Lara Lewis: Interview, Review and Giveaway!!! (CLOSED)

LaraLewis’ Etsy store is a haven for whimsical treasures! Her different pieces of jewellery are broken up into such categories as the Estate Collection and Woodland. She emphasizes simplicity with added details and designs that make the piece simple yet unique. And people have been noticing because she has had 1,348 sales and 100% rating from 901 and sellers and buyers! It seems that everyone wants a piece of her amazing collections.

I browsed around her Etsy shop and I was entranced by so many of her lovely pieces! She uses a lot of vintage pieces in many of her designs and is able to incorporate modern touches which adds a whole other level to the jewellery. I really am a big fan of her lockets, she has a huge collection of vintage lockets which she has added different design elements to make them both funky and modern. I really love the idea of lockets and being able to put small things and pictures in it and her lockets are truly what I have in mind when I think of lockets. Her “Glass Locket Necklace” is made of antique glass and wrapped with sterling silver with a graceful scalloped edge and it even made it to the front page of Etsy, which is a huge accomplishment considering the millions of other pieces that are in Etsy. I also love the lockets that she has in her Woodland Collection!

Interview:

Name:Lara Lewis

Name of shop:laralewis.etsy.com

Location:Scranton (or as we like to call it, "Scranhattan"). Yes, there really is a sign welcoming everyone just like in The Office.

Favourite item from your shop:Honestly that would have to be the Audrey Earrings...I wear mine every day!

Tell us a little bit about yourself:Well, let's see. I'm originally from California, graduated with an art degree from Humboldt State University, and moved to PA about 12 years ago. I'm currently living in North Eastern PA with my fiance, Jesse, our daughter Madison, and a very old, very persnickety cat. I also teach art by day in the public school system.

When and what made you want to open up your shop?It was kind of a fluke thing, actually. I had some artwork left over from a show I did, and when I found Etsy (by chance) I listed them and then forgot about it for about 6 months! It was later I made a necklace for my daughter and I liked it so much I made another...and from there I just went beserk. I'm completely crazy now. Tell us a little bit more about your creation process:I'm sure there are some really creative, artsy people out there that have a splendid creative process, but mine is more like throwing a bunch of stuff on the wall and seeing what sticks. If anything, I am very much drawn towards anything to do with nature (birds, leaves, flowers) and I tend to incorporate them into my designs quite frequently.

Where do you draw inspiration for all your amazing designs?Anything from the Oldschoolius Maximus period: old books, old roses, old estate jewelry....you get the drift. I really think I was born in the wrong century.

If you could be an animal what would you be and why?Haha, have you seen my page? An owl! I've noticed they have become quite trendy, but for me they always represented that magical ability to exist in two worlds; the physical and spiritual, they're lovely creatures. Also I admit, I really love bunny rabbits.

If you could have one super power what would it be and why? Does flying count as a super power? I imagine flying at night, and can't think of anything more exhilarating and freeing.


The Giveaway:


Lara is graciously offering up her Audrey Earrings which she says is one of her most popular pieces on Etsy. The Audrey is an absolutely stunning vintage, square octagon, faceted glass stones in hand patinated brass settings dangle from antiqued brass leverback earwires. These earrings are very versatile...worn casually or dressed up for a night out. With the stones being made in West Germany in the late 1950's. These earrings are a value of $17!!


How to enter:

Please only leave one comment for each of the entries that you have completed, I will add the entries that you are entitled to! Please leave only ONE comment for each entry you have!

1) Go to Lara’s Etsy shop and comment on your most favourite piece for one entry!
2) If you become a new follower you get four more entries
3) If you are currently a follower you get six more entries (Yay for being loyal blog followers!)
4) If you post my button on your blog you get five extra entries
5) If you blog about this contest and include a link you gain five more entries
6) Go visit Lara’s blog and leave her some blog love, you get two extra entries
7) If you buy anything from her shop you get ten additional entries
8) If you enter any of my other giveaways let me know for one extra entry each! So if you enter both my giveaways you get two entries!

Wow that’s a lot of entries you can receive! And please have a way for me to contact you!! If your email is on your blog profile that will also work! If you are entering more than once you only have to give me your email in one comment...that way you don't have to put it on all of them, to save you a bit of time! =)

Giveaway ends: March 25th!