Fashion Loving is all about finding quirky and innovative industry people that bring a little smile to your face. This week we found the lovely Poppy Sparkles! Poppy Sparkles is a online jewellery store that we think creates miniature pieces of art. The woman behind the store is Viv Smith, she’s the one that creates special pieces of jewellery for anyone wanting something brilliant and unique to wear for any occasion with any outfit! Viv is a self taught jewellery artist and makes all her creations from home, believe it or not!
Fashion Loving had to get in touch with Poppy Sparkles to find out a little bit more about this creative jewellery, so we threw a few questions at Viv Smith and here is what she said!
How long have you been in business for?
Poppy Sparkles was established in March 2010, but in truth I’ve been making and selling jewellery since my early teens. So, although Poppy Sparkles is a new brand, there’s experience behind it.
what inspires you and your jewellery designs?
Primarily I focus on life’s celebrations, so I look to those special moments and try to find a way to capture it in jewellery form. This can clearly be seen in my Mummy Necklaces and Peace Collection. I also think about the seasons and holidays of the year, so I have a collection of jewellery due to launch at a later date that is for Christmas, including a range of jewellery for accessorising your LBD at all those parties.
Sometimes I just want to incorporate an element or idea, such as my Spotilicious range. I just love those spotty polka dot buttons and thought it was such a quirky range. The Rainbow bright colours just ooze Summer fun.
What are you as a jewllery artist about?
I want to create pieces that are wearable and accessible. I love mix ‘n’ match and value for money, which is different from cheap, and why I developed my own charm system. This allows the wearer to easily remove charms from the necklace and provides numerous ways to wear your charms – endless possibilities for those who are loyal to the Poppy Sparkles brand and can mix charms from other designs. I love items that have meaning and memories associated with them and so I primarily focus on creating pieces that celebrate life. I only use quality materials such as sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and Freshwater pearls as I intend my pieces of jewellery to be lasting items, to be worn and treasured. Whilst there’s a nod at times to what’s current and ‘on trend’, I endeavour to create pieces that have a timeless quality to them and with my charm system it can be easy to rework a piece and make it current again by changing the colour combinations.
What’s the next step for you?
I’m looking to branch out from selling online and want to see Poppy Sparkles jewellery stocked in some real bricks and mortar shops.
In the future (read: when being a mummy doesn’t take up the lion-share of my time,) I hope to complete some formal silver-smith training and learn how to forge my own components, helping to make my designs even more unique.
When did you know you wanted to become a jewellery artist?
From the moment I made my first pair of earrings in my early teens! I love the sense of achievement that creating something beautiful with your own hands brings, which is then heightened by someone loving your creation so much they purchase it.
What advice would you give someone who wants to design?
Stay true to yourself. The moment I stopped creating just pretty jewellery and moved to designing my charm jewellery that is ‘me’ through and through and very much centred on my own values and likes, I have been both happier in myself and my work. I have also found that the response to my work is better and so much easier for me to promote as it’s me, not something I’m pretending to be.
Who are some of your fashion influences?
I’m a fan of timeless, classic and elegant designs. I love Freshwater pearls, hence including them in virtually all of my designs, so I have to say that Audrey Hepburn with her classic pearls is one icon I look to. I’m influenced by Pandora, Troll et al with their charm bracelet concept of removable charms, but ultimately, I have tried to find my own style.
What type of person do you design your collection for?
Most popular are my Mummy necklaces, clearly designed for Mummies as a way to celebrate their children with Swarovski birthstone crystals. Overall, my jewellery designs are simple and unfussy, they’re for people who like understated, clean designs. I design for women who appreciate quality jewellery that they can keep, as opposed to cheap costume jewellery that is virtually disposable. My pieces are for people that like to give and receive gifts with meaning, that want jewellery that has memories attached to it, that they can keep and treasure. In all honesty my ideal customer is someone like me!
How long does it take to create an item from start to finish?
Most of my time is spent in the planning, creating pieces that fulfil the criteria I set – that is, pieces which will last and are not too trend-led, a set of charms that provide several possibilities (work well together, in a combination or individually) and for most of my designs, I ask does it fit with my ethos of jewellery to celebrate life? I spend a lot of time with an array of materials out working through which colours are just right, what shape and size of bead provides the right look… I’m quite fussy and like to get things right. I’ll keep revisiting design ideas until I feel it is perfect. I have some designs that I’ve been tweaking and working through for a good few weeks, if not longer. I don’t think it helps the number of shades Swarovski manufacture – I hate having to be pinned down to a few colourways, I’d love to use them all in so many different combinations!
Is there anything else that we should be looking out for from you in the near future?
I will be continuing the celebration of life’s special events and holidays in my jewellery, but I will also be launching some designs for wearing at special occasions. In the near future I’ll be launching a collection perfect for Christmas parties with its rich, jewel-like colours and expanding on the current items I offer with the addition of coordinating hairpins. I hope to expand on the idea of jewellery for special occasions in 2012, providing jewellery that is well suited to bridesmaids and wedding or party guests. I would also like to build on my bespoke design service and am looking to launch a more couture range of jewellery with hand-wired strands of pearls and crystals – very special jewellery for very special occasions.
What do you think of the Poppy Sparkle brand?
You can find Poppy Sparkles here:
Tags: Accessories, Fashion, Jewellery, Poppy Sparkles, Swarovski Crystals
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