THE BEGINNING
I met beads for the first time when I was around 10 years old. My friend showed me a small book with easy patterns and animals to make. For some months, I was hooked, but it gradually fade out, because I didn't have more books and also beads. There was almost no internet in my country back then, where I could find new things or buy beads and living in a small town where was no special bead shop there. But gradually, even my country changed, libraries started to have more books with more inspiration, almost every family had internet (although expensive and slow), shops opened and I was reminded of beads once again. I started buying new beads, creating new things, but I soon ran out of people to present with my works. I almost forgot beads again, but...
LET'S GET THIS STARTED
It all really started being big in 2009 when I discovered an on-line market place with everything hand-made. It wasn't Etsy yet, but a page in my home country, but still it was a whole new world. I started selling my jewellery there and people actually liked them! It was amazing and it gave me so much energy and enthusiasm! I started searching for new patterns and beads and inspiration, I worked to be more professional in my creations, I worked on my photographing skills (I still do), it was just amazing. It gave me so much and I'm grateful for being part of that community. But I want my creative passion to be full-time and I'm not sure I can achieve that in my small country. And so I found Etsy and another world has just opened!
WHAT I DO
I create jewellery and accessories from various materials, mostly beads so far, but not only that. Every piece is unique, I never create the same thing in the same style and color twice. And every piece starts with an idea, although it comes to me from various sources. I might see some pattern on clothes, I might see some combination of colors or I just sit and put beads together and something comes up! I like trying new things, new materials to use. Some years ago, my ex-boyfriends grandmother gave me some old buttons, saying that I might be able to make something from that. This little thing opened a whole new world for me! I went through my mum's and grandmother's old buttons collections and I started incorporating these buttons into my work. I also work on creating things from old fabrics and decorating them with beads, buttons or textile colors.
I'm also fascinated by photography and I'm working on becoming a semi-professional photographer. I like the number of things you can express with photography, it's amazing!
Being creative is works as my depression therapy too. When I start making something, when I concentrate on my work, my brain can get a break. It doesn't have to analyze my feelings to give me early warning of depression or anxiety coming, it can just "sit" and do nothing, which is so relaxing! It also helps when I see the results of my work, when I can say to myself "See, you're not so bad" :-).
WHERE IS IT ALL GOING
To be honest, I don't know :-). I have so many things in my head, that I want to try. I draw pictures of clothes from time to time and I would love to learn to sew and design clothing. I would love to learn to make gift wrapping and may be also working with wires to create more jewellery. And I hope to become more or less professional photographer, because that's also my passion. So there are so many things I'd love to try and do and I hope you'll accompany me on my creative journey!