SLIDESHOW Artist and Etsy shopkeep Dorothy Cheng in her workspace studio. Born in China, she moved to New Jersey at age 4, Indiana at 10, and then Seattle for college. Cheng says ""I realized the moment I arrived that Seattle was my soulmate and have been here since

— except for a year-long stint in Japan last year."

If you were shopping at Totokaelo two or three years ago, you might have received help from Dorothy Cheng. You’ll no longer find the UW metal design alum at the boutique; instead, you’ll find her at her virtual storefront, Dorothy Cheng Jewelery on Etsy.

Cheng readily acknowledges the community of artisans around her: ‘Seattle has an amazing community of jewelry artists who are talented and generous with advice," she says. "Just seeing what they do and how they do it is a huge source of inspiration to me.’ And, the Seattle-by-way-of-China, New Jersey, and, Indiana-resident is not one to file Seattle style under Needs Improvement. ‘I love that Seattleites have a subtle, intellectual sense of style, preferring things that aren’t in-your-face but have a lot of personal meaning and/or incorporate thoughtful design.’ We love that, too.

To find out more about Cheng’s work, her inspiration, and check the slideshow here.