On the first day of Christmas season,

(Which comes right after Thanksgiving),

Queen Bitty looked at me and barked,

“Blond Duck!  I want you to do something for me!”

“Oh what, Queen Bitty, what could that be?”

I asked while twirling.

(Something’s got to burn off those pie calories!)

“I want to feature 12 etsy or blogger artists!” she snarled,

“People with talent, skills and class!”

“People that create gorgeous little things,

and share them with people looking for gifts.”

“Wonderful!” I cried.

“For the next 12 days, at the bottom of each post,

We shall feature a talented artist in the land of the Blogs.

And today, as the first day of Christmas artists and the featured creative woman of the Pond this week,

We introduce…

Kristen of La Dolce Vita and Kristen Custom Creations!

Kristen makes fabulous hand stamped jewelry and features lovely ladies constantly at her blog.  As this week’s creative woman of the Pond and 1st Christmas artist, let’s learn more about her…

How did you get started blogging?

I started blogging as a way to share updates of my son, Will. I then started also showcasing some of the hand stamped jewelry I started creating as a hobby. The title La Dolce Vita is Italian for The Sweet Life and I picked it since I feel truly blessed to have my son and to be able to work out of the house with him, it is a very sweet life indeed!

What does being creative mean to you?

To me being creative is taking something from nothing and transforming it something amazing and doing it with your own two hands!

Why do you think it’s important for women to balance creativity in their daily lives?

For me being creative is not just a business but also an outlet and seeing something from start to finish and being pleased with the finished product is very rewarding.

What kind of creative things do you do every day?

I literally create jewelry just about every day and if I am not actually stamping I am sketching in my notebook, new designs that I let run through my head often for months. Some of my best designs come when I am blow drying my hair for some reason!

Tell me about your family.

I have been married to my hubby for 12 years and our son Will is almost four.  Our other baby is our rescued greyhound who is 9.

Favorite food?

Pizza

Favorite song?

I actually have many but one of my favorites is 1,2,3,4 by Fiest

Do you like to dance?

Yes, of course! I actually spent 14 years studying ballet. Will and I love to dance, so the neighbors probably think we are crazy dancing to Laurie Berkner videos in the living room!

If you could take a trip with anyone and go anywhere, where would you go and who would you take?

This is easy! Anna Maria Island FL, and I would take my hubby and Will of course!

What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given?

Hands down, my son. I suffer from infertility so we waited several years for our lil’ gift.

What’s your ideal pet?

Our Greyhound is ideal.  He doesn’t shed much, sleeps a lot and loves to go for walks.

There’s an enormous present waiting on the kitchen table for you. What’s in it?

A huge bag of money and I would spend it on those I love!

How did you get started making jewelry? Have you always been interested in it?

I have loved jewelry since I was a little girl. I can remember my first charm bracelet I received. I had been beading jewelry for myself for many years and then after the birth of Will, I really wanted something unique with his name on it and just couldn’t find what I was looking for so I set out to make something.  It took me a good 8 months.  I finally created my signature piece which is a small disc with Will’s name and a “proud mama” disc. I really didn’t intend on selling my jewelry.  I just started making it for friends and family, and then started getting requests from friends of friends.

What’s your favorite things to design?

I love taking a special message and putting it to metal.  My hope is that it will be meaningful for the wearer.

Why stamping, why not bead work or other type of styles?

I love stamping since it allows me to convey a message. I create a lot of Mommy necklaces, but also have many inspiration pieces.

What are the staples in your jewelry bag to wear and to work with to create?

My staple necklace is my very first necklace I created and I couldn’t live with out my hammer!

What do you want to achieve with your blog?

What is wonderful about blogging is that you can share the things you love and the situations that you are going through, and others can relate and support you.  You just may also strike a cord and help someone else by sharing your experience.

What do you hope people get from your blog/ jewelry?

I hope that others can relate and enjoy seeing a peek into our little world.

Who’s your creative woman blogger? Why?

I always enjoy Jen of Tatertots and Jello, she is always creating such wonderful things around her home!

What are your goals with your jewelry–how do you hope to expand your business?

Of course I want to expand my business, but I also want to continue to be the sole person creating the pieces so each piece received is created by my own two hands!

What other creative hobbies/ skills do you hope to tackle?

One day I would really like to learn to sew and knit!

What tips would you have for a creative woman thinking about starting her own creative business?

Pick something you love to do, since at moments it can get crazy.  But if you truly love what you are doing, that will get you through the crazy times. Don’t expect to turn a profit for a long time.  It takes a while to build a business brick by brick. And don’t just do it for the money–it sounds cliché but it is true.

What’s the most popular piece in your collection for customers?

This changes often, but right now this is the hot new piece.

What’s your personal favorite piece?

My favorite piece is the I love you more piece.  Will and I say this to each other all the time and apparently many others do the same.

Any holiday specials/ goodies we should know about?

Free shipping until 12/1/09.  Enter a note at check out, “friend of the blond duck,” and you will receive a credit.

Check out Kristen’s work at Kristen’s Custom Creations or her blog here!

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  We have 11 more artists to feature and all sorts of whimsical fun, including the return of Miss Pickles, the final Isadora and more Dallas Jean!