how do you do? {Bijoudally}

What a treat this week! I'm tickled pink to welcome Andrea, of Bijoudally, to the hot seat. Andrea makes some of the most gorgeous jewelry I've laid my eyes on. And, as you'll learn, the woman behind the jewelry is equally fascinating. So, let's get started!

Thanks for joining me, Andrea. So, what do you do for a living? If crafting is your full-time job, how long have you been self-employed and what made you take the plunge? If you have another day job, how do you make time for your art?

I co-own a graphic and web design company with my fiancé, so I have been self-employed since 2005. I have always wanted to work for myself, there is more autonomy and since my whole family is full of entrepreneurs it was easy to make happen. Bijoudally is my third business and is essentially my creative hobby turned business venture. My goal with this business is to express my artistic vision through a product, with the hopes that it would be more fulfilling than the service based nature of graphic design and marketing.

How did you learn to make such beautiful jewelry? Did you have any formal training?

I have always been a creative, even in my career. I began straight out of college working as an investigative reporter for a TV station. Then after working there and several papers, I decided to learn how to be an advertising copywriter. I think with any creative personality comes an unquenchable thirst to express emotion through craft. Throughout that time I played my guitar and wrote music, painted, learned to knit and sew, and last year (my newest hobby) I learned to make jewelry. I remember asking some people who were already making jewelry to help me but they weren’t interested …so I read books, took classes, observed, and experimented.

Who inspires you? Do you have a muse?
I have to admit the store Anthropologie is a huge inspiration for me. I love the eclectic array of merchandise they carry, the bright colors, the ethnic inspiration, I could go on and on about the things I love there. Other inspirations come from the Art Nouveau movement, nature, and as silly as it may sound, my own dreams. There have been many times that I have been so immersed in ideas that I go to sleep and conjure something up in the dream world. It’s like my “aha!” moment. The next morning I get up in a hurry to sketch what I just saw.

How did you come up with the name of your business?

Part of my role at maoStudios is working as a copywriter and marketing specialist – this has given me a lot of experience naming products and companies. Bijoudally is a name I developed which simply defines to “Jewelry Play.” I didn’t want a name that would be directly related to a certain collection, because my whole artistic vision is to explore. Hence Bijou, French for jewelry and dally, slang for play.

Do you buy handmade? If so, what are the top three items on your wish list right now?

YES!!! I most always buy handmade, farmer’s market, sustainable items, and organic food. My fiancé even makes bio-diesel for our cars. On my wish list right now is –

Mohop Sandals

Eight Seasons Purses

Any garment designed by Leann Marshall

I'm a bit of a foodie and I love to cook. Care to share a recipe?

Ha! I’m a major foodie too!! I actually write for yelp.com as a volunteer and get paid monthly in… you guessed it, food. Consequently going to yelp events, dining/cooking, and writing for them is what I like to do in my free time.

I had a great appetizer at Lovely Hula Hands in Portland, which involves reducing balsamic vinegar on the stove, then adding fresh peaches and prosciutto while the vinegar reduces. The end result is a salty and sweat tantalization that will surely impress!

What's your favorite season of the year and what do you love about it?

Fall. I love it when the leaves turn, the wind picks up, and I get to dust off my baking recipes! The cinnamon, nutmeg, clove spices inspire me, while the cute colder season hats and boots make me feel adorable and wrapped up.

Do you enjoy reading? What literary character do you most identify with?

Reading is a wonderful thing. I wasn’t a big reader when I was younger, but now I have a hard time putting down my precious books. Right now I am just finishing Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus Trilogy, I love Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy (Golden Compass), Entering the Circle, and Frequencies by Joshua Ortega, all of which fall in the fantasy/sci-fi realm. I also like books with life lessons like The Alchemist, David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty One Day, and it’s a little dorky but self help books like Wayne Dyer or Deepok Chopra. As far as a character I identify with most? It has to be the Sheppard in The Alchemist. He spent his whole life looking for treasure and ended up finding that his treasures were found through his lifetime of journeys. It’s a lesson that I take to heart, since I tend to have a “grass is greener” mentality. So I try to enjoy each moment as it passes.

If a film were made about your life, what actor would you choose to play you? Who would be your love interest?

I think if a movie was made about my life, it would be very similar to Erin Brokavich, or at least that period of my life would be. When I was a reporter I broke stories about illegal chemical dumping, nuclear clean up sites exposing workers to deathly substances without telling them, and birds falling dead out of the sky on a whole town. Most of my passion revolved around environmental crimes, which was a path that had little reward. I ended up getting taken off my beat for being too controversial and ultimately got fired.

And now for some fun! Andrea is generously offering a free pair of her gorgeous bud earrings (shown above) to one lucky winner. All you need to do to enter is visit Bijoudally and choose your favorite item, then let us know in the comments below. Contest ends Monday, 7 September, at 11:59 pm EDT. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, 8 September. Good luck!