DBM: How did you get started in beading?
ED: I don’t really remember the first time I touched beads.
My family always have been crafty. My Dad can build/fix/
constuct almost anything. And my mum always had some
kind of needlework around – back then women here could
stay on maternity leave for three years, so she needed a
relaxing hobby after taking care of three girls all day. She
taught me (mostly because I insisted to “help” her) these
techniques very early - embroidery, knitting, crochet,
macrame, cross-stitch, sewing. I was only six or eight years
old when she taught me how to use the sewing machine.
It was in 1992 when I turned toward making jewellery. There
was a fair in our village, and there was a lady selling beautiful
wire jewellery with semi-precious stones. It was really hard
to choose only one pair of earrings, but our “pocket money”
was enough only for that. But, when I showed the earrings
to my parents, my Dad gave me a pile of copper wire, some
pliers, a hammer and a vice with anvil. He showed me how
to shape and hammer the wire and how to make nice loops. I
just needed to find some sparkly stuff to add to them. So the
“raid my mum’s drawer” started again.
I think I had spent all that summer in the garage hammering.
After a while it became a bit boring. So, I started to explore
other materials and techniques - anything I could find on my
own. I made jewellery out of everything.
When I started to attend university I could spend only a
very little time at home, so I couldn’t make wire jewellery
too often. I had to find other materials that wouldn’t need
many tools and space and that wouldn’t make a big mess in
our small room in the dorm. So, slowly the beads took over
all other materials. Yup, back then I was so naive I thought
beads won’t need much space. Ha!
I’m a self-taught beader. Here there weren’t any beading
books (still no magazines) except for some with native
jewellery, which I never found interesting. So, my only
source of knowledge in the first few years was my mind and
constant experimenting. Then, finally I had internet and my
husband brought a few magazines from Japan – I think you
can see in my beadwork that influence. I love dimensional
pieces.
DBM: How has your beadwork changed over the years?
ED: I think I was very shy in the beginning - with shapes,
and colours too. Thinking about it – that hasn’t changed too
much. But now I know the materials better. I know what I
am good with, what I like and what I don’t like.
DBM: How would you describe your beading style?
ED: Do I have one? I think I’m still haven’t found it. I very
quickly get bored (oh yes, Gemini from head to toe). So, I’m
always looking for new things in beading too. But, if you
want to label my style, you can say it is symmetrically hectic.
Asymmetry kills me!