Featured Artist: Christine Haynes, Fezelry Jewelry Designs

So, what’s your story? I was allowed to draw on my walls! Seriously! I grew up in a creative home, my mother was a seamstress and sketch artist and my father was a woodworker and all around very handy man. While most parents frowned upon their child drawing on the walls I was allowed to do so with one rule, the walls had to be covered in my art and scribbles before my father would paint them then, I could start again!

How did you get started creating your artwork? Well…I broke something! I was wearing one of my favorite necklaces and it finally broke, after closer inspection I came to the realization that I could fix it myself, I did and that’s all it took to get me hooked on beading! I discovered there were tons of wonderful beading shops all over NY (that’s where I’m from) I became obsessed, I spent all my free time in the shops just taking it all in and shopping! I had to learn the craft through trial and error; though I have taken a class here and there to improve or learn techniques I am mostly self taught. I started designing for myself at first then to make extra cash to purchase books for school and finally one day a coworker noticed a necklace I was wearing and offered to buy it right off my neck, the rest is history!

Where does your inspiration come from? It’s pretty organic with me, I like to lay all my gemstones and findings out and let the materials decide what they want to become. I also get plenty of color inspiration from nature and the change of seasons you can often see that in my design work.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I pray I am still designing jewelry! I see myself catering to a larger clientèle and I would love to have a private studio outside my home where I can meet with clients, and host open houses or trunk shows.

Where do you sell your work? I sell my work mostly on line through my website www.fezelry.com and to my private clients by appointment; I am also working on getting a few more boutiques loaded up with Fezelry.

Who is your favorite artist? I admire quite a few fellow jewelry artists but my favorite is Lisa Nevin Kelly. I would love to get her on the phone and talk about all things jewelry! She does beautiful work and she is a powerhouse, she does it all!

What is your favorite song and by whom? That changes by the minute! If I have to pick just one for this moment knowing that it will be something completely different by the time people read this .. I will pick Lady Gaga, Just Dance. It’s a great song for me and my two daughters to get loose too. I put it on and we just have our own little dance party! It gets me away from my work, because sometimes you just need to get up and move it!

If you were stranded on a deserted island, with your family, what 5 things would you want to have with you? Music, my down pillow (I can’t sleep without it), Tylenol (lots of it), my BlackBerry (ok, so yea, I have not figured out how I’ll charge the thing and who knows if I will be able to get WI-FI on said island but you know.. its my BlackBerry!), gallons of Sun block.

Why do you think people should buy handmade? You never want to see yourself coming and going! You know what I mean? There is nothing like handmade, custom made jewelry. Clients can come to me and I can create something unique and completely one of a kind they can go to an event and know for certain that no one else will have the same piece of jewelry. I can customize the jewelry to go with anything at all, a bag, the dress, the shoes, the nail polish you can’t get that type of customization from the big box stores! Handmade is where it’s at!

Is there anything else you would like to share? A line from one of my favorite poems it’s my daily mantra: