Objects of Desire

I'm not so secretly in love with jewelry artists that do beautiful metalwork, as I dabble in silversmithing myself and fantasize about having a full metal studio someday. For now I get my fix from visiting artists like Etsy's Kalicat, the shop of Londoner Catherine Marche. She creates lovely "jewellery" and self-described Objects of Desire. Catherine was nice enough to chat with me, and had this to say about her art and craft:

How did you get into your craft?

Once upon a time, I used to make my own little jewels and also some to give away as gifts. A few friends noticed and started to commission pieces for weddings, hen parties, an a shop owner asked me to place some of them in her shop.... They SOLD. A few years later, I was thinking of reconverting from IT to a more creative job, in addition to painting and illustrations (see http://www.catherinemarche.com). I got some training and Voila. What is fascinating about jewellery is that the area is so vast, I feel I can learn and create new things for a very long time.

What inspires you?

Fashion, people, colors, "poesie", travelling around the world, art, the sun...

What challenges you in your art?

Creating from a brief. I love when someone comes to me and says "I am looking for something special...." and they usually do not even know how to express it. I really enjoy playing with discerning their personality and what makes they tock, to then come up with a design they will love.

How long have you had your shop?

January 2007

Do you consider your shop a job or a hobby?

I would say that Etsy is a little window of international opportunities.

Do you have any advice for fellow Etsy shop owners?

Promote, network and be yourself.

And lastly, what is your favorite fun fact about yourself?

I own (and wear) a blue wig :) Another one is that my legs are too long for my trousers. Thank you for the interview and the feature.

I offer your readers 20% off my shop until 01.01.2008, using code Headley20

So there you have it, a hidden bonus for reading through this post! You can find out more about this artist so that you, too, can be more "stunning, chic and elegant" by visiting her blog or her MySpace.