Introducing... Sma bla!

1. DaWanda Shop Name: små blå – Swedish design
2. DaWanda Shop URL: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/smabla
3. When did you open your shop? Member since 30th Nov 2007
4. Are you in the DaWanda Shop Directory here? Just added my link – if you’ll have me!

5. What Category are you under? Jewellery
6. What do you sell? Jewellery made from sterling silver and semi-precious gemstones. I mainly work with wire wrapping in Eni Oken-style and cold forging of silver. When I need a break from that I do some beading.
7. Describe 2 of your current products.

a) I love bracelets, but as I spend my days at a computer they are just not practical to wear. They just keep getting in the way. So I wanted to make a bracelet full of lovely stones, but yet so "flat" on the backside that it wouldn’t get in my way while working. And after much trial and error I finally figured out how I should make the perfect combination of band and clasp. And I am very pleased with how it turned out.

I started with wrapping a handcrafted frame with very thin wire and bound 10 nuggets of lovely turquoise within it. In heavier gauge silver I cold forged the combined band and clasp and attached it to the frame. And then, just to add some patina, I oxidised the bracelet.

b) I really don’t consider myself to be a romantic person - but still - I keep on making very romantic stuff like this Sweet Heart necklace. Must be a hidden personality!

Anyway – this is a very sweet piece of jewellery. The heart is handcrafted in sterling silver wire that I first gently hammered and then wrapped in thinnest silver wire. I coiled up the two ends and between them I strung one gorgeous little garnet faceted briolette (6x6mm). The chain consists of 3mm garnet rounds that I strung together with fine silver wire and of a very fine and almost sparkly silver chain. All metal is oxidised sterling silver.

This piece is – due to the thin wire used in the chain – somewhat delicate and I would recommend wearing it for quiet dinner with your loved one but that you do take it off before doing anything physical. Like mountain climbing, scuba diving and such…;-)

8. Tell me a bit about you...

I think I’ve been doing craft my whole life. Skipping from one craft to the other – all very fun a whole five minutes - and then by chance found jewellery making. Who thought you could make your own lovely little pieces with just some supplies and basic tools?

But then again – I’m one of those people that always say: I can do that – easy!! (A tonne of unfinished/unsuccessful projects hidden in my wardrobe will give you an idea.) So when my husband and I were invited to a rather posh shindig and I couldn’t find just THAT ring I was looking for – what did I do? Yep, I did one myself – easy. Well, I could make it, but it wasn’t so easy at first. It took some time to figure it all out, but all these little beads and pliers and thingys just captured me.

Now I’m addicted and don’t think I ever will stop. There is so much to learn - so many techniques and so many beautiful beads and stones. But there’s also a whole world of other craft out there just begging and luring me with promises of grandeur. Knitting, crocheting, paperwork ….. the list goes on and on and…

I live in the south of Sweden with husband, daughter, two furry cats and a big house, that apparently didn’t come with a house keeper (who knew?) and as I also have a day job, my days are pretty full. My hubby – who doesn’t share the same level of enthusiasm for craft as I do - says I’ve used up all my hobby-points for a lifetime.

I tell him I’m a cat with 9 lives.

And I’ve only used one!

Oh, and do you wonder about the name, små blå? It means something like – small blue or tiny blue. As in tiny blue beads…

9. Do you have a website, or blog?

I have a Swedish site http://www.smabla.se/ but that one is sorely neglected. I keep it mainly because I don’t want to let go of the domain name. I also have shop on Etsy http://www.smabla.etsy.com/.