• Tell me a bit about yourself

My name is Aimee Dars Ellis, and I live in Phoenix, Arizona, though I am moving to Ithaca, New York this summer. I live with my boyfriend, George, and my dogs, Walter and Harvey. During the day, I am a graduate student in Management, and I sneak in jewelry design at night and on the weekends when I can. I belong to a number of Etsy street teams: Etsy for Animals, Vegan Etsy, Amy’s in the Arts, AWBAR (Abandoned Wild Baby Animal Rescue), and EcoEtsy.

• What is the name of your Shop?

Aimee Dars Designs (etsy name; aimeedars)

• Please describe your creative process

I am lucky enough to have a craft room where I keep my beads, materials, and tools, but I often end up with a beading tray in front of the television! I love working with sterling silver, gemstones, and precious metal clay, though I am not exclusive to those materials. I also use wood beads, glass beads, and others. My current passion is chain maille, and I love learning new weaves!

• Where do your ideas come from?

I wish I had a profound answer to this question, but usually, I am inspired by the beads themselves. As most jewelry designers, I am obsessed with beads and have a ton. I love going to gemshows and bead stores to find new and unique beads. When I work, I try to highlight the beauty of the beads.
Some of the Etsy teams to which I belong have monthly challenges based on themes, and that’s a fun way to get started with new projects. It’s a different way of approaching jewelry pieces—instead of starting with the physical object like I usually do, I begin with an abstract idea and then find the beads or material to make it real.

• How did you get into your craft?

I started making jewelry because I love wearing jewelry, and I got bored with the selections that could be purchased in department stores. Once I took my first classes, I was hooked! Later, I worked part time at a bead store and taught classes, which I loved. I also became a certified PMC artisan, taking my class with Fred Woell, who was very inspiring. He loved breaking the rules which was very liberating and gave us all in the class lots of confidence.

• Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I will join the faculty of a small liberal arts college this fall, and that will change my life in a lot of ways! Besides the “real” job, I love Boggle, Soduku, playing with my dogs, reading, and spending time with my boyfriend. I’m also a bit of a tv addict.

• How do you promote your work?

I’ve found that the Etsy teams are a good way of promoting my shop. I keep a blog, which is a mix of shop/personal information, and I have links to my etsy shop on my myspace and facebook pages. Also, I donate jewelry pieces to a number of charity auctions and events. However, this is an area of my business that needs attention, and I’d love to hear ideas from other Etsy sellers!

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