FEATURED ETSY SHOP - SYBARITIC JEWELRY

Steampunk-Y long necklace with gold clock hand date wheel and lock nut

by
SYBARITIC JEWELRY
(CLICK on photo to learn more about this unique necklace)

WELCOME, Amaya and her Etsy shop, SYBARITIC JEWELRY! I must confess that I had no idea what "steampunk" jewelry was until I found Etsy! I LOVE it! It is very creative and I'm totally amazed at what fantastic jewelry can be created from nuts, blots, you name it!

Amaya has some great designs of necklaces and earrings in her shop, so be sure to pay it a visit. First, let's learn about more about this delightful artist.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

One hot Puertorican summer afternoon, back home, after seven straight hours of class I stumbled upon a cheap little plastic box in my sister's room (I wasn't snooping, I swear!). In it were teeny pink-lined clear seed beads, sewing straight pins and inexpensive, crude (and horrible) pliers. You have to pardon my sister for not having the proper materials or equipment... she was 12 at the time, and who knows when she actually obtained said materials. My family was out of town for that summer, and although I had all those classes to keep me company the little box intrigued me. In it were several sewing pins, with the pointy parts cut off and strung with seed beads. They had been finished off with a loop; I could see that the intended project was a set of earrings. I took the box with me to school, and during the small breaks conceded by the tyrannous college professors, attempted to continue the earrings. I hope you have never attempted to cut a sewing pin. Not only are flying, pointy points dangerous, they are also very, very, very hard. At least, these were. Needless to say, it was not a very productive attempt. It just so happened that Joyce, the girl who sat in front of me during Spanish, and whose Swarovski 8mm cube Rose AB earrings I had been admiring for three weeks, saw me. It was she that got me started in jewelry-making, explaining what the materials and tools were, how she made her headpins, even sharing her favorite supply store with me. I haven’t seen her since then, but she was my summer fling… it was her, me and Swar…My latest jewelry exploits have brought me back to my more rebellious days… I’m currently doing the Steampunk-Y line, a sort of ‘light’ Steampunk… I use keys, cogs, locks, clocks and whatever else I can get my hands on!

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I never really decided. The jewelry part is the most visible because it’s the one that I’ve decided to make a business. I don’t restrict myself… I don’t call myself a jewelry-designer, I call myself a designer. I happen to do jewelry… I also do buildings! If there’s a crafty endeavor out there, I’ll try it at least once.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

I like shiny and sparkly things. I like bright colors, I like large quantities of small things. I like organizing. I love MAKING things. And… I have to confess. You know when the box spills and you end up with a big container of mixed beads to sort? I like it.

Steampunk-y earrings with clock hands gears and lock nuts

(CLICK on above photo to learn more about these striking earrings)

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

Wow! Hard-hitting question! After much deliberation, I’m going to go with the unexpected (and un-sexy, sorry!) BEANS! Not only is the resemblance between beans and beads uncanny (and the words too!) but there can be very different types and still be a bead (bean! I meant bean!). I can do cute and pretty, but I can also do steampunk and edgier styles.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

I would love to be able to work with ceramics; I took a basic class at college and loved it, but I don’t have a workshop to mess around with, and the landlord would have a fit with a kiln/oven!

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

I don’t know if it sounds selfish, but there isn’t one. I do this completely for myself. It’s my ‘unwind’ after a hard week; its eight hours of fun without getting up… there isn’t a political discourse behind it.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

To remember that this is something that they choose to do; it’s supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable. It’s about you and what you love, not about what other people think or what sells. That’s also how I try to live life.

Amaya, thanks for sharing your wonderful designs, and also for a fun interview!

If you'd like to learn more about Amaya and her creations, be sure to visit her links below

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