First off, tell us a little about yourself!
I'm
a work at home mom of two precious little boys - one is four and the
other is three weeks old. I live with husband and family in Rhode
Island, among plenty of Victorian mansions and pretty scenery for
inspiration.
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| Bella Rosa |
How did you start creating your jewelry, and how long have you been doing it?
I
opened shop back in 2006 making mostly costumes and a few headdresses.
I worked part time for a while, then in 2010 decided to try for full
time so I could stay home with my children. In order to do that I knew I
needed to start making a few items that are, well, just a bit more
normal. Jewelry was the most obvious choice, and the most fun, as I get
to wear it around myself! And I love how a piece of unusual jewelry
can turn a plain outfit into something cool and funky. |
| Faery Rose |
Outside of crafting, what else do you enjoy doing?
I'm
a belly dancer! Thus you'll find jingles and sparklies on lots of my
creations. Cooking is my other big passion - anytime I eat something I
like at a restaurant I go home and experiment until I figure out how to
copy it.
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| Dragon Charmer |
Where do you get your inspiration from?
My
largest source of inspiration would have to be the belly dance movement
- it's a whole community of women who come up with new ways to reveal
the inner diva lurking in all of us. :-) I also draw inspiration from
times gone by - art nouveau, art deco, Victorian, and Edwardian eras are
my favorite. A lot of times a set of jewelry comes into being as a
result of an emotion or a random event - for instance, the set pictured
below titled "Vampiress" resulted from a lot of daydreaming after I
found out about the Halloween ball that happens in Salem each year near
me!
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| Bella Luna |
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Most
jewelry adorns, but if it's elaborate and unusual enough, it can
instead transform. I go for the transformative jewelry! It's so much
fun getting dressed up for a nice night out and putting some creation of
roses and rhinestones around my neck that makes me feel like a fairy
tale princess. The ability to share these designs and the feelings they
inspire with kindred spirits around the world is a dream come true!
My website:
Etsy shop:
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