Check Out Susan W. Saltzman’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan W. Saltzman. 

Susan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Born and raised in the suburbs of Cleveland, I was an artistic kid, and my parents noticed, encouraging me to sign up for every art class we could find. I especially enjoyed taking Saturday classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art. As a teen, I took several metal smithing classes and was hooked! 

My dad really loved beaches, so we spent a lot of weekends at Lake Erie and summer vacations in New England. I collected beach glass and beach stones for years. 

My senior year in high school, though I barely took any art classes (I was too busy being involved in Glee Club), I was voted “Most Artistic,” much to the surprise of the more dedicated art students. (Sorry guys!) I attended the University of Michigan School of Art, majoring in Graphic Design and Illustration, and after graduation, came home to work as a designer/illustrator at American Greetings. (It was amazing.) 

In 1990 I gave birth to identical twin daughters, so I started a freelance illustration and graphics business out of my home. 

After many years of spending my working hours at the computer, I yearned to get back to working with my hands and decided to revisit my love for working with metal. 

The seaglass and stones I had collected served as inspiration, and I opened my Etsy shop: SToNZ in August of 2007, and haven’t looked back! I started focusing mainly on the beach stones and seaglass and have since added many other ornaments to my jewelry, including vintage tokens and charms, pearls, turquoise, and other semiprecious stones, compasses, lockets, and any other interesting oddities I come across. 

My mom got me into antiques and thrifting from a young age, and I love to scour rummage sales, estate sales, and flea markets for interesting items to add to my work. 

I feel so fortunate to be able to do what I love every day and to make lasting keepsakes for my dedicated and fascinating customers and collectors. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Opening an Etsy shop was a bit of a leap of faith; to be successful there, you really have to be a jack of all trades. I wince when I look at my early jewelry photographs. But over time, I have honed my skills and have become not only a jewelry designer and maker but also photographer, marketer, writer, social media user, shipper, inventory specialist, and promoter. It’s a lot of hats to wear, but it keep things interesting! 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Some of the most satisfying things I make are custom orders. People will ask me to create bracelets or necklaces in memory of a loved one or to inspire them to get through a difficult period, or to celebrate a particular achievement. Some even send me stones that are meaningful to them, so I can create a piece that has personal significance. It’s something I hadn’t expected when I started out, but get a great deal of inspiration from. 

I love that my work has special meaning for my customers and becomes a treasured keepsake. 

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
I love to use social media to stay in touch with my customers. I try to keep everyone up to date with my latest work on Facebook and Instagram. I can be found here: 

https://www.instagram.com/stonzcle/ 

https://www.facebook.com/stonzjewelry 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stonzjewelry.com, www.stonz.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stonzcle/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stonzjewelry
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/stonz

Image Credits
Susan W. Saltzman