SmithNatureGallery

Etsy Shop Name: SmithNatureGallery

What you sell: Gemstone and glass cluster dangling earrings, pendants, dichroic fused glass, necklaces and bracelets.

Tell us about your featured item: The Love Goddess was hand crafted in the Houghton Winery Port Cellar. I was holding a photography exhibition in the rustic and aromatic cellar at the time and felt charged with inspiration. During my time in the cellar I hand crafted a number of jewelry pieces. I used my famous romantic sunset glass chips as the highlighting feature to merge like a watercolor into the pink AB glass which produced a beautiful rainbow effect. The citrine just enriched the other stones. These were all placed together in my signature cluster dangling earring design.
The stones I use are not designed for the materials. What this means is a very lengthy process where through trial and error I find which stones will fit and which won’t. But nothing is wasted; the stones that cannot be used in the signature range are used in the classic range instead!

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

Ever make a phone call or e-mail to a business and you NEVER hear back? It seems to becoming a trend, poor customer service. What I love most about running my own shop is that I have eradicated what I dislike most about other businesses because I am my own owner/operator so I will always ensure customers get the best value, the best service and the utmost customer care! For me it isn’t about making as much money as I can, its about selling my art to fuel and fund new artistic projects.

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

The time it takes to upload and promote everything. There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes that customers don’t see! But I would never go back or change anything. Etsy is my home, a place where I can display and share my creativity.