If you’ve been following my blog, then you know I love nature. And you probably have guessed that I love skimming through the site Etsy, a place where artists can sell their work. So imagine my delight when I came across this lovely jewelry that was not only beautiful, but unique. Laura, at Sweet Findings 4 You, designs jewelry that is just to my taste, gorgeous pieces that are nature inspired. She’s graciously agreed to answer a few of my questions. And make sure to leave a comment because one lucky person will win a necklace designed and made by Laura!
Welcome Laura to the blog!
Name: Laura Andreescu
Company Name: Sweet Findings 4 You and Elle Custom Jewelry
Did you always want to make jewelry?
I didn’t always want to be a jewelry designer. Both Etsy shops I have are actually part time for me. I am a full time Art Director and Webmaster for a non-profit organization and spend all my spare time designing nature inspired jewelry. I actually discovered how much I enjoy making jewelry a few years back when I couldn’t find the necklace I had in mind. After about two weeks of search I decided to go to a local bead store and get the stones I wanted and make my necklace. That was my first design and I still have the necklace and enjoy wearing it.
How did your company come to be?
I first opened ellejewels on Etsy in 2008 because everywhere I went people were asking me where I got my jewelry from. I thought I would try to open an online store and see how successful it would be and that’s how I came across Etsy. I currently run the Sweet Findings 4 You shop and am in the process of redesigning the entire line of jewelry offered through ellejewels to a more sophisticated one.
Discuss you
r jewelry making process.
Most of the time I draft a little sketch of something I see inspiring in what Mother Nature has to offer. I then take my little sketch and start working on a real piece combining stones in different colors and different metals. When I am happy with the design I start thinking about names and a description for my new product. Some of my pieces are designed in collaboration with customers. They email me ideas and then I get to work and come up with 3-4 designs for them to choose from. Almost every time I fall in love with the custom piece and then add it to my Etsy shop.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I am a nature lover so everything I design begins with a little corner of nature.
Who are your favorite artists?
My favorite artists are not necessarily jewelry designers. I admire the icons of all eras in painting, sculpture, architectural design and really any artistic representation of nature’s beauty. I could probably write a novel as an answer to this question, but here are just a couple of my favorite masterminds in arts
Vincent Van Gogh is my favorite painter of all times. What I love the most about his work is the use of bold colors. His still nature paintings are an inspiration for a lot of my designs.
My most favorite architects are Frank Lloyd Wright and Gustave Eiffel – the engineer and mastermind behind the well known Eifel Tower.
What do you do when you’re not working? Any hobbies?
Since I have very little spare time between my full time job and my Etsy shops, I try to spend every second I get with my husband and our German Shepherd – Tasha. We like to spend as much time close to nature as possible so road trips are our favorite. Cooking is another passion of mine and I like to try new things all the time so I spend quite a lot of time in the kitchen experimenting the art of taste.
A special thanks to Laura for stopping by. If you want a chance to win Laura’s necklace, 3 Daisies and a Smile (see below), then leave a comment and email addy! Winner will be announced Wednesday. 
