Friday Features: Leakhena

FRIDAY FEATURES PROUDLY PRESENTS:

Leakhena as FEATURED SELLER

Okay, everyone, I know some of you are going to "dislike" me for this, but one day, when I was a noob, I entered the FS room. Yes, the FS room. Don't blame me, I was a curious one. As I sit and watch it unfold, I realized how I can make sales. And voila, I met Leakhena. She is such a sweet girl. I bought from her once for a mother's day gift (for myself, HAHA!), and she bought from me... And soon, a friendship formed. She is always there to support me when I need it, and we would whisper just to chat in the FS room (haha, we are so bad). And so, give it up for Leakhena!! She's a great Etsian :)


Me: Tell us a bit about yourself - name, location, affiliations, personal stuff.
Leakhena: Hi! My name is Leah. I'm 28 years old and I currently reside in the beautiful city of San Francisco, CA. I'm the owner, creator of everything related to my shop- Leakhena. Jewelry making is one of many creative outlets I've enjoyed pursuing, along with baking, my first love, photography and the occasional crochet creation. Although, I enjoy anything and everything relating to arts, jewelry has been my main focus. I started making jewelry pieces for my family and friends and I've received great compliments.
In 2006, someone very close to me died in a motorcycle accident. I kept myself busy, working and creating. It was my way of grieving and also healing. I was raised mostly in Sydney, Australia but have also lived in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand for a few years because my parents were missionaries to those countries.
I have a golden retriever named Cotton whom I have rescued from the shelter. He's currently the only man in my life (haha).

Me: Apart from creating things, what do you do?
Leakhena: I really enjoy cooking and baking. I love cooking and entertaining my friends. Since my family is far away, my freinds have become my 2nd Family. I'm a workout fanatic. I love yoga and meditation. I enjoy being outdoors, going to the beach, hiking, fishing, you name it but aside from that, I love to be constantly creating. It makes me happy. I'm also a bit of a home body. I enjoy playing my violin, singing, cooking at home,writing (well, blogging, these days) taking long walks with my dog

Me: What first made you want to become an artist?
Leakhena: Wow! Being called an artist is such a honor but it makes me feel a little awkward for some reason. I’m not sure that I am one. Maybe I’m still in the process of becoming one?? I’ve always been creating things for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a big family. As a kid I was very fortunate to have two creative and loving parents who were extremely supportive of my artistic endeavours and enrolled each one of us in some sort of music or art classes. My Amazing Parents- I love them both so much. They allowed me to be myself, to have the desire to create Art. In fact, if you visit my home in Sydney, you can still see my old room filled with paintings and other things my parents have kept over the years. They even allowed me to redesign many rooms throughout the house; this, I believe, it what sparked my interest in all things artsy.

Me: Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
Leakhena: My creative process is pretty open to interpretation. I'm kind of 50/50. I'm very organized but I tend to be messy when I work. Does that make sense?? I guess inspiration often hits me at random times. I'm inspired by everything around me. After I get an idea, I'll sit down with my handy dandy notebook and write down everything before I forget, since I have short attention span. Each item I make is a challenge and I’m always learning new things.
I am a bit of a Pefectionist. when I like an idea or theme I tend to work on it for quite a while seeing where it takes me- before I decide to list them.

Me: What handmade possession do you most cherish?
Leakhena: When my Grandmother was still alive, back when I was still living in Sydney, we did a lot sewing projects together. I really valued our time spent together. I remembered when I was about 7 or 8 we worked on this blanket together. It took us many hours to complete. 20 years later and I still have that blanket. Its a great reminder of what a loving person she was and all the wonderful things she has taught me .

Me: Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.
Leakhena:
Books:
The Holy Bible (It’s the all time best seller)
You: Staying Young- Dr. Oz & Dr. Roizen
The Best Life Diet- Bob Greene
Women &Money: Owning the Power to Control your Destiny- Suze Orman
Healing the Soul of America- Marianne Williamson

Music: I listen to a wide range of music. Almost anything and everything that sounds good.
I love Celine Dion- my all-time favorite singer. I love Jazz! I love all songs by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. I also enjoy listening to Bach, Mozart and Andre Bocelli.
Currently I'm listening to - Flo Rida, Beyonce, Neyo, Shayne Ward,Coldplay, Shania Twain and many more...

Websites: FoodNetwork, FoodFit, Get Rich Slowly, Facebook, Pandora, Myspace

Me:What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Leakhena: First of all, Be Persistent. Have Patient. You may not make your first sale for a few weeks or even months - but don't give up! Keep creating and make your shop the best it can be. Strive for bright, clear pictures, informative listings and great customer service. And don't forget to promote yourself offline, as well as online. Its all about Networking. I am very fortunate to have met many wonderful artists on etsy. They are my inspiration!

Me:What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?
Leakhena: Idk.. maybe help the listing process to go faster?? that would be great!!

Me: How do you promote your work?
Leakhena:
My blog: http://mzleakhena.blogspot.com/
My Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/456148333
My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Leakhena/103022467083?ref=ts


Me: In ten years, where would you like to be?

Leakhena: Happily married. I'd like to be a wonderful wife to my husband, a loving mother of children. A successful woman as an artist and a businesswoman. A helpful individual in my community, still creating and doing what I love.

And there you have it! :D Hope everyone enjoys my featured seller of this week! I promise to do more of these, when I find the time. v.v