Discovering Etsy

Three years ago I was sitting at home and bored out of my mind. I had just given birth to our son Lorenzo and still on maternity leave. During this time my creativity had gone on a hiatus. Actually I had no desire to make anything. Before that, I was constantly making necklaces and bracelets to give to friends and co-workers. Now that I look back on it, I think that I may have been going through some sort of post-partum depression episode, but I'm not a doctor so whose to say. I just know that I was sitting in front of our computer screen on the verge of tears. I was tired of sitting, tired of going into the kitchen to grab the same snack that I'd eatten ten minutes earlier and tired of watching the early morning talkshows. My husband was at work and I'm sure he was getting a little irritated with me calling him every other hour just to talk(especially while he's trying to drive his rig). At one point I was considering waking the baby just so that I could have something to do. I felt miserable. so going outdoors was out of the question.

So I sat there and decided to visit some celeb gossip sites. I figured that maybe I could get a kick out of reading about some actor or singers dirt . I felt mean and actually posted some nasty comments which is really not my nature. I then saw a spam post about a "new shopping experience" with the link attached. I was getting bored with the celebs and decided then to do some virtual "wish list" shopping. I clicked the link and was immediately brought to the Etsy main page. At first glance, I couldn't figure out exactly what type of store it was because I saw different pictures on the page with all of these different names. I soon concluded that it was some sort of online boutique but the items seemed very handcrafted which really appeals to me. I was intrigued with Etsy and started to navigate like crazy. I clicked a picture and was brought to a store that sold felt items (The Funky Felter). I then spied the category list and of course I had to click "Jewelry". I was blown away at the selection and saw that there was at least 4,000 pages worth of items. I viewed a few stores and then began to read some of the profiles. It became clear to me that these artist and crafters were everyday people like me and decided to open up a shop on this ecomerce site. At that moment, I felt motivated to pursue my passion for creating again. I found out how to sign up and I did that same day. I didn't open up shop right away-I wasn't ready. I wouldn't be ready until about a year later, but on that day I felt so happy and in some odd way, I felt validated. There was something that I could do to reclaim a bit of myself again and I did.

I'm an Etsy member now and in my store http://www.shannon75.etsy.com/, you can find bohemian and tribal inspired jewelry that will sometimes have a hint of victorian gothic flair. I also have another, fantastic store at http://www.shannoncintronjewelry.ecrater.com that has a variety of jewelry styles. I still consider Etsy my home turf . Etsy is truly a great place where I can continue to converse and learn with a community of talented crafters and artist. BTW- its a great place to shop☺

Hello All...

This is my very first entry in any blog ever so I'd just like to start out by introducing myself. My name is Shannon and I make jewelry. My love for trinkets started when I was just a little girl. I would sneak into my grandmothers room sometimes and play with her collection of costume jewelry. As I became older I gained more siblings which meant less pocket money for me to indulge in. By the time I became a teenager I had learned to be very resourceful when it came to being fashionable in school. I realized that if you maintained a simple classic clothing(such as your basic jeans and white shirt) and add fantastic jewelry and accessories, it would make you look just as stylish as a girl that had spent a small fortune on trendy clothes.

However, being the eldest of eight children could not afford me even the least expensive pair of earrings many times and all of the fashionable jewelry of that time (like the bamboo earrings that are popular right now) would cost as much as clothing or shoes. On day, I went with my mom to our local flea market bazaar. As we were looking around, I saw some very pretty beads for sale. I asked the vendor how much and he told me that they were 2.00 per bag. These bags were about the size of a ziploc sandwich bag and filled to the brim with glass beads. I brought them, took them home and got to work. I used sewing thread (doubled up) because at the time I didn't have anything else, nor did I know of anything else that I could use. I made one necklace that night and wore it to school the next day. Everybody loved it and soon some of my friends were asking me to make one for them. My own necklace broke that night and I quickly found the right material to use to keep it together.

That's where it all started...and it's still going. Since then I've become a mom of three and a wife to a great husband. I'm now interested in all forms of jewelry making from metalsmithing to wirewrapping , but beading is my first love. I'm still evolving and am still searching for my niche but I love creating and sharing what I do make with others. You can see some of my creations at shannon75.etsy.com.

Thank you for reading. Until next time...☺