Macaroni and Glue: Artisan Feature

This week's featured artisan is Rebecca of elpy [Handcrafted]. A twitter buddy and fellow blogger, Rebecca stocks her Etsy shop with an eclectic blend of unique jewelry and super cute housewares.

Tell me a little about yourself and what you do
I'm Rebecca, a child of the 90's and new college student (after a long break). My family and I live in Connecticut. I make jewelry - some knotted, some beaded, some chainmaille, some a mix of the three - and small woodburned housewares. Magnets and coasters, with ornaments and wall art coming soon.

What 3 words best describe your work?
Hmm, this is a little tricky. I'll go with colorful, shapely, and natural.

What inspires you?
Words, letters and numbers. Shapes, colors and patterns. Kind of elementary things, the bits and pieces that make up the world around us. I like to incorporate them, mimic what I see, when I can.

What drives you to create what you do?
I've been a crafty entrepreneur at some level or other since I was in third grade. It's who I am...I'm starting to accept that. Seeing a void of an item type or technique makes me want to learn how to fill it.

What makes your work unique?
Me! hehe. Ok, more seriously, I like to reinvent things, tweak techniques and try to create the unexpected.

What role does your work play in your life? What role would you like it to play?
It's currently a full-time hobby. It is my outlet and I've met tons of super-talented and friendly artists and designers as well. I'm inspired and humbled by them daily. Can't believe I'm part of such a community. I would like for it to be a full-time job, to make my living making things maybe teaching sometimes, too. I definitely have an inborn entrepreneurial spirit. Working for myself suits me.

How do you see your work and/or your business evolving in the next five years?
My ideal would be to have a brick and mortar shop of my own, selling my items and those of some of the artists I love. It's something lacking in my area. That's probably farther down the road than 5 years.

So I'd like get my work in some shops. I'd like to firm up my product line, decide for sure which of the ideas I've had for a while I'll actually add to my brand. I want to always be learning, trying to get better.