Come on, let’s hop on our private “jet” and start our journey!
Etsymom: Anastasia – L’Accent Nou (http://laccentnou.etsy.com/)
Dew in the grass - mother's day one of a kind pendant (http://www.etsy.com/listing/44735160/dew-in-the-grass-mothers-day-one-of-a)
You shop name is very unique, what language is that and does it have any special meeting?
My shop name is L'Accent Nou, it means New Accent in Catalan language - native language of Majorcan people, Balearic Islands, Spain where I live.
Moon - one of a kind earrings on sterling silver (http://www.etsy.com/listing/39224079/moon-one-of-a-kind-earrings-on-sterling?ref=vl_other_2)
Tell us more about your store items and why you love making them?
In my store you can find one of a kind jewelry made mostly from cold porcelain clay (a kind of airdry polymer clay, rather sturdy material). I'm in constant search and experiment with unusual materials. I combine clay with copper wire, I like to include natural materials like seeds, branches, leaves, sand...Often my inspiration comes from the Nature.
I love plastic arts in general. And clay was my passion from very young age.
I remember when I was little girl I asked my parents to bring clay home, I had like an impulse to do something with clay....and now I think this impulse just came out.
Making pieces from clay is what I enjoy most. It is the moment to play and have fun. Creative moments are my favorite!
Your studio is so beautiful! Can you tell us more about it and how it helps you create?
We live out of town, in rural zone. I love this place, here I stay in touch with nature all the time. When I go for a walk, I find leaves, seeds and branches which I use in my work.
My studio is a quiet place with big window and a big tree outside. Here I can be alone and concentrate and focus on my materials and designs.
In the future I'd like to have a small kiln to fire porcelain and clay and to experiment with ceramic glazes.
Tell us more on these special boxes where you store your creations?
When I began to advertise my shop locally people wanted to see my work and I understood I need to create some showcase that I can take with me everywhere. I bought a round wooden box for Ohh..! Collection. I painted it in white color and I made a pink cushion. And I put Blue Line Collection and Colorful Collections in two wooden boxes with window. I think they are great inventions. By this way, my jewelries are protected from the dust and always ready to be shown.
Customers see beautiful photos on my web page and in my Etsy shop, and I think it's important to try to give the same perception in real life. I cannot bring my work in a plastic bag or something like that, I want to give a nice presentation so that the customer will decide to buy it. Finally, packaging is very important as well. People like to see that you care about your product. All items in my store come in a gift box. I paint and scrapbook all the gift boxes. I have a lot of fun making tags! I love to invent packaging for my jewelries. It is where I can be creative as well.
Can you share with us your creative process, where you get your inspiration, how do you decide which material to use, etc.
My favourite materials are clay, cold porcelain (a kind of airdry polymer clay), sterling silver, copper, and unusual materials like sand, seeds, and leaves. My designs are inspired mostly in the Nature and my work is always directly influenced by my personal experiences and immediate environment. Elements like sand, stones, shells, seeds, herbs and leafs are used for impressions and incrustations. I'm in constant experiment with materials and I try to use ecological materials and to be eco-friendly with my actions in general.
I don't make mass production, I make small collections and all the procedures are totally handcrafted. My favourite moment is modeling, when my fingers are in work, when I give form to future jewels, I love this moments - when my pieces are born. It is very exciting. Than, painting is a magical moment as well. I never know how exactly the painting will finish. I have a lot of fun giving colors to my creations. It is when I begin to see my jewels finished.
Finally, I decide what metal I'll use - copper or sterling silver.
Normally I don't do copies, I like to do something different everytime, something new. Customers buy the item they see on the picture.
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This concludes our special field trip! I hope you had a good time! Before you go, I have to tell you how you can continue to connect with Anastasia. Best place to start is through her blog which has updates from her shop, life and everything else she wants to share with her fans! I absolutely love the beautiful pictures she posts on her blog.
http://laccentnou.blogspot.com/
She also has a twitter account you can follow, a facebook page you can “like”. And a Flickr account!
Facebook: http://ca-es.facebook.com/people/LAccent-Nou/100000549612723
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Accentnou
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/laccentnou/