Today's featured artist is Nicole Catroppo

Who are you?


My name is Nicole Catroppo. I am an independent, determined, creative woman who would like to contradict the term, "starving artist." Nicole Lee Artistry is the name of my business. I opened an online store at Etsy.com to sell my hand crafted artistan fine jewelry in January of 2008.



Where are you located?


I live near Baltimore, Maryland, in a town called Middle River, which is about an hour and a half north of Washington D.C..



What do you create?


On Etsy, I sell handmade artisan jewelry that is made mainly of gold, silver, precious and semi-precious stones, but you will also find jewelry made of other materials. In addition, I make other crafts, not on Etsy, including pre-made scrapbook pages, hand-painted glassware and painted wood crafts. Right now, I'm focusing on jewelry, but if Etsy does well enough for me, I hope to open shops for my other crafts in the future.



Are you able to support yourself with your creations?


Well, I only started doing my crafts full-time on Etsy in January of this year, so I'm working very hard to make a respectable income with it! I provide excellent customer service and I try to get exposure everywhere I can. I want to live this dream more than anything! I'm appreciative to everyone who helps me to make it happen!




Where do you sell your creations?


I currently sell my jewelry on Etsy at http://nicoleleeartistry.etsy.com/, but I recently started seeking stores to carry my pieces. I also always welcome custom orders generated by word of mouth.



Where do you create?


I create in my home. My husband and I have two rooms that I have dedicated as my studio space/our office space.



What inspires you?


I am inspired by everything and anything! I like to think of myself as hypersensitive to my environment and I pay attention to details. I appreciate the littlest of what surrounds me. I could be inspired by music or colors one day and another day I might be inspired by architecture, a conversation or nature. I'm consistently inconsistent, so I like that...it adds variety to my work and keeps things exciting, but I am very inspired by details.



What are your goals?


First and foremost, I want to bring something to this world with with I do. I want to be able to give back to others, so I want to make a respectable income at doing what I love to return what God has given to me. I am a helping and giving person and I want this business to enable me not only to pay bills, but to be able to GIVE.



What do you friends and family think of your creations?


They are SO supportive and are very excited about what the future holds. My friends are always willing to help me market or sell and are always willing to contribute whatever they can to help me to be successful. My family cares, provides encouragement, share in my joys and divides my sorrows. They have always encouraged me to pursue my artistic talents and above all else, they want me to be happy. I know that they are happy to see my dreams beginning to happen for me.



What do you do when you are not creating?


I spend time marketing my business by posting in the Etsy forums, chatting in the chat rooms, passing out business cards, going door to door to local businesses and work on staying organized. When I'm not doing any of that, I spend time with my husband and our three dogs, our friends and our family. We enjoy visiting our local Starbucks or Five Guys Burgers and Fries, talking, watching movies, working on our home improvement projects or joining our family and friends for church and gatherings.



Is there anything else you would like to share with us?


I'd like to share a prayer that I received from a friend, that I like very much. God is a strength in my life and I would not be a happy, healthy person pursuing my dreams without His many blessings, so... (Paraphrased, Author unknown) "I pray for God to bless anyone who took the time to read this. I pray that they will know how much I appreciate the time, effort, thoughtfullness and consideration that was invested into creating this "featured artist" entry and that I appreciate and thank God for all business that may come my way as a result of it. I pray for God to show those reading this a new revelation of His love and power and that He will minister to their spirit at this very moment. I pray for God to bless their homes, families, finances, their comings and their goings. In Jesus' precious name, I pray this. Amen.