Fresh Shops: BoonesHooks

2008-09-25T13:00:00-05:00

BoonesHooks' amazing hooks caught my eye a few weeks ago as I was browsing for items to spruce up my space. With a perfect combination of function and style, with an extra eco factor, all of Smyth Boone's elegant designs are forged from recycled steel.

Taking a look around the shop, I found an interesting tidbit about this recent addition to the Etsy community: Not only is he an 18th generation blacksmith, he is also a descendant of the American pioneer Daniel Boone. Smyth was kind enough to tell us a bit about his craft and life; we're glad to have him here!

Finding inspiration in his process, Smyth creates visually pleasing artworks that double as functional design pieces. Blacksmithing is in his blood, though his education was only a two week visit with his father, who also learned the craft from his father, who learned from his father, who....well, you get the picture. After that, it was time to open a shop and get to work. Smyth learned more tricks and techniques from books and would practice by creating challenging pieces inspired by designs from texts. He also says fellow blacksmiths enjoy sharing their knowledge of the trade and there are national organizations that host classes and conferences. This self-taught craftsman is now teaching students and lecturing at conferences, but still seeks to add to his own skill set.

Smyth learned about Etsy from a friend and he is loving the exposure and networking:

"After almost 16 years of forging large architectural commissions, I decided to try a different tack and produce a product line of hand-forged home accessories with the intent that the product line would take off and I would be able to have it be my steady income, giving me the potential to pursue more complicated forgings and sculptures. I have had reasonable success with selling in very fine home decorator and gift stores and also on the internet, but not as much as I was intending."

Joining the Etsy interior design team, the Design Style Guide, has inspired Smyth to create a blog to promote his work, and he says networking is definitely a great way to get your name out in the world. This Etsy Team has the mission to connect professional interior decorators and designers with Etsy crafters and artists for their design needs. Smyth shares some wisdom he has gained:

"It appears to me that there is a certain threshold in visitor volume that one must achieve to have a successful web presence, generating enough revenue to keep your business alive and thriving. The more networking we do helps everyone as a whole. It is a great concept and I am glad to participate."

When not creating stunning steel works, Smyth spends time with his music collection. He's a radio dj and producer and even interviews musicians in his show "Talkin' Music" on KVNF in Paonia, Colorado. There's also time in there for mountain biking, which he claims is like meditation: hard work to get up the hills and a lot of fun riding down. He's the proud dad of two talented daughters: one is a double major in opera and Spanish and one is a brilliant artist who excels at everything she tries.

Thank you, Smyth, for bringing your talents to Etsy!

Looking for more Etsy newbies? Check out our previous Fresh Shops coverage!

Fresh Shops: NorthForge

2008-01-24T16:15:00-05:00

NorthForge caught my eye with this awesome ceramic tile coffee table, and won my love with his collection of furniture made from wrought iron and salvaged materials. We caught up with the artist briefly to talk to him about what he does and how he's settling into the Etsy lifestyle.

What brought you to Etsy?
My craft has taken me down several avenues. One is mostly commissioned decorative functional metalwork. Another is making pieces based on my own desire and need to create. When I was looking for an outlet to showcase the pieces of my own design, I consulted my brother, Chris Ryniak, who is evolved in the arts community on a grandiose scale. Without hesitation he said “Etsy. You need to be on Etsy.” And here I am. Thanks, Chris.what brought you to etsy?

When did you start making things?
I need to make stuff. It is my nature. I made my first piece of furniture when I was in grade school. It was an ugly wooden bench painted white, and I never stopped creating from there. Living near Detroit, I worked in the field of mechanical design for nine years, all the while building furniture in my garage. This job was lame so I switched gears and took a two-year apprenticeship at an architectural metal studio as well as taking blacksmithing classes at the Collage for Creative Studies. Now I run my own metal studio with my wife full time, as well as raising my daughter, who was born in 2006.

A lot of my items are functional. I get design inspiration everywhere, especially found and discarded objects. I have never been able to create my ideas as fast as I come up with them, so I hope to continually add items to my Etsy shop to keep it fresh.

What's your favorite thing about Etsy so far?
Etsy is AWESOME! It creates an atmosphere of goodness. I get a lot of people sending me messages just saying my pieces are cool. This is a great motivator for me. It makes me want to push my skills to the next level. And even though Etsy is global, it has a cool sense of community. The ability to shop locally is sweet. I have also met a few people around town that happened to have Etsy shops as well.

Be sure to check out the rest of his shop, as well as some of the other great blacksmiths here on Etsy!

Search results (tags) for: "blacksmithing"

Fresh Shops: BoonesHooks

Fresh Shops: NorthForge