Name: Alida Nunez
Website Link: http://www.alidajoyas.etsy.com/
Where are you located? Peru, South America
Tell us a bit about yourself: I’m from Lima, Peru and have been living here all my life. I studied Textile Design and worked in this business for almost 7 years not only as a designer but also as an account executive for brands like Liz Golf and Perry Ellis America. During my experience as an account executive I had the opportunity to visit NY twice, and despite the little time I had to make tourism, I really loved it there. I always had the idea of being my own boss and in 2003, after seeing a local jeweler’s interview on TV, I decided to try it myself. Since then I’ve been working with silver jewelry and in 2006 I landed my brand Alida Joyas (joyas is Spanish for jewelry). I’m also venturing in blogging and I expect to have a lot of visitors. Jewelry design is one of my passions. My other passion is music. I’ve been singing for a few years and since 2007 I joined a jazz choir where I found the most amazing people to share my love for music.
When did you begin designing jewelry/art? It was in the middle of 2003 when I decided to take jewelry lessons (metalsmithing), but I started designing my own jewelry in 2004.
What made you choose this type of art? I’m not sure why I exactly chose jewelry because I had the idea of taking metalsmithing lessons long before thinking about dedicating to jewelry design. I guess my dad buying me nice pieces of jewelry when I was little had a little to do with it.
What do you make? I make silver jewelry but I work in 18K gold as per request as well. I also make bridal jewelry, which includes engagement rings, wedding rings and headpieces.
What materials and methods do you use? I use sterling silver 950, which is a purer quality than 925. I combine it with Peruvian natural stones such as serpentine, amazonite and sodalite. The technique I work with is metalsmithing.
Where do your design inspirations come from? I just realized that they find me. They usually come in flashes when I’m listening to music, watching tv or movies, but mostly in my dreams (it comes in handy to have a notebook in the nightstand). I also get inspiration from art and nature, and I’m constantly surfing on the web to see what’s new.
What is your best working environment/where is your studio? My studio is at home. I always have music on when I’m working. I can’t be without music. And if it’s sunny, even better! Sun usually puts me in a good mood to work.
Where can your products be seen? You can visit me at: my website, my blog, dawanda, Novica.com
Upcoming events: I’m designing my new collection and I’m pretty excited about it. I won’t tell you what it is about yet, but I can’t wait to share it with you!
Magazine articles or press: Interview for Handmade Crafts blog
Interview for Sara’s Texture Crafts blog
Photoshoot for a local bride’s magazine Bodas where they showcased my jewelry and tiaras
Are you a fan of any jewelry artisans? There are tons of jewelry artists I like. These are some of them: H. Stern, Alexis Bittar, Claudia Stern
Price range: US$9.00 – US$110
Tell us a little about one of your favorite creations: One of my favorite designs is my funky set of ring and earrings. It’s colorful, fun and playful and for some reason I identify with it. I don’t mean that I’m colorful, fun and playful, but I do joke a lot.
Anything else you wish to add? There’s no better reward than seeing people wearing my jewelry and being recognized for my style and quality. This makes all the effort worth it.
![IMG%20011a[4]_m](http://artisangems.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/img20011a4_m.jpg?w=200&h=151 "IMG%20011a[4]_m")
![IMG%20006grtur[2]_m](http://artisangems.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/img20006grtur2_m.jpg?w=200&h=147 "IMG%20006grtur[2]_m")
![IMG%20015a[3]_m](http://artisangems.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/img20015a3_m.jpg?w=200&h=133 "IMG%20015a[3]_m")
Where do your design inspirations come from? Like all designers (interior, fashion & jewelry), I am inspired by everything! A garden of delicate flowers, beautiful artwork, a fabulous pair of shoes or stunning interior design can become a point of inspiration. I believe that my experiences as an interior designer have greatly influenced my style as a jewelry designer and, as a matter of fact, I have devoted an entire blog to that idea. Additionally, my southern roots have clearly had a great influence on my “feminine” style both as an interior designer and as a jewelry designer – something I am completely oblivious to!
When and why did you begin creating your jewelry/art? I was caught by the bead virus in summer 2004. I saw some lampwork beads in a shop window and that same day spent hours investigating, surfing the Internet and reading all about lampwork beading. One week later, I sat at the torch by myself and tried the first beads.
….. The beads I am making reflect the mood I am in when sitting at the torch. Perhaps this is why I love each new set most. There are sets that I do not forget because they meant a milestone for my work. These are certainly the sets that I did during my four month stay in Thailand .. one of those:
Tell us a bit about yourself: I’m a full time mixed media artist/wearable art/jewelry designer. I was born and raised in Zagreb, Croatia. I studied furniture design at University of Zagreb. In 1992, I moved to USA with my husband (who is also an artist), where our three children were born.
Tell us a bit about yourself: After 18 years of being a lawyer I have started beading as a hobby 5 years ago and I have been trained as a traditional jeweler for the last 3 years. Right now I continue my works with silver, gold and semi precious stones. I live in Istanbul with my husband, son and my cat.
What is your best working environment/where is your studio? My studio is where my old office used to be. But inspiration might come anywhere that’s why I have my sketch book with me all the time. I sketch anything that comes up to my mind.
Tell us a bit about yourself: I used to work as a computer programmer and database designer. After being stationed abroad for 12 years and returning to the states a year ago my husband encouraged me to pursue jewelry design as a business. So now I work from home and take care of our very spoiled dog and cat.
Upcoming events: Silent auction at Widener University School of Law
Tell us a bit about yourself: I grew up in Yugoslavia in a very artistic family. I spent my days in museums, galleries, and concert halls learning to appreciate the wonderful world of art. My childhood was affected by the communistic and socialistic regimes and art was my escape into a more wonderful and friendly world. I took many art classes like painting and ceramic sculpture. I received a diploma in leather accessory design. Currently, I am attending a school for interior design. I met my husband, Adam, in England. We fell in love and got married in Germany. It was quite an unusual love story, but it worked out for us and we were blessed with two wonderful boys that joined our family. Art was always a part of my life. All of life is art. For me, I’m doing art when I’m cooking, decorating my house, applying makeup in the morning, painting, and when I’m making dolls and jewelry. When art becomes a part of your soul, then everything you do in life is radiated in a beautifully creative light… Life becomes magical for you and everyone around you is affected. Creating an enchanted atmosphere is more than arranging furniture and cooking food, it is a reflection of who you have become. I would like to look back one day at my life and see it as one big art masterpiece combining these smaller pieces I do every day. We live in Northern Colorado. After years of searching, we moved here a couple years ago from California and we are finally home.
What do you make? I make jewelry, ceramics, and art dolls. I also sell kits for art dolls so people can make their own unique creations. By helping people express themselves, I feel that I am helping them further develop their own creative soul.
Where can your products be seen?
Tell us a bit about yourself: I am a full time glass bead designer living in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I live with my very supportive boyfriend, 3 dogs and my rather pugnacious cat!
Bead and Button Show June 4-7
When and why did you begin creating your jewelry/art? It began when I was a very young girl drawing paper dolls with pages and pages of “outfits” including every possible accessory imaginable. I came from a very artistic family and we were always doing something creative. After high school I started painting in oils and still love to paint to this day. I learned to sew at a young age and when our youngest daughter married I made her wedding dress with over 80 yards of lace sewn on. I started beading back in the 80’s making the seed bead chandelier earrings that were so popular, then didn’t go any further with it until about 8 years ago. The beading world was really starting to evolve again and I fell in love with designing and making jewelry. It was like having a whole new type of canvas to work with and beading truly is an art form.
What materials and methods do you use? I love working with the gorgeous handmade lampwork beads that are available, there are some incredibly talented artists out there. All of the jewelry I make now is made with Sterling Silver, 14k gold filled or Vermeil components. I have recently started doing freeform peyote jewelry and it is fast becoming a favorite because it allows me to use my artistic abilities in the design and creation of a piece. I am always excited to learn new techniques and my jewelry designing is always evolving. I use a wide range of materials from crystal, glass, gemstones, pearls, lucite, whatever the design or the piece calls for.
Where can your products be seen? My most current work is on my 
Tell us a bit about yourself: I work as a bead artist from my home studio in Manhattan which is a treasure trove of beautiful beads to inspire me. I am married and have two children and four grandchildren
Where do your design inspirations come from? Everywhere I look
Tell us a bit about yourself: I was born in Pasadena, California where I lived in the same house for 18 years until my family moved to the San Francisco bay area. For as long as I remember I have had very busy hands. As a kid I used to draw so much my mother would go to the local newspaper and get the ends of the rolls of newsprint so I could have drawing paper. There was always some sort of craft project I was involved in. I would draw and paint for hours, disappear in my dad’s workshop to make candles, wire mobiles, resin flowers and too many things to even remember. I could totally entertain myself with projects and my parents were very patient! I have traveled all over the west and have lived in several interesting environments. I made a life change when I turned 30 and abandoned the world of food service, moved to the mountains and became a certified cross country ski instructor in the winter and a bicycle mechanic in the summer. I opened my own card, gift and bookstore in the ski resort village of Bear Valley, California which I operated for 10 years until I closed it and moved to Mountain Ranch. When I am not beading I work full time at our retail nursery and volunteer a day a week as a dog evaluator at our county animal shelter. I guess it would be more accurate to say when I am not working or volunteering I find the time to bead!
What is your best working environment/where is your studio? I have a small spot cleared out on a make-shift desk comprised of an old door set on two file cabinets in the home office for our business. I clear out a space among the stacks of paper work and bills. All my beads are stored in two large tackle boxes, which are stacked by the door in the bedroom. Since our house is only 800 square feet my beading can’t take up too much room. When I create a piece I select all the beads I will need and put everything else away. All the items I use can be neatly set aside so my work space can become a desk once again. I would love to have a studio or even my very own work table! I usually work with total silence, sometimes I’ll listen to music.
What made you choose this type of art? I love playing with clay of any type. I love polymer clay in particular for its instant gratification (a finished cured piece to gaze at in less than an hour) and the amazing things you can do with it and make it become. And of course, the color play. I love color!
What materials and methods do you use? I use polymer clay, mainly Kato and Premo! brands. I rarely use a color straight from the block. I mix my own colors and create blends using the Skinner Blend technique. I make mille fiore canes for my flower petals and my own techniques to create flowers on bead bases.
Tell us a bit about yourself: I was born in Moscow to a sculptor father and a scientist mother. I never fancied drawing and painting, but liked sculpting and gravitated to miniatures even in my early childhood. I was born left-handed and my grandmother taught me all kinds of feminine handcrafts like knitting, crocheting and embroidery in an effort to put right this “unnaturalness.” I didn’t become right-handed but now can effectively use both hands which is very helpful in my current line of art. I studied mathematics and computer science in high school and Moscow University but never finished the university. I married very young and devoted 12 years to bring up my 5 children. During the next 8 years I helped my husband in his business and only in the end of 2004 decided to go on and make my hobby a full time occupation. We moved to Israel in 1988 and now I live and work in the beautiful town of Maale Adumim near Jerusalem.
When did you begin designing jewelry/art? My first seed beads came from a broken Czech necklace. The beads were black and white and I made an ornamental bracelet with wire. I was 7 at that time. It is hard to imagine this now but there were no beading books in 1970 in Moscow, so I invented different methods of beadwork myself. I use these methods to this day. It turns out many of these stitches well-known and have a name. In much later years, I discovered internet shops with all the different materials and incorporated natural stones and pearls in my beadwork.
What do you make? I make jewelry. All kinds, but the most satisfaction I get is from creating necklaces.
Tell us a bit about yourself: I am retired after having worked at the corporate offices of Estee Lauder for 22 years. I am single and live in a small apartment overrun with beads, clothing and shoes.
Where do your design inspirations come from? My inspiration might come from a picture, clothing or something colorful and then I try to interpret that into a beaded piece of
