Showing posts with label Vintage Items. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vintage Items. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Featured Shop: Whispering Metalworks

This week we sat down with Kelly from Whispering Metalworks and got to know him and His shop.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you create? Hello my name is Kelly... It's a pleasure to meet you! Thank you for taking a moment to read my bio and learning more about me.

I find my inspiration while browsing thrift stores, craft stores and flea markets... always on the hunt for vintage or funky items with unique shapes and colors in the hopes of creating something whimsical that 
will make people smile. I target those that wold like something unique... original...made from the heart.
A very interesting thing to note is that i am an over the road truck driver. So being male and being a driver raises an eyebrow to some. Who would think that stereotypical "dirty ole' truck driver" could creat beautiful works of jewelry and art? Well I am living proff that you can and we do! I have been a truck driver in on fashion or another all my adult life and I have seen many amazing parts of the country along the way. But it is a lonely and thankless job, and quite frankly these old bones are getting pretty worn out and tired. So I work hard every single day to promote my wares with the hopes of one day getting off the road and making crafting and creating my full time job.

What I Create:
- Wind Chimes made from re-prposed silver plated flatware and other kitchen items
- Bracelets made from vintage and antique silver spoon handles and twisted fork tines. I also offer hand
stamping on the handles of these bracelets or fork heads
- Pendant necklaces made from the handles of silver forks spoons (sometimes hand stamped with a special sentiment)
- Necklaces hand stamped and personalized with a variety of sentiments, my most popular being trucking related quotes and sayings
- Ornaments made from vintage and antique silver plated spoons that have been hand stamped and personalized
- Rings made from silver plated forks and spoons
- Bell necklaces made from hollow handles of knives with fork tine for a clapper
And so much More
How did you come about wanting to open a shop on Etsy? I realized that this was pretty fun so I started to experiment with other shapes and pieces... eventually getting brave enough to offer them as gifts to friends and family. After a great deal of support and encouragement, I took the leap and started
my own shop on Etsy selling my wares. My line up expanded beyond the wind chimes and I incorporated jewelry in all different styles, but always sticking with the theme of metalworking. As the demand increased, so did my line up of offerings. I primarily sell online, but for fun, I do try to do events and shows a few times a year. Which brings me to where I am today.

What do you like to do in your free time when your not working on 
your Etsy shop? I live in the beautiful city of Redmond, which is located right in the heart of Oregon. Here I enjoy the outdoors and all that it has to offer- with camping and fishing being my true passion. Although I am truly dedicated to  my business, sometimes the draw of the wilderness calls to me- and I just have to get out and enjoy it! That's what makes my work even more special- I am not a robot that turns out the same things over and over. I enjoy my ability to be creative, and to be flexible enough to come up with one of a kind pieces that are a delight to all!


What is your  most popular product you sell?  I certainly have a trends depending on the season, but I would say the absolute most popular item I sell is anything made with vintage skeleton keys. These are my hot ticket during the holidays, but are very popular year round. Of course some people go with the obvious and hang them on a christmas tree- but they are also used for shadow boxes, curio cabinets, wedding keepsakes and housewarming gifts from realtors.

How long have you been practicing your craft or art? I have always considered myself to be a pretty crafty person. I've dabbled with all sorts of things- woodworking, HO Scale railroad, 1/25th scale models, and auto metal fabricating. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I really started to delve into the world of artistic metal working. My very first piece was a wind chime made from old silver spoons glass beads and a tea pot.

Where can we find your merchandise online? Personal Website or Etsy Shop

What social media sites of yours can we follow? Facebook Page or Twitter Page

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Meet Leanna: Our Swap and Replace Board Leader

Hi, my name is Leanna and I live in the city of Burnaby in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. When I decided to slow down my Interior Decorating career I was overjoyed to discover Etsy as a means for sharing my creative side as well as my love for vintage. 


My dear grandma taught me to knit when I was four. My mom, who was a pattern designer and seamstress in Italy always fascinated me with what she could do with fabric. Thanks to mom, I know my way around a sewing machine, but my interest is in creating home decor and accessories not clothing.


There is no spare time in my life. I'm a wife, mother of two sons and pet mom of four who loves back yard gardening and bee keeping. Yoga and chocolate are my indulgences and I always enjoy reading a great book.



Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Meet Marcia: Our Team Captain

It's time to meet the captain of our team-

I have two Etsy shops (Sewcial Studies101 and Pride & Preciousness) and have been involved on Etsy since 2011. I am a retired high school assistant principal and before that a spanish teacher. I live in the Rochester Hills, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit and have a wonderful husband and two grown sons.


I love to color, to create with textiles, to home decorate, to cheer for Michigan State and the Detroit Tigers, watch HGTV, and Downtown Abbey and rainy days. I dislike math, driving, coffee, and emptying the dishwasher. I collect alphabet books and when I'm not sewcially studying or looking for vintage things, I read.


Monday, May 4, 2015

Welcome

First of all I would like to welcome you to this blog that was started for an Etsy team called " shopportunity".  Here you'll find a beautiful collection of Etsy shops specializing in jewelry making, sewing, photography, vintage items, beauty products and paper crafts. If your looking for a special gift for a friend, family or someone special I'm sure you can find it within our team. Here is the link to the team page- shopportunity Team You can also check out all of the different shops on the "Team Shops" page of the blog. Feel free to shop around and contact our sellers with any questions.