INCrowdteam Interview - Erin Tobias aka Femme Petal

Femme Petal Jewelry. Definitely - flowery, feminine, utterly lovely. Very cool! Read on, then by all means visit her shop. You'll love it if you love all things vintage.

Where were you born & raised?
Good Ole Indianapolis, Indiana.

What's the origin of your shop's name?
I wish I had a really good story to put here about how I came up with my shop name, but I don't. Just popped into my head and that was that.

Where are you now & what led you there?
Still living in Indianapolis, married to a wonderful man, and a mommy to 2 wonderful children! Working part time at The Buckle, a Pink Papaya Consultant, and Jewelry Designer! Very busy life I lead!

What types of creations do you sell in for your Etsy shop(s)?
I create vintage-inspired jewelry that is fun and girly!

What's your educational background, as it relates to your work?
Well, out of high school, I went to Dental Assisting school graduated and worked in a great dental office for almost 5 years. I would love to be able to say that making jewelry relates to what I actually spent all that time and money on going to school, but I just don't see where jewelry designing ties in with teeth.

Does creating stuff run in the family? Were you taught things on purpose or by osmosis from prior generations?
I would say my mom is a crafty person, although she does not express her creativity too often. I am a self taught jewelry designer. I was just on Etsy one day and saw a ton of cool jewelry supplies, ordered them, and boom here I am.

How'd you get started creating?
Oops, I think I answered in the previous question. I was an avid shopper on Etsy for about a year, and then one day I thought "hmm, I wonder what kind of jewelry supplies are on here?" So I looked and saw tons of awesome vintage supplies, ordered them, sat down and put my mind and hands to work! I am one of those people who says "I can do that myself" to everything! Even if I know there is no way in the world I can do it. But Jewelry designing actually came pretty easy, and it is so fun and relaxing!
What's your muse, or what turns that little creative light inside you on?
I would say there are a variety of things that get it clicking. Colors, are a big thing. With jewelry you gotta stay with the colors that are gonna be "HOT" for the season. Magazines are probably my biggest thing that gets me going. I love sitting down with my INstyle or Glamour and looking at all the newest , hottest trends. I usually cannot even finish a magazine without jumping up to create a new piece!

Do you belong to any Street Teams (other than the INCrowdteam)? If so, which ones and why?
I also belong and own Unique Women In Business. I run the Yahoo group and our group blog, uniquewomeninbusiness.blogspot.com

What's your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?
The community. Everyone has been so helpful and supportive and that is just so nice!

Recommend your five favorite shops on Etsy.
Ahh this is gonna be a tough one....
1) CozyMoments
2) tamaragarvey
3) macaroniandglue
4) curiousmess
5) joom

Show us three of your own favorite pieces.
My number 1 favorite thing I make is The Carrie Necklace. I am a HUGE sex and the city fan and I named this necklace after Carrie Bradshaw. It is fun, stylish, and girly just like her! Hand dyed silk ribbon and pearls are used to make this necklace. I have about 10 different colors available.










Romantic and Chic necklace is my 2nd favorite. I love anything shabby and chic and this necklace is just that! A peach rose attached to a vintage white flower stem, and white pearls are what this necklace consists of. I love it!












Scarlet Locket, Long Necklace. This is one of my newest creations and my first really long necklace. The necklace is mostly white pearls with a locket, 2 pink flowers sit on antique brass filigree findings, and a shorter layer of antique brass chain on the inside of the necklace. 36 inches long, it's a beauty!






Do you sell on consignment? If so, where?
I don't have anything out there currently although I have had some offers, so we will see what time will tell!

Anything else to brag on?
I would love to brag on all of my lovely members in Unique Women In Business. I currently have 150 women that make up this amazing group, and they are all so talented and amazing!

Thanks so much for the interview, Erin. Lots more luck to you!
Carolynn aka nilochlainn aka wolfgangzehen