General Bio: Marlo Miyashiro (a.k.a. IMakeCuteStuff) has been in the retail and wholesale handmade craft industries for over 20 years, creating and selling her work to over 200 stores across the country and abroad. She is a jeweler by trade, crafter of sewn things, teacher of techniques and mentor / arts business consultant for emerging artists. She is also one of the founding members and current organizer of EtsyRAIN – an active community of over 1000 artists who reside in the Puget Sound region and own independent shops on Etsy.

Jewelry Bio: Marlo Miyashiro enrolled in her first jewelry class in 1987 while pursuing a theatre major and acting career in Los Angeles, CA. A few years (and many auditions) later, her desire to learn more about metalworking and jewelry fabrication put her acting career on hold while she joined UCLA's intensive extension jewelry program in 1989. The entrepreneurial spirit ultimately inspired the creation of Marlo M. Jewelry Design in the summer of 1993.  Marlo M. moved to her new home in Seattle, Washington in 1997 where the creative climate of the Pacific Northwest inspired a fresh attitude and innovative designs that allowed Marlo M. Jewelry Design to prosper in its new environment. Marlo M. creates her unique designs in sterling silver using a wide variety of hand tools. Her skilled use of the jewelers’ saw enables her to carve out intricate designs with remarkable accuracy. She then finishes each piece by hand, polishing the metal to a brilliant, mirror-like shine or burnishing the surface with a lustrous matte texture. Marlo M’s devotion to the fabrication process creates objects that are beautiful, functional and durable, lasting for generations. “My designs truly reflect my personal mission to create fine handcrafted jewelry, accessories and giftware that inspires a positive point of view and celebrates the enduring spirit of friends, family and the joy of life.” - Marlo M.

About me today: My "day job" is still designing and making my own line of sterling silver jewelry under the name of Marlo M. Jewelry Design. I really enjoy teaching private jewelry and photography classes and find fulfillment in coaching emerging artists to help them make a living by making what they love. In my "spare time" I continue to organize EtsyRAIN - a group of over 1000 Seattle based artists and craft makers that operate independent shops on the e-commerce site known as Etsy. If you have any questions about me, my experience or about EtsyRAIN, please feel free to contact me anytime!