Undiscovered Artist - PeggyGsJewelry

Sadly today has not been great, I think it is well summed up by standing on a nail and grabbing a handful of stinging nettles whilst trying to clear part of the garden - now just imagine a whole day along those lines. . . 

Shall we have a more cheerful artist feature?  Introducing Undiscovered Artist Peggy of PeggyGsJewelry on Etsy.  Her work is some of my favourite out of all of Etsy.  It is not a million miles away from my style I suppose so she is something of a kindred spirit.

How long have you been an etsy seller?
I have been an Etsy seller since November of 2008.

How do you get your inspiration?
Many things inspire me. Books, pictures, art, and my husband is a great inspiration. He will see something he likes and ask me what I think and what I can do with it and my mind floods with ideas. I check out different shops and try to find new techniques and ideas. That is what inspired me to learn about steampunk. Found some great tutorials from a shop called Eugena777 and some great wire wrap tutorials.

How long do you spend working on your shop in the average week?
Like most people I start my day going into my shop and end my day at my shop but I put a lot of hours into working on things that I think will be good to put in my shop so it varies. But like most people I probably spen too much time.

What your favourite item in your shop at the moment?
Right now my favorite is my blue steampunk and filigree heart pendant. I know steampunk is quite popular right now but in my area people have not heard of it yet. I found that even though it is new in our area people are fascinated by it and I love working with it and experimenting with new ways to incorporate it into my work.

Pets? Family? Tell us about those?
The "kids" we (my husband and I) have are wonderful. Sara is our oldest dog and our great protector. She is 12 years old and still thinks she is a puppy. Scottie is a shelter rescue dog and has become my shadow. I don't understand how someone could have given him up. He is about 7 years old and we've had him for almost 2 years now. And then there's fudge, our cat. He is the old man at 16 years old and he thinks he is a kitten. Runs around the house and chases the dogs. He also keeps the dogs in line when he thinks they are getting out of hand. That is my husbands and my family now that the last of our boys is grown and gone into the army. They keep us busy.

Tell us about a typical day in the life of Peggy.
Right now I am one of the many unemployment statistics so I have a lot of time to work on my jewelry. I get up, check out my shop, thinking about how to improve my work or improve my shop. Check out different shops and then get into my work for a while. At some time during the day I find time to do the "normal" things like cook, shop and take care of my family. When that is done I go back to my work room and do some more and then end my day on my computer checking things out again, listing new work or figuring out what I want to do next.

What else interests you? 
My other interests are painting, quilting, computers, home improvement projects, and of course, my family, even though our boys are all grown and live all over the country and have families of their own. 

Is there anything else we should know?
Just want to let people know not to give up on what they really want. Obstacles can be overcome and achieved with persistance and willingness to learn and to try new things. Don't ever be afraid to try something new.

Photography Challenge Update

We have some great entries so far but the more the merrier so if you have a photograph (or what to take one) that fits the theme 'On the Other Hand' please take a look at last Sunday's post on how to enter.