Member Interview

Who are you?  Shay and Carol of Peachy Designs

Please tell us a bit about yourselves. 

Shay ~ My Mom and I live in Bakersfield, California. Peachy Designs just had a nice ring to it, so that is why we chose this store name. Peachy Designs is a co-op store run by my Mom and I. We make bookmarks, zipper pulls and fan pulls. We use a wire design in all of our pieces.

I own another store called Simply Doodles, which is a banner store. I make banners for your Etsy store and etc. I have been addicted to paint shop pro, which is a program that I use to create the banners, for a long time now. Creating banners and drawing with paint shop pro is a lot like making jewelry, but it's created on the computer instead. It's a great way to express yourself, just as much as creating jewelry is.

Carol ~ My name is Carol (although my grandfather never called me anything but Susie!!). Everyone else called me Carolin. But my name is Carol. I live on the West Coast in Bakersfield. Never lived anywhere else, so it's home. I'm married to a really wonderful man and have been for 2/3 of my life.

I started making jewelry as a child....well, if you can call taking the rhinestones out of my mom's jewelry ... "making." I would put all the beautiful stones in a little jar and take them out ever so often and look at them... touch them... She caught me one day....maybe that explains the lock......!

I really got into jewelry making over 25 years ago by taking some classes at the local Jr. College, and haven't stopped since.

I have my jewelry design shop on Etsy called DesigningIt. I also have a jewelry supply shop where I feature handmade copper findings and lots of beads. It's called DesigningItSupplies.

Then....there is the shop that I share with my sweet daughter Shay. We both do the designs and she does almost all of the computer work, promoting the store, etc.

How did you learn about Etsy Project Embrace?

Shay ~ I found out about Etsy Project Embrace from another member here on Etsy.

Carol ~ I found out about EPE from you Mollie. I saw a treasury that you made for the team. I knew that if you were involved, then I probably should be also. You are a wonderful promoter!! I am so happy to be involved because it is such a wonderful cause.

What is your favorite item in your shop at the moment?

Shay ~ Our favorite item in Peachy Designs is the Dinosaur fan/light pull.

Carol ~ I think my favorite item in my shop right now is the one that sells! When an item sells, then I have an excuse to make more!! Not that I really need an excuse, sometimes I HAVE to make something...there is something inside of me that won't let me rest until I do!! If I had to pick something, it would be made from copper, have some blue/green stones in it, and 5 people would want one just like it!!!

What is your favorite possession, and why do you cherish it?

Shay ~ The beautiful shadow box that you and Joe made me. :)

Carol ~ My favorite possession would be something of my Mom's. She died 3 1/2 years ago from a stroke. She was just a little saver of things. While going through her things I found a receipt and handwritten note from 1967 that listed the material she bought for my wedding dress. My grandmother made it, so there were all these little notes listing the amount of material and how much it costs. No wonder I can't throw anything away!!!

What do you collect?

Shay ~ I collect miniature boxes.

Carol ~ I have a collection of giraffes. I think I picked giraffes because they are tall, leggy, graceful and have beautiful spots on them.....all the things I'm not!!! Well, except for the spots, but I'm working on that....found some cream advertised on TV at 2 AM!! They guarantee it to work!

Where would you like to be and what do you hope to be doing ten years from now?

Shay ~ Happy and content with our lives.

Carol ~ So, what do I hope to be doing in 10 years? That's easy....breathing!!!