Hi all, just wanted to share with you all my magazine feature ....really because like so many of us...it can be easy to become complacent when you have worked so hard for months for very little compensation...................well I'm here to reassure that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel..and to not give up because dreams do come true...I shall begin with my first email!
Dear Danni, Hello, my name is Melissa and I am the deputy editor of Make Jewellery magazine. I am putting together an article about cocktail rings and would love to include your pieces; would you be interested in being featured? I'm aware that you don't list your cluster rings as 'cocktail rings', but I think they would fit into that category as well. All you would need to do is answer a few questions, which I'll email to you; plus, would it be possible to borrow a few of your rings for us to photograph? I will post them back via recorded delivery afterwards, or if you are able to provide some high resolution images including one of yourself (at least 1 MB, over 4" x 4" at 300dpi), that would be terrific. Please email me at **********or call my direct line ********** to let me know if you'd like to be featured. I hope to hear from you soon. Best regards, Melissa Deputy Editor, Make Jewellery
When I read that email, I think my heart stopped for a second....me they want my rings....whooo hoo (yep I made that very noise much to the amusement of the 35 year 7 students who were in my class at the time!) So of course I emailed back ...straight away!, sent off the rings (5 in total) for photographing and waited for my questions to come through. Here is the 2nd email.
Dear Danni,
Hi, this is Melissa from Make Jewellery here - sorry to keep you waiting, I was away on holiday last week. First I'd like to say a big thank you for the gorgeous rings you sent over; they look fantastic and I'm really looking forward to photographing them. I'll send them back as soon as I can once our photography is finished. Second, I don't think I've sent you the questions for the actual feature yet, so I'm sending them to you now at the bottom of this email - if you could get your answers back to me by Tuesday next week, that would be great. Thanks again for all your help; I hope you like the article when the third issue is published.
Questions for designers
1 When did you start making jewellery and what inspired you?
2 What can you tell us about the cocktail/cluster rings in your range? What do you make them from and where do you get your ideas for new designs?
3 What do you think it is about cocktail rings that's made them such a hot fashion item at the moment, and what's the best way to wear one?
Best wishes,
Melissa
Deputy Editor, Make Jewellery
This is my response..
Hi Melissa,
Thankyou, i'm glad you liked them....here are my answers to your questions
1: From the beginning of time I was foraging around in my mums sewing box or watching her make different things. It was from then on that my love of crafting began, I would sew scraps of materials together to make bags or tops /corsages or anything else that would take my fancy. This eventually led on to a degree at Central Saint Martins in textile design. My passion for crafting continued after my degree and nelli D was born. Nelli D started life out as just a hobby with friends and family asking me to make gifts for them. This led me to sell on etsy and folksy but the jewellery came a little later.
A good friends mother asked me to make her a bracelet for her friends 50th birthday, I hadn't made any jewellery before but rose to the challenge. I bought a book on the basic techniques and got some advice from a friend of mine who is a jewellery designer, and that was that really! I've never had any formal training in jewellery design but love exploring different techniques and ideas and i'm not affraid to make mistakes - thats the beauty of learning! The really exciting part of jewellery design for me is that I don't really know what I'm doing so I'm not limited by doing things in the 'correct' way.
I love anything that is beautiful quirky or intriguing to the eye. I love the 'how did they do that factor' (something I aspire my work to be like) My inspiration comes from all those things, I teach art in a high school and i'm constantly looking and showing the students new designers and artists and trying out new techniques. I also ask the students to critique my work (as well as anyone else who will listen) they often think of things that I hadn't considered or give me whacky or strange ideas to work on. Colour is another huge inspiration to me. I could never just work with one colour, I generally choose materials based on their colour and texture, I like to feel them as well as look at them (think that stems from my textile background)
I recently went on a one day resin course to learn the basics and that has inspired a whole new collection which I am really excited about! - now showcasing on folksy and etsy.
2:The cocktail rings are inspired from all sorts of different things from images I've seen in magazines to a piece of artwork or quite simply a bead I have seen in a shop. I love vintage and buy alot of vintage beads because- 'they just don't make them like that anymore' (in particular my peaches and cream ring is inspired by vintage channel- I love there timeless colour combinations and their sophisticated glamour.) As for materials I use glass beads, sequins, faceted beads, vintage crystals, glass pearls, laser beads and many many more. I don't select the beads based on their material I select them because I like them.
3: I love the versatility of my cocktail rings, they can take you from day to evening. Perking up a daytime outfit and and setting off a cocktail dress. The best way to wear them though is the old cliche 'less is more' keeping the outfit simple and letting the jewellery do all of the work. Like myself people like change and that's whats great about my rings they are affordable enough not to break the bank yet glamorous enough to inspire an outfit.
Let me know if this needs amending or you need anything else however I'm setting off for Greece on wednesday for a week back (13th)
Kind regards
Danielle x....
So that was that .....I was so thrilled to be asked, just for the recognition that my pieces were good....and it has reawakened faith in myself....I hope you like it ....
http://www.folksy.com/items/38395-tropical-storm-cocktail-ring-magazine-feature?shop=yes,
http://www.folksy.com/items/38315-raspberry-blush-coctail-ring-magazine-feature-?shop=yes.
http://www.folksy.com/items/18282-Peach-cream-gold-and-silver-adjustable-cluster-ring?shop=yes
Please let me know what you think xx and don't give up
Deputy Editor, Make Jewellery
This is my response..
Hi Melissa,
Thankyou, i'm glad you liked them....here are my answers to your questions
1: From the beginning of time I was foraging around in my mums sewing box or watching her make different things. It was from then on that my love of crafting began, I would sew scraps of materials together to make bags or tops /corsages or anything else that would take my fancy. This eventually led on to a degree at Central Saint Martins in textile design. My passion for crafting continued after my degree and nelli D was born. Nelli D started life out as just a hobby with friends and family asking me to make gifts for them. This led me to sell on etsy and folksy but the jewellery came a little later.
A good friends mother asked me to make her a bracelet for her friends 50th birthday, I hadn't made any jewellery before but rose to the challenge. I bought a book on the basic techniques and got some advice from a friend of mine who is a jewellery designer, and that was that really! I've never had any formal training in jewellery design but love exploring different techniques and ideas and i'm not affraid to make mistakes - thats the beauty of learning! The really exciting part of jewellery design for me is that I don't really know what I'm doing so I'm not limited by doing things in the 'correct' way.
I love anything that is beautiful quirky or intriguing to the eye. I love the 'how did they do that factor' (something I aspire my work to be like) My inspiration comes from all those things, I teach art in a high school and i'm constantly looking and showing the students new designers and artists and trying out new techniques. I also ask the students to critique my work (as well as anyone else who will listen) they often think of things that I hadn't considered or give me whacky or strange ideas to work on. Colour is another huge inspiration to me. I could never just work with one colour, I generally choose materials based on their colour and texture, I like to feel them as well as look at them (think that stems from my textile background)
I recently went on a one day resin course to learn the basics and that has inspired a whole new collection which I am really excited about! - now showcasing on folksy and etsy.
2:The cocktail rings are inspired from all sorts of different things from images I've seen in magazines to a piece of artwork or quite simply a bead I have seen in a shop. I love vintage and buy alot of vintage beads because- 'they just don't make them like that anymore' (in particular my peaches and cream ring is inspired by vintage channel- I love there timeless colour combinations and their sophisticated glamour.) As for materials I use glass beads, sequins, faceted beads, vintage crystals, glass pearls, laser beads and many many more. I don't select the beads based on their material I select them because I like them.
3: I love the versatility of my cocktail rings, they can take you from day to evening. Perking up a daytime outfit and and setting off a cocktail dress. The best way to wear them though is the old cliche 'less is more' keeping the outfit simple and letting the jewellery do all of the work. Like myself people like change and that's whats great about my rings they are affordable enough not to break the bank yet glamorous enough to inspire an outfit.
Let me know if this needs amending or you need anything else however I'm setting off for Greece on wednesday for a week back (13th)
Kind regards
Danielle x....
So that was that .....I was so thrilled to be asked, just for the recognition that my pieces were good....and it has reawakened faith in myself....I hope you like it ....
http://www.folksy.com/items/38395-tropical-storm-cocktail-ring-magazine-feature?shop=yes,
http://www.folksy.com/items/38315-raspberry-blush-coctail-ring-magazine-feature-?shop=yes.
http://www.folksy.com/items/18282-Peach-cream-gold-and-silver-adjustable-cluster-ring?shop=yes
Please let me know what you think xx and don't give up
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