Lemony Fresh Etsy Seller: Additions Style

I have a fabulous new seller to share with you this week, lemonheads. I hope you are ready for the cool style of Valerie of Additions Style on Etsy. I love how she takes recycled hardware and repurposes it into jewelry. Her jewelry style is very cool and edgy. I really think you will like it as much as I do.

credit: additionsstyle

Also, Valerie was nice enough to grant me an interview to share with all you lemonheads. Don’t you just love getting to know artists a bit more? I know I do! Let’s get to know Valerie…

credit: additions style

Kelly: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started making  jewelry?

Valerie: I have lived in the Midwest most of my life, except for the 6 years I lived in New York City where I meet, and married, my husband of 21 years. We have a teenage daughter and 2 dogs and currently live in a suburb of Chicago, IL.

Like a lot of people, I took a class and fell in love with the design process. The day after the class I bought tools, beads and all the supplies I needed to make jewelry. Once I started making jewelry I could not stop. I began with beadwork; moved to wire wrapping and then sliversmithing. Many of my techniques are self-taught with a few classes in between to perfect my skills. Now I work with alternative materials from the hardware store and truly enjoy experimenting with a whole new medium. This shift has inspired renewed feelings of creativity.

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Kelly: Can you tell us about your industrial style and why you are drawn to it?

Valerie: For 8 years I created sterling silver art jewelry that I sold at shows, and to stores and galleries throughout the Midwest. A couple of years ago I was ready for a change and I wanted the opportunity to try a new medium, experiment with new techniques, and create jewelry and accessories that were young, fresh, and affordable.

When I started this new collection I did not know the design direction I was going to take, until one day I went into the hardware store. My whole design process was recharged that day when I realized that I could create jewelry that looked like silver, using hardware to make it affordable.

credit: Additions Style

Kelly: What are your favorite things about creating your pieces?

Valerie: Working with the hardware has been inspirational for me. I get new ideas all the time and creating is exciting. The best thing is trying to figure out what to do next, to find that next idea that will be original and creative.

credit: additions style

Kelly: What made you want to turn your art into a business?

Valerie: After a few months of creating jewelry and giving pieces to all my family and friends I decided to enter a show. I was juried in and accepted. After receiving notice of my participation in the show, I found out it was a very hard show to get into. Apparently, artist from across the country juried to be in this show and being selected was exciting. At that point, I realized my jewelry designs were strong enough to sell and actually make money.

When I started my new collection, I decided to launch it online. Selling online is much different than selling at shows. It takes time for people to feel comfortable with you and your business to make that purchase online. Having a presence online social networking and having a blogging have opened the door to building relationships and promoting my business. It is never-ending hard work, but I really enjoy it.

I really enjoyed getting to know Valerie better. It is so great to get to know the method that different artists use and how they got to where they are today.

So, jump on over to Valerie’s Additions Style. You will love all of her hardware jewelry…It is very resonable in price too. So what are you waiting for? Visit Additions Style now!