Hint, Hint

Character, class, charm. These are just a few of the words I would use to describe the work of Bentwood Jewelry. I have honestly never seen such jewelry made from wood, as exquisitely done as these.

If you are anything like me, (and I think you are), jewelry can be means of expressing your true self. A feeling, a thought, a memory. I especially love pieces that are unique, and deeply meaningful. This is why I only usually design one of the kind pieces in my line of jewelry. Sticker price also factors in, of course. With Bentwood Jewelry, you can have all that you desire, while being kind to your wallet!

Please do read the interview below, and get to know the woman behind the extraordinary pieces. Then, check out her store on etsy!
And Shannon, I would be happy to sample a new creation..you know, just to make sure it's of quality :)


1. when did you decide to join Etsy?

I been making and selling bentwood rings for years for friends and family but I just joined Etsy this summer.


2.Have you always been creative?


Yes! I have always been a creative person. I think it all started with coloring...which is still one of my favorites

3. How would you describe your creative process?

I always start with trying to find an inlay that would compliment a wood, or a wood that would compliment another wood. I have so many ideas that I have yet to try. My favorite is to blend natural elements together.

4. Who/what are your inspirations?

My inspirations come from many sources. Nature, I love taking something raw and natural and making it uniquely pretty or unexpected. People are always a great inspiration. My most favorite rings to craft are when I collaberate with a customer to make a beautiful custom ring that has meaning to them. I love being a part of their story.

5. Five things that make me happy:
1. My husband. He has been my biggest support system in everything in life.
2. My children...they are my gifts; my blessings.
3. My work....it's the best. I love using the right side of my brain all day. The sky's the limit
4. Music....happy, sad, funny. I love the emotion that music brings. Music helps us recall memories like a photograph. My shop always has music playing.
5. Spending time with my family! They are my very best friends.

6. How do you choose the wood you work with? Do you have a favorite?

It is important to me that any wood I consider not be on the severe endangered list and my sources are responsibly harvesting their wood with the thought for future growths. There are hundreds of both domestic and exotic woods that can be used in place of wood species currently being threatened. So there are many options to stay eco-friendly and still show love for nature with wearable art in the form of bentwood rings.
The woods I select have to have good or better bending qualities and be relatively strong as well.
As far as my favorite, it's changes all the time but I can tell you ebony and rosewood are my biggest sellers.


7.If you could go back to your darkest time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

"It's only a blink"....the darkest times are only a blink in my life.

8. How do you think, we as women, can better support each other?

We should advise and support one another in all things by creating a sisterhood. For most women we want a career, but we also want to be family oriented. . . we want to find the right balance between life and work.

http://www.bentwoodjewelrydesigns.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BENTWOODJewelry?ref=pr_shop_more

Funky, Fun, and Full of Life

Conventional is not the word I would use to describe the next artist I interviewed. She is bold, resourceful, and inventive. She has a unique talent for taking thrift store finds, and breathing life into them. Darkstar Handmade is definitely a shop you want to visit while on Etsy, if you are eco-friendly soul, who won't mind the attention from the fabulous threads!
To me, her designs are a metaphor for life: It doesn't matter what it was, or where it came from. What matters is now. What can YOU make from what you were given? Lemons to lemonade, indeed!
If you visit her shop, and for some chance do not find what you were searching for, she does custom made. In fact, I was thinking of putting in a request for myself in my favorite color. Tie dye.



1.)Have you always been a creative person?

oh yeah!! My family is very creative and resourceful so my upbringing and education was very supportive of my overactive imagination and the arts. I grew up with limited technology, no computer or television, so I occupied my time with my imagination and my hands. I was homeschooled as a child which definitely nurtured my creativity and defined who I grew up to be.The idea of handmade goods was very present in my upbringing as well. I began playing music at a young age and it became an enormous part of my life, and my development. So much of my childhood was spent outdoors, and I loved exploring in the woods and building hideouts. My brother and I built some pretty impressive structures: treehouses, bridges, and a whole network of fortresses! I have some amazingly selfless parents who gave me an incredibly rich childhood and I took it for granted that not every kid grew up the way I did, so thanks Mom and Dad!

These pants would be great for yoga practice or bellydancing! Check out all the eco-friendly creations at her shop, Darkstar Handmade on Etsy.

2.)When did you decide to sell your items?

I've been creating things and re-vamping old clothing in to new creations for as long as I can remember. After a brief stint at art school and later graduating with a BFA in 2012, I decided I wanted to take my craftsmanship higher and bring my designs to a broader audience. At the time, I knew several people selling their work on Etsy and it seemed like a wonderful community to become involved in. Full of vibrant, passionate, creative people just like me!


3.) How would you describe your creative process?


My creative process is definitely quirky. It is constantly changing as I let the fabrics that I find inform my designs, lending to one of a kind pieces. One of the strangest yet most successful elements is that I hardly ever use patterns. I let the shape of the materials and the amount of usable material make decisions for me. My process consists of equal parts wackiness, spunk, spontaneity and experimentation. Inherent in my process are flaws, but I've learned to embrace them and I feel they are a meaningful part of the finished product. We don't purchase handmade goods because we wish they looked mechanically produced, at least I don't. Thus, I think we all enjoy seeing the artists hand at work in their items.

4.) If I wasn't doing this, I would be..........

If I wasn't doing this, I would be a shell of who I truly am! Making clothing, for me, is so much more than just making clothing. It is a necessary creative outlet and provides constant daydream possibilities!

Such innovative and playful designs

5.) What/who are your inspirations?

My biggest inspirations are color and the materials I work with. I am OBSESSED with color! I love finding seemingly ugly patterns and color combinations in thrift store piles and bringing them home and playing with their colors. I'm also hugely inspired by nature. I am lucky enough to live in beautiful western Montana and am constantly in awe of the rugged landscape that surrounds me and makes me feel so small and insignificant. I think life itself is also an important and indisputable inspiration. As artists, we are keen observers of our surroundings and our emotions and it is impossible to deny that our work tells a story or our life experiences.

6.) How do you work through a creative block?

I usually work through a creative block by spending ridiculous amounts of time and money at my local thrift stores, bringing all my collected goodies home, and dumping them in a huge pile on the floor of my sewing room. I then crank up some tunes and begin sorting everything into piles of appealing colors and prints. At the end of this process, I'm left with a colorful assortment of "project piles" and I dig right in and begin cutting. Works every time!


https://www.facebook.com/DarkstarHandmade
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DarkstarHandmade