Featued Tuesday

And today's featured seller is…

Partridge Designs

Partridge Designs is owned by Meaghan McRae of Canada, 

a woman with a vast variety of artistic talents.

 In her shop, she sells fabulous jewelry made 

from sterling silver and natural and semi precious stones.  

Make sure to check out her shop, and her blog and give 

her some love :)  

1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself? What are your other hobbies, what is day to day life like for you?

I am a 24 year old living in Kelowna, BC, Canada. I have pursued a few different careers in my life so far. It started with wanting to be an "artist" and studying at two different schools. Then I switched to being a pastry chef. I went to pastry school and continued by working as a cake decorator. Even though I loved my work I still longed for "the degree" so I transferred my credits to a general studies program. I studied for a while only to run out of funds. This left me unemployed and unable to get back into the baking world. So I moved home with my family and started making jewelry. Everything I do now still includes all of my previous life choices. Selling on Etsy allows me to practice my photography and keeps my creative hands busy making jewelry (mini sculptures). I continue to bake and decorate cakes for family and friends. I also hope to start working as a cake decorator again soon. But for now my jewelry keeps me very busy, getting my name out in the world, selling online, and at local markets and events. 

2.) What inspired you to begin creating and open your shop? 

There was never a question that I wouldn't end up in a creative profession. I think the inspiration to be an artist was imprinted in my DNA (lol). I am a visual person that love nothing more than to create. Wether it is a cake, sculpture, birthday card, store banner or a pair of earrings, if I can make something Im happy.

3.) What is your best selling item in your shop?

 My best selling Item on and off line is always earrings. They make great gifts and you can never have too many pairs. 

4.) What is your biggest struggle as a etsy seller?

My biggest struggle is getting people to my shop. It has proven harder than I originally thought but worth the work.

5.) What's your favorite thing about being an artist? 

My favourite thing about being an artist is how visual a person it makes you. It seems like you end up seeing the whole world with a different set of eyes. Every last detail of our world doesn't go unnoticed. We see everything. Somehow, watching the world and people becomes a better form of communication than language.

6.) Do you have a crafting "routine"? Are there things in your day to day life (job, family, etc.) that make it difficult to stick to that routine?

I work all the time. Since moving home with a family that all have jobs of their own, I get a lot of quiet time to work. So I spend my days in a small room downstairs, listening to loud music and getting into the rhythm of making jewelry. I don't plan out my designs, they are all done as I think them up.

7.) I talk a lot about certain fears of creativity, like the fear of failing and fearing that people won't like your creation, do you experience these fears and if so how do you get past them and keep creating?

Not to say that I have failed a lot in my life but once you have "stumbled" a few times you get used to it. I have put everything into making and selling jewelry. No matter the outcome I'm happy with how I have put myself and my art out in the world and will always continue to do so. You have to build an artists suit of armour. It really doesn't matter what others think as long as you are happy with your work and of course don't take it all too seriously.

8.) Tell us a little quirky fact about yourself.

I have a tattoo, on my right wrist, of a Scottish symbol called a Luckenbooth. It stands for love and luck. When people in Scotland get married they like to exchange pendants with the design on it.