Saturday, July 17, 2010

Stimulation Saturday-Interview & Giveaway With Psynde of Cemetery Cat


Todays Stimulation Saturday is Esty shop

I met Psynde on Twitter and have throughly enjoy our conversations. lol She is very witty, intelligent. When I ventured into her profile and saw this shop...my heart was filled with gladness. Cemetery Cat's love of  Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance is reflected in the jewelry Offered.  
She offers Authorized Richelle Mead Vampire Academy-inspired jewelry and has recently added another author line with the Sabina Kane series, written by Jaye Wells and inspired by the protagonist's distinctive birthmark.




Steampunk runs rapid through her shop with some beautiful and unique pieces.

I've decided to share my love for her work with you. And she graciously allowed me to interview her and offered up a piece of her work to giveaway to a lucky reader.

So Psynde, tell us a little about yourself.
hmmm...I grew up in Los Angeles California, showed horses til I was about 17. Then I  ran off and joined the glamorous life of music business..LOL. I have held jobs as
 as a fine jewelry salesperson, diamond grader, astrologer, tarot card reader, lighting designer,stage manager, roadie,personal assistant, horse trainer, occult book store owner, bookseller and artist wrangler. I have a MFA from California Institute of the Arts in lighting design and Artist management. IN 1999 I retired from the music business and moved to Seattle.
When I moved to the Pacific Northwest I became serious about jewelry and writing and have been doing both since 2000.

What kind of music do you listen to?
Well I favor 70's glam (like David Bowie and TREX, the Sweet), but I love Punk music (Ramones,Clash, Void Oids), goth music(Sisters of Merrcy Fields of the Nepilim) and industrial..Really loving Trent Reznor's new project. But nothing beats the original line up of the Misfits or White Zombie
Wow, we have similar tastes. LOVE Bowie as Ziggy Stardust. I am a sucker for cheesy 80s rock also.

What books inspire you?
What book doesn't.. I really love HP Lovecraft, and Lord of  the Rings. I read all genre's. If it sounds different then I am on board. Right now I am reading Kraken by China Mieville and really enjoying it.

Do you design all the jewelry on your site?
Yes, I do...every thing except the vintage pieces. For the Vampire Academy line and the Sabina Kane line, Richelle Mead and Jaye Wells have right of approval. Sometimes they give me input, but the designing aspect is all me.


When did you start designing jewelry?
When I was working in the music business, I would get bored with all the traveling so I started designing while touring. My father owned fine jewelry stores so I was sent to GIA (gemology school)  during the summer while still in high school. I  had lots of precious stone and metal training as a teen.

How long have you been on Esty? Do you have other websites?
I have been on ETSY since 2001, I originally had my own website  when I still lived in L.A. but I couldn't maintain it. I was always out of town. Etsy is so much easier and has grown leaps and bounds in ten years.
Your so right-I LOVE Esty. So many talented astians there. 

Where does you inspiration for designs come from?
well, mostly from books...But it's a bit more organic than that..My inspiration comes from color, symbols, meditation, hermetics, music  nature and alchemy. You take all that  put it in a martini shaker, give it a shake and pour out..That is my brain on jewelry.
LOL- Lucky us. 


Do you see yourself expanding to retail stores? If you already so...where can we find your work?
Im not really a fan of it, because getting paid is always difficult. I do have my stuff in Borderland Books in San Francisco. They are awesomely good people.

What do you do besides jewelry design?
Sell books for a major brick and mortar store, play sitar, listen to music, hang out with Team Seattle and wait on my cats hand and foot..Oh and read..I love to read.


Where are all the places we can find you on the web?
I am always on twitter as @psynde, it's a way of life for me. Plus the
website..http://www.etsy.com/shop/psynde

Do you blog?
I do have a live journal as psynde but I rarely use it..I am not used to people wanting to hear what I have to say.
WHAT? You must be joking! I'd love to read your blog.

Do you any special designs coming up or in the works?
Well there are some new authors designs waiting in the queue, but I can't talk about them because the books are not out yet.
I put new pieces up at least twice a week, I am always trying new things out.


Thanks so much Psynde 


for the interview and the awesome piece you offered for giveaway.


Thanks for having me here, I really enjoyed it.

So go check out Cemetery Cat on Esty and follow Psynde on twitter because your missing out if you don't.


Now for the giveaway. 

Psynde is giving away bracelet of intricately carved wooden skulls is are highlighted by black fire polished Czech glass and a small bone skull.. pewter charms of a skeleton key and ouija board dangle below.7" 


Leave a comment below to be entered.
The contest will run one week from today till July 24th ending at 12 midnight est. Winner will be announced on my blog the next day- Sunday July 25th. Open to US/Canada residents only.



10 comments:

Becky B. @ Bibliognome said...

Hello, awesome jewelry, enter me in the contest please, thanks.

- Becky

Things could always be worse, right? said...

I would love to be entered for a chance to win this awesome bracelet.

Anonymous said...

zomg THAT BRACELET! *drool*

Great interview, Gigi & Psynde! Psynde is fascinating, she's done so many cool things that I have never been exposed to before. I visit the Cemetary Cat Designs etsy store often to see what is new. I discovered Psynde from Natasha's Wicked Little Pixie's blog, and found a piece I couldn't live without. It's a bracelet inspired by Mercy Thompson. Mercy Thompson was one of the very first Urban Fantasy series I read and Psynde captured the components of the character in the piece perfectly. I luuuffffs it.

I am a huge fan of David Bowie. I didn't really learn to fully appreciate him until my 20s, when I became familiar with justtt howw awwwwesome he issss - my friend introduced his full discography to me, his early stuff, and I was blown away.

Psynde you have a lot of cool experiences that most people have never gotten to do - you should consider a blog, for sure ;)

rissatoo said...

Great interview and fabulous jewelry, too! :)

Qwill said...

I love Psynde's jewelry!! Awesome wearable art made by an awesome person. :) Fantastic interview.

wildlower said...

Great jewelry, love Etsy too!! Great interview as well.

CollectableSpectacle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mitzi - Vintage Goodness said...

WOW - great interview, and awesome bracelet! *fingers crossed I win*

CollectableSpectacle said...

Hi,
Not trying to enter twice, just wanted you to know who I am.
Love the blog and the bracelet. Great interview too.

Unknown said...

love etsy!