And that’s where The Lady Herself comes in.
When I first happened upon Kate’s shop, I instantly feel in love with her ingenious array of geeky jewelry. Upcycled circuit boards and dice were the main elements that caught my eye. Just look at this stuff!First, I sent Kate some interview questions so y'all could get to know her and her shop better.
Q: How did you find Etsy?
I actually have no recollection of how I found Etsy.
Q: Does the title “The Lady Herself” have significance?
My name is Katori, and when I went with a few friends to see Episode 3, one of my friends dubbed me Lady Katori-Dark Bitch of the Sith. After that, the name was shortened to Lady Katori, and that's how most of my friends knew me. A few months later my ex wrote of me as The Lady Herself, and it stuck.
Q: Where do you get the inspiration for your jewelry?
Well, the obvious answer is: I'm a huge geek. Have been for as far back as I can remember, and also grew up using every tool on the market. I'm now disabled, but before I got sick I co-owned and ran a small animatronics company, Skulltronix, that specializes in top of the line halloween products. I often found myself wanting to make other things out of the materials I was using. I think it was really at that time that I began really meshing industrial and geeky. I think the two are pretty linked (I don't sell a lot of the more industrial pieces, though), and figured if I was interested in geeky and industrial jewelry, there were probably others in the world that would be, too.
Q: Obviously, you’re a geek. What other geeky hobbies do you have?
Well, I have a geeky band, I play table top games, as well as computer and console games. I LARPed a few times, never really got into it. I also play WoW. I think my favorite table top game would be Warhammer Fantasy. I really like the game mechanics. I find them very logical. I love Star Trek. I've been to every opening night of a Star Trek movie in my lifetime, most of them in costume. Yes, I have a Star Trek costume. I read a lot. Can't wait for the next book in The Song of Ice and Fire series. They're by far the best books I've ever read. Really incredible.
Q: What are your future hopes for your Etsy shop?
Well, I really hope that I start feeling better, so I can make more products. I think that's the biggest thing holding me back at the moment.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add about your shop or your jewelry?
I have a ton of stuff, and I love doing custom pieces. If anyone wants something specific, I hope they will be sure to ask. I've done many pieces for guys, so I hope guys won't shy away from the more girly products in my store.
Anyway, Kate graciously sent me a set of earrings and a custom-made necklace to review.
Aren't they beautiful? You can't really see it from that specific picture, but the blue things on the necklace are all different style dice (D20, D10, D12, D4). For those of you that don't know, dice like this are used for things like Dungeons and Dragons and other dice-based games.
I'm going to highlight and explain what I thought about this jewelry:
- Craftsmanship
I am very impressed with the craftsmanship of these pieces! Especially the necklace; it was so beautifully designed and made. I asked Kate to make a custom piece because she mentioned that she loves doing custom work, so I had no idea what to expect until I opened up the package. After picking it up I recognized how carefully and skillfully the necklace was made. Just notice in the picture how everything is linked together. |
| Normal-sized D4 vs earring D4! |
- Beauty and Subtlety At first, I will admit that I was a little sad that what I was sent wasn't made with circuit boards and other computer parts like some of my favorite pieces in her shop. I really liked the dice earrings but the first thing I noticed was that they're so small! Here's a snapshot comparing the D4 earrings I received to a normal-sized D4.
- Such a difference! The dice in the necklace are the same proportions. I first thought no one would notice my awesome geeky jewelry! But, I was determined to put both to the test, so I donned both the necklace and earrings for work. It took some of my geeky friends some time to notice, but I started getting compliments every time I turned around!
- I realized that Kate's design must be genius. These pieces don't scream "Hey, I'm a geek, accept me!", but anyone who knew what the dice where loved it. And the design of the necklace could match almost any outfit of mine, from everyday clothes to dressy outfits!
- Affordibility This is the final awesome thing about The Lady Herself's jewelry. For the quality you get, the price of her work is phenomenal! Nothing in her shop is over $20. For me, affordable jewelry is so hard to come by! Any necklace I've found in the past 5 years that I've actually liked has been well over $20. The earrings might be a little on the pricey side for my frugal tastes, but for D20 earrings or Tetris earrings, it seems worth it!
Frankly, I adore The Lady Herself. I will definitely be making future purchases (early Christmas, anyone?)!
BUY IT!
Go here to make a purchase from The Lady Herself!
WIN IT!
**GIVEAWAY ALERT!** Kate from The Lady Herself has graciously offered one of my readers their choice of item from her shop OR a custom piece! To enter the giveaway, check out this post!
**Note: In accordance with FCC guidelines, I was sent a pair of earrings and a necklace to review free of charge. At the sponsor's request, I sent the necklace back, but the earrings were kept. However, all opinions are 100% honest and 100% mine!**
After reading your review, I was really interested in seeing what The Lady Herself had to offer. Her stuff is awesome! I'm definitely considering getting something from her shop or asking for a custom piece.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm speechless and beaming :)
ReplyDelete-Kate