GIVEAWAY: VRD JEWELRY (Now Closed)

EtsyGiveaway

Sep 25

Written By

WINNER of GIVEAWAY is: Malaika

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And to all others as always -Thanks for entering.

There will be another giveaway shortly.

And most of all thanks to Victoria of VRD JEWELRY for making this giveaway possible.

Today's giveaway comes courtesy of Victoria of VRD Jewelry. She's a full-time student, entrepreneur, go-getter, loves Indian food, makes beautiful jewelry, just my kinda chic. Let's meet Victoria.

When did you start selling on Etsy and Why Etsy?

I opened my shop in March of 2011 after a friend of mine recommended Etsy to me. At the time I was making a lot of jewelry from recycled metal pieces, and I figured it would be a good way to make some extra money while doing something I love to do. After getting really great feedback and some sales, I started to really get into it. I started to teach myself as much as possible about jewelry making and starting a business, and then I stumbled upon metalworking and immediately fell in love with the process. Etsy.com has been vital to my success. I've been able to market to people who appreciate handmade goods, and the community of artists and admirers I've met on Etsy have encouraged me to keep going.

Is this a full time gig for you? If not how do you manage time to do everything?

I'm actually a full time college student. I spend as much time on my shop as I do on school, so it's more like having two full time gigs. Managing my time can sometimes be tricky, but I find that staying very organized helps me a lot. I schedule time for everything, and do my best to stay on task. I enjoy having a lot to do, and I love making jewelry, so its more like a labor of love for me.

If I could only buy one thing from your shop right now, which would you recommend?
At the moment my favorite pieces are my new collar necklaces. They are some of my most recent designs, and they have been quite the statement pieces. Every time I wear either of the necklaces out I get compliments all day long.

What was first piece you ever made/sold?
The first piece I ever made to sell on Etsy was a necklace made from hemp cord, a vintage feather charm and a turquoise stone. I was so elated when I sold it, and my first customer was awesome and really loved it. That first customer also became one of my repeat customers.

What are your plans for the future?
I'll be receiving my Associates degree soon, so i'm in the process of applying to several art/design school in New York City. I plan on studying jewelry/accessories design and illustration design. I also plan on expanding VRD jewelry a lot! I plan on getting my own web page for VRD soon, participating in some jewelry/craft shows, creating some look books, and of corse pumping out new jewelry designs! There are a ton of new items coming soon!

Do you have a workspace? If so, can you share what it looks like?
My work space is also my bedroom! Its mostly a workspace, with a random bed in the corner, but I don't sleep much, so I don't need much space for that. I just recently installed pegboard on my main wall, so my tools are all organized now, which has been a big help.

Her workspace. Don't mess with a lady and her hardware.

Love women starting their own businesses (and you're so young). Any advice for those thinking about starting their own business?

Go for it! Be fearless, work hard, be courteous with customers, and stay on task, and promote yourself. Etsy actually helped me a lot when figuring out how to start & run an online business. The Etsy Seller Handbook was super helpful for me, I was able to learn how to take product photos, create a brand, and many other things. When it comes to making a lot of sales i've learned that really good product photos, good product descriptions and promoting your shop on social media sites like Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. have been extremely helpful.

Now some fun fill in the blanks:

I can't get through the day without ......Pandora.com! It keeps me going throughout the day

I'm currently reading......."The Creative Habit" by Twyla Tharp. It was recommended to me by my painting teacher. It's full of really great tips and inspiration for creative folks

My favorite song is ........This one is tough because my favorite song changes every week. This week I've had Azealia Banks' "212" on repeat.

I'm lusting after ......The amazing new clothes in this September's issue of Vogue. There are so many talented new designers emerging right now, its really inspiring!

My dream vacation would be ...... I've always dreamed of going to Italy to appreciate the amazing art, food & history!

Any local (Tampa) brunch recommendations: I love indian food! My sister just recently took me out for brunch at an indian cafe called Udipi. It was all vegetarian, and the food was amazing, as was the atmosphere. They also had really good prices (I'm very cheap with food, so this was important.)