Remember this post about trying a new technique and how I was inspired by an artist called Lauren? Well, of course I couldn't hold back and had to ask her if she would like to do an interview with me and she said yes! Grab yourself a drink and a chair and be prepared to enjoy.
Good to have you here, Lauren!
Tell us a little about who you are and where you come from.
I
am a young mother of two little boys (ages 4 years and 18 months). My
husband, Scott, and I have been married for 5 years, and we live in our
little home in Southern Utah. He works as a Systems Specialist and
Programmer, and I stay home to care for our children. The little ones
take up most of my time, but I spend what little free time I have
working on my micro business.
I'm a fairly quiet person who enjoys the simpler things in life. I'm
happiest at home with my family, even when they drive me absolutely
crazy. I love sci fi and fantasy novels and movies.
What's your craft and how did you get to do it in the first place?
My
craft is French Beading, which is a very old art that is believed to
have originated in the 1500's. Basically, you string tiny seed beads
onto wire and wrap it using various techniques to make petals and leaves
which are then assembled to create some truly unique flowers. I
stumbled across pictures of french beaded flowers while I was searching
for new bead weaving techniques, and I had to learn how to make them. My
hobby turned into a business about a year ago. In the beginning I made
mostly just hair accessories, but I've recently been branching out into
jewelry and home decor. I love the challenge of designing a new pattern,
which is one of the reasons I enjoy custom orders. There's something so
fundamentally thrilling about using your own two hands to create the
things you've been imagining or researching.
I think this is one of the most asked questions – where does your inspiration come from?
Since
most of my designs end up being some sort of foliage, I'd have to say
that Nature is probably my largest source of inspiration, though I often
incorporate my own little flair.
Do you do other crafts, if yes, what?
My
first love was gourd crafting. For those unfamiliar, hard shell gourds
are grown in your garden, but if you let them dry out over the winter,
they turn into a wood-like substance that can be carved, burned, or
painted just like regular wood. I am still pretty new to the craft, and
am by no means a master, but I hope to get there someday. Unfortunately,
since I've had children I haven't been able to work on them as much as
they are still very young and require constant supervision. Power tools,
sawdust and curious little boys don't mix very well. I do have some fun
ideas for mixing my beaded flowers and gourds that I hope I get to work
on sometime soon.
I read there is a difference between French beading and Victorian
beading. Have you tried Victorian beading, too? If you have, can you
tell us a bit about your experience with the two techniques?
Most people don't realize that French Beading and Victorian Beading are two
different methods. Both involve tiny beads and wire, but the difference
is in how they are put together. French beading requires you to wrap
beaded wire around a central row, so you build your rows outward. With
Victorian beading you are using two ends of the same wire and passing
them through opposite ends of a row of beads and crossing them, and you
build your rows stacked on top of each other. I have tried Victorian
beading, and while it is easier, I personally prefer the French method
as I like the finished look of the petals much better.
Which one of your pieces is your absolute favorite? Which one was the hardest to make and why?
My
favorite piece, and my hardest one are one in the same. I have recently
completed my largest beaded flower project and I am so very thrilled
with it. It is a wall hanging featuring a trio of Calla Lilies, with the
accompanying foliage, mounted on a frame wrapped in beads and accented
with a large amount of wire worked scrolls. Over all, it took five weeks
- 90 working hours - to finish, with a great deal of trial and error,
blood, sweat, and tears going into its completion. I'm so very proud of
it and I have many more ideas for other wall hangings I can make!
If you could choose one supply, no matter how expensive, what would it be?
I've been dying to make French beaded flowers completely out of
Swarovski Crystals instead of seed beads. But I'd need thousands of
them... which would be very expensive indeed! It's on my to-do list!
Do you sell online, if yes, where can we find you?
I do sell online!
Is there anything you would like to share with us?
This year I've taken on an endeavor to build my flower repertoire and
give myself a fun challenge. So I've started a Flower of the Month
Challenge where I take a certain flower and build most of my new designs
around that flower. If you'd like to follow along with me, you can
visit my website/blog.
Thank you, Lauren, that was really informative and fun to read. I'm already looking forward to seeing more from you!
