Arts In Rhode Island

Shop Clementine (aka Cassie Gray) is proudly representing Massachusetts on our Virtual Rhode Trip, and rightly so! Her simple, classy jewelry is artfully crafted. You are sure to find something for everyone in her lovely shop!

Shop Clementine

HT: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

CG: My name is Cassie Gray and I live in the tiny town of Ashfield, Mass. I grew up here, moved away for college and then spent 7 years in NYC, and just recently moved back. I love the rural beauty of this area—and the fact that if I need to go to Manhattan for supplies, I can make a day trip, like I did yesterday!

HT: How did you find out about Etsy?

CG: I first learned about Etsy from a Daily Candy feature back in January 2006. I had been selling on Ebay and had become so discouraged at the (lack of a) market for quality handmade jewelry there. I immediately went to check it out, but there was so much traffic that day the servers couldn’t handle it. I found my way back to Etsy later in the month and I’ve been a seller ever since.

HT: How did you become interested in jewelry making?

CG: I can remember making lanyards and friendship bracelets in elementary school. I guess I probably learned at camp. Around sixth grade, I discovered the joy that is a bead store. I made lots of jewelry after that, mostly for friends and my mom. The hobby fell by the wayside when I got to high school. On vacation a couple years ago, I walked back into a bead store for the first time in a long while and fell back in love.

HT: What aspects of your state inspire you?

CG: Massachusetts is so varied and gorgeous! From the lovely Berkshire hills where I live, to the wide, green river valleys and the Quabbin Reservoir, to the rocky coast and the cranberry bogs—there’s so much natural beauty here. I draw a lot of energy from natural beauty. It sustains and invigorates me. I’m lucky to live where I do.

HT: What are your favorite materials?

CG: I love playing with silver—heating it, bending it, shaping it. And though the smell is terrible, I’m continually amazed at the dramatic changes you can create with Liver of Sulfur. But gemstones are my true love.

HT: What is your favorite part about being an Etsy seller?

CG: The feeling of community is tremendous, and I often feel like I’ve joined a really cool club. But mostly, my favorite thing about being an Etsy seller is being able to sell my work worldwide. There’s nothing like opening your email to find you’ve sold a piece to someone in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Finland, Brazil, or Belgium. The international aspect constantly blows my mind.

HT: Do you currently have a favorite item in your shop?

CG: The Snow Blossom earrings are my current bestseller and I have to say, I’m pretty partial to them. They’re quite delicate and lovely. But I generally feel like my one-of-a-kind pieces are the underdog, in some way. Since I can’t relist them, I root for them to be noticed, and I’m so happy when they sell.

HT: Have you ever visited Rhode Island?

CG: No. Can you believe it? I had planned a trip to Providence a few months ago that got cancelled. I’m dying to visit the jewelry suppliers there. And I’d love to see the mansions in Newport sometime.

HT: Is Etsy full time or part time for you right now?

CG: I do Etsy full time, but it’s not my only job. I generally spend part of every day—7 days a week—listing, photographing, and creating. I’m also a freelance writer. I write book jacket copy for Random House. And I waitress on Sundays. You could say I’m busy.

HT: What is your favorite color?

CG: All of them. Except yellow. Sorry, yellow.

HT: What are your Etsy New Year's resolutions?

CG: I don’t have any! I have to get my state sales tax in before I can think about New Years resolutions.