This week's featured artist is Jewelry by Tara!
Jewelry by Tara - Unique Handcrafted Jewelry With a Vintage Twist
Senioritis: What’s your name, and where are you located?
Jewelry by Tara: Tara Van Stelle, San Diego, CA
Senioritis: San Diego, awesome, we love San Diego!
Senioritis: Can you give us a brief bio, please?
Jewelry by Tara: I have been selling online/offline for almost 11 years at craft fairs, in all 4 of my Etsy shops; Jewelry by Tara, Graphic Design by Tara, Supplies by Tara, Sewn by Tara, 2 eBay shops, and my own personal website. At this time only the Jewelry and Graphic Design shops are open. I have a certificate in antiques/vintage appraisal and I am currently taking classes in advanced Graphic Design.
I was born and raised in New York City and transplanted to sunny California. When I'm not creating I am a WAHM, wife of 14 years,mother of 2 boys and 4 rescue chihuahuas, and a vegan. I also volunteer for Jewish Family Services to visit the elderly.
Senioritis: Ah a native New Yorker, excellent! It sounds like you certainly have your hands full with 2 boys and 4 chihuahuas running around; it's great that you find the time to do all your crafting and run all your shops/sites.
Senioritis: Tara, you have over a decade of experience selling your work both online and in person. How would you describe your style to someone you just met if you only had a few words?
Jewelry by Tara: pretty,shabby,altered,Kawaii
Senioritis: We had to look up Kawaii but now that we know what it means we agree 100% =)
Senioritis: What’s your favorite color?
Jewelry by Tara: Pink.
Senioritis: We did notice that there's quite a bit of pink in your shop banners and on your site ;)
Senioritis: Are you a righty or a lefty?
Jewelry by Tara: All righty.
Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote?
Jewelry by Tara: "If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it!" I have no idea who coined this one but it's so darn true, especially when creating, you have to know when to stop!
Senioritis: We have no idea who said it either but they're definitely words to keep in mind as we create. We rather not talk about the number of times that we try to tweek a design and hours later we ultimately just go with our original idea :0
Senioritis: If you could have lunch with any famous person, past or present, who would it be?
Jewelry by Tara: Hmmm, well I don't have a famous historical or political figure in mind. I suppose I'd like to have a few choice words with Hitler ending in an arsenic dessert... But if I had to choose from one of my favorite people I'd really like to eat lunch with either Morrissey from The Smiths or James Masters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Strange I know, but these are the people I grew up with and love.
Senioritis: Man, we haven't seen Buffy in ages. We kind of liked the movie better than the tv series, probably because Paul Reubens was in it ;)
Senioritis: Do you have a favorite cartoon?
Jewelry by Tara: I love Scooby Doo forever! My kids and I still watch all the new movies that come out with the characters. I also love Sponge Bob, The Grim Adventure's of Billy and Mandy, Dexter's Laboratory, and the adult ones; Family Guy and Simpsons.
Senioritis: Wow, can't believe we found another Billy and Mandy fan!! That has to be one of the greatest cartoons ever made, Maxwell Atoms' work rocks. Dexter's Laboratory is awesome and Scooby Doo is a classic as well; great selections all around! For those of you that have not been privileged enough to witness Billy and Mandy first hand, you can check them out here.
Senioritis: Tara, where do you see yourself and your empire in ten years?
Jewelry by Tara: I've always wanted to own my own "handmade" brick and mortar shop so I'm hoping to see that dream come true. I'd like to keep learning and advancing in all the creative fields; graphic design, jewelry, writing, etc.
Senioritis: After viewing your work across various mediums and talking with you for a while we have no doubts that you can make it happen. Best of luck with your brick and mortar shop!
Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web?
Jewelry by Tara: Graphic Design by Tara
Jewelry by Tara
Graphic Design by Tara Blog
Jewelry by Tara Biz Blog
Senioritis: Before we wrap up, would you like to give any shoutouts?
Jewelry by Tara: So many people have supported me on and off Etsy. I'd love to thank everyone personally, here are a couple my closest online friends:
The Juicy Peach aka Crescent Moon Creation
Mangogyrl Design
We’d like to give a huge thank you to Tara for giving us a glimpse into her empire. Please check out her fantastic jewelry work at her Etsy shop. Please take a look at Tara's design work and services as well, Graphic Design by Tara.
Stay tuned for another Featured Artist interview next Wednesday!
