Etsy Feature - Glitterup (North River Crafts)

Today I want to introduce you to another wonderful shop on etsy. North River Crafts is a collaboration of family members who create beautiful and unique products!

1. Please introduce yourself and your shop.

"My name is Jennifer and I work full time as a Receptionist in South Boston. I have always been immersed in the arts, and love to be the helper that pushes other artists to realize their dreams. I Like my job, but it's the eclectic group of people I work with that keeps me going back day after day. (There's never a dull moment!) Last year, one of my co-workers introduced me to Etsy. He had purchased some jewelry for his mom and grandmother for Christmas. I was so impressed with the pieces he got, that I did some shopping of my own. Then I realized this website might just be the outlet needed to help my grandfather, Arthur, finally put some of his copper creations online. He is not technically savvy, so I knew the Etsy shop would be my project! I'm the shop-keep, he's the artist. ..."

"...Back to my grandfather (this story and this shop are really all about him). He started working with copper in his 70's. He shifted from woodworking because he wanted to try something new! Puttering around his workshop, he produces these incredibly intricate and time-consuming works day after day. He has become popular in some of our local galleries, and has even been featured in several local art shows, magazines and newspaper articles. When he first got into copper, he made a few pieces- butterflies and mermaids, and sold his stuff at local craft shows. Each sale he made boosted his confidence in his abilities and he began to do more and more research on techniques for coloring, lacquering and soldering more effectively to produce a superior product. I can truly say, looking back at the first pieces he made, there has been dramatic improvement in his work. Who says and old dog can't learn new tricks! He is now 85, turning 86 in October, and it truly amazes me at how sharp he is and how young this craft is keeping him. Copper has saved his retired life! He often tells me that all I need to succeed in life is to have "enthusiasm plus know-how and success will follow". He is living proof of the truth of that statement. "

2. What is your favorite item in your shop?

"My favorite item in the shop is the Tree of Life. He came up with this design on his own and created one for Christmas. Shortly after, my pastor did a sermon on Origins. In his teaching, he spoke about the tree of life in the garden of Eden found in Genesis. And again, how the tree of life makes a second appearance in the book of Revelation. The leaves of the tree are to be for the healing of the nations, and the tree will produce twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruits each month. I shared this with my grandfather, and he decided to include the passage from Genesis with each of the tree's he sells or displays. The tree of life he created for our house on his own, without knowledge of the scripture,is on point with the description in the Holy Bible. I feel that God whispered the description in my grampa's ear so he would get it just right. The tree is large enough to hang over a sofa or on the wall above the fireplace mantle. It is spectacular enough to show off in a grand foyer. It is special enough to hand down from generation to generation. It is detailed enough to drop your jaw when you see it in person. Please also consider that this is an earth friendly product made from 100% recycled materials. "

Tree of Life - $525

3. What influences you to make your products?

"...I would have to say that life is incredibly short. There is an intense desire within my family to create as much joy and laughter and reflected inner-peace as possible while on this planet. Our influences come from friends, family, funny stories, shared experiences, trials and triumphs... in short, life. "

4. What can we look forward to seeing more of in your shop in the future?

"Once I got the shop put up, my mom and uncle expressed interest in having me include some of their stuff... Soon, you will see her fabric creations, and his photography. I am a bead enthusiast and avid re-cycler... so making cool jewelry and getting it seen makes me thrilled. I am also a certified massage therapist and really love mixing up my own treatment oils and lotions. I have dabbled in soap-making and making candles, so I hope to be able to get out my equipment and show off my skills a bit with a line of spa products. I lean toward the earthy, crunchy, organic, soy product type... so you can look forward to those influences in my product line. Everything in the shop, the copper in particular, is made of reclaimed or re-purposed materials. The spa line will be organic and natural with locally produced raw materials. As a family, we are all for supporting the local markets. "

Here are a couple of my favorite items from Glitterup's shop!

Confetti Necklace - $55

Copper Flower Curtain Tie-backs - $30

Autumn Tea-light Holder - $25

Thank you Jennifer! Everybody please make sure to check out the rest of her shop at http://glitterup.etsy.com/

*Jennifer has so kindly offered FREE SHIPPING on all items in her shop to you guys, my readers, for the month of September! Just mention That Is Charming in the message to buyer when checking out. Thank you Jennifer!!*