Until recently,
Her jewellery website/blog is http://www.snapdragonbeads.com
WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
I'm based out of a very cluttered back bedroom - which over flows at times into the dining and sometimes living room - of my home in Biggleswade in Bedfordshire.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST START BECOMING INTERESTED IN CRAFTS?
Probably around the age of 7 or so when I discovered my mother's copy of the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlecrafts; it is nearly as old as me and I have it still.
Having grown up in a house where there was always a quilt or embroidery on the go it was inevitable really ;-)
GREATEST INFLUENCES?
My mother; she got me hooked on crafts of all kinds (apart from knitting which she could never get the hang of herself). She was a consummate skip raider and always managed to find great fabric sample books - she now gets given them... she's a bit old for jumping into skips now ;-). She also has a huge collection of craft related books and seems to acquire more every time I go home.
Historial costume books - I spent so many happy hours as a child and older pouring over fashion plates and making Rococco and Regency style clothes for my Barbie dolls.
In terms of colour I really find myself drawn to the works of Klimt and Schiller as well as Degas and Monet.
Since I make jewellery I am not influenced so much by other jewellers or their work (well I do try not to be) but instead take inspiration more from textiles and nature as you can do so much more with beads than just stringing them and so experiment more with 3 dimensional forms.
GREATEST PROBLEM YOU’VE OVERCOME?
I'm still working on my sales patter - I'm very shy and in the past had my mother's help at craft fairs.
WHAT PIECE OF WORK ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Well at the moment, Amelia but she isn't for sale ;-)
I am particularly pleased with the wavy herringbone stitch bracelets. Once I hit on the stripes which are very much inspired by florentine stitch as well as Kaffe Fassett sweaters
they really have come together.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT ON SELLING THEIR GOODS?
Don't be shy, engage people by chatting to them - you sometimes need to be shameless (or at least feel like you are)... for me this is very difficult as I am very shy, but start with making sure you are smiling and laughing and people will be drawn over and then you can get to work on them ;-)
WHICH 4 PEOPLE (DEAD OR ALIVE) WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE AS WEEKEND GUESTS – AND WHY?
Gustav Klimt; my favourite artist, and he liked cats ;-)
Jean Lanvin; when her marriage broke up she supported herself and her daughter by founding a fashion house based on the clothes she designed and made for them. Truly, she is to me at least, the patron saint of many etsy-moms.
Alan Coren; I love his short stories - so completely off the wall at times.
Erte; I love his Art Deco drawings
WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU KISSED?
My baby Amelia
WHAT’S ON YOUR BEDSIDE TABLE?
uh-oh ;-) its a bit of a mess in fact ;-) A notebook, a lamp, a darning needle, pencil, about 5 different types of handcream (I'm a martyr to painfully dry hands)
HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY DESCRIBE YOU?
Conscientious and nicely eccentric
FERRARI OR MINI?
Well I don't drive, but if I had to I'd go for the Mini as there is no mention of a hunter green 1970's MG ;-)
EASTENDERS OR HOLLYOAKS?
Neither - I'm more a Radio 4/7 girl
CHOCOLATE OR
Why must I choose?
IF YOU COULD ONLY ACCESS 3 WEBSITES, WHICH WOULD THEY BE?
Wikipedia - I just love picking up useless bits of trivia
Flickr - so I could put my pictures somewhere
Etsy - So I could attempt to sell some of my pieces (of course PayPal might be handy too ;-) )
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