Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself. I was born and raised in Rochester, NY. During the nineties I lived in NJ for several years only to return to my hometown to be near my family. All 4 of my grandparents immigrated from Italy in the early 1900’s so I have a large and very close extended family. I 'm proud to say that I raised my 2 children who are now married and have blessed me with 4 precious grandchildren. One of my dreams was to return to school to receive my college education, which I accomplished at the age of 50. I graduated with a double major in Accounting and Business Administration.
How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business? My shop name, Creations by Janet, began as a general name over 10 years ago when I was dabbling in many different crafts including quilting, wedding accessories, stuffed animals, hand-beaded Christmas stockings and jewelry. I imagined that I would branch off with the name depending on the craft. As the years went on I decided not to embellish or change my name other than adding the USA when my shop went worldwide thanks to the web.
One of the reasons I began my business was because my love of crafting was overtaking my living space. You can only give away so much before the idea of selling pops into your mind, especially when your friends keep telling you you should be selling the items! At first, I sold my stuffed animals, quilts, and Christmas stockings at church bazaars. I moved on to local fairs and craft shows with my jewelry. Now I also offer home parties and sell online in my Etsy shop as well as on my website.
What are 5 things you want people to think when they see your product? When people see my jewelry, I want them to think beauty. It may be a simple design or something more elaborate and elegant. Beauty is after all in the eye of the beholder, and that is why I create many different styles. Many times, I have been told that I have a very eclectic collection with something for everyone. It's not uncommon for a mother and daughter to be at my booth at a craft show, each of them leaving with a completely different item in totally different styles.
After that, I want them to think quality, craftsmanship, uniqueness and "MORE"!
What’s your supply addiction, is there a specific color or type of supply you just can’t pass up? A browse through my collection will show a love of the color purple and the amethyst gemstone. I absolutely cannot ignore anything purple. It speaks to me! I also have a thing for hearts. You will see many styles of hearts in my designs, from the timeless and elegant to the youthful and funky.
Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why? Much of my artistic enjoyment comes from learning something new. My most recent creative adventure has been twisting wire. Creating a beautiful item, such as your own name in a pendant, from a spool of wire is exciting and extremely satisfying for me.
I have always enjoyed working with my hands. I admire & have taken after my father, who became a jewelry artist in his retirement years. I cherish the pieces that he made for me, especially since he passed away last year.
What keeps you motivated?
More than anything I believe my age and the love of beautiful art keeps me motivated. We never know how much time we will have on this earth, and I want to leave behind an imprint of my inner soul for people to enjoy. I love knowing that a piece that I created can trigger a warm memory for somebody or become a cherished heirloom after I am gone.
If you could give a piece of advice to a new shop, what would it be? A new shop should take the time to read, understand and develop their shop carefully before opening. First impressions are extremely important. I wasn’t educated and prepared enough so it took my shop several months to gain momentum. I will be celebrating my 1 year anniversary this April, and I am very pleased with my progress during this period of time. Also, getting involved in teams and finding yourself a mentor can be extremely helpful for being resources of knowledge and experience. I have given small bits of advice to others starting out that I know would have been extremely helpful to me when I was a new shop. Also, learn about photography. The pictures you portray of each item is the most powerful way to draw buyers into your shop. I am still working toward that goal of having a more professional look to my shop.
Are there other places on the net we can find you?
