FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - CHRISTEN LARGENT, METALSMITH

Journal Circle Bracelet with Birthstone Setting

Customize with your choice of words in my NEW Journaling Lowercase Font. Shiny or Oxidized Finish

CLICK on above photo to learn more about this item

I'm happy to bring you the fine designs of Christen Largent, Metalsmith from Etsy. You really must pay a visit to Christen's shop to see all of her great jewelry designs. There is a wide variety of items in her shop. Christen offers customized/inscribed bangles, bracelets, personalized pendants for both men and women, gorgeous rings, and more....!

Let's read Christen's interview below to get a bit more of an insight into this talented jewelry artist.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I have always worked with my hands, (I'll spare you the line-up of mediums over the years!!) but around the time that my son was born, I started wire-working...making jewelry, teaching the art, etc. and as I was working with wire, I realized that there were limitations. My dad did some metalsmithing in school, so he gave me my first lesson in soldering and the rest is history!

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

It found me! First with wire and then just all-out metal! I'm basically a crow anyway - anything pretty and shiny and I'm in love!

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

A challenge - thinking up an impossible piece with a bazillion soldering joints and seeing it all come together...it's like I've conquered the limitations of metal!! I'm not even a REALLY, REALLY experienced metalsmith, so I can't wait to see what the future brings!

Spring Crocus Stacked Sterling Rings . set of three

made to order in your size (whole, half or quarter sizes)

CLICK on the ring's photo to learn more about this item

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

This is a great question because I LOVE to garden....I think I will say a tomato because if you've ever seen a successful tomato farmer, and ask him how his tomatoes are so healthy and prolific, he'll tell you it takes years of practice, knowing what the tomatoes need in order to thrive and tender loving care. And that's exactly what metalsmithing takes. You can't just say one day "I think I'll metalsmith"! and just jump in and start making beautiful things. It takes learning the "rules" (science behind metal and flame), having the right tools, and a great deal of patience and tender loving care, and YEARS AND YEARS of practice. You're going to melt things down, you're going to burn and cut yourself, but you just keep going!

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

I am an avid scrapbooker and LOVE layout design. It is somewhat similar to building a piece of jewelry too!

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

My message, first and foremost, is the beauty of nature and the awesomeness of God who created it! I get inspired EVERY DAY when I look around me! God created metal and the physical properties of metal too, so I'm grateful all the way around!!

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Find something that you LOVE and do it with all your heart, soul and mind! It's great to be able to sell it, but if it's a choice of something that nourishes your soul or something that nourishes your bank account, choose your soul!!!

Christen, thank you for a delightful interview! It was fun learning more about the artist behind the beautiful jewelry, and to see your work.

If you'd like to see more of Christen's creations, be sure to click on the photos and link below.

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - THE SPEECE COLLECTION

Bracelet Nesting Pretty Pearls, Lavender

by Pat

There is so much detail in the beautiful bracelet by Pat from The Speece Collection, that I have put the close-up photo and another photo showing the whole bracelet. What a gorgeous creation! One can tell that a lot of time went into its creation.

Let's welcome Pat, and her Etsy shop The Speece Collection! When you pay a visit to Pat's shop you will find some very exquisite creations ranging from earrings, bracelets, necklaces and more. Read below to learn a little bit about Pat and her work.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

Rocks, jewelry, rocks, jewelry......As a kid, I collected and saved my rocks mainly from the field behind my house, carefully saving them in an old bucket. I spent many afternoons dipping each rock into a pan of water and admiring the colors and patterns. Later, jewelry took over as an interest, and finally matured into the realization that a lot of jewelry is made from gems and minerals, and rocks --- all solid earth creations. Now I could work with both interests. But how? I joined a rockhound group, and during one of the shows, a friend was demonstrating how to make jewelry. I stood transfixed, admiring his ability and creations. He said, "Pat, you can do this!"Really? Yes... and so I did.

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

After working with clay, jewelry components were light-weight, small, dry, and I could wear the outcome! I could also work in the house on cold days.

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

I love looking at a pile of components and turning that into something beautiful. The entire process is satisfying, and I feel really good with the final results. If I don't, it's back to the drawing board until I am very happy with the outcome. When I think I might be done with a piece, I ask myself what can I do to make it better. When I answer that question, and act on it, then I know it is finished and ready for someone else. That is the most fulfilling feeling!

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

A peach. They are beautiful, tasty, filling and satisfying. I like to think my customers are happy and very satisfied with their piece, the piece that fills a need to complete their outfit.

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

I would choose clay sculpture. I've done this in the past. Clay is forgiving of mistakes in that you can just wipe them out and go forward until the piece looks right and wonderful in all its parts as well as in total. Sculpture allows changing directions in the middle of the process, as does making jewelry. Since color is not involved, it is possible to concentrate on form only.

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

I want them to realize that the piece was made with great care, and that it shows. When one of my pieces arrives at its destination, I want the buyer to open the mailing box, slip off the ribbon and note, and with happy anticipation, lift off the lid of the gift box, and have a big grin on their face, and exclaim "Wow!".

What advice to you have for other artists/crafters?

I would advise others to find the creative outlet that satisfies them. Something that is enjoyable in every step of the way, that the challenges are not insurmountable, and that greatly satisfies them.

Pat, thanks again, for sharing, and for a really great interview! Your work is beautiful, and one can tell that you really love what you do...your creations certainly reflects it.

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - ANNWN - Handcrafted Lavender Glass Bead Jewelry by Andrea Kiernan

WELCOME, Andrea of ANNWN - Handcrafted Lavender Glass Bead Jewelry out on Etsy. I just love this artist's exquisite glass lavender beads!! One can almost smell the wonderful scent of lavender...just by looking at her lovely beads! Let's hear what Andrea has to say about herself and her delightful creations.

In my island studio I work to recreate the beauty of the lavender fields. I primarily use the lavender beads for pendants like the ones modeled after the Grosso variety that have been featured in various beading books and magazines. Most recently, my jewelry has grown from simple pendants to large art pieces containing multiple lavender flower spikes. The hollow focal bead functions as a vial, meant to be filled with the lavender plant's calming essential oil. Its wearer experiences a constant aromatherapy treatment, the next best thing to a summer walk in the fields.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I studied off hand glass blowing in undergraduate school. When I moved out to San Juan Island, there were no hot glass shops so I built and ran my own small glass studio and quickly learned how expensive they are to keep in constant operation! It was at this time that I pulled out the lampworking torch that I had been carrying around since high school and taught myself how to make glass beads.

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

Hmmm... I have always been really excited by molten glass, but I do remember getting to see a hot glass demonstration when I was a kid on a family vacation. After that, whenever anyone asked what I wanted to be when I grow up I would reply a glassblower.

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

I really enjoy the torch time, it is where I can experiment and be creative, I also enjoy assembling my beads into finished jewelry- this I can do right in my living room while at home with my three-year-old daughter, it enables me to be at home while working and helps our family avoid crazy high daycare bills.

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

I would choose vegetable, the head of the lavender plant reminds me of asparagus!

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

Silversmithing- I really want to learn how to solder and have the materials to cast and polish silver and other metals. I feel limited with jewelry design not being able to design my own fine metal components.

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

The beauty of the natural world and the amazing properties of lavender as a medicinal herb.

Thanks, Andrea, for sharing your beautiful work with us. Be sure to visit Andrea's links below to learn more about her wonderful creations.

PELINDABA LAVENDER

SHOP THE FRONTIER

SILVER ONLY

FOREMOSTFOCAL

LAVENDER BEADS (Etsy Shop)

FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - YONPLI MOSAICS

Let's welcome Bethany of Yonpli Mosaics out on Etsy. I've browsed through her shop, and found a great selection of mosaic pieces ranging from pendants, framed mosaics, bottles, balls and more! After reading below to hear what Bethany has to say about herself and her work, be sure to pay a visit to YONPLI MOSAICS.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?
I have always been crafty and loved art – I can’t really say where it all started.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?
I have always loved glass. When I was little I collected sea glass at the beach. When I was older, I developed a “glass problem.” I had a bunch of wine bottles in different colors and could not throw them out for recycling. I wanted to make something with them and didn’t know what. Then I discovered the art of mosaics, and the rest is history. (But I never did use those wine bottles because I discovered beautiful Italian vitreous glass!)

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?
I love the feeling that I’m painting with glass. I get so involved in my mosaic that I forget the stresses of life for those few moments . . . or hours.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?
Ummm, I think a kiwi – not sure why, but a kiwi sounds good.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?
I think I would put a modern twist on traditional quilt patterns.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?
Mosaic is the art of imperfection and irregularity. In my work, each piece is broken using a pair of nippers. No break is completely perfect and no piece is laid in the mosaic perfectly either – that is impossible. But each piece is shaped and placed well. And mosaics are beautiful because of both the skill and talent of the artist, but also the imperfections that give the mosaic character and a touch of the artist’s humanity. True beauty is not complete perfection; it is being able to put all the little imperfections together into an amazing whole.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?
Find an art or craft that you love – the rest doesn’t matter so much as long as you absolutely love what you are doing.

THANKS, Bethany for taking the time to share your thoughts and work with all of us. I really enjoyed being able to learn a little bit about what makes you "tick" as an artist. Great answers....especially what you had to say about what "message" you want to convey with your art. You can also see more of Bethany's work out on her Flickr site.

FLICKR

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - SOUL ART by RAFFAELLA

I dream of PARIS

is the title of this mixed media necklace

by RAFFAELLA of "SOUL ART"

Let's welcome this delightful artist and hear what she has to say about herself and her art. I truly enjoy meeting all the different artists, and hearing about what makes them "tick" and seeing all the different art mediums. I hope you enjoy reading about Raffaella of SOUL ART on ETSY. Don't forget to visit her shop by clicking on the links below. You might just find something you can't live without!

Hallo! I am an Italian collage mixed media artist, and I particulary enjoy creating wearable art using any combination of objects and techniques that I can think of! I live in Australia, my pieces are sold in selected shops, markets, online, and my work has been featured in local newspapers and magazines.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I have always been involved in creating "something", whether IT was for my job as a fashion designer back in Italy, or as a way to escape from it, and express my feelings and emotions in a tangible, more personal way.

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

That was a very easy decision as I do like to experiment with any sort of media and material, I like to try and invent my own techniques….so mixed media it was!

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

Probably the challenge to transform an idea, convey an emotion into a tangible piece. I enjoy experimenting, the unconventional use of media, and the ever surprising result.

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

A pomegranate. A delicious fruit, a whole entity made up of many unique juicy bits.

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

I mostly create Wearable Art using dominoes tiles and found objects, and collages on canvas and everyday discarded objects. So it is quite obvious that my message to the world is ‘recycle and re use!’ On a different level, my message will be ‘give’. My energy, my emotions and dreams are in my pieces, and I like to think that I am giving them to the world out there!

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Be true to yourself, be proud of what you do, no matter how profitable your art may be. Create for your own sanity!

Raffaella, thanks so much for taking the time to share your work and thoughts with us. Great work and "insightful" answers! Below is the link to SOUL ART! Click on any photo to go directly to that item in her shop, or click on the SOUL ART link below the photos to visit Raffaella's shop.