Meet Julie of juliejewl AND cherryberrybunny

here's another Queer Team member interview... keith from fauxsure interviews julie of juliejewl and cherryberrybunny.



what got you started on etsy?

I honestly don't remember where I first heard of Etsy. I was aware of it a long while before I decided to open my shops. Then one day it just seemed like I had procrastinated enough. I opened my juliejewl store first with my art and then decided I would like to sell my jewelry as well and thus cherryberrybunny was born.

what inspires you? where do you get ideas for your work?

Anything and everything inspires me. I love colors and textures, especially in unusual combinations. I'm a mixed media artist so I tend to take a little bit of everything and synthesize it into a new whole. I get inspiration from nature, other artists, fashion, music, poetry. Anywhere I can really.

are you inspired by other art forms/ craft traditions?

As I mentioned in the last question, I can be inspired by just about anything! I have a deep love for art and crafting both. I am in awe of any craft done well. I love knitting/crocheting, DIY clothing, pottery, and jewelry just to name a few.

what do you want people to get out of your work? what do you want to communicate to others through it?

My art is very personal and very symbolic. I hope that people see a little bit of me and also themselves in it. I want my audience to rethink femininity and see it in different ways, as something that can be strong and bold. Other common themes in my work are transformation, layers, growth, flight, knowledge, and dreams.

In my jewelry, mainly I want to cultivate a sense of fun and joy. And maybe a little irreverence now and again.

do you also buy things on etsy? if so, what sorts of things appeal to you?

At this point I have mainly bought supplies on Etsy. However, I have a list a mile long in my favorites of things I would love to buy. I love scarves and hats, gloves and arm warmers, jewelry, bath and body products, and art particularly.

are there other creative projects you are involved in outside of your work on etsy?

What I do creatively outside of Etsy is more of the same, just different venues. I've been working on showing my art and have been in a couple different art shows this past year. I had some journal pages published in "1000 Artist Journal Pages" by Dwan Sokol. Slowly but surely I am also making my way into selling at conferences and craft fairs. Mainly my jewelry but I am also working on getting it together to start selling prints of my art.

do you sell your work anywhere else besides etsy?

I don't have a web site or a physical shop or anything like that yet. I sell outside of Etsy when the opportunity arises, such as someone wanting to buy a painting at an art show or when I am involved in a craft fair.


besides art and crafty stuff, what else do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I'm kind of a quiet person and a homebody. I enjoy spending time with my small group of friends, reading, movies, music, and hanging out with my pet rabbit.

what are your hopes for the queer team?

I hope to create community for queer artists and crafters. For mutual support and also to build a visible queer presence on Etsy. I think there are lots of queer folks involved in art and crafts but it can be difficult for us to find each other or find our audience of queer-positive supporters. After that, sky's the limit!