DebbieCarroll

Etsy Shop Name: my shop name is debbiecarroll and features jewelry by myself for my line, Vintage Revisited by Debbie Carroll.

What you sell: I sell original jewelry fashioned out of my stash of vintage beads and findings which I accent with semi-precious stones such as Turquoise (a personal favorite), Carnelian and Jasper, among others; freshwater pearls and contemporary glass. My designs reflect my interest in art and fashion and range from chunky Turquoise necklaces accented with lime green lucite and leather, to glamorous, ultra-feminine multi-strand necklaces of sparkling crystals or pearls. My focus is on color and creativity, but with an eye to what is ultimately wearable and fun to own. Due to the nature of vintage, and the sometimes limited availability of certain beads or findings, pieces are mostly one-of-a-kind or limited editions. While this can sometimes be a drawback, I feel it adds to the creative process and love the treasure hunt mentality involved in finding new items to use and love

Tell us about your featured item: The Violet Brooch Necklace is definitely what I call a "statement piece" and would transform any simple dress into an elegant ensemble! The necklace is centered around the vintage jewel encrusted brooch to which I've linked two strands of lustrous Czech glass pearls in fuschia on gun-metal colored wire, and added a single strand comprised of vintage Swarovski faceted, vitrial nail heads and vintage faceted black glass, also linked on gun-metal wire. The idea here was to compliment the brooch and give it an elegant framework; it looks amazing on!

What do you enjoy most about running your own Etsy shop?

I love having a forum to display my work and share it with all the others out there who enjoy and appreciate making and creating art. The Etsy site is so user friendly and upbeat and positive, and it is nice to feel like part of a community. Having the freedom to feature any item you choose, whenever you choose is a nice feature, as is working from home at any time of day or night

What do you dislike most about running your own Etsy shop?
I am not so good at updating the listings. It is so important to have really, really good photographs of your work (an area I am working on), that it takes me longer than I'd like to get new items up and running.