Sunday Brunch Special: Zurina Ketola

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your indie business.
I’ve been designing jewelry for about five years now, but my passion for the craft came about unexpectedly. At the time, I was living in Santa Monica and took a trip back to my hometown of Portland, Oregon. On a momentary whim, my dad took me into a shop called Ed’s House of Gems. I became infatuated with the intrinsic beauty of the stones, so I bought about ten strands to fool around with. At first, I was just making gifts for friends and family. After a while though, I realized that this was something I wanted to try and grow. I’ve since sold my work at art galleries and shows, in boutiques, and early this year I was able to expand to my own on-line boutique.

2. Where are you located?
My business is based out of Phoenix, AZ.

3. How did you come up with your business name?
I wanted to keep things simple. I figured I had a really unique name, and I wanted to use it.

4. Where do you sell your products?
There are two brick and mortar stores locally that carry my work. Swell Clothing, which is located in the funky Mill Avenue District of Tempe, and the other is located in a shop in the posh Gainey Ranch neighborhood of Scottsdale called SC Moda. Otherwise, my work is available at my online boutique, www.zurinaketola.com.

5.Do you belong to any local and/or web groups or affiliations?
I belong to a few discussion boards. One of the most helpful for me business-wise is The Switchboards. To talk about the ins and outs of jewelry design, there's the Jewelry Artists Index. For fashion and beauty, there's SheFinds, and the Fashion-Forums.

6. What inspires you?
So many things! Architecture, film, books, nature, friends, family, beads, gems… It’s amazing how you can take an idea or concept and use it to create a tangible object.

7. Read any good books lately?
A couple. The Best American Essays of 2006, edited by Lauren Slater and A Natural History of Human Emotions, by Stuart Wilson.

8. When you’re not making things, what do you do?
I’m a student, so most of the time you’ll find me in school, or doing chemistry or math homework. Because of my web site, I’ve developed an interest in web design, and photography as well. I started drum lessons recently, which is so incredibly fun! I also love to go out dancing, write, and just chill with my husband at home.

9. Do you ever get stumped for ideas? How do you work through it?
Sometimes. I just try to take a break to regroup and clear my head. Something as simple as a walk, reading a book, or doing yoga, all can get my creative juices flowing again.

10. What would be your dream job?
I planned my wedding back in 2005 single-handedly, and had the best time doing it! I think being an event or wedding planner would be so much fun.

11. What’s your favorite color?
Any shade of blue.

Ok, now these two are mandatory and I have to ask (this being a diner, after all)

1. What is your favorite meal?
Hmm... Ok, I know it’s not “diner food”, but I’d have to say that my favorite meal called misir wat from an Ethiopian restaurant called Café Colucci on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland. It’s an incredibly delicious spiced lentil dish that is sooooooo addictive. Seriously, if you’re a vegetarian and you find yourself anywhere near the Bay Area, you have to go there for that dish.

2. Do you prefer tea or coffee?
I’d have to say tea.