Interview - Kokokelli

Dotted with hearts interview Kelly of Kokokelli :-)

Q. Please tell us a little about yourself and Kokokelli

My name is Kelly 'Womble' Johnson and I'm 29 years old. Kokokelli is my crafting name and I started making handmade jewellery & greeting cards in January 2010.

Q. Where in the world are you based?

I'm from Oldbury in the West Midlands (not far from Birmingham/Dudley/West Bromwich/Smethwick)

Q. What made you get into jewellery and card making?

I've always been very arty farty and praised highly for my creative talents. I saw some jewellery that a friend had made at a jewellery workshop run at the Birmingham Bead Shop (http://www.thebirminghambeadshop.co.uk/) and just thought to myself "yeah I could do that!" so I bought a small starter kit with the tools and findings off eBay and it went from there really. I used my best friend as a kind of guinea pig as it was her birthday the end of January lol so I made her a handmade birthday card and made her a necklace, bracelet & earring set which she absolutely loved!!

Q. What are your most popular items?

I don't really have any 'best sellers' so to speak but I seem to sell more bracelets more than anything at the moment as they are reasonably priced and different from those you see in the shops (as is everything else I make)

Q.What do you enjoy making the most?

I absolutely love making custom orders for people as each one is unique and one of a kind! It's also a challenge and I love a good challenge! Especially when there's certain things you need to find for a certain piece. I've done some lovely jewellery sets, badge bracelets and a beautiful wedding card which was just a masterpiece in my eyes! lol

Q. Who or what is your inspiration?

I get asked this question quite a bit lol I get my inspiration from many things I guess, stuff I like, stuff I've grown up with, people I've known, I even run ideas past my mom sometimes lol. They'll be days when something will just pop in my head or I'll be out and about and I'll see something and it'll just trigger off a huge light bulb in my head lol.

Q. Where would you like to see yourself in five years time?

I would love nothing more than to have my own proper business from home doing what I do best and making lots of money from it lol (who wouldn't) plus that way I'd be able to start the family I've always wanted and still work at the same time.

Q. What are you doing for Halloween?

To be honest I don't really do the whole Halloween thing anymore. We went trick or treating a couple of times as kids but that's about it. It's not really the same as it used to be now especially round here, sometimes you're scared to answer the door when you've got masked hoodies banging who are only after your money anyway! It may change when I have kids and it would be nice to take them trick or treating while they're young so they can have some fun, we'll just have to wait and see lol.

Kokokelli Shop - http://www.folksy.com/shops/Kokokelli

Kokokelli Fanpage - http://www.facebook.com/Kokokelli

Kokokelli Twitter - http://twitter.com/KokokelliWomble

Kokokelli Blog - http://kokokelli.blogspot.com/

Email - womblej70@hotmail.co.uk

Interview -The Deity Chain

Dotted with Hearts interviewed the lovely Soo of The Deity Chain!

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself and The Deity Chain

A: My name is Soo, and i am a 44 year old mother of 3. I've always been what you could describe as 'arty'. and i just love making things! whether that be a piece of jewellery, a painting, or as i have done more recently, a bag!
I founded The DeityChain in 2008 and it consists of me and my children..well, when i say children, my boys are men now, lol! They help in lots of ways, with the packaging, marketing, etc...and making me lots of cups of coffee when i am busy making orders!
My daughter is incredibly talented: watch out for some of her work appearing in the 'art' section of The DeityChain website! :)

Q. Where in the world are you based?

A: I am based in the North-West of England, near Manchester.

Q.What made you start making jewellery?

A: about 5 years ago i started making my own cards to send to friends and family: i used to attach little charms and pieces of jewellery to them, and after lots of suggestions to sell them, i started doing just that!...at craft fairs, car boots, etc.... then in 2008 i started The DeityChain: by this point i had already started to make jewellery which was selling faster than the cards(!), and i built a website which i have just recently updated as i thought the old site was looking a bit tired and jaded!

Q. What are your most popular pieces?

A: My bag charms are very popular, understandably(!!), the faerie necklaces and wraparound bracelets have always sold well and the little heart boxes i have just introduced seem to be going down well too!

Q. Do you wear the jewellery you make yourself?

A: of course! promote, promote, promote, lol! ...but seriously, yes, the great thing about being able to make it yourself is you can make exactly what you really like, and change it as often as you like! I also always, always have my bag charms and fabric hearts attached to my handbag.

Q. Who or what is your inspiration?

A: well now, that is an easy one! F-A-E-R-I-E-S! yeah, i know, I'm a middle-aged woman who is STILL hung up on faeries, but what can i say? i love them! ...i just love the whole romance of them, the idea that they are watching, protecting and causing mischief....yeah, faeries definitely... .....and hearts .....and flowers.... I'm just an old romantic at heart! :)

Q. Where would you like to see yourself in five years time?

A: gosh...well....i would love love LOVE to be running The DeityChain as a full-time business.
i am certainly happiest fiddling about making pieces of jewellery or painting..
My dream is for The DeityChain to be a recognised name..... a label... something people would know just by looking at it...that would be great!



www.thedeitychain.com
email: soo@thedeitychain.com

Interview - Embroidery Emporium

Interview with Vicki of Embroidery Emporium!

Q. So tell us a bit about yourself and Embroidery Emporium

OK, well I'm Vicki! I recently graduated in music but sewing it seems, has taken over my life :) I got taught how to cross stitch when I was about 7 or 8 and have always enjoyed making things by hand. I've been making cross stitched cards for friends and family for several years now and really love creating that perfect card for a special occasion. It's only really been since I finished University and regained some free time that I have started trying to advertise the things I make more on the Internet and start selling custom made items. As well as cross stitching cards and gifts I have also started making embroidered felt key rings, which are great fun to do!! The other part of Embroidery Emporium is historical embroidery. I have recently started to become more and more involved with historical re-enactment, and spend a lot of time making recreations of historical embroidery, such as black work as part of various different costumes.


Q. What made you get into crafting and embroidery?

Hmm I've always loved making things and sewing is something that I enjoy doing. I've always hated hunting around the shops for the right card or gifts for people so started making more and more things myself. It's a great feeling when you give someone a card or present that has been totally handmade and seeing how much they love and appreciate what you have given them.


Q. What are your favourite things to embroider?

Hehe all of it!! I love making the cards. Most of them are quite quick and easy to make, and I get to do so many fabulous little designs which I know the person receiving will love! I love making the larger cross stitch gifts as well. I especially like working with the designs that are all a single block colour. So simple yet so effective. Blackwork is another favourite. Probably the most time consuming and tricky of the bunch as it involves so much fine detail, but seeing the end result is just amazing. And the fact that the blackwork is then worn by others as part of their historical costumes is just great to see :) I love all of it really!!!


Q. What are your most popular items?

Cards. Definitely the cards. I never seem to stop making them, and always have several on the go all the time.


Q. Where can people purchase your crafts?

Currently only via my facebook page - Embroidery Emporium Sewing. But I am working on a website at the moment as well, which will hopefully be up and running soon :)


Q. Who or what is your inspiration?

I think I'd have to say my main inspiration for embroidery would have to be the paintings of Holbein. It amazes me that someone can paint with that much detail in their work, that even 400 years later people can still recreate Tudor embroidery from his paintings. Amazing stuff.
Also, I'd never really thought about putting my creations on the net before and trying to sell them, until I saw some of the amazing crafty ladies on facebook setting up shops, and it really inspired me to put the things I make out there with them :)


Q. Where would you like to see yourself in five years time?

Ah, um hopefully selling lots of things on my own website and making people happy with the things I create them :). I'd love to get a stall up and running and travel round craft fairs selling my items as well as that would just be brilliant! Ideally a shop full of my handmade goodies would just be fantastic :)


I can be found on facebook here -

http://www.facebook.com/embroideryemporium

New items from Lipstattoo

From Lipstattoo

Some unique, handmade cards featuring your IT crowd favourites!

Check out the Lipstattoo etsy store for these cards and more unqiue hand made items!

http://www.lipstattoo.etsy.com/