The Blogshop is Back in Business and Featuring An Artisan

So my Blogshop Kella's Creative Wishes is back in business and she looks all bright and spruced up if I do say so myself. I must say to get her to this point has been ever so tiring, with a lot of PC logged in time, I am quite certain if I stay on the PC any longer I'll develop a callus spot where my palm rests on the table when I am using the mouse.

I won't go into all the changes here, if you want to know you'll have to pop over to the blog shop and check it out, I have though explained all that I have been up to to get it to where its at, at the moment.

To get the shop ready I also had to list all those pieces I have been creating over the last month or so. So many a late night completing projects and tweaking others was also part of the parcel. So you might be wondering what was all this mad rushing around was about, well guess what; I'm being featured today on a fellow jewellery makers blog, her name is Catherine and she regularly features fellow creators of handmade products, you can read the feature here. So you see although I had planned to shake things up on the blogshop front, this feature was enough incentive to get my skates on and spring clean the shop's appearance.

Catherine's work far outshines mine and as a thank you for featuring me I offered to feature her here today as well. So please read on a get to know this very talented artist who also goes by the name of Kalicat.

Hi Kalicat, welcome to Me But A Little Bit More In Depth, will you share with us who Kalicat is and how did she evolve?

• Kalicat is a jewellery brand created by Catherine. She has always been creating since an early age, crocheting, sewing, mosaics, clay… She even made her own little dolls and naturally adorned them with their own little pieces of jewellery.
  I started with wire work and went on to learn jewellery metalworking techniques by attending several technical classes with master craftsmen/women and established goldsmiths.
  I want to design something versatile and elegant for stylish women, that will make them feel just simply stunningly gorgeous.

Why do you love the medium you currently use to create your pieces with?

• I love precious metals as they are very durable. I always enjoyed wearing costume jewellery however, it just never lasts very long. Most of the time, the colours unfortunately tarnish, or my skin can become irritated.
  Problems solved: I now have the chance to be able to design my own jewellery in precious materials which will be timeless in terms of designs too.

What or who do you draw inspiration from when you create?

• I am inspired by words, poetry , fashion and music.
  For example, the word “passion” will make me use fiery oranges and red, while the word “spring” will make me do delicate designs with soft pastel colours.

All creations © Catherine Marche - Kalicat Jewellery Designs

What type of design process do you generally follow?

• I feel like making something new, take my tools and… get on with it.
  If I am in the subway, underground or metro, I shall take my faithful 0.4mm pen and start sketching my ideas.

Sketch © Catherine Marche 2010

What does the ‘Handmade Movement’ mean to you?

• I think it is really great that people’s awareness is being increased by the revival of handmade items and the understanding that handmade (with love) is equal to quality, and that anyone can commission a bespoke piece that will be as individual as the wearer. Designers have become more accessible to the grand public.

Besides jewellery making do you dabble in any other arts of crafts?

• Yes, my love of colours means that I also paint and illustrate. You can see some of my work on http://www.catherinemarche-designs.com/ . My work is quite figurative with a few abstract expressionist pieces.
  I have also been crocheting/knitting a few accessories and making some of my clothes, when I cannot find what I am looking for. I figure it is better to make it myself sometimes if I cannot find what I am looking for or if I want to look very unique. I even made my own bikinis in batik and African fabrics when I was 14.
  

What do you do to relax away from work?

• I play the music when I have the time,albeit, these days, I tend to read, or look after my little ones.
  If I really need a break, then I need the sun, and faraway exotic locations by the turquoise sea.

Do you have any advice for newbies stepping into the world of becoming a Handmade Artisan?

• Believe in yourself, you will never know what you can achieve unless you try.
  Do not rely on others to discover you, you need to make yourself known.

Where can we find you and your work?

• http://bijoux.catherinemarche-designs.com/
• USA http://kalicat.etsy.com/ and http://www.mocashop.com/
• Europe http://kalicat.dawanda.com/
• Also available at: VIX Emporium, Philadelphia, USA.
• Maxim’s Boutique, Winchester, UK.
  

All work reproduced here is done by the sole permission of © Catherine Marche and are all linked back to their origins. Please do not reproduce her work without her permission.

Thanks Kalicat for letting me feature you and thanks so much for featuring me. I hope everyone enjoyed our features, now you all come back now you here :)

PS I am having a full day to myself today this post has been time set to post itself and by the time it does this, I should be on a train to London to enjoy a lovely day out, yep I'll be enjoying my giveaway prize I posted about. I promise to tell you all about it sometime over the weekend.

Enjoy the rest of your day, catch you all laters, toodles,

Blogshop: http://kellascreativewishes.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.storenvy.com/CreativeWishes
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CreativeWishes
My Gardening Exploits: http://kellasvegeplotandothermusings.blogspot.com/