Meet The Boomers!

This week I am excited to bring you a newer member of the Boomer Team, Sara, from what is WristWrapWorks and is being phased into LaughingOtterJewelry !

1. What is/are the name of  your shop/s?
My shop's name is Laughing Otter Jewelry.

2. What kind of items do you sell?
I make bracelets, necklaces, earrings and watches from stone, glass, clay, wood and metal.

3. How long have you been engaged in your art/craft?
I have been making jewelry for about a year now.

4. Do you consider yourself a hobbyist or a professional craftsperson?
I am a professional. I make jewelry because it is my passion. I don't make it just to pass the time.

5. What inspires you?
The materials themselves inspire me. When I find stones or glass beads, etc that I like, I get a vision of what they should look like as a finished product and then I just make it.

6. Please share with us what a typical day is like in your workshop or studio?
I generally only have time to work on my jewelry on the weekends right now. I work when I have a vision for a piece and I generally work on it until it's finished. That can be a matter of 15 minutes or it can take a week of evenings and an entire weekend to complete.

7. What keeps you company while you’re working on a project?
There is usually any matter of things going on around me when I am working. I tend to be “in a zone” and not really paying attention to what's going on. Sometimes I enjoy music playing in the background.

8. What is your favorite 'task' related to your art/craft?
Experiencing a buyers thrill with their purchase of one of my pieces.

9. What is your least favorite 'task' related to your art/craft?
Setting it up (the listing) for sale.That’s why I have someone else do it! LOL

10. What are some of the venues you use to promote your shop/ware?(Do you blog? (To which teams do you belong? Do you use other sites? Which ones? etc.)
Mostly word of mouth. I have sold a number of pieces to co-workers and have had repeat buyers there. The teams to which I belong are: BBEST here on Etsy and Handmade Haven on 1000 Markets. I also have a shop on Artfire.com and am now showing my work on my Facebook page!

11. Related to your craft,tell us about a funny, strange or unusual situation you found yourself in.
Thus far I haven't really had anything funny, strange or unusual happen to me. But something I do find interesting is how visions of what a piece should look like just come to me when I see or touch the materials. I use to hear artists say things like that. Such as, they could look at a canvas and know what it would be or feel a lump of clay and know what their hands would do with it. I never understood what that meant until I started making jewelry. It's an amazing feeling and I am in awe every time it happens to me.

12. Tell us something about you that we wouldn’t necessarily know by talking with you in the forums.
I am a very, very busy person.  :)

13. What’s your favorite book and why, favorite movie and why, favorite kind of music?
Anything by Karin Kallmaker. She is an author of lesbian fiction. I enjoy her work because her characters are realistic and I can relate to them. Currently my favorite movie is Mama Mia because it is funny and makes me smile,laugh and SING! I also recently saw the movie GhostTown which made me laugh hysterically because it reminds me of my partner. My favorite kind of music is the pop and hip hop that I can dance to.

14. Would you care to share any 'words of wisdom' with other aspiring artists or crafters?
If it's in your blood and you need to make it, then do regardless of whether you make a living at it or not. If you can make a living doing what you love then appreciate how amazingly lucky you are.

Please leave comments for our member, as she would be so happy to hear from you!