Friday Spotlight: Various and Sundry

Hello, and welcome to our next Friday Spotlight! Every other week, we will feature a new interview from one of our TeamBPAL members.

Let's learn a little more about Syrenemyst of Various and Sundry.





Tell us a little about the items in your shop. What do you make?
I create steampunk-inspired jewelry. I like using old watch parts and other reclaimed items to come up with interesting and wearable pieces. I also make some more traditional items, as well, and will include it in my shop from time to time. I am just always drawn back to the gears and wheels of the steampunk idea.

What is your creative process?
If I have an idea, I pull out my materials and play with them until I find the right direction. Most often, I get a piece that I really love. Other times, I get these crazy looking things that make me wonder where I was when I was working. Sometimes, I will go shopping with my mom and just let an idea hit me. This usually entails a lot of “What about this?” from my mom, but I don’t mind.

Which Etsy Teams do you belong to?
TeamBPAL



Wrapped in a Moment


When you are not creating things, what do you do?
I’m just your average mom. Besides the usual list of things, I also homeschool my 8 year old daughter, drive back and forth to karate classes and fit in the occasional book or two.

Tell us two random, interesting things about you.
Random things about me, let’s see. 1) By the time I was 12, I lived in 33 out of 50 of the United States. 2)I trained as an opera singer for almost 2 years, but gave it up as I realized it really wasn’t for me.

What has been your proudest moment since opening your Etsy shop?
Besides my first sale, having so many hits on my favorite and first piece titled Wrapped in a Moment.



Time Reclaimed


What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Look around and find all the things Etsy has to offer. Join in the forums, find a team that's right for you, and most of all, enjoy yourself.

What handmade possession do you cherish?
A picture of a hand ghost my daughter made for me in preschool.

If you could have any item on Etsy regardless of price, what would it be?
A painting by Etsyian shaylamaddox called Coins. It is just amazing.

What other skill or talent do you wish you could possess, if you had not taken this creative path?
I wish that I could draw or paint. I just can’t ever seem to get the image in my head down on the canvas or paper the exact way that I want it and I just get too frustrated to keep trying.





Where can we find you on the web?
Besides Etsy, I can be found on Facebook at my fanpage for Various and Sundry.


Thanks for the interview, Syrenemyst! Have a great weekend, everyone! We'll return in two weeks with another spotlight.