For those of you who know me or follow my blog, you are most likely well aware of my love for Amy of
the b-line and her beautiful creations, so it just thrills me to pieces to have her in the Spotlight this week! This creative newlywed is mother to two adorable pups and certainly has an eye for beautiful things. In addition to her jewelry shop,
the b-line, Amy recently opened a second shop,
Inspiration Board, to showcase her photographic work. When she's not creating, you can find Amy cooking, reading, jogging and hanging with her hubby, but I bet you'll never guess what she spends her days doing!
Read on to learn more about Amy, where she finds her inspiration and what she loves in this world. You can also
enter to win a beautiful bracelet from her shop!
Where are you from - originally and currently live?I grew up in Mansfield, OH and I've moved around the country a bit for school and work. I currently live in a sleepy little town in Michigan.
How long have you been selling on Etsy?I opened my first shop in March 2008.
Do you sell on Etsy full time or do you have a day job?Etsy is more of a hobby for me. By day, I'm a chemistry prof at a small, liberal arts college.
What made you decide to open up shop on Etsy?Teaching is a wonderful job, but about a year and a half ago, I was really feeling a strong urge to do more creatively. (We had just gotten married, so maybe I was going through wedding-planning-withdrawal. :)) I began making jewelry. More jewelry than I knew what to do with. My husband was really supportive and suggested I try to sell some of it online. Later that day, I saw a segment on the Martha Stewart show on an etsy seller. I hadn't heard of etsy, but I checked it out immediately and created my account that day. So,
the b-line, my jewelry shop, was born in March 2008 and has been going strong ever since. And recently, I opened a second shop, called
Inspiration Board, to showcase my latest obsession, photography.
Where did your shop name come from?My husband's responsible for that, too! Both my maiden name and my married name begin with a "B", so that's where the "b" comes from. And he reckoned I was creating my own line of jewelry, so "the b-line" seemed a good fit. For my second shop, I wanted a name that would create an image in one's eye, and I think
Inspiration Board does just that. At least for me — it makes me daydream about collecting lovely cards and swatches and beautiful things and displaying them all together in a new way to create a new piece.
What inspires you?Oh, anything really. I love to look through magazines and catalogs. And I love people watching. I also love looking at many of my contacts' photos on flickr for subjects and color combination inspiration. And nature — boundless inspiration there!
What do you like least about your craft?When things don't turn out as well as they did in my head! And sometimes the feeling that I *have* to make new things to remain interesting. I go in phases. Sometimes I just spend hours designing, sketching, and creating. Other times, I just can't be bothered.
Do you have any advice for other sellers on Etsy or those thinking about pursuing their craft?Do it! The wonderful thing about selling online is that you can really work at your own pace, create as much as you want, and test out new ideas without a great investment of time or money. And the feedback is really helpful and rewarding.
Five fabulous Esty shopsshop clementinerose la bicheoktakhendelucky fionaFive things you lovewell, there are definitely more than five people and pets who I could list and I don't want to leave anyone out, so I'll go with other types of things:
Graeter's coconut chip ice cream
a peony in full bloom
the first big snow of the season
that feeling I get after going for a jog (and the smiley look on Lola's face afterward)
how my husband surprises me with flowers and cards just when I need them most
Five things you dontseeing people text message while driving
mosquitos
being far from family
worrying
cleaning the house (although I do love it once it's clean!)
Where is the coolest place you have ever been?Paris. Hands down. I've been a francophile since I was a wee thing and was delighted to go there on our honeymoon a few years ago. And again last year!
What is your favorite leisure time activity?Depends on the day, the season, etc! I love to go for jogs and I'm totally smitten with my new electra bike. I'm also quite fond of spending an entire afternoon (or weekend) in my pjs on the sofa watching movies.
What is your favorite scent?In nature, probably peonies or magnolias. In the kitchen, coffee or bacon. In the department store, I'm loving Chloe Eau de Parfum.
If you could be a superhero, what would your powers be?I think I'd like to fly. It would be nice to get from place to place more quickly (though I do need to learn how to stop and smell the roses...) and see what's going on with that whole bird's-eye-view thing. And to feel the wind rushing by, sort of like a fast bike ride, I imagine. Now, to get over the fear of heights (or more accurately, the fear of falling).
What would you like to learn to do?So many things! I think this is one reason why I teach — I love to learn. I'd love to speak French better (which, I think, will require some time in residence). I'd also love to learn how to do enameling. And how to play guitar. For starters...
What does the future hold for the b-line (and inspiration board!)?I'm really excited about some new designs I'm working on for the b-line. I'll still be making plenty of corsage pieces, but I've been feeling a strong pull to branch out and work on something new. And sparkly! I'm content with my etsy shop and I've been enjoying doing some shows and fairs this summer, which I'll continue to do this fall. As for
inspiration board, I have a bunch of new prints to list in the shop. I just need the time to do it!
Amy also has an amazing blog that I love reading as much as mine, you can check it out here. She has great interviews, giveaways, etsy finds, craft projects, recipes and more. Yep, great minds think alike :)You can also keep up to date with happenings in both her shops by following her on twitter. 
GIVEAWAY TIME!
Amy is offering one winner their choice of any
bracelet from her shop!
HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:Please leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from
the b-line and also what new items you'd like to see or what you'd like to see more of in
Amy's shop.
You can enter once per day and
YOU MUST INCLUDE your first name
-AND- etsy username or email address with every entry. If you are worried about email spam, you can spell out the 'at' and 'dot' rather than using the standard email format.
Receive additional entries if you follow or subscribe to my blog and/or
Amy's blog, twitter about the giveaway and/or blog about the giveaway. Just leave a comment/link letting me know! You only need to mention each one time and do not need to leave separate comments.
You have until Sunday, August 2 at 10pm (est) to enter and I will announce the winner on Monday morning. Good luck!
Amy is also offering a special discount to Lillyella readers, save 10% off all orders through August 7 when you mention 'lillyella' in the message box at checkout!
Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you have enjoyed learning more about Amy and her work!
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