Good morning everyone! Today is our first Friday Feature, and today we are featuring Veronica of Veronica Willingham Jewelry. Veronica has a home studio in Aurora, Colorado, with customer all over the world. Veronica has been generous and gracious to offer a wonderful pair of her earrings as today's giveaway (see the bottom of the post). Let's get to know a little more about Veronica now.
TDB: How long have you been selling on Etsy?
Veronica: I have had my jewelry line at Etsy since April 2007. I also have a bead site (veronicabeads.com) on Etsy as well, which I started after the fantastic success of my jewelry site.
TDB: When did you start your craft?
Veronica: I began handcrafting my line of jewelry back in 2001...at first a hobby it soon turned into a full fledged business. "You can only wear so much jewelry yourself", my husband would say. So I guess the natural progression would be to make it a business. So I did.
TDB: What inspires you?
Veronica: I wish I could nail my inspiration down to one consistent thing, but to be honest I really work in the moment most times. Be it I get a vision in my head of a partial piece that I have to work up into a finished piece; or I see a shape, a color, an article of clothing, heck the architecture of a building...I have always had a need to create, so maybe overall it's the need to create that inspires me most.
TDB: If you could learn some new skills, what would they be?
Veronica: Woah, you ask excellent questions. I plan on attending the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), to further my skills in jewelry design using CAD and other methods. While at GIA I also plan on getting my Graduate Gemologist (GG). To be around more gemstones and persons skilled in the gem/jewelry trade than I have ever have been; just the idea of it all, it makes me swoon.
TDB:What are your favorite materials to work with?
Veronica: Gemstones, gemstones, gemstones and more gemstones;) I have always had a passion for semi precious and precious gemstones every since I could remember. From ruby sapphires, emeralds, kyanite, kunzite and everything in-between, I don't think I could live without them. I remember back to the day I first discovered gems. I was just a teenager at a school outing at Six Flags and I went into one of those old mining towns. Back in the corner of the general store was an old barrel full of a mix of stones and there I dug my hands in and there I stayed, until I was dragged away. Gems are more than just a shiny pretty for me I feel a true connection with them.
TDB: Are you on any Etsy street teams?
Veronica: I am not currently on any Etsy teams. As I have been in the process of focusing on branding my company, my time is very limited. Focus and attention to detail is crucial to me...I feel it important to put our hands in only as many fires as one can handle.
TDB: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be, and why?
Veronica: I have always had a dream of traveling to anywhere in the world that gems are mined. So as you can imagine, I have a lot of traveling to do. To Bangkok and beyond, baby!
TDB: What other things do you enjoy, besides creating jewelry?
Veronica: Wow you are really assuming I have a life outside of jewelry ;) As sad as it may sound I really don't. My business is run out of my home studio; so I am able to have my daughter and husband close to me. My husband Rodney helps with jewelry design, casting and assembly. My thirteen year old daughter Taylor will soon be helping me with wax carving. They are both amazing artists in their own right.
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Veronica's Giveaway:
These earrings are sea foam chalcedony with 14k gold filled accents and earwires. They are valued at $42.00. And as always shipping is complimentary at veronicawillingham.com.
The Not-So-Small Print: To enter for your chance to win these gorgeous earrings, please leave a comment with a valid email address and your name. Only ONE entry per person please. Any duplicate entries will be deleted. This contest is open to anyone in the world. This giveaway is now closed, and we have drawn a winner!
I can't wait to get my very own Veronica Willingham Jewelry, which I ordered yesterday! Did you see that she has FREE shipping???
42 comments:
What a fun giveaway! :)
(I also like the green piggy bank-I so need to get myself a piggy bank!)
Mel (enakitty@yahoo.com)
Wow, her jewelry is gorgeous! And I love that her husband and daughter help her with the process! So great!
xsbaggage@gmail.com
Oh I love giveaways! I'll share this on my blog as well.
(The pics show up as red x's though.)
I've been admiring Veronica's work every since I first found it on Etsy!
I want to be entered to win!
abbieroadart(at!)gmail.com
(at!) = @ I just want to protect from spammers!
Thanks!
Abbie
Awesome, great feature! Giveaways are always fun, hehe.
Brigette - buggirl4ever@gmail.com
Beautiful earrings!!
Janine - queenbeejanine@hotmail.com
Love Veronica's jewelry. And the feature too.
Jennifer
decklededgebindery@yahoo.com
These are so beautiful! Great prize for this giveaway :)
my email is nicole at soloartworks.com
thanks!
Nicole
How pretty!
jill . perryman @ gmail . com
Beautiful! Perfect for the beach this summer.. Please enter me in the drawing!!! Can't wait for summer!
Name:
Jillian
Jasdanser12 at yahoo.com
I have to say her work is stunning. Thank you for sharing cause now I have a new shop to heart and keep an eye on. :)
in case my email doesnt show....
melodyofdavid@gmail.com
OH MY!!!! Those are beautiful as all her jewelry is!
Linda
Her work is downright gorgeous!
I want to win!
Harmony
harmonytanguay@hotmail.com
Sorry, I just realized that I didn't say anything about the stunning jewelry! I thought it but hit post before I typed it out. (darn multi tasking!)
The jewelry is absolutely gorgeous! And she's a very generous seller to give away a piece.
What a lovely feature, Angie!! And gorgeous jewelry!! I would love a chance to win!
ElegantSnobbery@hotmail.com
Also, thank so much for the wonderful birthday wishes you left me!! Yay for birthdays!!
What gorgeous jewelry, and awesome contest!
shellsnoel@aol.com
Beautiful earrings!
moderncharm@cox.net
These earrings are beautiful!!
pam at sewgracious dot com :-)
beautiful jewelry, i like the simple sophistication. Best of luck learning CAD, it's such a useful tool.
beautiful jewelry. what a fun giveaway. oh, and beautiful blog by the way!
octavineillustration@gmail.com
Jewelry, I can never have enough,
your designs are fab. I can tell
you put a lot of yourself into every piece you make, it shows.
I would love to own this lovely
pair of earrings! Jewelgirl
What a great giveaway! I love these earrings!! The other jewelry featured is beautiful as well!
adkinsc123@lycos.com
The pieces are very lovely. Please enter me to win
Her work is gorgeous.
Very pretty earrings...Bangkok is an experience!
That is some very lovely stuff! A lot of attention to detail and beautifully photographed as well!
Cheryl - xuxu_ns@yahoo.com
Really, really pretty!
kelli (at) pfrog (dot) net
Beautiful jewelry--really gorgeous!! Please enter me in the drawing (I have my fingers crossed!)
Smiles, Karen
kmwittkop@aol.com
Good luck to everyone. Those earrings are really nice. :)
ciscomatisse@gmail.com
Whoa, gorgeous earrings!
http://skarph.com/blog
I would LOVE to win this beautiful pair of Vernonica Willingham earrings! Please enter me in your drawing (fingers crossed!).
Thank you very much!
Okay these are so beautiful! Pretty Please Pick me!
grayjones5@yahoo.com
love those! thanks
Those are precious! Sign me up!
westbys at swbell dot net
Wow, these are gorgeous! Please enter me into your contest :)
saddeyezz at yahoo.com
OOH these pieces are sooo pretty!
~Heather
Daisy-Head-Maisy design
Thanks for such a fun contest! The earrings are stunning! Thanks for introducing me to a wonderful site!
Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
Oh my word, what beautiful work! Thanks for offering the giveaway.
What a great interview with Veronica! And I would love to win her gorgeous earrings. Please enter me in this very generous giveaway.
My email address is hurdler4eva [at] gmail [dot] com
Gorgeous work!
lvgallerycreations@msn.com
Vanessa :)
Giveways are so fun, but I love that I've found some new things to add to my own birthday wishlist :)
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