pin it

Friday, April 20, 2012

Featured Friday - Timeless Avenue

I would like you to meet Ger W. and her Etsy shop:  TimelessAvenue.






If you love  jewelry inspired by the speculative, steampunk, fantasy, and all things vintagem, that are given individual names, Then you will love the items at TimelessAvenue. Ger also does custom items.

Ger is generously offering my readers chance to win a wonderful bracelet (pictured below)  It is a beautiful deep red glass bead steampunk bracelet. The centre of the bracelet is a stunning vintage watch piece and underneath hides a beautiful ballerina and her partner who dance on your wrist.
Please leave a comment in this post and also like Ger's FB page

 Let's get to know TimelessAvenue and Ger :

What would you like us to know about you?
I love what I do! Making jewelry is a new passion of mine but its growing and growing and growing. I had no idea how much desire was hidden and embedded deep down. I’m creative by nature but I wasn’t aware of my jewelry making skills until recently!

I have a slightly different style to a lot of people, but it’s interesting and a little bit unique. I like my jewelry to shout loud, and to speak about my personality. So a little bit different is good!

What prompted you to open an Etsy Shop
?
It was very strange to be honest with you. I woke up one morning and decided to make my own Alice in Wonderland Range of Jewelry, for myself. As I said my taste in jewelry differs from what I can find in the local shops here, and so I decided to source some goodies and make some special pieces just for me.
 I had no intention of selling any of them on. But once I started I discovered I couldn’t stop, and I
simply fell in love with the whole process of
designing and creating new and intriguing pieces of jewelry.
 
I had used Etsy before as a buyer and thought I’d give it a try. No harm!

When I had about 10 items of “stock”, I started listing them on Etsy, and I received such a good response from friends and family. It was exhilarating when I got my first sale, and my second… and even now 26 sales on, it’s still as exciting. I only listed my first item on the 11th March and feel so successful with my sales to date.

I will admit though, because I put quite a lot of myself into my creations, it can be difficult to let them go! And deciding which ones to keep for myself and which ones to sell is also a little heartbreaking! I can’t keep everything for myself, no matter how hard I’d try!

But Etsy is such a fantastic platform for sales and a great way to promote your shop and get to know other Etsians who are maybe a bit more experienced at this whole selling thing. I’ve had sales outside of Etsy and I’ve recently supported the Friends of the Rotunda Hospital charity with a sale of my items. My jewelry is also being stocked by a store in Dublin city centre, the Jam Art Factory, after I was approached by them through Etsy. So the ball is definitely rolling. I keep thinking what else might happen.

 

How did you come up with your shop name?
Coming up with a shop name was definitely the hardest part, because once you decide on a name and start trying to build a reputation, you’re stuck with it! I wanted my name to stand out, be remembered and most importantly mean something to me.

I’m also a writer. I write poetry, short stories and lots of ramblings and so I finally decided to use one of my poetry titles as my shop name. I wrote the poem a long time ago but it’s always followed me. It’s about friendship and futures and I felt it was very apt for my shop. So far, I haven’t regretted choosing it!

How would you describe your shop?
A little bit kitsch and a whole lot of me!

Everything I make in my shop I make for myself. If I won’t wear it, I won’t make it. There’s definitely a little bit of me in every piece. The majority of my pieces are one of a kind because I like to make something different every time. And I especially love when someone asks me to change an element of a piece I’ve created because it’s what they’d prefer or like. Putting the personal element into my jewelry is what I’m all about. I want someone to wear a piece of my jewelry for their friends to say, “oh that is so you”! I want my customers to know that the piece they have bought was made especially for them.

 
What inspires you?
So many things! Inspiration is incredible because it literally can come from anywhere. I could see a color and long to use it in a bracelet or necklace. I love looking at old movie posters, and love trying to incorporate the imagery I see. Anything dystopian, futuristic and steampunk is obviously a huge influence on me and I love the intricacies of the inner workings of machinary.


Watch parts are a big element of steampunk jewelry. I spend ages just looking at them before I decide on how I’ll magic them into a beautiful piece of jewelry. Essentially, I try to combine something hard with something soft and beautiful. So a rough metal watch piece matches perfectly with a sepia tone ballerina!

Which item in your shop is your favorite to make/find?
I love making the steampunk bracelets with hidden pictures. They are a stunning addition to a piece that stands out so dramatically already. Including a vintage photograph, or a posing ballerina picture really adds another dimension and element to these pieces. And the best thing is that my fans and customers really like them too.

If I can create a piece that will make someone stop and look because they think it’s interesting, then my work is done!

Above all, I love it when someone says, “Isn’t that unusual” when they look at my jewelry.




If you were shipwrecked on a desert island, what are the 3 crafty must haves?
Definitely my orange round nose pliers! I’d be lost without them. I have so many different tools, but I always go for trusty orange. After that I’d need some head pins and my cutting pliers. I’m sure I could make some desert island jewelry with that… maybe.

 


Where else can we find you?
I’m trying my best to build up my online life with Timeless Avenue and so far I have a thriving Facebook Page and I’m slowly getting into Pinterest. I’ve yet to start blogging, but you never know!

www.TimelessAvenue.etsy.com
www.facebook.com/TimelessAvenue
pinterest.com/timelessavenue/


Thanks so much Ger .  It has been great getting to know you and discovering your shop and your lovely items.

Now please show Ger some support and let us know which of her pieces are your favorite from her shop! Oh...and go ahead and heart a few of her items along with her shop :)

Have a great weekend!





knitting yarns

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Knit Nite Wednesday

What...it is Wednesday already....boy this week is flying by....here a Treasury of stuff I think my knitting buddies would like:

(All treasuries and items within the treasuries are clickable.)





knitting yarns

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Swimming Under the Moonlight

I got featured in an Esty Treasury called Swimming Under the Moonlight

(All treasuries and items within the treasuries are clickable.)


My Tyrian - Hand Spun Yarn (2nd row, 4th item) was featured in this Treasury 
by Susan from Alpaca4US




Talented Tuesday - JulieDeeleyJewellery

I would like you to meet Julie and her Etsy shop:  JulieDeeleyJewellery .


If you sparkly, fun jewelery, Then you will love the items at JulieDeeleyJewellery

Julie is very generous and is sharing the following coupon code: BLOG5 will get you 5% off of your purchase until 4-24-12.  Just be sure to use the code when checking out at JulieDeeleyJewellery


Let's get to know JulieDeeleyJewellery and Julie:

What would you like us to know about you?
I have been making jewellery for 22 years now and started off making jewellery to sell at school fairs and craft fairs in the local area and expanded from there.
 
What prompted you to open an Etsy Shop?
 I heard about Etsy through a jewellery making magazine and thought what a fabulous idea that designers of handmade items were getting their own forum to enable them to show their handmade items to the world and also share with the crafting community.


How did you come up with your shop name?
My shop is simply named after myself and what I sell "JulieDeeleyJewellery"

How would you describe your shop?
I would describe my shop as an ever expanding Aladdin's Cave of jewellery including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, brooches and some Sterling Silver items.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by so many things, it can be anything from a fashion magazine, through to nature, seeing gorgeous colours in everyday life, getting new ideas of what works well together and triggering off new design ideas.


 
Which item in your shop is your favorite to make/find?
It's hard to narrow down a favourite but I love any heart shaped items and if it is crystal or glass then even better.

If you were shipwrecked on a desert island, what are the 3 crafty must haves?
If I was shipwrecked I would have to have my trusty pliers as an absolute must have, along with some crystal beads and Memory Wire. I may be shipwrecked but could still look stylish!!

Where else can we find you?
I can be found on Etsy at JulieDeeleyJewellery.com
I can be followed on facebook www.facebook.com/juliedeeleyjewellery
twitter @julie_deeley
pinterest  pinterest.com/juliedeeley


Is there anything else you would like to share?
Several people have contacted me about making bridal or bridesmaid jewellery and I would be happy to hear from anyone who wants to convo me regarding this to discuss design ideas.

Thanks so much Julie .  It has been great getting to know you and discovering your shop and your lovely items.

Now please show Julie some support and let us know which of her pieces are your favorite from her shop! Oh...and go ahead and heart a few of her items along with her shop :)

Have a great weekend!





knitting yarns

Monday, April 16, 2012

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Stuff I found this week

This has been a busy week.  I started my new Featured Fridays, and have been spinning like crazy.  I have met so many  new people through Etsy.  It has been really fun.  I really like Sundays, I can take it easy and just browse through stuff from the past week.  There is so many wonderful things to see and buy!



This weeks stuff



knitting yarns