ACupOfSparkle sells sterling silver, gold, Swarovski crystal,
freshwater pearls and Vintage
bead Handcrafted Jewelry.
Make sure to click her shop name above and
check out her work :)
1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself? What are your other hobbies, what is day to day life like for you?
My name is Melike, and I am the creator of ACupOfSparkle jewelry and accessories. I am originally from Turkey and am currently living in Seattle.
I have a full time job as a laboratory manager at a small biotechnology company in downtown, Seattle. I usually come home in lunch time to take care of my puppy; Aslan. After work, if I am not doing anything with friends, I usually come home, play with my puppy, cook, take care of the house and make jewelry. I also have a blog that I enjoy writing (acupofsparkle.blogspot.com). My other hobbies are kayaking and riding bikes with my husband.
2.) What inspired you to begin creating and open your shop?
Jewelry design and crafting has been always a hobby for me since I was very young. I am a big fan of gemstones, gold and silver. I launched my jewelry line 'A Cup of Sparkle' in December, 2010. I have a treasury of beads and jewelry supplies that I have been collecting for a long time. I like wearing jewelry and have two sisters, so I was mostly making for myself, my friends, and family. I love the business side of things and I thought I should give it a shot and share my jewelry with others out there. I had a lot of encouragement from my loving husband.
3.) What is your best selling item in your shop? What is your favorite item in your shop?
My personalized wire bird nest keychains has been quite popular, especially among moms. I customize the nests with the number of kids people have using pearls and different gemstones. I also add variety of charms like birds, bees, leafs on them that are all inspired from nature.
My favorite item in my shop is this bird nest branch necklace which I find very cute and unique. I make it with gold, silver and brass with different color of leaves and pearls. I own one with Robins blue eggs that I wear a lot. I have made this necklace as a bridesmaid set for a customer, which I truly enjoyed.
4.) What is your biggest struggle as a etsy seller?
Lack of time. Balancing a home, a full time job and an Etsy shop is quite hard. Etsy is very
competitive and advertising my shop has been challenging.
competitive and advertising my shop has been challenging.
5.) What's your favorite thing about being an artist?
Creating has always been a great outlet for me from the day to day things I do. My favorite thing is the thought of someone else wearing or using something I designed and made. That is an awesome feeling!
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 don’t have a routine at all. Whenever I feel like, I go to my studio and start making things. I am doing this as a hobby. That is probably why I feel more relaxed about creating things at a random pace.
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?
I am sure everyone wants to be successful when they start a business. Same goes for me. I believe that setting the right goals is the key especially in the planning stage of any start-up. I had times that I felt discouraged when my sales were slow in the beginning; but, I always reminded myself that I am doing this because I like it. Positivity is really important as well. I actually never feared about people not liking my creations. I am sure some people don’t but; there is something for everyone and that is what makes the arts and the crafts world as versatile and rich as it is.
8.) Tell us a little quirky fact about yourself.
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