Tricia Milstead of Trilei Jewelry does brilliant things with Swarovski crystals! Her ability to design with color is stunning. In addition, she does excellent work with resin, chiyogami glass magnets, semi-precious stones, and even chainmaille. Recently, I had a chance to interview Tricia.

What types of items do you sell?
I make jewelry, and I’m always experimenting with different techniques and styles. I especially love making chainmaille and working with resin.

How did you get into your craft?
I think my whole life I’ve repeatedly gravitated towards making jewelry. I can remember stringing seed beads onto dental floss when I was in first grade. In my early teens, I had a period of making friendly plastic jewelry. Finally, about eight years ago, a coworker showed me her magnetic hematite anklet… I thought it looked like something I could do, and the rest is history!

Where does your inspiration come from?
A great deal of my inspiration comes from nature. When it comes to dramatic and interesting color combinations, nobody does it like mother nature! I also like looking at catalogs and magazines to keep up on trends. Friends and family often give me suggestions.

How do you promote your shop?
I list, relist, and renew often. I know people have different theories on this, but I think it helps keep your shop on the radar. I don’t do Showcases anymore, as I don’t feel they were an effective tool for the money. I try to keep myself visible in the forums with an interesting avatar. I have a Myspace page, but I don’t think its been that useful for promotions. I carry business cards with me at all times, just in case someone comments on jewelry I’m wearing, and I’ve given my mom a stack so she can do the same. One of my best tricks is to give little items to friends and family - when they wear one of my pieces, they’re walking advertising. I’ve gotten many sales this way! I also advertise on a few blogs and websites.

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