HADASITY

FEATURE ARTIST

HADASSAH LAU

of

"HADASITY"

I feel very honoured and excitably happy to

be able to feature and profile a very successful

wire artist who has managed to make quite a

name for herself in the fashion world, with her

very unique, eclectic mix of vintage-

contemporary jewellery designs of

beautiful tangled gold wires and colourful

exotic baubles!

HADASSAH LAU is a Singaporean jewellery

designer, who from humble beginnings is
building a large following of admirers for
her vibrant jewellery and accessories.

Read on ... for The WireWorkers Guild 

recent exclusive interview with the very 

talented Hadassah ...

WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND?

I don't have any education or training in Jewellery
at all actually!  I have studied Mass Communications
and went into the finance industry for 3 years after,
so it's really divine that I am doing what I'm doing
now.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?

Extremely expressive, fun, sometimes impulsive
(although, I'm trying to let some things go through
my head first and not just through my heart!),
compassionate and real.

DID YOU ALWAYS ASPIRE TO BE A JEWELLERY

DESIGNER?

Not at all!  I had always thought of being either a Jazz
Pianist, fashion designer, interior designer, make-up
artist, or a hairstylist.  However, being a jewellery
designer actually means I get to be all of the above
right now, as I can play the piano and write songs in
my own time, sew clothes and when I'm not making
jewellery, I can design my home, plus do the hair and
make-up for the jewellery shoots, etc... so, it's all a
dream come true!

DO YOU HAVE A FORMAL JEWELLERY TRAINING

OR ARE YOU SELF-TAUGHT?

I'm entirely self-taught.  I never even watched a YouTube
tutorial before I started!  When I was 15 or so, I had a bunch
of wire from my uncle that he found somewhere and I
started twisting it into anything imaginable, with whatever
I had to hand.  In those days, I used odds and ends like
buttons and tiny seed beads and made rings for myself or
key-chains and tiny earrings for friends.  Although I must
admit there was a girl in my class during the exam breaks
that sparked my interest in jewellery when I saw her
making earrings and I said to myself, that looks like fun!

WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO LAUNCH 'HADASITY'?

I was spending way too much on materials and making too
much jewellery for any one person to wear, so I figured I had
to start selling my pieces to sustain my material buying
addictions.  Also, at the time, I had decided to leave my job
as a Financial adviser and pursue my creative side and so I
started an Etsy store. All the names like "RingsAndThings"
and other cute jewellery names were already taken and I was
trying to think of a special name for my jewellery line ...
and then I thought, what better than to play it off my own
name - HADASSAH and call my business: HADASITY.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGNS AND

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

They are beautifully random, perfectly symmetrical and
downright colourful!  I think those three lines say it all.
I get inspired by colours, people and life in general!

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR CORE

CUSTOMER BASE?

People that like to be happy and love unique things.
My regular customers are always those that become
friends, because it's relationships in life that last.

HOW DO YOU PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS?  DO YOU

RUN ANY SPECIAL EVENTS TO ATTRACT NEW

CUSTOMERS?

To date, I haven't sent out any press releases and have only
done a handful of events.  I feel that the best way to promote
your business is to give your best in what you do, be sincere
and appreciative of your customers and always stop for
the one.  Even if the customer only spends a little initially,
if you still honour and appreciate that person regardless of
how much they spend, they will come back.  The best
promotion is 'word of mouth'.  That is why I now use
FACEBOOK and my BLOG because when people
'Like' things they will 'Share' things and tell their friends
to buy something, which is a hundred times better than
any advertorial in any magazine!

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT SINCE

YOUR SUCCESS?

I wouldn't even consider myself as having achieved any real
'success' in the way the world views it.  'Success', to me, would
be changing lives and making a difference to the people you
reach out to.  When I know that my customers and friends
feel special and loved and when they wear my pieces, or
appreciated by their friends when they've gifted them Hadasity
designs - that is always my proudest moment.

HOW DO YOU VIEW THE CURRENT STATE OF THE

FASHION RETAIL MARKET?  TELL US A LITTLE

ABOUT YOUR LATEST COLLECTION?

I feel that now more than ever, people are starting to value
unique handcrafted work because affordable mass-produced
items are so easily available everywhere.  People are
looking for ways to stand out from the crowd and are
also more financially able to appreciate the arts.  Also, there
are thousands of choices out there for consumers, so what
makes you different from the rest?  It's not so much about
the design, but it's the relationship they have with the
designer, or the affinity they have with your brand.

HAVE YOU ANY ADVICE TO PASS ON TO OTHERS?

Ask yourself what your strengths are, learn from others, but
don't ever copy!  Be original and sincere in everything you
do.  Learn from your mistakes because we all make them
everyday, but your test only serves to be your testimony and
your mess will one day be your message.  And talk to God,
because his love is infectious.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE ASPIRATIONS?

First of all, I am looking forward to becoming a loving mother
and everything else will have to revolve around that.  I am
thinking of starting a social enterprise lifestyle line - designing
cushion covers and getting them sewn by sex-trade victims in
Cambodia - but I will be working on that sometime next year.
I do want to spend more time painting and working on my
music as well, so I have a lot on my hands already!  Life is a
journey and I'm excited to be on it!

*******************************************************

For more information about Hadassah's stunning work, 

see her website: HADASITY.

SPIRAL FOUNTAIN

FEATURE on ...

SPIRAL

FOUNTAIN

JEWELLERY

....................................

On an internet browsing mission, 
I happen to stumble upon the wonderful 
wirey creations of Nicky Kennish
from Spiral Fountain Jewellery.
Her work is packed with originality and 
character, especially her animal and
bird creations!

Sit back, enjoy and be inspired 
when you read on and see some of 
the stunning pieces she has created! 

Unicorn
Pendant
in Silver
with 
Crytals

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?

I'm a married Mum with two children, living in the lovely rural
countryside of Cumbria (United Kingdom).  I didn't always have
such a settled lifestyle though!  I was originally born in
Warwickshire, but left home to go to University in Wales.
I qualified as a doctor and then joined the RAF for 7 years and
got to travel to places such as Germany and the Falkland Islands.
Those were exciting years, but not very compatible with family
life and so I pretty much gave it all up to have a family, although,
I did return to working part time as a doctor.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO SET UP SPIRAL FOUNTAIN 

JEWELLERY?

The jewellery making started a few years ago after seeing the book
'Bead & Wire Art Jewelry' by J. Marsha Michler.  I was totally
hooked after reading it!  The inspiration to actually start selling
and to set up Spiral Fountain Jewellery occurred after, combined
with a middle aged crisis, I decided to enter a jewellery competition
at a local Agricultural Show.  To my astonishment, I actually won
first place!  That's when I finally began to wonder, what if I could
sell this?  There's a bit more detail about this on my BLOGSPOT.
My shop name derives simply from the fact that I love spirals
and create oodles of them in my work!

DO YOU HAVE ANY FORMAL TRAINING?

No, I do not have any formal training at all.  Everything I do
has been learnt from various books (including two of Linda's!)
and watching 'how to' videos on the internet.  There's such an
enormous amount of advice out there, which doesn't have to
cost the earth.  However, I think I would like to try a course
one day, when I'm ready to expand my expertise - just waiting
for the time when the kids will let me away!!

WHAT INSPIRES YOUR DESIGNS?

Most of my inspiration comes from the magical nature of Cumbria 

where I live. Whether it's birds and bunnies in the garden or 

magnificent mountains and lakes, or the seaside.  It's all here,

inspiring me, anytime I head outside.  I also love history,

especially Egyptian, Anglo Saxon and medieval times, which I

think are where my love of chainmail stems from and inspires 

pieces like the 'Eye of Horus' (see below).

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE TECHNIQUE AND WHY?

It is hard to choose one, as I love it all!  Pushed to make a 

decision though, I think I would say it is weaving with wire,

as this has enabled me to 'draw' anything I want to, whether

it's a set of bagpipes, or a humming bird.

DO YOU TEACH YOUR CRAFT?

No, I don't teach as I'm not self-confident enough to do that yet.

Maybe one day, when it's no longer worth me trying to hide

those grey hairs!

HOW DO YOU PROMOTE AND SELL YOUR WORK?

I first sold my work in a local gallery, Lowes Court Gallery, who

are a local charity run gallery that promotes local Cumbrian

artists.  They were very helpful in supporting me to make that

first step.  Once I had gained confidence that my jewellery

did actually sell, I approached another gallery and started doing

some local craft/agricultural shows and then started selling on

FOLKSY as my first online selling site.  This then led me to

starting up my own WEBSITE and also selling on 

WOWTHANKYOU.  

Promotion really is needed though to make this work.

Family and friends can be great at spreading the word about

you (with business cards at the ready) and online sites such as

FACEBOOK, Twitter, creative connections, craft juice and

having your own BLOGSPOT (free with blogger.com) has been

invaluable!  I'm not a natural business woman, busy searching

for mass sales, but I've had to accept that this is what you have

to do to make a few sales!

********************************

Thank you Nicky, from SPIRAL FOUNTAIN JEWELLERY! 

Keep creating your wonderful pieces and I hope this will provide 

you with extra confidence to believe that YOU have an immense 

amount of talent to be an even more successful wire artist and

achieve your wildest creative dreams!

BASKET CASE

BASKET CASE! ...
Yup!  That's me!

I've been experimenting with wire weaving for a
while and thought I would pass on a little basket
case tutorial, or 'cage' - for you to have a 'play' with!
It all started a couple of year's ago when I was creating
wire icycle decorations for a Christmas project, that
I realised I could fold up the wires from my frame to
encase a stone or bead to create basket cage pendants!

Woven wire jewellery has been around for a while
and they are some amazingly talented artists using
this technique in a very sculptural and contemporary
way.  One of my current favourites is KATHY FREY
from California, who incidentally has a book out,
called: ELEGANT WIRE JEWELRY.
Her pieces are just WOW!  Take a look at the images below:

 

 

I also love the work of jewellery and accessory designer,  

INES SCHWOTZER (from Germany). See below: ...

Have I wet your wire appetite yet??!

If so, step down a few more rungs of the wire ladder and have a go at 

making a simple basket cage for a stone.  You will need: 0.8mm and 

0.4mm wire, a tumbled stone (mine was about 1" (2.5cm) in height and 

approx. 1/2" (1.5cm) in width).  For tools, you need your usual buddies:  

Round, flat and chain nosed pliers and wire cutters, hammer & steel stake.

1.  Begin by cutting 2 x 5" (12.5cm) lengths of 0.8mm wire (or, at
least 5 times the length of the stone you're about to encase).  Also,
cut at least 12" (31cm) of 0.4mm wire and begin by binding it to
the centre of one of your 0.8mm lengths.

2.  Place the centre of the second 0.8mm wire across the first
(in a 'cross' shape) and use the fine binding wire to secure the
two pieces together.

3.  Weave the fine binding wire (up and under) the crossed wires
until you've used it all up and formed a central woven area, or base
to your cage.

4.  Place your chosen stone onto the woven area and bend the 4 projecting
wires up vertically around the side of the stone.

5.  Bring the 4 projecting wires together at the top of the stone and bind
to secure as one, using a short length (say, 3" - 7.5cm) of 0.4mm wire.
Cut off any excess binding wire and neaten the ends.

6.  Cut another, much longer length of 0.4mm wire ... approx. 18" ...
and starting at the centre of the wire AND around the centre of one of
the vertical wires of the cage, begin weaving the wire around the perimeter
of the stone, securing around each vertical wire as you go.
(*I start at the centre of the wire and frame and weave half the wire
downwards and the other half up the frame and that way I don't have to
work with an extremely long and awkward length of wire!)

7.  Once you've used up half the wire, wrapping the base part of the frame,
continue with the rest of the wire and work your way up to the top binding.

8.  Secure the end of the fine wire around the previous top binding and cut
off any excess and neaten the end.

9.  Spread your 4 x 0.8mm projecting wires out at the top and choose
one (the longest to be your link, 2 to be your decorative 'tendrils' and the
other (as above) can be wrapped tightly around the 0.4mm binding.

10.  After binding it around the top, curl any extending wire into a
small spiral and flatten at the top of the cage, hiding the binding wires
underneath.

11.  Hammer and flatten the 2 side projecting wires on a steel block,
leaving the central wire untouched ... this will eventually be your central
hanging link.

12.  Use the tips of your round nosed pliers to curl 'tendrils' (or, wire
ribbons) with the flattened wires on each side.  Make sure the cut ends
are pushed in and are not sharp, otherwise, they will catch on your clothes
when worn!

13.  Use your round nosed pliers to curl a link with the central and last
projecting wire. If, like me, you have enough wire to make a double link,
open it up at the top to separate, creating a double top suspension link.

14.  Et voila!  I've used the tips of my round nosed pliers to twist
(and tweak) the woven wires around the stone to create a little more
interest and movement ... but that's your choice!  All that's left to do
now is suspend it from a cord or chain!

************************************************************************************

EXPERIMENT AND PLAY WITH THIS IDEA! 

It's a great locket pendant 

for suspending, memento's, tumbled stones, etc...   

Below are a few more variations that I created using this technique:

... I'm just going to crawl back into my cage and create some more variations ...