diydivas.myfastforum.org

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:26 am

Tell me about yourself.

My name is Donna Ryan. I live in Frisco, Texas. (North of Dallas). I am a Mom, silly, fun, funny and LOVE hand-crafting jewelry, decorating our home, and hang out with our kids and two dogs… (we have a 17 year old daughter and a 22 year old son). I have been married 25 years and was recently laid off a major corporation after almost 12 years working there. I have never been happier in my life.

What do you make? What are your favorite materials to work with?What is your favorite color?

I am making jewelry. I started off with glass beads (really enjoy Czech Glass & Swarovski beads) …and have recently graduated to Vintage Brass Filigree Wrapping. I am so in love with this work, it is insane. This technique is sooo much harder than I thought it would be. My hat is off to all the "professionals" who have done this for years. It took me about 2-3 days to make my first pair of small earrings. The brass bends about as easy as my arthritic fingers. {Laughing} ...No really they turned out pretty good for my first try. I practice everyday and have been reading up on tips about heating the brass, but I can tell you...this is no craft for wussies!

I am currently working with aged brass that I purchase from either http://vintaj.com, http://ibead.com or http://fusionbeads.com (they are pretty expensive). I have not found it in any retail stores so far, here in North Texas. My favorite color is pink and purple…and I am doing several pieces right now with Mystic Topaz, Olivine 2x AB, Fuchsia 2x AB and Amethyst 2x AB (2x means the Swarovski bead has color on two sides and AB means Aurora Borealis (Aurora Borealis means "northern lights". AB rhinestones have a special iridescent finish that shines with many colors. The iridescent surface is a result of a very thin layer of metallic atoms that have been deposited on the lower surface of the stone via a process invented by the Swarovski Company)

Where can people purchase your goods?

I am currently selling on http://dryan327.etsy.com, but slowly working on my own website in my free time, (which isn’t much) it will be called “Purple Toes Jewelry”…this name came about one day when my daughter and I were painting our toenails together and I kept telling her how much I loved her “purple toes”…so it is my way of making a tribute to her and sort of a cute funny little family idea.

what is your favorite thing you have ever created?

Probably the favorite thing I created is what I am working on now, and I have not pictured it yet, because it is incomplete…it is the above piece I mentioned. However, I feel pretty good about my two most recent necklaces…one is Topaz

And one is Emerald

I made a blue one and a pink opal one, but I like the two above ones better.

What is the worst thing you have ever created?

Probably the worst thing I ever created were these pink items…at the time I loved them because they were pink, but looking back, I thought to myself…”what was I thinking?” …they are shown here in a group …before I hid them back in my inactive listings.

Who is the most important person in your life?

The most important person in my life is my husband…because without him I would not be able to do this craft I love so much. …and secondly our children, whom I love more than life itself. These 3 people are my heart and soul!

Who is your favorite DiY designer?

My favorite designers are the ones that do what I am trying so hard to learn how to do better! They do such a great job, they do not need promoting. They sell hundreds and hundreds of pieces a year…so that is enough about that! Wink

Do you have any advice for other DiY designers?

The advice I would give any Etsy crafter is “always strive to do better”…each and every day, you would be surprised at what you can do if only you try! “You have only failed if you fail to try!”

Check out Purple Toes Jewelry's Diy Divas Profile!
Dryan327

Joined: 21 Feb 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Frisco, Texas

Thank you for featuring me. I just found it and I love this site!

Yours Truly,
Donna~