Blog posts of '2017' 'January'

This unique St. Valentine collection is a collaborative project of a mutually complementing husband and wife duo. They portray what love, admiration and reverence towards one's soul mate looks and feels like as seen through their eyes. 

I have a story to tell you about a retired psychologist who designs magical  wire wrapped and felt jewelry. Her name is Elizabeta Kostova and she revealed her inspiration during our little talk. 

A word or two about you Eliza - when did the love towards this kind of jewelry develop and did you first start working with wire or felt?

My beginning in jewelry design was not at all accidental- just something I would use to fill my free time with. With me, it was out of a great, strong love, a passion for art since I was a little child. I loved painting - especially aquarelle, which I moved to a next level - painting on silk. Then there was a period I made icons. About 7-8 years ago I discovered the wool as an extraordinary material that can be blended with silk and other natural fabric and transformed into wondrous and unpredictable creations.However, the processing of wool is quite laborious and I also paint the wool myself. 

Making felt brooches I needed pins for them and I tried making them out of copper wire. For me, the copper was another novelty and an extraordinary discovery and I am still exploring its possibilities. Especially its characteristic to change the color and get patinated. For several years, I have been simultaneously making copper wire and felt jewelry. My focus now is to combine felt jewelry that can be incorporated into a wire frame. 

Is the making  of copper jewelry difficult?
I have been making this kind of jewelry using copper wire taken mainly out of electric cables and copper plates. It takes time to shape the wire and combine it with semi-precious stones or crystals; afterwards it is patinated and protected from  atmospheric influences. It is a several phases process and I try hard to make the final result radiate beauty and be unrepeatable. 

Have you visited classes for metal / felt jewelry design?
No. My primary source of knowledge was and still is the internet. When it comes to the technical part, I also repeatedly consult other craftsmen and I try to learn and implement their suggestions.  

Where do you draw inspiration from? What kind of beads / stones do you like to use in your jewelry the most?

I love to research a lot and history of art is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. However, the greatest inspiration comes from the colors in nature, the colors of the rainbow, the sky, the colors of the semi-precious stones and crystals.
As a psychologist, I was intrigued to find out what kind of emotions do certain colors awake and what is the meaning of affinity or aversion towards a certain color and what it means for the person. As a psychologist I was also interested in the creative process and loved to view the world through the eyes of the creative people, the artists and not get stuck in the labyrinths of analysis. I strongly believe that every man has a potential to create, and sometimes it takes time and effort to be able to find the right thing. I also believe that in order a man to evolve as an artist or a designer, he should first evolve as a human being. 

Some of the pieces shown here are from her latest collection and they will be available soon in her shop.

The jewelry a bride wears on her special day is certainly of importance and adds that extra glam touch to the wedding gown and the whole appearance.

Some brides imagine their big day wearing rich, statement jewelry, others like theirs to be unobtrusive and delicate. The offer varies in range accordingly.

What we have to offer from our designers with this selection is for the contemporary, urban and romantic bride. 

1. Hair Pin by Eliza 

2. Necklace and Filigree Earrings by AlmaArt Jewelry

3. Filigree Earrings and Pendant by Dream Filigree

 
TinoSki is a brand that will tickle your imagination and capture your heart!

Who is the creative force of TinoSki?  

My name is Valentin Petreski. By profession I am a journalist and in the past I worked both as a TV reporter and a host for national TV stations. For the past 4 years I have been working for a leading national e-commerce site. Aside from that, for the past year I have been passionately creating my products under the brand TinoSki. Creativity and communication have always been my forte and I love spreading positive energy through my work. I believe in a success based on hard work.    

How did your brand TinoSki come to see the world and what does the range of products include? 

 TinoSki started off quite spontaneously - with an idea to make a cup for myself, the kind I wouldn't find in a shop. I experimented with an ordinary marker on a yellow cup, made it according to my taste and I shared it on Instagram. And you know how the story goes... people loved it, asked where they could find such cups, whether I could custom make them, etc. After a few cups given to my closest friends and family, TinoSki started its fame by word of mouth. That motivated me to more seriously research the process of drawing on porcelain and ceramics and the use professional paints to create cups that tell stories. After a year of beautifying cups, which by the way are my trademark, I also draw on plates, teapots, bowls, etc. Beside that, the newest refreshment of the TinoSki range are the 4 notebook designs that I have been yearning to do for a long time and the idea just got realized. These are the basic products, but I am in a process of brainstorming and shaping ideas that I hope to bring to life really soon.   

  
How did the story of hand-painting porcelain begin?I have always loved art, not in a classical way but I experimented with what had already been there and I finished it by giving the piece a new shape, new appearance. The porcelain was a true challenge  - a new, clean, clear and shiny surface patiently waiting to be carefully decorated. I was attracted by the purity of it and its specific drawing space so I started finding out my own techniques. 

What motifs appear the most in your creations? Where does inspiration come?I am mostly inspired by conversing with people and exchanging ideas. I cannot single out an individual motif since each order carries its own story. Most often the orders are personalized. However I can say that they all contain dots as a symbol of a completed thought, a basic element of every picture. And yes, black and red are the most dominant colors as they are my favourite and basic color combination. Of course I introduce other colors as my customers desire, but that is quite subtle. 

I know that all artists like all their pieces equally and that it's hard to pick just one as a favourite. Still, I will ask: is there a favourite piece? What binds you to it?
It's true that one loves his all pieces but it is also true that something comes to your mind first when asked this question. I have to admit that I find the sets from my collection "Share love" are dearest to me because I invested a lot of energy and desire to share them with others. The sets are composed of mini cups that when joined make an animal drawing: a giraffe bear, owl and a cat. They are given human characteristics, that is they all have a moment that connects them to people, because animals have feelings too. That is maybe my dearest collection, although I love everything I have made so far. 

Is there a technique or a style you'd like to try your hand at in the future or maybe work with new materials? The porcelain is a fantastic foundation, however I'd love to try out new materials. For the time being I am interested in   trying out some new drawing techniques to me and I would be ecstatic if I manage to make ceramics myself one day. I believe everything happens at a given time, so we'll just wait and see.  

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