Featured Shop: Fuchsia Bloom Studio

Thank you very much Rebecca for taking the time to answer a few questions about your etsy business: Fuchsia Bloom Studio. I am very happy and honored to feature your shop!
http://fuchsiabloomstudio.etsy.com

Q. How did you hear about Etsy?
A. A friend who was considering selling her crafts on Etsy told me about the site so I checked it out for myself and liked what I saw!

Q. What made you decide to sell on Etsy?
A. I liked the fact that besides the site fees being very reasonable compared to the last site I was on, I would be a member of an artist community and wouldn’t be working in a vacuum any more! Etsy has been an invaluable tool for networking, sharing ideas and just general inspiration. I see other people making it as an artisan and that gives me the drive to succeed.

Q. How did you originally get into handmade jewelry and which materials do you use to create it?
A. I originally started making wire jewelry over 15 years ago when I was in college studying marine illustration. A friend had a crazy wire necklace that I loved and I used that as an inspiration to start making my own. Later she suggested that I try to sell my work at a local artisan shop. I did and so my business was born! My materials have changed somewhat over the years ( I started with big, chunky pieces in steel and aluminum wire) but basically I use various small gauge wires (mostly sterling), freshwater pearls, gemstone beads and unusual vintage, crystal and glass beads to make my creations.

Q. What motivates and inspires you to create?
A. I get inspired when I buy a batch of new beads in exciting colors, when I see artwork, jewelry or even something in nature that I like, or when I look in a jewelry or bead magazine and see a new technique I want to try. What really motivates me? When I need to pay the bills and I really don’t want to go out and get a 9 to 5 job!

Q. What is your favorite movie and book?
A. Well I don’t have a one favorite movie or book but on the top of my list for movies I would say romantic comedies like “The Holiday” or historical romances like “Emma”. As far as books go, definitely the Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Tolkien and Faeries
by Brian Froud.

Q. What is your best advice for new Etsy sellers?
A. Being relatively new at the internet selling venue myself , and recently doing a lot of research on how to get yourself out there on the web, I would have to say, really promote yourself online and off. I am always giving out business cards and I blog, Facebook and Flickr regularly. There are lots of great venues out there that you don’t even have to pay for. Also I try to list new items as often as possible and keep my shop looking fresh. I see it as a 24 hour a day job! But I would rather be doing this than anything else.

Thank you very much, Rebecca.