Come on! Tell me this isn't the coolest idea? When i saw these steller Pencil earrings i knew Jen Maestre had a brilliant idea! Jen has a shoppe with a name she'll never forget...her own. :) Jen Maestre.

1) How long have you been crafting?

I've always liked making things since I was a kid, but I've only been making the pencil jewelry for about 2 years. My 'normal' job is making sculptures out of pencils, I started with the pencils in 1999.

2) Did you always craft in this genre?

Nope! I was a beader. I taught myself a few beading techniques, in fact, I use some of them to construct my pencil sculptures.

3) Who or what inspires you?

I'm inspired by Ernst Haeckel's drawings, and by natural forms, and also, by the materials themselves.

4) What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

Well, learning how to run a business has been challenging. It takes a lot of organizational skills, and I am constantly playing catch-up with my paperwork. I'd rather be torturing pencils!

So head on over to her shop, or website and see all of the amazing pencil (and other medium) creations! She's a very clever gal, and would love to hear from you! :)

Georgia has an incredible shoppe on Etsy called Gypsywings

I've been admiring her work for some time and finally had the chance to speak with her.

How long have you been crafting?

1. I have been crafting and making stuff probably since I could control my own fingers. My mom always encouraged creativity. When I was about 5, my mom spread out huge sheets of butcher paper on the table and gave me paint. She let me paint whatever I wanted on those papers and then she wallpapered the kitchen with them. For a loooong time our kitchen had wallpaper with different colored hand prints, and planets and random blobs of color covering the walls.

Did you always craft in this genre?

2. I have crafted in almost EVERY genre... Like I said before my mom is a crafty, talented lady. She *always* had some kind of crafty business going while I was growing up, and that meant I got to learn LOTS of different things. When I was really young she and my aunt sold hand painted t-shirts and paper jewelry. Then it was wind socks, and handmade children's clothing. For a few years we were really into polymer clay and learned how to make all kinds of goodies with that. Then it was onto beaded jewelry... The list goes on. Non-crafty people always give me a confused look when they ask what we did on our family reunion and I tell them something like "We made papier mache fish and hung them from the ceiling" or "We hiked all of our beading supplies (several huge plastic bins) down into the bottom of a canyon and spent the weekend beading and playing with polymer clay".

Who or what inspires you?

3. I am inspired by everything. Lately nature has played a big part in my creations, for example the butterfly wings and the new series I am working on using sea shells and sea glass. Music inspires me, I have a list that I listen to a lot while I am working. I am inspired by the sunset, or a good book. I have several really great friends who keep me inspired on a daily basis. Basically, I think the beauty of life is my hugest inspiration. There is soooo much beauty to see if we just open our eyes to it.

What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

4. My biggest challenge so far has just been time. As a mother of 3 boys ages 2, 3, and 5 I am constantly on the move. And when I have time to sit I like to spend time with my husband. It has been a learning experience trying to balance my business and my personal life. I am still trying to find the perfect solution to that, but for the most part I am happy to just work on my business when I can, and building it slowly. It has been a wonderful push for me to be a member of the Phoenix Craft Mafia because we have monthly trunk shows and that keeps me creating.

Isn't her work awesome? For more information, click on her name links above. She is a very sweet girl with some amazing talent!!