Lonelies and blog stuff

I've been sorting through my Lonelies jar and I've split this little lot up into three batches that will be available in my Etsy shop later on today.

Oooh - I've just noticed that Blogger have fancied up the Followers section over there on the right. I like what they've done! I'm going to be having a sidebar tidy-up soon and I'll be altering the way I display my list of favourite blogs so if you want a direct link to your blog from mine then 'following' is the way to go. Click the 'Follow' button to add yourself and your blog to the list.

Also, did you read the interview I did with Janine Byrom of Cherished Trinkets last week? At the end of that I mentioned that I'm looking for more people to interview and feature on my blog but not one single solitary person has contacted me about that! I fear that I didn't quite explain myself properly so I thought I'd clarify what the interview thing is all about. Here goes :

If you have an arty-crafty-makey business (and no, it doesn't have to be jewellery or bead related) then contact me with details of your work and your blog/website/Etsy shop etc. I'll then take a look at your work and send you a few questions about what you do. Then I'll publish your answers on my blog along with lots of lovely photos of your work and an advert in the 'Featured Artist' section of my sidebar. Your advert and link will be displayed, totally free of charge, for about a month. Now, how does that sound? If you're interested in participating in an interview then please send me an email at laura@beadsbylaura.co.uk . Thanks muchly!

Artist Interview : Janine Byrom

Janine Byrom is a jewellery designer from Manchester. Her eyecatching designs have a vintage feel about them and she always includes such pretty and unusual items in her work. Janine sells her jewellery in her Cherished Trinkets Etsy shop.

How long have you been creating jewellery?
Since 2005. I had such a horrible year that year and I had a lot of time off work to deal with the consequences. During that time I spotted a simple charm bracelet on a website and thought "Hmmm I wonder if I can do that?" so I had a go and found I couldn't but it didn't stop me having other attempts until I could. From then on I was addicted!

What are your favourite materials to work with?
I have so many! I don't think you can beat sterling silver really. It's so versatile and people seem to always go back to silver. I also like to age sterling silver to create a vintage effect. Saying that, I am really fond of materials such as brass, ribbon and pearls!

What inspires your work?
I get inspiration from so many things - it could be a picture in a magazine, a celebrity on TV or my Nana's jewellery box. You just have to look a bit harder sometimes!

What five words would you use to describe your jewellery?
Girly, Unique, Fun, Bold, and of course Cherished!

Do you sketch your jewellery ideas on paper or do you design them in your head?
I can honestly say I have never sketched a design, sometimes I will start out not knowing how the piece will go and it just 'comes together'. Other times an idea 'pops' into my head and won't go until I've made it. This can be annoying at 4 o'clock in the morning! When designing charm bracelets and bits with lots of lovelies on, sometimes laying the pieces out first in their chosen design helps to picture how the finished jewellery will look.

Where do you make jewellery? A workroom? The kitchen table? The sofa?
Living in a small apartment makes it quite hard to have a nice big work space so I organise my materials in boxes and tend to get them out and work at the table. Sometimes I will work on a project whilst sat on the sofa with a beading tray on my knee. If I'm comfy I work better!

While working is your workspace neat and tidy ..... or a little bit messy?
My bead trays are all organised in colour schemes and tend to be tidy. I try to have a good tidy out about once a month as this way I get to see exactly what I have to work with.

What jewellery project are you working on right now?
I'm working on a pair of brass and carnelian earrings. I've made one but I get bored doing the same thing so I'll go back to them. I'll probably make the other one today actually.

If you could design a piece of jewellery for a celebrity, who would that be and why?
It would have had to be the beautiful and classic Audrey Hepburn. How wonderful it would have been to see her in some Alice in Wonderland jewels!

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Thanks for your answers, Janine. I reckon one of your Alice charm bracelets would have looked amazing on Audrey!

Make sure you head on over to Cherished Trinkets and see what delights Janine currently has for sale. Janine also blogs and she has a wonderful website too!

~ If you would like to be a featured artist here on my blog, please send me an email.~