Saturday, October 25, 2008

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - GO GO KIOKO



WELCOME, Jenny, whose Etsy shop GO GO KIOKO has the slogan....Fun Handmade Jewelry for the Kid in You! It is definitely colorful, and fun, and I DO believe there is the "kid" in all of us, so be sure to visit GO GO KIOKO, and let the "kid in you" come out and have some fun!! Let's here what motivated Jenny to make her fun, colorful, pieces of jewelry.

What led you to start creating your art/craft
I tagged along with my mom as a kid when she sold her lollipops at craft shows. Once I finished college and was in the so called real world, the real world wasn't a good fit for me. I started selling some of the things I made to friends, then eventually hit the show circuit. Everything just snowballed from there, and here I am!

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?
When my oldest son was still small, he and my husband came home with one of those scorpions sealed in resin. I had seen them before, living in the Southwest US they are a common thing at tourist attractions. It gave me the heebie jeebies yet I couldn't quit studying it. I decided that something cuter had to go into this medium that had enthralled me so, so I started experimenting and eventually settled on candy and other sweets.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?
The designing part. I can sit down with a notebook and colored pencils for hours coming up with new ideas. I am also working on a new line of jewelry that requires hand sewing and I am discovering how relaxing that can be.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?
A strawberry- very sweet, very brightly colored, and perhaps one of natures cutest fruits.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?
I am moving into a new medium as I type this. I am working on a line of hand sewn cute jewelry. I love the little hand sewn plushies I see so many talented artists making, so I am trying to make my own little bite size plushies to wear.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?
You don't have to grow up! I really hope my jewelry is feeding the inner children of the women who wear it.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?
If you want to make a living selling your art, then you have to treat your art as a business. I spend about 50% of my work day creating, and the other half building my business and attending to other business tasks. On the bright side, running a business takes a lot of creativity so us artists and crafters have a leg up on the other guys.


Thanks, Jenny for sharing your delightful creations with us. Best of luck to you on your new designs. You can visit GO GO KIOKO by clicking on the photos to go directly to that item in Jenny's shop or clicking on the link below the photos.



JENNY'S BLOG

3 comments:

Jenny said...

Thanks for featuring me!

Darlene Martin said...

great interview!

Live, Love, Laugh, Write! said...

Fantastic feature on a fantastic artist! I was privileged to have a booth next to Jenny and her husband and a craft show and we had a TON of fun talking! We've also collaborated - her pendant is in one of my necklaces! Check it out:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16028460