Today we’d like to introduce you to Bettina Carroll
Hi Bettina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My passion for the arts began in high school. Subsequently, I studied at the Philadelphia College of Art, where I got a taste for different mediums, specifically design, photography, and sculpture. Soon after college and a few unfulfilling admin jobs, I knew I wanted to use my creative skills daily, so I opened my first art gallery focusing on Native American and Western art.
This was in the Sierra Nevada mountains. After ten years, I closed the gallery to focus on my family. I moved to Southern California, where I joined a local artisan co-op and began designing handcrafted pillows and other luxury products.
My lifelong love for animals began at an even earlier age when I received my first dog, Ginger. Since then, I’ve always had a dog in my life.
Years later, while on vacation in Santa Barbara, I imagined adorning my Deer Chihuahua rescue, Pasha, with a beautiful pearl and crystal necklace to match her sweetness and femininity. When I get an idea, I like to act on it immediately, but search efforts at local boutiques and artist shops proved fruitless for this particular shopping pleasure.
Still, my wheels were turning. What if other animal lovers would enjoy jewelry for their pets? I had developed an artistic passion for designing unique accessories, so I started creating custom pet jewelry that not only expresses an animal’s individual personality but also ensures its comfort.
So Jewels Fur Paws combines my interest in art and accessory design with my love for animals and giving back to the community – I donate a portion of all Jewels Fur Paws profits to animal shelters and rescue organizations to extend love and help to animals who have yet to find their fur-ever home.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wish I had focused more on my creative life sooner because I feel like I have more ideas than I can explore in my lifetime. I love learning new things and would have liked a second chance at going to art college—I’d work harder than I did the first time.
I’m somewhat technologically challenged and need help understanding apps and online platforms, especially to connect with more potential affiliates and influencers in the United States and Canada.
It’s not possible for me to personally rescue every animal that needs a home, but I wish I could. I also wish I had some more free time to hug my husband 🙂
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My goal is to ensure my customers’ fur-ever friends not only look fetching in our necklaces but also feel great wearing them.
So, our unique inventory of pet jewelry is designed to be as comfortable and long-lasting as it is fashionable. Jewels Fur Paws products are handcrafted in the USA from high-quality components like cultured pearls, Swarovski and Czech crystals, shells, healing stones, gemstones, and more.
For our new season, Jewels Fur Paws is fashioning the much-asked-for collection showcasing necklaces for pets and pet parents. We can match any necklace design sized correctly for both fur baby and their pet parent, or we can create a design for any special occasion you wish with your input.
Clients have requested matching sports editions highlighting NFL football teams and individual sports favorites with matching versions customized for pups and their moms or dads, so we have our new sports line coming to our website soon. Keep an eye on our Instagram for posts highlighting our sports collection!
We take extra care to ensure Jewels Fur Paws has a standardized comfort level. Necklace circumferences range from five inches to twenty-three inches to comfortably fit almost any pet. We understand each fur baby is different, so we create fully customized pieces upon request. You can choose any holiday, birthday, or event and select specific gemstones, colors, sizes, and more.
A Jewels Fur Paws necklace makes a unique gift for your own cats, dogs, or pet lovers in your life. As I said, we donate a portion of all profits to animal shelters and rescue organizations. There is always more that we can do to help one another.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
My experiences traveling and collaborating with female artisans from various East Asian cultures sparked my other business: Luxury Dream Designs.
Luxury Dream Designs is an online boutique offering high-end decorative pillows, kaftans, statement jewelry, and rare accessories for the sophisticated buyer who appreciates exceptional handmade items.
Our products are heavily influenced by the high quality, diverse creation techniques, and timeless styles of Central Asia, Tibet, India, and Nepal.
In addition, we offer vintage jewelry from American designers like New York’s iconic Kenneth Jay Lane. We have an abundance of delightful and timeless brooches that can create a fantastic look for any outfit. I love adding a flashy brooch to my hats, and who knows when Pasha and my other dog, Zoomer, will show off to their furry friends with a vintage brooch on a new necklace.
We also offer work by artists like Jimmy Calabaza. Jimmy is from Santo Domingo Pueblo, and he is one of our favorite Native American artists. Known for his bold designs, Jimmy’s work is featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, and on our Luxury Dream Designs website.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jewelsfurpaws.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewelsfurpaws/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jewelsfurpaws/#
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/JewelsFurPawsJewelry/; www.luxurydreamdesigns.com; https://www.etsy.com/shop/LuxuryDreamDesigns
