FEATURED FOLKSY SELLER - PUTTING ON THE CHARMS !!!

Welcome Putting on the Charms!  Please tell us about yourself...

1. Tell us about yourself:  My name is Marie, I am 46 years old and I live in Portsmouth, where I am a librarian (part-time) at the University. I am married to Jules and have one daughter, Holly, who is eleven, going on twenty-one. We also have a mad yellow labrador called Majic, three guinea pigs and a hamster...

2. What's the first thing you grab in the morning?  The first thing I grab is my slippers. We have a very cold stone floor in the kitchen and I hate cold toes. The second (and equally important) thing that I grab is the kettle - I am a monster until I've got two cups of tea inside me.

3. What's better - Plain or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate - especially Flakes and Ripples - but ALL chocolate is good.

4. How did you discover you had artistic tendencies?  I've always been vaguely "arty." My art teacher phoned my mum in tears when I decided not to go to art college. I didn't think I was good enough, but this was all years ago. I usually channel my creativity into writing - I have had several short stories published in Bella, and have been working on a novel for longer that I care to remember... It was when I became disillusioned with the novel that my husband bought me a jewellery making kit for my birthday, and pretty soon I was hooked.

5. Where do you find your inspiration?  I find inspiration in everything, really - but I guess nature is a predominant theme, especially in my charm bracelets.  

Take this opportunity to look at  Marie's beautiful Mermaid, Seahorse and Starfish Charm Bracelet .....

6. Do you have any role models/inspiration in the area of design? If so, who and why?  I don't have any role models as such - I've got eclectic tastes and like what I like.

7. How did you come up with the ideas for your lovely Folksy shop?  The charm bracelets started it all, and they began as a simple (experimental) bracelet that I made for myself. Soon my family and friends were asking for bracelets, and then friends of friends. I think that this is what gave me the confidence to open my shop in Oct this year, and I have already sold seven charm bracelets on Folksy, so I guess someone likes them!!

8. What are your future plans for your work?  My very immediate work plans are the Victorian Festival of Christmas - a big three day event in Portsmouth, next weekend!! I have to dress up as a Victorian and look like Mrs Tiggiwinkle - but I'm hoping that I won't scare off potential customers... After the Festival I will be fulfilling Christmas orders for charm bracelets and then in the New Year I shall start to think about what to do next. I like polymer clay and steampunk and these are elements that may (or may not, if it all goes horribly wrong) feature in my work.

9. What's your favourite thing to do in the whole world and why?  Favourite time is "Pyjamas and Slippers" I started this tradition with my daughter Holly when Jules used to be in a band and was out gigging most weekends. On a Saturday we'd snuggle down in our pyjamas and slippers, get a big bar of chocolate and watch a film.

10. Can you share some of your favourite Folksy shop with us?  There are lots of fantastic shops of Folksy - I've got pages of favourites. I particularly like Rags to Roses. Katy makes beautiful flower corsages, Dab and a Dash has some lovely notebooks, NOfkants Curios is a lovely shop - she had some great knitted bags, Lou Lou's Luxuries has some beautiful jewellery, as does JAusten Jewellery - I've bought Christmas presents from both of these, MaxineVeronica Jewellery is beautiful ( fantastic colours) Diddy Bears are so cute, and I will be getting one for Holly, Elibee Gifts has some great clocks and Ali Bali makes the kind of jewellery I would like to make - if I were brave enough to try precious metal clay....

Marie's beautiful jewellery can be found at Folksy.

Check out Marie's Enchanted Garden Charm Bracelet