Spotlight: Sleepy Moon Jewellery

Have you ever heard Sonja Henie's famous quote, "Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles."? Well, it's quite a favorite of mine, and Zoe of Sleepy Moon Jewellery has something to satisfy any 'distraction' you may be looking for. She describes her work as classy, clean, quirky and mysterious with a dream like sense of reality. I'd simply call it beautiful.

Read on to learn more about how she got started, what she listens to while working and what she wants to learn next. You can also enter to win a piece from her collection!

Where are you from - originally and currently live?

I am originally from Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada and I am now living in Vancouver BC. I have been moving around since the age of three. From Saskatoon and Vancouver Island, to Montreal and back again several times. That's what happened when your parents share you and live in separate cities. :)

How long have you been selling on Etsy?

I started selling on Etsy on February 2, 2009, so a year and a half.

Do you sell on Etsy full time or do you have a day job?

My jewellery is my full time job, though it isn't all on Etsy. There are a couple of retail stores that carry Sleepy Moon jewellery. OhKuol in Vancouver BC and Curiosities Gift Shop in London Ontario. I also attend several art and fashion markets during the holiday months.

What, if any, formal training have you had in your craft?
I am 100% self taught. The world is a very resourceful place and you can learn just about anything if you put your mind to it. My dream is to go to school to learn even more. Having someone show you is the only way to learn some of the more complex stuff.

What made you decide to open up shop on Etsy?
It was a suggestion from a friend. She saw that I was making jewellery and told me about Etsy. I hadn't even heard about it before that!

What inspires you?
I really like to just look at the world around me. The architectural beauty of a building or a simple geometric shape is very thought provoking and has a quiet beauty that I love. I am also intrigued by plants and leaves because they come in so many different shapes and sizes and each one is unique.

Do you have any advice for other sellers on Etsy or those thinking about pursuing their craft?
I guess I would say make sure you are doing what you love! If your customers see that you love what you do they will love it too!

Five Etsy Shops you love
lauralights
patriciavalery
shopwonderland
lamorez
LittleHouses

Five things you love
Food, dogs, music, family, art

Five things you dont
Wasps, parsley, really hot weather, broccoli with worms in it, doing dishes

Where is the coolest place you have ever been?
I think that where I live is pretty cool! British Columbia! You have the beach and the ocean, the mountains and the forest with lots of camping and hiking. You can also go up to the mountains and snowboard or ski. There are just so many amazing things you can do here all in one place.

Favorite junk food
Sun chips

What is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you?
When I was 8 or 9 I remember having a sleepover with my friends at my grandmas house. We slept outside on the trampoline. I saw a black thing fly over us really fast. It made no noise and was flying about as high as the roof on the house. It wasn't that big either. Not sure I know what that was.

Share some of your favorite music
I am really liking The Grouch, Atmosphere, and Giant Panda right now.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your powers to be?
I would love to know how to fly. I used to have dreams where I would fly and it was awesome!

What would you like to learn?
I know I never will, but chemistry. I find it interesting.

What does the future hold for you and your shop?
Eventually I plan to move off of Etsy and have my own personal site. Though I might still keep my Etsy shop and just run both. I would like to sell the Sleepy Moon line in more stores across Canada and possibly some in the US. New York would be awesome!

You can keep up with Zoe and her work by visiting her Blog or following her on Twitter and Facebook.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Zoe is offering one lucky winner his/her choice of any piece of jewelry from Sleepy Moon valued at $40 or under.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:
Please leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from Sleepy Moon AND whether you prefer your jewelry big and chunky or small and delicate.

You may 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 or subscribe to Sleepy Moon's Blog, Facebook, or Twitter

(You DO NOT need to leave separate comments for each additional entry, just mention which apply)

You have until Sunday, August 15 at 10 pm (est) to enter and I will announce the winner Monday morning. Good luck!