{Featured Artist} Lindsay from OriginallyMe

It's {Featured Friday} here at Snuggly Monkey, and today we will be chatting with the lovely Lindsay, owner of Originally Me on Etsy. 

Lindsay, who is based in South Carolina, says that she specializes in all types of fun and eclectic jewelry and other girlish accessories. She has been crafting for as long as she can remember, but she focused in on her jewelry making about 6 years ago. Let's take a peek inside her studio...

How did you come up with your shop name?
I thought long and hard on this name and "Originally Me" just came to me. It seemed perfect for the funky and unique accessories that I wanted to offer. 


How would you describe your work to someone who asked you “What do you sell/make/do?”
I create unique eclectic jewelry and accessories that are all one of a kind. I love mixing colors and all different types of materials to produce a beautiful product.I want to make something that makes you feel special when you wear it :) I'll admit I kind of want to keep every single thing I make! 


How did you first get into making your accessories, and how did you learn to do it? 
One year I was looking for something unique to give my sister for Christmas and I ended up making her a box full of earrings. That's when I fell in love with creating pretty jewels. My craftiness is all completely self taught. 


What is your favorite item to create? I LOVE it all! A secret little creative thing about me is that I love to paint. You don't really see that in my etsy shop though. 


What do you like about being a part of the Etsy community?Being a part of the Etsy community is wonderful! My favorite part is all of the amazingly sweet and talented people I've met through both Etsy and blogging.


What aspects of your Etsy business do you find challenging? Any ideas for how you might overcome these challenges? 
To me, the most challenging part of Etsy business is being noticed in the massive amounts of talented artists. My biggest suggestion is to make sure that you have something unique to offer that's not just like what everyone else is doing.

How did you set up your shop banner and avatar? I set up my shop banner and avatar myself. I use photoshop and illustrator to do a lot of my graphics but picnik.com is awesome too and totally free. If you've never tried it, you should!


Do you photograph your own items? What are some of your tips?
I photograph my own items. I think item photographs are SO important to let the buyer see exactly what they are getting. Natural light is a necessity. I think, for what I do, it also helps to photograph my items on a model.


What else do you do to keep your shop looking great? I try to have great pictures, an inviting banner, and I recently changed my avatar to be a picture of me. I know personally, I like to see the artist behind what I'm buying, so I thought this was neat. My items tend to be very colorful so I think that makes my shop pretty. 

As a fan of Inside the Actor's Studio with James Lipton, I've always enjoyed his final 10 questions that he asks all his guests. So inspired by the questionaries of Mr. Lipton, Bernard Pivo (Lipton's inspiration) and Marcel Proust here are a few final questions for Lindsay...


What sound or noise do you love? 
Weird I know, but I love the sound of rolling a suitcase on that little moving sidewalk thing in the airport.

What sound or noise do you hate? 
I am very intolerant of people chewing loudly. 

What natural gift would you most like to possess? 
I wish I was musically talented. I can play the guitar just a tiny bit, but I wish it just came naturally.

What would you like to be when you grow up? 
I'm studying to become an architect, so that's the direction I'm aiming right now... but I'm a dreamer! Who knows where I'll end up.

What makes you smile?
It's the little things in life that make me smile :)


Thank you so much Lindsay for giving us a peek into your Etsy world today! Be sure to keep in touch with Lindsay by stopping by her shop, Facebook page or blog and saying Hello!

Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/originallyme

Blog: loveoriginallyme.blogspot.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Originally-Me-designs/105717738921
Pinterest: pinterest.com/originallyme/

'Originally Me' by snugglymonkeyco

teardrop layered bead a... originallyme $27.00	Amethyst & Leather ....... originallyme $18.00
brown and copper flower... originallyme $13.00	chevron fabric circles ... originallyme $12.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Did you feature another great Etsian on your blog recently? Were you featured on a blog this week? Would you like to meet some more great artists and learn about their craft? Then join the party and add your link to our  Featured Fridays Linky!

Joining the party is easy! Just add your link to the bottom of this post and leave a comment for Lindsay. You can also grab the "Featured Friday" button from the sidebar and put it on your post to let folks know you joined the party!