A few weeks ago I got the chance to meet an artist which I very much admire, Elaine Ho. She makes the most amazing jewelry and i've been eyeing her pieces for years! After seeing her at a local craft show, we chatted back and forth and she kindly agreed for an interview with Valentsine! I will also be hosting a giveaway for two lucky readers! Read on ♥
1. Basic info (Name, where you're from, etc)
I grew up in Calgary (18 years in the same house!!), took a couple of jewelry courses at ACAD when I was in high school... went to NYC for 4 years to study fashion design at Parsons, worked in nyc during & after I graduated, then I came to mtl on holiday with my expired student visa as well as crappy advice from an immigration lawyer, I was refused entry back into the US and ended up moving to Montreal because it was close to the border. And it kind of worked out because I love mtl.
2. When and why did you start making jewelry?I wasn't able to find any good jobs in the fashion industry here in mtl & started making & selling my own stuff under the label "roadkill"... mostly leather cuffs & wallets and purses. Leather appliqué accessories with weird sayings like: "I love bacon" or "I like dirty old men". I must have sold hundreds of "I love bacon" t-shirts!
Starting in about 2005, I took a few jewelry classes at the visual arts centre in westmount & started getting into making more jewelry... I had been making little assembled sterling silver & gold filled earrings with semi-precious stones, but now I could make the stuff I really wanted to wear!!! The first three pendants I produced were the deer pendant, the skull w/heart eyes & the dead rabbit.
3. Where do you find inspiration?I make everything for myself first and then hope that other people will want to wear it too. My current collection is "mineral friends". I used to go to the annual gem and mineral show in Calgary with my mom every single year, it was my favourite thing ever. Now I go to the one in mtl. I've always loved crystals & gems & minerals & so this collection is inspired by I guess rocks & make believe crystalline structures & geometric shapes.
4. Do you collect anything?I collect cats, i've set the limit to three because I think it's a fine line between loving cats, and being a crazy cat lady. I won't say what side of the line i'm on! I have a giant cat tattoo too! I collect vintage & antique baby doll heads and limbs, west german pottery, vintage chairs, mid century furniture & design objects, antique books & toy guns. I like anything old & unusual.
5. What other hobbies do you have?I love antiquing & thrifting!!! I'm a part time vintage seller, it's what I do for fun when I need a break from making jewelry. So I love to going to flea markets, thrift stores & church sales... I absolutely love just diving into a pile of dusty junk & the thrill of maybe finding a treasure and hopefully walking out of there without any bedbugs. I just found a vintage black silk valentino dress at a goodwills store for $5. I'm keeping that one for myself. I watch storage wars, american pickers & auction hunters religiously and then a few episodes of "hoarders" to keep myself in check.
6. What handmade possession do you most cherish?My grandfather made a lamp with part of an old telephone and some found parts. He etched rectangles into the metal base. He loves estate sales & flea markets too! That's probably where I get it from!!
7. Since we are both lovers of cats, How many cats do you have? Tell me about them!Pepito: I got him the day after I moved to Montreal. I didn't know anyone in the city. My first day here, I found myself an apartment on St-Denis street above the starbucks, went to winners to buy some sheets & then the next day I went to the spca to get myself a cat. He's really old. No one knows his age for sure, he was already a senior cat when I got him in 2004.
Poof: I got her at a pet store near my house. She had been there for a long time already, sitting in a cage, and since she wasn't really a kitten anymore, no one wanted her. She had a cold & had the typical drippy dirty himalayan cat eyes, wasn't looking too hot. She kept getting marked down and was 8 months old when I got her. I know it's really crappy to support pet stores that sell animals, but I felt it was also crappy to have a cat living in a cage for 8 months. I try not to buy from pet stores that sell cats & dogs anymore, but I don't regret getting Poof. She was a steal at $149.99.
Ponyo: She was a stray kitten living under our front porch. Her full name is Fraulein ponyo von mitten. She has extra thumbs. She's a fat indoor cat now, she doesn't like strangers or when you wear shoes indoors.
For the giveaway:
Elaine will be giving away 2 of her pieces to two lucky readers!
To win,
1. Follow my blog
2. Comment stating your name, email & the piece you prefer (earrings or necklace)
http://www.etsy.com/listing/80773318/crystal-bullet-studs
Winner will be announced Friday January 13th 2012!!
Good luck to all ♥
**GIVEWAY HAS ENDED** CONGRATS TO THE LUCKY WINNERS
