Eliza Inspiration - Copper and Felt Jewelry

Good morning all!
We woke up to a snowing morning! I was as happy as a child! I don't know about you, but for me it is a great source of inspiration. Talking about inspiration, I have a story to tell you about a retired psychologist who designs magical  wire wrapped and felt jewelry. Her name is Elizabeta Kostova and she revealed her inspiration during our little talk.

A word or two about you Eliza - when did the love towards this kind of jewelry develop and did you first start working with wire or felt?

My beginning in jewelry design was not at all accidental- just something I would use to fill my free time with. With me, it was out of a great, strong love, a passion for art since I was a little child. I loved painting - especially aquarelle, which I moved to a next level - painting on silk. Then there was a period I made icons. About 7-8 years ago I discovered the wool as an extraordinary material that can be blended with silk and other natural fabric and transformed into wondrous and unpredictable creations.However, the processing of wool is quite laborious and I also paint the wool myself.

Making felt brooches I needed pins for them and I tried making them out of copper wire. For me, the copper was another novelty and an extraordinary discovery and I am still exploring its possibilities. Especially its characteristic to change the color and get patinated. For several years, I have been simultaneously making copper wire and felt jewelry. My focus now is to combine felt jewelry that can be incorporated into a wire frame.

Is the making  of copper jewelry difficult?
I have been making this kind of jewelry using copper wire taken mainly out of electric cables and copper plates. It takes time to shape the wire and combine it with semi-precious stones or crystals; afterwards it is patinated and protected from  atmospheric influences. It is a several phases process and I try hard to make the final result radiate beauty and be unrepeatable.

Have you visited classes for metal / felt jewelry design?
No. My primary source of knowledge was and still is the internet. When it comes to the technical part, I also repeatedly consult other craftsmen and I try to learn and implement their suggestions.  

Where do you draw inspiration from? What kind of beads / stones do you like to use in your jewelry the most?
I love to research a lot and history of art is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. However, the greatest inspiration comes from the colors in nature, the colors of the rainbow, the sky, the colors of the semi-precious stones and crystals.
As a psychologist, I was intrigued to find out what kind of emotions do certain colors awake and what is the meaning of affinity or aversion towards a certain color and what it means for the person. As a psychologist I was also interested in the creative process and loved to view the world through the eyes of the creative people, the artists and not get stuck in the labyrinths of analysis. I strongly believe that every man has a potential to create, and sometimes it takes time and effort to be able to find the right thing. I also believe that in order a man to evolve as an artist or a designer, he should first evolve as a human being.

Creating something out of our vision by using our hands is a great gift and we should cherish it and use it to beautify the world.

Some of the pieces shown here are from her latest collection and they will be available soon in her shop.