Featured Seller: earthboarjewelry

Who are you?

My name is Cathy Spargo and my shop name is earthboar jewelry.

Where are you located?

I live in Apex N.C.

What do you create?

The foundations of my pieces are usually semiprecious stones and at the moment are often combined with any of the following: swarovski crystal, lamp work beads, hammered metal, leather or ribbon. Sterling silver and gold filled wire are the metals of choice however other metals may be used based upon the demand of the piece. I compose necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pendants, bookmarks and pet jewelry. Of late I have been making some beautiful hand wrapped pieces having learned the skill from local artist Jimmy Reese. What a great talent and overall nice guy.

What is your favorite place to visit in the "triangle"?

I find both inspiration and education at Plant Delights Nursery display gardens located at 9241 Sauls Road, Raleigh. Tony Avent’s nursery is a great local treasure and he is known the world over yet so many local folks have never heard of him. His display gardens are only open at certain times so check the web site before you go.

What is your next project going to be?

I am learning how to do metal smithing. I have signed up for the metals club at Ornamentea. It might be a while before something appears on my site as I have to learn and experiment with the new skill and see how (if?) it merges satisfactorily with my creativity and compositions. I have another exciting project that is closer to execution. Check the Purple Armchair sometime in August.

Why did you choose your company name?

The name of the business comes from a combination of Chinese and Western Zodiac personality profiles. A friend had this book entitled The Complete Book of Chinese Horoscopes and I just had to buy one of my own - it is loads of fun. I liked all the things it said about my birth date so I decided to use it for my shop name.

What is your favorite place to sell your items?

I prefer to sell in person because I like seeing my compositions find their human companion. It is a joy to watch folks explore the pieces and the special delight they exhibit when they find that special “one”. My absolutely favorite show is Boylan Heights ArtWalk. The community is so warm and gracious.

How do you acquire new clients?

I acquire new clients at this time by contacts made at shows and word of mouth by friends and family. Here is a perfect example - the Wake Forest Autumn Arts Festival gave me the opportunity to meet Boni Arendt who is the owner of Red Rooster Gallery in Youngsville. At that time she was working on getting the store open and was choosing artists. She has since quit her day job and is living her dream as gallery owner and art teacher. Her gallery is a real gem.

What do you do when you are not creating?

First, I have my real job doing applied research. I love this job and it always surprises people when I say it too is creative. I also love to garden and my husband and I have been working like slaves to landscape around a new addition to our home. I also help organize our neighborhood gardening maintenance volunteers, serve with my husband as Mass Coordinator at Sacred Heart Cathedral, am a board member of the N.C. Chapter of Partners of the Americas (NC POA) and just began participating as co-chair of the Membership Committee. A jewelry connection catapulted me into some fast and furious activity with the NC POA Arts and Culture Committee - so I am trying to figure out if I am now attending those meetings.

--If you'd like to read more from Cathy, check out her blog.