Etsy Interview with HPerl Jewelry

I was born in Israel, raised in Alaska and Hawaii. I spent the past ten years living in New York City but recently moved back to Israel, where I share a little country cottage with my husband and our cat. I'm also the creator of HPerl Jewelry.

How and when did you start making jewelry and your other items?

Jewelry making sort of happened to me. As a child, when asked what I wanted to do when I grow up, I always said "journalist", which seemed to baffle the grownup who asked the question. I guess they expected me to say "ballerina" or "teacher". I did go into journalism, TV news production to be exact, and after a few years of working six or seven-day -weeks, running around with tapes and banging my head against the glass ceiling, I began to realize this wasn't how I wanted to spend my life. I was very ambitious and career-oriented, so this wasn't an easy conclusion to come to. By then I met my husband, who was fed up with life in the high-tech world, and encouraged me to step back and think things over.

I quit my TV job and went back to writing, which was always my true love. I published a weekly foodie column, wrote articles and magazine stories and discovered that life without a 9-5 job was actually pleasant. There were always things I wanted to try when I worked in TV and never had time, but suddenly I did. So I tried ceramics, flower arranging, sewing, knitting. You can just imagine what our little New York apartment looked like draped in scarves and dotted with somewhat childish ashtrays... And then I took a jewelry design class and I was hooked.

When and how did you originally find Etsy?

I heard about Etsy from a friend. We went to dinner and she wore a plastic diamond cutout ring. When I complimented her, she said she got it on Etsy and that I should open a shop. I was quite timid back then. I was still taking classes at the 92nd Y and FIT, and didn't think I was ready to sell. I was still a student after all. Little by little, I started selling to friends, and friends of friends, and finally took the plunge.

I officially opened HPerl on Etsy last year. I try to create jewelry I love and would love to wear, and hope that others find the charm in it, as well. It's always exhilarating to think that there are people out there in the world who are walking around with a piece of HPerl Jewelry on. A few months ago someone bought a ring, which I later found out he proposed with. Wow, talk about a rush.

What is unique about Etsy and what about the website do you like the most in regards to your shop?

From the very beginning of HPerl Jewelry, I was touched by the sense of community on Etsy. I reached out to successful sellers like onegarnetgirl, tillybloom and betsybenson. They all wrote back with tips and advice. I was blown away by their generosity.

I also love that Etsy is such a platform for creativity and that by using technology, it actually enables buyers and sellers to communicate directly with one another in a very traditional way. It takes us out of the age of big corporations and mega stores and into a much simpler way of commerce.

What inspires you the most in regards to your creations?

When I can't sleep, I don't count sheep. I think of new designs. When fully awake the next day, I realize that some of them are just too fantastic to create, but some are not. I'm also inspired by daily life and the things around me. My husband came in the other day and gave me a piece of hardened tree sap from our garden. It looks like frozen honey. I set the sap in a ring, like you would a stone. You'll be able to see it at HPerl Jewelry soon.

What is your favorite piece you've created and why?

I tend to like the spontaneous pieces, things I didn't plan or design, that just happened when I was sitting at the jeweler's bench. Good examples of that are the Wings Ring, the Heart Ring, and the Pebble earrings.

What do you want to accomplish with your online shop?

I would love for HPerl Jewelry to keep growing and feature coherent collections without losing its personal touch. As of now, I'm selling enough pieces to support my habit, so it would be great to actually make a living doing something I love.

Do you have any new creations in the works? If so, what can shoppers expect to see from you soon?

I plan to introduce new materials like various fibers, porcelain and found objects in an attempt to recycle and repurpose. I think it would be great to see discarded items that you wouldn't necessarily expect to find on a ring or a necklace, get the center of attention again.

My next big project is something that would incorporate my love for the written word and my love of jewelry. I'd like to use this platform to reach out to readers for some inspiration. To take part in this endeavor, and win a $25 gift certificate, follow these steps:

Register as follower of my blog: http://hperljewelry.blogspot.com/

Join me on Facebook.

Post your favorite poem line as a comment on my facebook wall and blog. Please include poet's name. (http://hperljewelry.blogspot.com/2010/08/whats-your-favorite-poem-line.html)

The person with what I consider the best line will receive $25 gift certificate for HPerl Jewelry. Other lucky winners will get to see their great ideas featured in pieces of HPerl Jewelry this fall.

Where can readers find out about more information regarding your jewelry and other creations and possible special offers (including additional websites, blogs, facebook, etc)?

I'm on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/hperl-jewelry/143229375690947?ref=ts

Blog: http://hperljewelry.blogspot.com/

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hperljewelry/