Saturday Artisan: 3pearls

Meet Marci of 3pearls, our Saturday Artisan.

"Handmade Jewelry, Gifts, and Accessories of Semi-Precious Stones, Swarovski Crystals, Glass Beads, Cast Metal pieces, recycled wool and whatever else strikes my fancy are what you will find at Creations by 3 Pearls"

I adore her shop and secretly favorite her favorite shops, thanks for having her into my Etsy circle. *smile*

And I learn that sometimes your best tool you cannot live without is not necessary directly related to your craft. Read on.

Which part of creation process that you like to do the most?
I love it all but that moment when a whole new idea comes to fruition in your head is probably the most exciting part for me. The excitement of starting out on a new project is the best part I think. Of course it's also very nice to finish and have it be something you're really happy with.

Could you share on how your organize your products, we all can use a little tips here and there in this department?
I’m crazy for little chests and bins and tiny drawers. I sometimes end up with more little drawers than I really need just because I found something at a sale that I loved. I really love organizing and having a place for everything and everything in its place. As much as I like organizing, I’m not so good at maintaining the organization as I would like to be. That is almost always one of my New Years resolutions. To stay on top of the mess. I’m usually too fast to start another project before putting away the bits from the last one or even finishing one before the next one starts. So many ideas so little time…

What is your best seller?
My best seller so far has been my Crochet and Beads designs. I sold several Winter white and Frosty Blue bracelets over the holidays. Each one a subtle variation because they are really one of a kind creations. They were a happy accident. I was trying to make something else and when it started to become this bracelet I decided to just follow the direction it was going. I really enjoy something that just makes itself. Planning is never one of my strong suits. So often if you have too definite an idea of what you want to end up with it leads to disappointment. I tend to just start doing something and then see what happens. I usually get several more ideas as I'm going which I try to remember long enough to explore when I 'm done with the current project.

What inspires you?
I’m inspired by all kinds of things. When I’m driving home sometimes the colors outside are so beautiful I just can’t wait to get home and try to capture that feeling in some way. My little Swedish grandmother was a really wonderful baker. She always had something warm and delicious fresh from her oven when we visited. Her freezer was full of cookies and pastries. She would have dreams of adding strange things to her recipes and wake up and try them. I thought that was really odd when I was little but now I find myself doing the same thing with my creations. I guess what your mind is full of during the day gets free reign at night. Some really good ideas are born of dreams.

What is your favourite tool that you cannot live without?
My espresso maker. I can improvise just about anything but I would really miss a great cup of coffee.

Saving money is important; tell us one thing that you do to save money?
I try to do all that I can to save money and resources. I always recycle packaging and even padded envelopes that I receive things in. I find that they look almost new and I haven’t had any complaints. I also re-use old jewelry parts. I’ve gotten a lot of old pieces from family and friends and I take them apart and use whatever is salvageable. Some of the old stuff is much better than anything new.

Stay-tuned for the giveaway that she's sponsoring! You know you don't want to miss out.

In the meantime, 2 current giveaways that you can enter if you haven't already are from Sybillinart and Linda Butterfly. Support handmade and support the artists!