Fabulous Friday Featured Seller – alexkeller

This post was supposed to have been featured yesterday but I had no power and could not finish writing. That ordeal will be posted at a later date but today, I want to introduce you to Alex Keller, an owner of a gorgeous jewelry shop and a classic vintage shop on Etsy. I just love her taste in vintage pieces she chooses for her shop, Vintage by Alex Keller and the way she takes old vintage jewelry and turns them  into modern chic pieces in her jewelry shop. Let’s meet Alex and find out what makes her creative juices flow.

Cats or dogs?
I used to have 2 cats, brother and sister, but now we just have a black Lab named Bandit. We recently tied a red bandana on him, and he looks great!

Star Wars or Sleepless in Seattle?
Star Wars by far. My 3 year old son even told me that I’m going to be Princess Leia for Halloween.

Fruit or chocolate?
Chocolate covered fruit!

Favorite color?
Blue, although I’m a big fan of neutrals.

Favorite meal?
Sushi!

City break or weekend in the country?
City. My husband and I used to live in the city in Chicago. We miss it terribly, but not the winters.

Soaps or documentaries?
Neither. I prefer a good movie. I want to watch ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys.’

Bath or shower?
Shower, but in European fashion, I don’t take one everyday. My parents are from Ukraine, so I just grew up that way. Who knew it would be an eco-friendly thing, too?

Dress or jeans?
Mostly jeans, but I’ve rediscovered dresses this year. I have a few from Etsy, which is a great source of original and vintage clothing. (artlab, katetowers, deargoldenvintage)

Your favorite material?
Cotton.

What brought you to Etsy? Tell us about your shop.
A high school friend of mine opened her shop back in 2006 (virtuallori), so when I decided to start making jewelry again, I opened up a shop, alexkeller. I have a vintage shop now, vintagebyalexkeller too, because I find so many things that I don’t want to take apart.  I also started adding lots of things I had bought for myself….and don’t have room for!

How is your shop eco-friendly?
My shop is eco friendly because I take vintage, resale and thrift store jewelry, and I rework it into ‘new’ pieces. Tucson is home to the largest gem, mineral and bead show. I just decided one day that I didn’t need to go there and buy all new beads. The vintage shop also reinforces the message to reuse.

Do you sell anywhere else?
You can find me on cosaverde.com - a great eco friendly site, Pop-Cycle – a great local Tucson shop where every piece of merchandise is recycled from something else. Also, emmalinebride.com in the jewelry section, and aspiringcouture.com.

What’s the favorite item you’ve made so far?
That’s a toss up between

and my key necklaces

and my vintage drawer pull pendants

What has been the most useful lesson you’ve learned (about Etsy) so far?
It’s hard to get noticed, so I think the more you participate, the more chances you’ll have of being noticed. I’m still working on that one!

How do you see your store developing?
Initially, I made a lot of glass beaded necklaces and bracelets. Then I went into pearls and rhinestones for a bridal line, and then I started posting my vintage finds. I’ve separated out the vintage into a separate shop, so I could get back to creating ‘new’ pieces, which I did with the architectural elements – pull, chandelier crystals and keys.
Now need to find a balance between the two shops!

What have you been doing today that I’ve interrupted?
I was just taking loads of pictures for shop updates!

How can we find you?
Shop: alexkeller and vintagebyalexkeller
Blog: alexkellerblog.blogspot.com
Facebook Page: Alexandra Petryna Keller
Twitter: alexandrakeller