Featured Artist - Kris Amels

Who are you? Kris Amels

What is your Etsy Shop Name/link? Krisamels - www.krisamels.etsy.com, and The Devils in Details - www.thedevilsindetails.etsy.com

What tag categories do you specialize in? Vintage, Recycled, OOAK, Goth, Jewelry, Glass


Do you create for children or adults, women or men? Most of my pieces are for adults, due to the small pieces involved… and I’d say about ½ women and ½ men.

What do you like about Etsy? I like the community feel; the people are so nice, and the fee structure is more practical (and much kinder!) for an independent artist than other online venues. I also really enjoy the Etsy Storque articles… they’re very helpful!

Where do you find inspiration for your products? Everywhere! I like to work with things that other people throw away… X-Rays, cemetery flowers, broken jewelry… I’m driven to save them and make them beautiful and useful again.


Also I get a lot of inspiration from my wild, vivid dreams; I wake up, write down my new ideas, and go back to sleep! I recently had a really interesting idea for a new line of lampworked glass bead jewelry I’m working on now that came directly from a dream…

What do you love about your business? So many things! I love having the freedom to work in the materials I choose; making one-of-a-kind items instead of production pieces. Since my background is in manufacturing high-end costume jewelry, that’s a real treat for me. I don’t mind taking care of the practical ‘nuts and bolts’ parts of the business… and I appreciate that it allows me to keep being creative.

What is your favorite product right now? The Salvaged Sprites in my The Devils in Details shop. They are sweet, scary, and completely super fun to make.


What makes you unique at Etsy? Wow, that’s a tough one. Many artists are so completely unique (and FABULOUS) on Etsy… But I guess I’m the only one currently working with reclaimed cemetery flowers.


What other street teams are you a member of? DAM team (Dolls and Miniatures), and the Recycler’s Guild.

What are some other sites to find out more about you and what you love to create? My website is www.sillylittlekids.com, that’s where you can see some of my larger assemblage pieces that I make with broken jewelry. I’ll be adding my glass jewelry to that site soon.

And, http://loveshinenyc.blogspot.com, you can check out the holiday windows I did with Richard in 2008 with the Salvaged Sprites...