Interview with Wink Artisans
I discovered Wink Artisans while I was browsing through Etsy.com some years ago and since then I’ve been a fan. Their pieces are not only beautiful, but they call to me. The pieces are a combination of Feminine Latina Bad-Ass.
This is my first interview and I’m very glad Wink agreed to talk to me.
Who are Wink Artisans?
Originally it was 3 of us; we started at the end of 2007. Eventually one of the artisans had a baby and couldn’t do this anymore; then the other artisan stopped working on this, so now it’s only me. Some of my customers know me as Wink.
Diabla Heart
The pieces are very unique and can’t be easily replicated by an amateur crafter. How do you make them?
I’m a metalsmith, all my pieces are hand-made; I use hammers, saws, punches and torches in order to forge the metal. It’s a very manual process but I love it. My jewelry helps me combine my photography and graphic design backgrounds.
What type of metals do you use?
I use mainly sterling silver and copper; sometimes brass and gold, but very rarely. The metals will tell you what they want to become. For example as I was working on the Diabla Heart, it just told me it wanted to be saturated with color.
Where do you get your inspiration?
From many different places, I often take walks in order to see the colors of nature. I look at the leaves, branches and flowers around me. Sometimes I’m stuck trying to figure out color combinations and all I have to do is look at what nature has already done. I tend to gravitate towards sacred hearts, Frida Kahlo, religious icons and skulls.
I have a core group of clients who also give me ideas and whom I can use for feedback on certain pieces. Sometimes I’m reading a book, magazine or article and picture what would the woman be wearing. But overall most of my inspiration comes from trying to fill a need for beauty.
Who are the types of women who normally buy your jewelry?
Funny enough, guys love my jewelry. They love buying it for their friends, girlfriends and wives. It takes a special kind of strong and bold woman to wear my jewelry; my pieces will draw attention and will be conversation starters. I would proudly wear every piece I make.
When I first met you, I remember you mentioned how much it takes to make a name for yourself at Etsy. Can you tell me more about that?
My Etsy store has prospered thanks to all the work I do promoting it. Some of it is by word of mouth thanks to the work I do reaching out to my customers. Social media is a must; I spend at least two hours a day on Facebook and Twitter. I also buy online ads, printed material that I pass around in stores. I go to seasonal craft shows and am currently selling some of my jewelry on consignment in two San Diego stores.
What type of craft shows do you do?
After some trial and error on the craft shows I now only focus on the ones around the Day of the Dead as well as Holidays. You have to experiment and see what works and what doesn’t.
I’ve won some awards for my jewelry. I entered five pieces to the San Diego County Fair Gems and Minerals Competition and won First, Second and Third place on different categories.
I want to thank Wink Artisans for taking her time to answer my questions and making me an even bigger fan. You can my personal experience from using her jewelry at Date & Tell. Here are some examples of the amazing pieces you can find in their Etsy Store.
Heart Me Necklace
Hand-Colored Copper Sugar Skull Necklace
Red Flower Necklace
Connect with Wink Artisans at: