Featured Shop - FitsYourFancy

FitsYourFancy is a Union City based jewelery shop created by designer Diana. Each piece is created with a heavy hand sparing nothing when it comes to quantity of beads. I love how each piece gives a feeling of pure indulgence. You can really see the detail and time that has gone into each piece.

Here's my q&a with Diana:
1. Tell us about your product and where you get your inspiration.
I get my inspiration for my jewelry and accessories from a multitude of sources such as magazines, catalogs, movies, TV, people and more. Sometimes it is a color or combination of colors that grabs me and makes me envision a design, while other times ideas pop into my head for another design as I'm working on a project. I keep a sketch book handy all the time so I can record any ideas that pop into my head. Even though I may be working on one project there are always five or more waiting in my queue to be made.

2. How did you get involved with etsy?
For a few years I had been looking for an online outlet to sell my jewelry, but I wasn't happy with any of the websites that were out there. I needed something that wouldn't require too much time to maintain because I still had my full-time job and also didn't want to spend more time on a website than on my jewelry making. I found Etsy in 2006 doing one of my web searches. It was still a beta site, but it met my criteria for a website; low price and easy to maintain, and it also had an active artist/crafter community. My intentions were and still are to sell my jewelry as a hobby not as a main occupation. Making my jewelry is relaxing and a pleasure and I don't want to destroy that feeling when I create my pieces.

3. Do you sell your work in any bay area stores?
I've never sold my jewelry in stores, but am interested in doing so. I have no plans to go wholesale or mass produce any items. I'm strictly a one-of-a-kind crafter. I have and will create identical items upon request of a buyer for weddings or special gifts, but in my store I try not to sell identical products.

4. When you're not creating what are you doing?
When I'm not creating I used to work full-time as a Business Analyst for a financial institution, but I was laid off in January of this year. It's amazes me how much can happen in such a short length of time. In February 2007 my 93 year old mom, who had lived with me for over 10 years, became sick and required me to become a full-time care-giver. I was allowed by my job to work from home. Then in August 2007 my oldest grandson (12 years old) moved in with me and I became his full-time guardian. My mom passed in December. Then I got laid off from work in January 2008. Now I spend my time looking for work, caring for my husband and grandson on a daily basis and also caring for my 3-year old granddaughter two days a week while her mom goes to school. I used to travel to fairs and festivals all over California during the summer months to sell, but because of circumstances and the years catching up to my husband and me, I'm trying to stay closer to home.