I realized that I don't really have any information here about who I am, so watch out! Here it comes... No really, I only wish it was that exciting. ;-)

My name is Shay (bet you got that already). I'm a 38 yr old woman living with my partner in the mountains of Northern California. Art has always been a part of my life in one way or another. In the past 3-5 years I've been pretty solidly interested in jewelry making, but prior to that I dabbled in photography (my original college major), painting, drawing, framing, coloring (yep I did that way-back-when), pottery, and fimo clay, to name a few. Some of my fonder memories are of making clay beads with my mom, using a pasta roller to squeeze out thin layers of clay, and selling jewelry on the streets of Portland at about age 20. That is, until the police came by to chase us away. I'm sure there are lots of other great memories as a kid, but right now I'm feeling a bit older than 38 and can't remember!

Today, I sell by word-of-mouth, online and at an occasional festival, but I can't say I really enjoy the selling end much. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy if someone falls in love with something I've made, or feels connected to it in some way; that's the ultimate reward. If I could just give it away, that would be even better. I'm a bit too shy and I really like to sit back and watch people interact with what I make, rather than trying to sell it. Although, if someone shows genuine interest in a piece, I love to talk to them about it! I get so much pleasure when someone loves something I've created that it may bring me near tears. It is that connection that I most value. My pieces come from my heart and I get excited when they find good homes.

My focus is on gemstones and sterling silver wire, for the most part. I also love using whatever else I can find in nature -- beach glass, driftwood, shells, horn, bone, etc. I find that my style really varies in what I make. I usually don't start with a specific idea in my head, but rather with whatever materials I am drawn to use. Sometimes this is a few stones or beads or sometimes a piece of wire and my pliers. It's a pretty exciting process to see what develops as I go. I'm also currently trying to develop skills around sketching an idea first. I usually don't stick to the sketch, but it has helped me come up with and keep track of lots of ideas. I always have my camera with me to photograph images that inspire me -- usually a shape, a combination of colors, or something else in nature.

There is so much out there that I want to learn, both in jewelry making and in general. Sometimes I wish I could be living many parallel lives just so I could try taking different paths and see where I would be now in all the different versions.

I adore other artists' work and spend way too much time reading their blogs and web pages! I just love to see how creativity expresses itself differently in each of us. I believe we are all creative in one way or another, whether it's how we arrange our food on our plates, or how we paint a masterpiece. I value the artist in everyone.