There are great tutorials on Etsy and other sites. Ask questions of someone else who has a little more experience. Most indie artists are happy to share what they know with others, chances are someone taught them.
> How can people contact you?
You can find me on at any of these places…
> Any last words for our readers?
Make something beautiful, even if it’s a mess, they can be beautiful too. Do it for you, not to make other people happy.
Have confidence in yourself, do what you love and know that it IS beautiful, good and creative and no one else ever has to see if the way you do as long as it makes you happy.
Surround yourself with people who make you smile, A LOT and who love you for who you are.
Thank you Amy, it was a great pleasure interviewing you, reviewing your earrings and having you as a sponsor!
I love the design of the earrings very pretty