Artist Name: Cassie Gray
Shop Name: Clementine Jewelry,
Website: ShopClementine.etsy.com
Blog: shopclementine.blogspot.com
City: Ashfield, MA



Where in your home/apartment is your studio located?
My studio is spread out all over the house. My computer desk is in my bedroom, along with tons of bead storage. I do finishing work and take all my product shots on a vintage desk in the living room. And in the basement is my jeweler's bench--soldering, pickling, drilling, all the messy stuff goes on there.

What equipment/tools do you use?
I use all the traditional jeweler's equipment--flex shaft, saw, torch, pliers, cutters, and more. I also think of my camera--a Canon PowerShot A620--as a tool, because good photos are so important to any online seller's success. I use tons of gemstones, lucite, sterling, and brass, and I love playing around with liver of sulfur (though the smell is a real killer.)




Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
I used to have a huge bulletin board overflowing with photos and cards and mementos above my computer, but it kept falling off the wall so sadly it's now defunct. I made a much, much smaller one with some fabric, batting, and a frame, but it's just not the same. I'm hoping to create a wire 'inspiration clothesline' soon. In the meantime, I've focused on the pantone color forecasts and my favorite illustrations from anthropologie and etsy seller artlife. Most of my inspiration comes directly from the materials themselves and from the beauty of nature and its cycles.


How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
I alternate between needing silence and blasting music. I turn my iTunes on and off all day (and I miss the original Muxtape site, but look forward to the new incarnation (muxtape.com). Most of the time I like soft, hushed vocals and orchestral touches, from folks like Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, Kate Walsh, Sarah Harmer, Neko Case, Beth Orton, Belle & Sebastian. When I need a jolt of energy, I go for Vampire Weekend, The Fratellis, and The Dixie Chicks. And I'm always in the mood for Luna, Jackson Browne, early Linda Ronstadt, Fiona Apple, Liz Phair, and Josh Ritter.



List (3) of your favorite artists

Jenny Holzer
Shoshona Snow
Yellena


If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
An old english-style conservatory, full of floor to ceiling windows and plants (lots of orchids!) and more shelving than I could shake a stick at.



Thank you Cassie!