DaWanda Backstage

Today’s interview with a DaWanda seller features Shannon, the creator behind the Pinkdixie store on DaWanda. Pinkdixie features adorable children’s clothes, items for the home such as coffee press cozys and cushion covers, and a few other things besides. What ties them all together is the use of gorgeous, bright and funky fabrics, to create a look which is clean and modern, but also colourful and fun – and of course they’re all handmade with love and care. Check out Pinkdixie, and read our great interview with Shannon for an insight into how it all comes together:






Please tell us a bit about yourself:
I have always been into making fun things. I remember making all of the place cards for dinners with my family when I was a child. Anything from pompom bunnies to paper turkeys. I have taken more art classes then I can count. Stained glass, photography, drawing, ceramics, metal, plastic construction, wood working. I really like to work with my hands.

How did you discover that you have creative tendencies?
My grandmothers used to do projects with me from a very young age. My Grammy taught me how to needle point, embroider, and crochet.

Where do you find your inspiration?
All over, from architecture to the beautiful valley that I live in. Also from my children and husband.

Do you have any role models/inspirations in the area of Design?
If so, who and why? I worked in museums for about 13 years. In that time I had many influences such as Alexander Calder, Paul Klee, Edward Weston, and Edvard Mucha. I love art and design and try to keep myself immersed in it even though I live in a very remote area now.

How did you come up with the ideas for the products in your DaWanda shop?
Ideas come from things that I feel will be useful or pretty in my life. Life is too short to have boring things.

Which materials do you use to create your products?
At this point I am very busy with my family and work so I tend to only use fabric. I can usually finish a sewing project fairly quickly. You never know when I will pick up something new though.

What characterises your products/your style?
I like to use fun vibrant fabrics in simple, often vintage styles.

Who are your customers?
I have many different customers, moms, aunties, grandmothers, sisters, friends, dads and friends. I love it when the men show up and buy something for their children, I think it is very sweet.

What do you want to achieve in the future as a Designer/Creative?
I would like to have my shop be my business full time. I would like to have more time to work with all of the ideas that are floating around in my head.

How has your life changed since you opened your DaWanda shop?
I have some closure. As a teacher and mother life tends to be very open ended and I like to have the chance to finish a beautiful item and ship it off.

Please give us the names of three of your favourite shops on DaWanda:
– BambinozZ
– Farbenzauber
– Stubenhocker

Has anything weird or wonderful happened to you on DaWanda? Did you rediscover old friends, or maybe a celebrity bought something from you?
I have a funny habit of ‘collecting countries’ I have a list in my notebook of far off places that my products have gone off to, probably the most interesting was one of the Channel Islands which is about as small a population as where I live. I also have some great customers who keep coming back, I love that. No celebrities yet that I know of.

Any closing comments?
I really enjoy working with DaWanda and dreaming about all of the little kids over there who are wearing my clothes. I hope to visit Europe again soon and think it would be really fun to run into a child wearing one of my items.


P.S. If you’d like to be considered for one of our Monday seller interviews, then please send a filled-out questionnaire to azra[at]dawanda[dot]com

Check out the modern, innovative design of this gorgeous BRDY bird feeder from DaWanda seller bludor. Not only is it a smart and practical bird feeder/bird shelter, but it also can be easily hung outside a window, so that you can watch birds feeding from your living room. Sure to be adored by the most fashion-forward birdies in your backyard, and at a very reasonable price, too.

Today on the DaWanda blog we get to meet Diny, the creative force behind the incredibly successful Natural Jewels shop on DaWanda. Diny’s shop features gorgeous jewellery using natural materials and gemstones, all beautifully handmade by the lady herself. It’s the place to go if you like unique and precious jewellery with an innovative yet elegant design. Check out the Natural Jewels shop and then read the lovely interview below:






Please tell us a bit about yourself:
I live in the Netherlands, in a small town. When I go walking with our dog, I only have to walk for about 30 meters and then I can walk along the meadows and the fields. I love that, being so close to nature. I have been married for almost 24 years, we have 2 daughters (for whom I have to watch over my jewellery like a lioness) and a little dog. I spend all my days at home, in my working room, listening to music, creating my jewellery and loving the simple things in life. I am very interested in the growing of our consciousness, I read a lot of books about that and I do my yoga and meditation almost every day. I think it is very important that my jewellery is made when I am feeling good. When I am in a bad mood, I don’t make jewellery, it will go wrong, the wire will break or I will drop my briolette to the ground and it will break or the earring simply doesn’t look good. I only create from a sence of peace and silence.

How did you discover that you have creative tendencies?
I cannot remember a time when I was not creating things, I have done that all my life, so there was not really something to discover, it is simply a very very big part of me.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere. Beautiful drawings, Jugendstil art, ancent jewellery, celtic art, but also in nature, a butterfly or a flower, or the beautiful beads and briolettes that I buy. Some pieces are crying out that they have to become a pendant or a pair of earrings.

Do you have any role models/inspirations in the area of Design? If so, who and why?
Eni Oken started my addiction to wire-wrapping. She was the first one who made this type of jewellery (as far as I know) and I have bought all her tutorials.

How did you come up with the ideas for the products in your DaWanda shop?
I make sketches of every piece of jewellery I create. Here I can use my drawing skills, and I still love to draw. I have so many designs in my sketching-books, but so little time. I don’t think I will ever be able to create it all.

Which materials do you use to create your products?
925 Sterling Silver, 14K Goldfill and beads of gemstones. I have a huge collection of beads, it is a bit of an addiction.

Please give us a brief summary of your creative process?
At first there is the idea, and I want to make a sketch of that immediately, because I am afraid to forget it. It has happened that I got out of my bed in the middle of the night to make a sketch. While I make the sketch I think about the way how to do it, how to start, how big the pieces of wire have to be, what beads I am going to use. And then, if I have the time, I start to work it out. The first time that I make something, it will cost me a lot of time. The second and following times it will go much faster.

What characterises your products/your style?
I love round lines, circles, spirals. I want my jewellery to have a lot of character, I want it to look old, as if it has been in the family for hundreds of years. And I want it to be pure and honest. Therefore I only use beads of gemstones (made by nature, more than a million years old!!) and real silver. I refuse to solder or glue, as chemical substances must be used to do so. It is all about using some simple tools, some pliers and a hammer. And my hands of course.

Who are your customers?
Mostly people from Germany. Some of Austria or Switzerland and I have had customers from the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. And more countries, I don’t remember them all. One from Japan, that was nice. I think all those people prefer authentic jewelry. They pay a bit more, because the materials are real silver and gemstones, but that is what they want, valuable and precious jewellery, made with love and attention. Jewellery to cherish.

What do you want to achieve in the future as a Designer/Creative?
I have so many designs in my sketching-books. Lots of them are bigger pieces of jewellery, and so they are quite expensive when I make them. There are not so very many people who buy more expensive jewellery, most of my sales are of jewellery of 20-40 EUR a piece. I would love it if I could make more exclusive pieces that sell. That is my goal. To sell exclusive jewellery. In the meantime I am very very happy creating and selling the pieces that are in my shop right now, and my second goal is to keep enjoying that as much as I do now.

What role does DaWanda play in your daily creative life?
A very big role, I make about 80 or 90 % of my sales through Dawanda.

How has your life changed since you opened your DaWanda shop?
Dawanda made it possible for me to sell my jewellery. I have my own website, but it is so hard to get customers out there. It is as if you are on a little island in a big ocean, nobody will find you. Out here on Dawanda you are in a big town with lots of little shops. Many customers come out here to do their shopping and lots of people stop to look in my shop-window.

Please give us the names of three of your favourite shops on DaWanda:
– Sunday Creations (if I ever become a grandma, I know where to go)
– Apipi (very nice bags)
– Rattenfaenger

Any closing comments?
Nope. Just thank you everybody who bought my jewellery!!!! You helped me to get where I am now. Thank you very much!


P.S. If you’d like to be considered for one of our Monday seller interviews, then please send a filled-out questionnaire to azra[at]dawanda[dot]com

The ‘Dig for Victory!’ store on DaWanda is brand-new (only 4 days old!) and already it has some delights in store for lovers of retro-inspired fashion. Check out this gorgeous lemon yellow checked prom dress at left, for one. The cut is oh-so-flattering for a wide range of body types, and the lovely yellow colour is bang on trend. It would look great in the evening but would also work well for day with a fitted cardigan and ballerina flats. The other dresses in the store are equally lovely… can’t wait to see what else the seller has in store for us when this shop gets going…

Just discovered the fabulous englishcookies shop here on DaWanda. Small but perfectly formed, it features a series of ‘handmade’ cards, which feature different crafting motifs – weaving, painting, paper work etc.

With beautifully detailed illustrations and gorgeous colour-tones, these cards would be perfect to send to your favourite crafty type. But our favourite is the ‘Lead the Parade, Buy Handmade!’ card pictured at left. Now that’s a message we can get behind :)

So V-Day is fast on the approach, and the time has come to think about presents and, yes, as the title of this post suggest, Valentine’s Cards! I don’t know about you, but for me choosing cards has always been a heck of a lot easier than choosing presents. There are so many smart, funny and sweet ways to say ‘I Love You’ that you’re spoilt for choice.

To help you pick the card that’s perfect for you, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite handmade Valentine’s Cards on DaWanda:

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Hi everyone,

This week we had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Mara, proprietor of the Lunara shop here on DaWanda. Mara’s shop features a wide variety of gifts created using her own original artwork, including pocket mirrors, keychains, jewellery and more, plus prints of the work itself. Mara’s style is definitely like no other – her vivid, gorgeously-hued paintings depict creatures of myth and magic, as well as icons of Mexican culture such as Frida Kahlo and Day of the Dead imagery. Check out her fabulous shop, then head on back over here for some insights from the artist herself:

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Continuing with the dog theme for our Product of the Day here on the DaWanda blog, we’ve got a real treat for you today. Giselle the Ballerina over here is one of a series of fantastic portraits by the seller AnimalCentury – all portraits of dogs in historical costume, that is. How fantastic would one of these look over your mantlepiece in an old-school gilt frame? They’re ideal both for animal-lovers and for people like me who love all things kitsch and oh-so-slightly barmy.

If you love Giselle, be sure to check out Romantic Pierro (Chihuahua), and definitely Tomiko the Japanese Princess (Yorkshire Terrier), plus all their friends. I don’t know about you, but I so wish my actual pets actually dressed like this…

Every year, we rejoice when awards season rolls around. It’s so much fun to check out who’s wearing what on the red carpet, to giggle at disasters and swoon at the frocks that will go down in sartorial history. Oh yeah, and apparently they honour some films or something, too ;).

If you checked out the Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday, you will have noticed that a whole heap of starlets were sporting purple gowns this year. Purple is a great trend to try out in winter: not too bright and gaudy, but still adding a pop of cheer to otherwise neutral outerwear and layering pieces. Plus there’s a shade of purple to suit all skin-tones… what’s not to love, really?

If keeping warm is your main priority at the moment, there are some gorgeous pieces on DaWanda to choose from. Look out for loosely draped yet tailored pieces – Jackets with puffed shoulders or bell sleeves create a unique silhouette, while fabrics like jersey can provide a layer of warmth without adding bulk, which is great for skirts and bottoms.





Or are you looking for something a little glam for the evenings? Purple looks fabulous in sexy fabrics like raw silk and satin. Try a pair of purple dress shorts over sparkly leggings, or a purple camisole under a blazer, as a nod to the underwear-as-outerwear trend that’s still going strong in 2010.





Purple is also great in small doses, making for fabulous accessories. Add a pop of colour when you’re out on the street with a purple scarf or bag. And add a little drama to an otherwise simple outfit with purple tights or a purple cocktail hat. Just think of the possibilities…

Meet Bushy. Isn’t he a cute little fellow, with his jello cup feet, and his shoehorn tail all sticking up?

We’re told that Bushy the robot dog is looking for a new home. You can head over to the adoptabot store on DaWanda to see if you can make him your very own. Let’s face it, every home needs a four-legged friend – and this one won’t leave nasty surprises on the rug ;)