Spotlight: Rosalera

There's pretty, then there's beautiful, then there's Rosalera. I can't remember the first time I 'met' Monica, but I do remember how quickly I fell in love her with her unique and gorgeous work. Not only is she a talented artist, but she is a wife, a mother and a lawyer. Now that is one impressive list, isn't it? After a little time off for a cross country move and two new additions to the family, I could hardly wait for her to reopen shop so I could share her work with you.

Read on to learn more about how she got started, where she finds her inspiration what the future holds for her shop. You can also enter to win a pair of beautiful lace cameo earrings!

Where are you from - originally and currently live?
I was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan. In the last ten years I have lived in Portland, Oregon, Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Chicago, Illinois. I currently live in Chicago in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood with my husband and three children.

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
I started selling on Etsy with a friend in January, 2008. Our shop was called Semilla. While creating jewelry for Semilla, I stumbled on resin work. I immediately loved the possibilities with the medium. A couple of months later I decided to strike out on my own and in mid-2008 I opened up rosalera on Etsy. Currently, I only create for rosalera.

Do you sell on Etsy full time or do you have a day job?
Etsy is definitely a part-time job for me. Until a year ago, I was a full-time labor lawyer. In April of 2009, I gave birth to twin girls (Maya and Ava). Soon thereafter, our little family relocated from Portland to Chicago to be closer to our parents. I have been lucky enough to be home with the twins and my three year old son, Ian, this last year. My hiatus from my profession is almost over and I have plans to return to labor law in the coming months.

What, if any, formal training have you had in your craft?
None. However, my family has always been extremely supportive of fostering a creative side. My father ties flies, brews beer, and rebuilds antique motorcycles. My mother has worked as a floral designer and loves to paint. My sister is a fiber artist who also sells her handiwork on Etsy. Her shop is dospalomas. My husband brews his own beer and roasts his own coffee. In sum, my family is crafty.

What made you decide to open up shop on Etsy?
My sister introduced me to Etsy in 2006. For quite awhile I was solely an Etsy consumer. In 2008, a friend and I started to create our own jewelry because we were looking for a creative outlet. We decided to sell our jewelry on Etsy. However, we also sold our jewelry at Portland's Crafty Wonderland and monthly at First Thursday in Portland's Pearl District.

Where did your shop name come from?
Rosalera means rose garden in Spanish. I am part Hispanic. The name is the perfect marriage of the inspiration for my creations and my heritage.

What inspires you?
I am most often inspired by nature and architecture. Flowers are the obvious primary inspiration. I can't help but be inspired while out and about in the city. I often carry a camera with me and snap photos of things that I find inspiring for later use.

What do you like least about your craft?
Bubbles. Resin work is a constant struggle against bubbles. Despite the perfectionist in me, I have learned to accept that there will always be at least a few stray bubbles in a piece. Sometimes a lot of small bubbles gives a piece an artistic quality. However, if a big bubble sets on the surface of a piece and obscures a flower I have to sand and buff it for a very long time. Sometimes the piece is beyond repair.
Recently I have been using a technique generously offered to me by Etsy seller Wickedgems that has helped in bubble reduction. Etsy is filled with sellers who are willing to share their experiences and techniques to selflessly assist another in honing their craft.

Do you have any advice for other sellers on Etsy or those thinking about pursuing their craft?
For those considering pursuit of a craft...do it. Pursuing one's craft is an evolving process and Etsy is one of the most supportive environments I can think of to evolve and blossom. There are so many great people selling on Etsy that are willing to support and assist other sellers.

Five Etsy Shops you love
There are far too many shops on Etsy I love to narrow it down to five. I always have a few Etsy items on my mind at any given time. The following are five shops in which I have found things I would imminently like to purchase...
littlesaplingtoys
uncommon
satsumalynn
eripottery
masaoms

Favorite item you have bought from Etsy
I bought this bag from Moop in 2007 that I love and I still use all of the time.

Share some of your favorite music
Recently I have been on a bit of a folk kick. It could be because the kids love to dance to it. Aside from the usual suspects, I have been listening to Erin McKeown and Mason Jennings.

Where is the coolest place you have ever been?
My husband and I have done a lot of hiking together. My two favorite hikes took us to the most awe-inspiring places I have ever been. The first was Jefferson Park at the base of Mount Jefferson in Oregon. The second was Zion National Park in Utah.

What is your favorite leisure time activity?
Leisure time?

What does the future hold for you and your shop?
More resin work. I am hoping to increase the number of pieces. In the next year I plan to offer resin jewelry with flowers grown organically from my own garden on a seasonal rotation. I also plan to start making my own bezels/frames for my resin work.

You can keep up with Monica and updates in her shop by following her on twitter and check out more of her beautiful work on flickr.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Monica is giving away the beautiful dainty earrings shown above to one lucky winner! The bezels and earwires are oxidized brass and copper and the resin cameos contain bits of antique venetian lace backed with plum kimono silk.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:
Please leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from Rosalera AND ALSO Monica would like to know what you would like to see on a Facebook fan page.

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 (one each) if you:

Follow or subscribe to this Blog, my Facebook or my Twitter

Follow Monica on Twitter

(You DO NOT need to leave separate comments)

You have until Sunday, May 16 at 10 pm (est) to enter and I will announce the winner Monday morning. Good luck!