DESIGNER PROFILES - JEWELLERY

Welcome to the Designer Profiles for February - the month of love......  this month we are featuring Jewellery Designers.

Valentine Egg Cosy -  HuggleKnits

This month we feature 4 ladies who create amazing jewellery.  

Cordula (C) from  ICAlien,  

Nancy (N) from  Nancenet70, 

Sarah (SA) from  SarahMcKiernanDesign and 

Shen (SH) from  ShenWongJewellery.

Mo:  

Hello ladies and thank you all for coming forward to be interviewed for this month's Profile Collection.  Can I start by asking each of you to tell us a little bit about yourselves.

Cordula: 
I live in Dublin, teach Art and Design as a day job and I'm also a qualified commercial pilot.  

Nancy:
I am an American, living in Wicklow with husband and 7 year old daughter and am a musician.

Sarah:
I too live in Dublin, have worked in the field of environmental science and also studied fashion design.
Shen:
Born in Hong Kong, I now live and work full time in Dublin on my jewellery creations.

Cordula - decoupage wooden bangle

  

Nancy -  irish-sea-pottery-wire-wrapped-pendant

Sarah -  upcycled-leather-triangle-earrings

Shen  -  black-swarovski-pearl-silver

Mo:

A truly international grouping and all creators of different types of jewellery. How did you get started?

C:  I have always made things using various materials - I still love doing embroidery on felt. It was when playing with and manipulating paper that I found something new - I now make jewellery using mainly paper.

N: I love beach-combing and am lucky to have an abundant source of sea glass and sea pottery near to where I live.  I learned how to firstly wire wrap and then drill these pieces on Utube to make my jewellery.

SA: Following a period of working in the field of Environmental Science I went back to my first love - sewing - and did fashion design in college.  It was there my love of environment and artistic passion fused and I started making jewellery using upcycled materials.

SH: I have always loved fashion accessories and crafting.  What started as a hobby last year has now grown into full time passion.

Cordula

Nancy

Sarah

Shen

Mo:
Do you have a typical day?

C:  Between working full time and travelling I don't have a typical crafting day.  I tend to roughly plan what I am going to make in my spare time - I try to batch make one type of item at a time, rather than switching.

N: As a full time stay-at-home mum I don't have a typical crafting day.  I go beach combing when I can during the day and craft evening and weekends when the time allows.

SA:  I try to use the mornings to catch us on 'researching' - Pinterest, Etsy, fashion magazines etc.  My preference is to produce interesting one-off pieces and can spend days making just one.

SH:  I too try to keep my fashion research to the mornings as well as finding out what events are coming up.  In the afternoons I arrange beads and string them in different ways to arrive at a new piece of jewellery.

Cordula 

Nancy's passion

Sarah underwater

Shen on Dublin City FM

Mo:
All very busy ladies.  Do you have any future goals or ambitions?

C:  I would love to be in a position to grow my crafting into a full time business.  Its something to work towards.

N: Recently I have started to make pictures with my sea glass and pottery.  I hope to develop this in the future.

SA:  As well as developing my Etsy shop and going out into the craft marketplace, I also would love to go back to designing clothes.

SH:  I would like to take part in some pop up shops and get more coverage in the media - I have already been featured on Clothes.ie, Her.ie and Dublin City FM.

~~~~~~~~

Mo:
We have loads to look forward to from you all.  In the meantime, do you have any advice for new crafters?

C:   Just start and keep at it, even if you fall on your face a couple of times.

N: Do it because you love it - don't worry about sales and 'likes' - if you make a quality product, sales will come 

SA:  You will never know what you will achieve unless you try.  I am so glad I went back to college to do what I love.

SH:  Do take the leap if you can.  And if you do, make sure to apply for the Short Term Enerprise Allowance. (a blog post to follow on this topic)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mo:
Thank you all so much for taking part in the interview and sharing with us. You have such a range of wonderful work,  and all so different.  Very inspirational.  Now all we need know is how to find you, the links to your shops etc.


C:  ETSY  https://www.etsy.com/ie/shop/ICAlien

N:  FACEBOOK:  www.facebook.com/NancenetDesigns

     ETSY: www.nancenet70.etsy.com

     MUSIC:   www.nancyfalkow.bandcamp.com

SA: FACEBOOK  Sarah-McKiernan-Designs

      ETSY   SarahMcKiernanDesign

      BLOG  http://sarahmckiernandesigns.blogspot.ie/

SH: FACEBOOK  ShenWongCo

      BLOG http://blog.shenwong.com/

      ETSY   ShenWongJewellery

That's if for this month.  It has been great getting to know 4 new crafters on such different journeys and with an amazing collection of creations.  

You too can be included in future collections if you are a member of Etsy Ireland and create in any of the following areas

March        - Toy-making and baby clothes
April           - Vintage
May            - Paper craft 
June          - Textiles incl Weaving and Spinning
July            - Woodwork and Rushwork
August       - Sewing incl Patchwork
September - Knitting and Crochet
October     - Other Crafts
November - Christmas Crafts
December -  To be decided 

A maximum of 5 crafters will be interviewed and highlighted each month. Some categories are already nearly full so get in touch soon if you want to be sure of your place.

Next month its toy making and baby clothes  - cant wait........

Bye for now
Mo
HuggleKnits

Wedding Anniversary Gifts, The Early Years

Hi Anne-Marie from Handmade by Amor here. Summer time is a great time to list bridal items in your shop. So it follows that it’s also a good time to consider wedding anniversaries too.

Though unhitched (yet still open to the idea...do ya heeeear me Prince Charming?), I find symbolic wedding anniversary gifts a little intriguing. It can do no harm to know what represents each year of wedlock, even if only for tagging purposes. So I thought I’d do a series of articles around the subject and see what related goodies are on offer from the Crafty Ireland Team.


The origin of symbolic wedding anniversary gifts dates back to the middle ages. Apparently the tradition began in the Germanic region of mediaeval Europe. Up until the 1930s, only the early years of marriage and the big milestones were represented. Over the last 80 years the ‘official’ anniversary gift lists have expanded to include the years in between. This is, admittedly, largely due to the retail industry.

Naturally, customs vary from culture to culture. I am basing this series principally (and loosely) on traditions in this corner of the world and the USA. I will not, however, be exploring each and every anniversary year or I will die an old maid at my keyboard.

In the USA, paper is traditionally associated with the first anniversary and cotton is given on the second. It is the other way round in the UK and Ireland, cotton being first. However, there seems to be leeway to follow either list in this country.


A search for cotton items turned up this unique wedding pillow from Barbara Murray.

Cotton is a natural fibre derived from the cotton shrub. It was first cultivated in the Indian subcontinent circa 7000 years ago. Spun into a thread or yarn, today it is the widest used natural fibre around the world. Cotton was first woven in Ireland in the late 18th century.

Seemingly this material represents durability and versatility, qualities said to help cement the marriage.


Well, your beloved wont be sprinting away if you give him this ‘running man’ t-shirt from Green works.

And listen up men folk, though pearls are well established as the gift for the 30th anniversary, they are also the gem for the 1st one. This post on types of pearls may be of use.

Modern gifts for the first anniversary now also include all sorts of domestic appliances and clocks.


The word ‘paper’ comes via the Egyptians who made a writing material from papyrus leaves. However, it is the Chinese who are credited with truly inventing the first paper as we know it.
Paper is said to represent growing strength in the relationship. I gather it has something to do with interwoven fibres.


It was hard to choose from all the fabulous paper items on offer, but this collage from Iris O’Connor caught my eye.


If your beloved is a dog lover, this oh-so-cute painting by Diana Marshall may appeal.

If you are taking the jewellery route, red Garnet is the gem for the second anniversary.
Modern gifts for year two lean towards china or porcelain such as these tasteful porcelain coasters by Living Ginger Designs.


Finally, I found lots of beautiful handmade cards and wrapping paper from the team. This vintage card from Mariposa Vintage made me chuckle.

If you are celebrating, then all that remains is to bid you a Happy Anniversary!