Item: Birthstone Necklace
Seller:  LaFemmeJewels

An Etsy seller named Rachel Moore, the crafter behind two shops (LaFemmeJewels and RMDJewellery), recently told me a bit about her work on Etsy.com in a shop submission to Etsy Item of the Day.

My favorite item in this shop is this lovely charm necklace, made using a pewter charm engraved with flowers.  It also has a freshwater pearl and can be customized with your birthstone!  Loving the way it’s pictured above?  Just pretend you were born in May, and snag the emerald birthstone!

The necklace is selling for $27.00, and the postage is free within Australia!

Rachel is an Australian jewelery designer located in Sydney.  “I love to create clean simple modern jewellery that can be worn everyday with the occasional dressed up item,” Rachel told me.  “I have spent the last 18 months training as a metalsmith and am slowing developing my new store rmdjewellery in enamel and metalwork jewellery in addition to my beaded jewellery. I love shaping and hammering sterling and copper and the colours available in enamel are just lovely.”

When she’s not crafting, Rachel says she loves to read and also spends a lot of time online chatting with her Etsy team – the “Down Under Street Team” (DUST).  You can peep shops that are affiliated with DUST by checking out the Down Under Street Team website!

I always like to see where other Etsy lovers are going on Etsy.com.  Rachel told me that there are so many talented people on Etsy, making it hard for her to pick just one.  “But if I had to choose just one, I would say InnerEarthSoaps.  She has the most delicious soap and body products, they smell delicious and look good enough to eat,” she said.

Rachel advises Etsy.com sellers to be determined and not to give up.  “Learn, study and watch. Learn from the business forums and experience of others, study all the articles on getting successful and watch what those you aspire to be like are doing right. I think its a hard slog selling online but the freedom it gives you in your personal life is priceless and the joy of creating is worth all the rest,” Rachel said.

So what’s next for Rachel and her jewelry?

“I have just recently opened rmdjewellery in addition to lafemmejewels and will be building and expanding my enamel and metalwork,” Rachel said in her shop submission.  “Lots of organic sterling and copper with lovely rich enamel colours to enhance the metals. I also love the rich depth oxidizing brings out in all metals, so you will always see lots of rustic looking items in my new store.  I am also hoping to get offline to my local community through markets and fairs so people can see and touch my jewelry.”

You can learn more about Rachel on her blog, or by following her Twitter feed @lafemmejewels!  Be sure to click the shop name at the top of this feature (LaFemmeJewels) so you can browse all the handmade jewelry in her shop.

- Jackie