Interview with Victoria of LavenderField

What is your craft / art / creative endeavor?

I create wearable art in the form of jewelry made with crochet loops, ovals, teardrops, combined with semi precious stones, beads, findings, chains and ribbons, and even handmade clay beads that I make myself.

How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?

I have always enjoyed creating. When I was a kid I remember the whole family would sit together and watch tv after dinner, but I would just go to my room and either create necklaces with beads or do some other craft. Then as an adult, life just happened and I got caught in the rat race, working in offices for over 20 years, until I felt that I just couldn’t take it anymore. When the artist nature is inside you working in an office kills your creativity, and your frustration starts to grow and build up until one day you either go crazy or quit and follow your heart. So, I quit. Getting to where I am now has been a sort of natural process, like this is what I’m meant to be doing in life, no matter where in the world I live. You can read a bit more about how I started with my crochet jewelry right here: Crochet Bubble.

Is there a story behind the name of your shop?

Sure. Well basically I LOVE the smell and the color of lavender (and flowers in general, for that matter), and one thing I would love to be able to do one day is visit a lavender field (like the ones you see on pictures of France, you know?)

Do you work alone? With a team? Do you engage your family or friends in the work? What is your process? How do you ensure you get your work done yet still have a life?

I work alone…. My whole team is composed of me, myself and I ! From the envisioning of a piece, to the creation of it, to taking pictures of the final product (and editing them), and finally posting the listing to my online shop, and then of course making the matching pouches, packing, and sending the orders out! It’s a lot of work! Whenever I’m running a bit short on inspiration I sit and crochet loops, ovals, etc in different colors….. whatever color mood I’m in, and when I have a bunch I’ll then sit and start creating and assembling my necklaces. The pieces sort of fall into place all by themselves. Then I’ll go ahead and add either beads or gemstones or whatever I feel fits into the specific designed cluster.

Where do you sell your work? Which venues are your favorites? Do you prefer selling online or in person? Do you attend shows or fairs? Is your work in a gallery or brick-and-mortar store?

I have an online shop called LavenderField where I sell my creations. I also sell to friends, family and acquaintances. I don’t have a selling preference. Of course it’s a lot easier selling in person to people I know because I don’t have to pack the goods and go to the post office to send them off. But I also love my online customers because that means that they like my work so much that they are willing to purchase something just by looking at the pictures I take! That, to me is one of the biggest compliments I can get, and of course I do my best to pack things as carefully and beautifully as possible in order to avoid damages and make a good impression with my valuable customers! I want my customers to know that I put great effort into my work, from beginning to end.

I don’t attend fairs or shows simply because unfortunately there aren’t any in my area (grrrr)!!!

Do you have any favorite handmade shops or sellers?

I have a lot of favorites, but to mention a few:
-I love Lila Ruby King‘s neat designs
-The simplicity in Tinctory‘s “intricate” designs and colors captivate me!
-I have purchased quite a few gemstones from Norah62 so I’ll mention her as well, because she has great quality gemstones.

What inspires and motivates you?

I’d say my biggest inspiration is colors. I can’t imagine life without colors! I grew up in an incredibly colorful city: Mexico City, so I think that definitely had a huge influence in my taste today and my creations.

Thank you Victoria! (See even more of her work from her feature a few months ago.) And if you would like to be interviewed next, just go over to DIY Interview.