Friday Features--Veronica Willingham Jewelry

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???