I'm Shannon. I'm a 23, soon-to-be 24 year old as I like to say, "student of life". I'm a free-spirit, creative, outdoorsy, open-minded individual. I currently reside 20 easy minutes outside of Manhattan in New Jersey and love it! The location satisfies every need and want I could ever have! However, I like traveling, music/concerts, discovering other cultures, and meeting new people. A few years ago, all my interests seemed to come together in this jewelry venture I started!
How did you start creating your artwork, and how long have you been doing it?
3 years ago, in December of 2008 I took a trip to the art store and purchased a bunch of polymer clay blocks. I went home and created my first line of charm necklaces and bracelets. This was a random act derived from pure boredom, mind you. My main pieces were cupcake charms. I didn't think anything of it really, until I wore them to class and to work and all my pieces were sold in a day. Light bulb moment. I love accessories and I love that they can "make" an outfit. So I started CUPCAKIN' and built my own website. I did very well with it for a year and a half, and even sold my pieces in boutiques in the Hamptons out in Long Island, NY.
Eventually, I found myself in a rut and looked for new inspiration and way to further develop my craft. In 2010, I started my first beaded bracelets. I've always loved a "full wrist" of bracelets of different sizes and "bling"; rocks were always an affinity with me and I also looked into precious stones and minerals. Which all landed me where I am today, with Bijou Box (Bijou is French for jewel or jewelry) creating beaded bracelets and necklaces with an array of natural stones and minerals, different woods, metals, and charms. There's use of jasper, jade, sodalite, onyx, labradorite, quartz, sandalwood, dyed wood, ceramic, alloy metals, etc. All stones and beads I find to be truly exquisite and powerful to the eye. I also use a great deal of Swarovski element pave beads and crystals.
I've come a long way from clay!
I'm a nature-lover. I love being outdoors and I especially love the beach and the ocean. I grew up camping on the beaches of Long Island and was always on the water, whether a lake, or on my fathers boat in the Atlantic. I believe all those experiences and treasured locations, show in my work. Stones like labradorite that are grey and translucent, but in direct light show amazing bright colors like blue, green, yellow, and purple; Sodalite reminds me of waves; jade reminds me the dunes and sometimes in it's variations, of lemonade or candy; sandalwood has a great smell of fire and looks so natural.
I also have an affinity with skulls, which has become the Bijou Box logo. Skulls usually symbolize death and mortality however, the logo is adorned with a wreath of flowers which I like to believe symbolizes, for Bijou Box, the "beauty in rebirth". Rebirth in the sense that, these accessories can bring to life any outfit you wear, or simply uplift your mood. This logo also resembles the flower-crowned skull of St. Valentine; which I like because a lot of love & hard work goes into my pieces.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Just that I love what I do and I couldn't be any more happier in what I've let my life manifest for me. Being able to be creative all the time is not only therapeutic but so rewarding! Comments, ideas, and feedback from on-lookers and customers is SO appreciated. I love to connect with people and I love to supply the work I do to those that truly like what I create. I'm constantly trying to develop the line and always willing to hear peoples thoughts and ideas. I plan to go back to school as well, to get into metal-working and other stone work. So hopefully, this venture keeps diversifying and growing. I am so grateful for all that is it now, but I am so ready to keep working at making it so much more!
Main Site: BijouBoxJewelry
Shop: Bijou Box Storenvy
Twitter: TheBijouBox
Facebook: Bijou Box Jewelry
Tumblr: Bijou Box Tumblr
1 Comments:
These are really beautiful.
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