Featured Artist - Meribella

Who are you? A Mom, A wife, and and artist at heart. I live and breathe to be as creative as possible!

What is your Etsy Shop Name/link? http://www.etsy.com/shop/meribella

How did you come up with your shop name? My name is Meridith, but my older sister (who is a self supporting artist) used to call me Meribella......My first born daughter is Isabel but we call her Bella, so the name hit me as perfect...our two names together.


What do you create? Do you create for children or adults, women or men? I create one of a kind sterling silver jewelry. I love to work in sculpture, of children and people. It all started when I was trying to find a jewelry piece representing my children, and all I came across was mass produced, non original pieces.

Most of my work is bought my women and moms, but have had several pieces bought for kids.



What do you like about Etsy? The ease of loading a product at a low cost, and the ability to reach a mass market without leaving your home.

Where do you find inspiration for your products? My children!


What do you love about your business? The satisfaction of being creative and also making money at it.

What is your favorite product(s) right now? My sterling silver mermaid pendant:



What makes you unique at Etsy? I have not found any artist out on Etsy, that make anything close to the wearable people sculptures I do. It is a new twist on the "Mother" jewelry.


What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create?
Blog: http://meribellaart.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Meribella-Wearable-Art/141840988166

Featured Artist - Lori Citsay

Who are you?
My name is Lori Citsay. I am a wife, a mother and a retired school teacher --
turned jewelry artist. I was fortunate to be able to retire early and set about
expressing myself through different creative outlets, including building
furniture. When my inventory threatened to overrun the house, my family
suggested I scale things down. I tried jewelry making and soon I was beading
with a vengence! It was a natural progression for me to move on to sawing,
forging and soldering -- I am tool obsessed :)

What is your Etsy Shop Name/link?
http://www.LoriCitsay.etsy.com

What tag categories do you specialize in?
I make sterling silver jewelry, much of it from recycled/reclaimed silver. Some of my most popular pieces are my personalized items. I also started a line that I call “Beach Beans” in which I incorporate stones that I’ve collected from the beaches along the Jersey shore.


Do you create for children or adults, women or men?
Many of my pieces were originally created as gifts for specific people in my life.
My daughters, ages 27 and 21, are the most frequent recipients of my pieces so
the bulk of my jewelry is created for young women. There are a few items for
children and men that actually began as custom order requests, which I have
kept as permanent items in my shop.

I recently added some small sterling silver post earrings that are equally appropriate for women and girls. I guess the ones with the skull-and-crossbones could also appeal to boys and men :)



What do you like about Etsy?
I like the name recognition Etsy has and I like that it’s an international site. There’s certainly no shortage of people browsing the site at any given hour of the day!

Where do you find inspiration for your products?
Just about anywhere...the other day I was running errands and I found inspiration at Staples and Dick’s Sporting Goods!



What do you love about your business?
I love that I get to create stuff using tools and fire!

What is your favorite product right now?
Whatever new product I’m working on is always my favorite. Right now it’s the
charm holder necklaces I’m making that were inspired by my recent excursion to Saples and Dick’s.



What makes you unique at Etsy?
I have completed a 25-year career doing something that I was trained to do (teaching) and begun something new that I am learning how to do as I go along. At this stage of my life, I am making things that I love and I’m loving every minute of creating them. I don’t know if that makes me unique but it sure makes me look forward to getting up each morning.

What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create?
I don’t have a blog and don’t ever intend to have one. I don’t have a Facebook fan page but I’m thinking about starting one. I do, however, have another shop at
1000 Markets. http://www.1000markets.com/users/loricitsayjewelry

Dear Santa (Week 1)

Why should kids only get to write letters to Santa? Here at EtsyNJ, we realize that the elves are backed up, so we'd like to suggest that Santa visit Etsy.com and pick up a few things for the grown-ups!

Tracy from The Tote Trove found the perfect scarf for herself in Seahorse Design's Shop - "This scarf is just my style: different and girly!"


Check out The Tote Trove for one of a kind hand painted bags!


Katylua's letter to Santa includes this little wish: "I love everything in CatRocks shop, a gift certificate would be a great way to go"


Need some handknit goodies this season? Check out Katylua's shop!

Made By Melissa's letter to Santa includes this custom necklace from LoriCitsay's shop. Melissa describes the necklace as "a simple, elegant and truly one of a kind necklace that I would wear every day."


Visit Made By Melissa's for beaded jewelry and crochet blankets, scarves and amigurimi.

Check back here again next week for more Dear Santa letters from EtsyNJ members. If your loved one is an EtsyNJ member, keep your eyes peeled!

Do you have an EtsyNJ item on your wishlist this year? If so, send a convo to Made By Melissa and including a link to your most wanted item, you could see it featured here!