Today’s
featured Central Florida Etsian Member is Jennifer from BluDaisy Jewelry on
Etsy.
BluDaisy Jewelry is located in Tampa, Florida and currently the primary source of
sales comes from on Etsy. Jennifer
occasionally conducts private sales to individuals since her customer base
includes a few people who haven’t developed a comfort level with shopping
online.
BluDaisy Jewelry premiered on Etsy in August 2010. Jennifer says, “I have no idea
what prompted me to open up shop just weeks before transferring to FL with my
active-duty military husband and our son, but it just seemed like the right
time despite the insanity of moving! While still in NC, I had been doing weekly
crafting days with some amazingly talented women who encouraged me to open an
Etsy shop. Their support really helped me gain the confidence to believe that
maybe I could sell my work to non-friends/family.”
Jennifer
feels it is difficult standing out as a jewelry seller on Etsy, at least when
it comes to gaining exposure as there are just so many talented people on Etsy.
She tries to set herself apart with my customer base by providing personal and
friendly customer service, upgraded shipping and reasonable prices on items
that are interesting and unique.
Jennifer’s
personal style greatly influences her work and it is a sort of sporty-casual-low
maintenance aesthetic. As Jennifer states, “It is another way of saying I’m a
military wife and mom of an active toddler who maybe only gets about 5 minutes
to make myself presentable to the world each day!” With her company BluDaisy
Jewelry, she strives to create jewelry that is simple and easy, yet cute and
versatile and lends a bit of a feminine touch without being fussy.
Almost anything
can inspire Jennifer, but she feels nature is probably her primary source. Jennifer
shares, “I once was inspired by the siding and shutter paint color combination
on some base housing, and even the neighborhood’s adopted stray kitty (we named
her “Gator”) has inspired me with her grey stripes and gorgeous pale green
eyes. And my most favorite inspirational thing to do is browse bead stores and
shows….all those gorgeous beads and gemstones and sparkly things get my
imagination kicked up a notch.”
When
asked to describe her creative process, Jennifer shares, “I can’t say I have an
official creative process right now, though lately I think most projects have
started with some sort of color inspiration. I’ll see some beads with a color
that grabs me and then start thinking about whether to make a necklace,
bracelet or earrings and then get a snack for my son and then start considering
materials and then clean up after one of my cats with a stomach issue and then
clear some space in one of my many work areas while stepping on some toys that
C should have picked up already and then start gathering supplies and tools and
then start another load of laundry while thinking about what the heck to make
for dinner and then get the jewelry project started and then play with the
rugrat and then do more of the project and then do some cleaning up while
answering C’s endless questions and throw a few beads onto the piece as I pass
by my workspace and answer the phone and….well dang it, time to start cooking
dinner and maybe I’ll be able to get back to the jewelry this evening after
cooking, eating, dishes, bath time, story time, cuddles and bed time and
spending a TV-watching hour with my husband before he goes to bed. I imagine
many of your readers will empathize with this particular type of creative
process!!”
The
Sweetwater bracelets in Jennifer’s collection have a special place in her heart
for several reasons. They were inspired by her stepdad John who gave her a
similar bracelet for her birthday a few years ago. Jennifer says, “He is an
incredibly talented man who enjoys crafting in so many genres that I’m never
quite sure what he’ll produce next….he’s a woodcarver, beader, artist,
gardener, assistant quilter to my mom for her projects (and he’s made a few of
his own quilts, too!) and all-around Renaissance man whom I admire so much. He
even cross-stitched a stunningly gorgeous and HUGE Noah’s Arc scene for our son
when he was born and it became an instant family heirloom.”
While the
Sweetwater bracelets’ origin can be attributed to John, they’re so named
because they became wildly popular with members on the paternal side of
Jennifer’s family. Jennifer shares, “We all vacation together at a lake in
Northern Ontario every summer, spending time at the cabin that’s been in the
family for 50+ years. That lake is part of the heart and soul of every member
of the family, so the bracelets became “Sweetwater” in honor of Lake Duborne.
These bracelets sort of symbolize the mental unity of my ENTIRE family, if that
makes any sense.”
The words
of wisdom Jennifer has for readers who are considering opening a shop on Etsy,
”To
date myself, I’m gonna borrow the Nike phrase “Just Do It”! It seems a little
scary at first, just about like everything else that’s unknown and new, but I’m
glad I took the jump because my Etsy experience as a seller has been so
wonderful, I’ve “met” lots of really great people and it’s such a supportive
community that I’m constantly singing Etsy’s praises to anyone who will listen!”
