Bohemian Boutique

My name is Jenny Collins. I have a shop on Etsy called Bohemian Boutique. The url is http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5506241.I joined Etsy in 2007, but I just watched everything for a long time, I didn't actually set up my store until the end of October 2008. For about a year and a half, I owned an art gallery with my brother, who is a photographer. We sold mostly digital art, but I sold my jewelry there, too. When I closed my gallery, I opened my Etsy shop.I am a jewelry nut. I have loved jewelry since I was a very little girl. I used to sit and draw pictures of matching sets of jewelry....thought I was brilliant! I couldn't draw a thing, so they didn't look so hot. But the jewelry design aspect of it has always been there.The thing that is sets me apart from other shops and jewelry designers is probably my materials. I see jewelry in some very odd things. I like to use junk of all sorts. I recreate pieces from old jewelry. I have so much old junk jewelry you could not believe it. I don't like to make or wear anything that looks like there could be two of them anywhere. I also make home items, I just don't have them in my shop yet. I am starting to upcycle and redesign old purses and clothing. I find that lots and lots of fun. I will have that in my shop soon.One of my favorite pieces of jewelry in my shop right now is a necklace I made from a part from our old dvd player. It is very cool. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16797532.My second favorite piece is a necklace made from a washer and ball chain from the hardware store. It is http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16795492.At first, I tried to look all uniform in pictures like some of the Etsy shops, but that is really not me, so I just did what I wanted to do.I think when you look at my Etsy shop, it doesn't look like anyone elses. A few of my things look like I went to the bead store for supplies, but not many.I have only had one sale, so I can't talk too much about customer service. But when I did make that sale, my computer had crashed and was down for about three days. When I discovered that I had made a sale and she had contacted me about three days prior, I about had a heart attack. I got the package ready that second and took it to the post office. I emailed her at least three times to explain the situation and that I had mailed the package. She was a great first customer! I learned a lot from that.Well, enough about me. Check out my shop! My blog is http://bohemianboutique.blogspot.com/

rachellucie

Link to rachellucie.etsy.com http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6054113


I am Rachel Johns, a full time mum of two (Robert, 5 and Lily, 2.5) and full time jewellery designer. I only started designing and making my own jewellery last year, it being my first ever creative endeavour at the age of 36! I used to take great interest in art, design, crafts, interior design, anything visual, but was more of an armchair admirer.
I don’t know what happened to me last spring, it all started when I got a wad of birthday money and wanted to treat myself to some beautiful and unusual jewellery. I couldn’t find any! I hadn’t heard of etsy then. This started me on a long journey which started there and within about a month had me thinking, not only do I want to do my own jewellery, I want it as my job!

What do I make?
Well, I make sterling silver, semi-precious bead and freshwater pearl wire jewellery. That’s not very unusual! However, my inspiration is from early twentieth century design, whimsy, glitter, glamour, faded opulence, Art Deco, Art Nouveau.

My designs don’t look like Art Deco jewellery, though, they look like the mixed up concoction from that era that is in my head! My pieces are all about quality jewellery that lasts and my passion is semi-precious stones and silver, so no brass, gunmetal or other metals are used.

I create the pieces I want to wear, that can be worn with anything, dress up or dress down so people feel the investment they have made in something they will hopefully want to wear for years to come. My Grandma (‘Gilly’ we called her) had a silver and ivory inlaid sandalwood box with all the broken necklaces and beads she’d kept from the 1930’s, and her mothers and her grandmother’s jewellery - rock crystal, chrysaphrase, turquoise, pearls, jade, green onyx, originally from great long strings of beads. I spent hours as a child asking her the names and threading my own ‘necklaces’. Gilly also had a string of pearls she was given for her 21st and had worn every week for the last 60 years. I loved how those pearls looked. Vintage is very ‘now’ but I think I’ve always been there, I’m glad everyone else joined me!

I am pleased with my etsy shop, and I think I have managed to portray the image I wanted, although it’s very much a work in progress, and I enjoy tweeking it immensely! I use antique books, my dilapidated kitchen windowsill, local Yorkshire stone from my garden, things I have kept for years that I love and have had no use for to display my jewellery – suddenly it all makes sense! I suppose I am in between the minimalist shop display used by some jewellery designers on etsy, and the vintage whimsy ones who have a more complicated set up. I hope it works for me!

I'm looking for a special store on etsy to be featured.

I'm looking for etsy artist to be featured. Email me at greyjay@ss.eastlink.ca with a link to your store and your favorite item. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your product. What sets you apart from other sellers? What makes your store special? What is your secret to a great customer service?