Name: Meltem Semizoglu
Website Link: www.meltemsem.etsy.com
Where are you located? Istanbul, Turkey
Tell us a bit about yourself: After 18 years of being a lawyer I have started beading as a hobby 5 years ago and I have been trained as a traditional jeweler for the last 3 years. Right now I continue my works with silver, gold and semi precious stones. I live in Istanbul with my husband, son and my cat.
When and why did you begin creating your jewelry/art? I have been interested in crafting since my childhood because my mom used to be an artist also. I have started beading as a hobby 5 years ago. I have found the escape from the stress of being a lawyer with the colorful beads. After studying with beads for about 2 years, I have realized that it wasn’t enough for me to work with ready made materials. So I started to design my own works and learned to do metal work.
What do you make? Necklace, bracelet, ring, earrings, brooch are what I have been producing right now. I also want make hairclips, barrettes and bangles out of silver and gold.
What materials and methods do you use? Silver and gold plate, wires, semi precious stones, freshwater pearls
Where do your design inspirations come from? I am inspired from nature and environment. I also impress that I read a book, watch a movie.
What is your best working environment/where is your studio? My studio is where my old office used to be. But inspiration might come anywhere that’s why I have my sketch book with me all the time. I sketch anything that comes up to my mind.
Where can your products be seen? Etsy, Artfire, Blog, Ecrater
Who are you a fan of? Women from any age group who is elegant, stylish , has modern and classic style.
Tell us a little about one of your favorite creations: My rose collection. It’s because it’s my favorite flower and I was impressed by a quote of the great Anatolian philosopher, mystic poet Mevlana “You consist of thought. The rest remaining is the flesh and bone. You become rose garden if you think of rose, you become thorn patch if you think of thorn”
Anything else you wish to add: I keep doing and learning this job I started 4 years ago with passion. When I was create a jewelry silver or gold, stones and tools accompany me on this exciting journey. I believe that this good spirit and energy is also recorded and stored in the jewelry and in its stone. You may feel this positive energy while having the jewelry on you. I believe that jewelry is a way to complete the dress and express a woman ideas. I hope you enjoy to wear my jewelry.
Tell us a bit about yourself: I am a full time glass bead designer living in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I live with my very supportive boyfriend, 3 dogs and my rather pugnacious cat!
Bead and Button Show June 4-7
Tell us a bit about yourself: I work as a bead artist from my home studio in Manhattan which is a treasure trove of beautiful beads to inspire me. I am married and have two children and four grandchildren
Where do your design inspirations come from? Everywhere I look
Tell us a bit about yourself: I was born in Pasadena, California where I lived in the same house for 18 years until my family moved to the San Francisco bay area. For as long as I remember I have had very busy hands. As a kid I used to draw so much my mother would go to the local newspaper and get the ends of the rolls of newsprint so I could have drawing paper. There was always some sort of craft project I was involved in. I would draw and paint for hours, disappear in my dad’s workshop to make candles, wire mobiles, resin flowers and too many things to even remember. I could totally entertain myself with projects and my parents were very patient! I have traveled all over the west and have lived in several interesting environments. I made a life change when I turned 30 and abandoned the world of food service, moved to the mountains and became a certified cross country ski instructor in the winter and a bicycle mechanic in the summer. I opened my own card, gift and bookstore in the ski resort village of Bear Valley, California which I operated for 10 years until I closed it and moved to Mountain Ranch. When I am not beading I work full time at our retail nursery and volunteer a day a week as a dog evaluator at our county animal shelter. I guess it would be more accurate to say when I am not working or volunteering I find the time to bead!
What is your best working environment/where is your studio? I have a small spot cleared out on a make-shift desk comprised of an old door set on two file cabinets in the home office for our business. I clear out a space among the stacks of paper work and bills. All my beads are stored in two large tackle boxes, which are stacked by the door in the bedroom. Since our house is only 800 square feet my beading can’t take up too much room. When I create a piece I select all the beads I will need and put everything else away. All the items I use can be neatly set aside so my work space can become a desk once again. I would love to have a studio or even my very own work table! I usually work with total silence, sometimes I’ll listen to music.
Tell us a bit about yourself: I was born in Moscow to a sculptor father and a scientist mother. I never fancied drawing and painting, but liked sculpting and gravitated to miniatures even in my early childhood. I was born left-handed and my grandmother taught me all kinds of feminine handcrafts like knitting, crocheting and embroidery in an effort to put right this “unnaturalness.” I didn’t become right-handed but now can effectively use both hands which is very helpful in my current line of art. I studied mathematics and computer science in high school and Moscow University but never finished the university. I married very young and devoted 12 years to bring up my 5 children. During the next 8 years I helped my husband in his business and only in the end of 2004 decided to go on and make my hobby a full time occupation. We moved to Israel in 1988 and now I live and work in the beautiful town of Maale Adumim near Jerusalem.
When did you begin designing jewelry/art? My first seed beads came from a broken Czech necklace. The beads were black and white and I made an ornamental bracelet with wire. I was 7 at that time. It is hard to imagine this now but there were no beading books in 1970 in Moscow, so I invented different methods of beadwork myself. I use these methods to this day. It turns out many of these stitches well-known and have a name. In much later years, I discovered internet shops with all the different materials and incorporated natural stones and pearls in my beadwork.
What do you make? I make jewelry. All kinds, but the most satisfaction I get is from creating necklaces.
Tell us a bit about yourself: I am retired after having worked at the corporate offices of Estee Lauder for 22 years. I am single and live in a small apartment overrun with beads, clothing and shoes.
Where do your design inspirations come from? My inspiration might come from a picture, clothing or something colorful and then I try to interpret that into a beaded piece of
