Connie Kuilema
Meet the Designer-Artist
Where do you live?
I live in an orderly pile of logs in the middle of an orchard in Three Rivers, Michigan.
What inspires you as a designer-artist?
Just about everything inspires me. History, especially the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Victorian eras, books, museums and movies. I'm a sucker for costume dramas.
What medium do you work with mostly?
My favorite medium is seed beads and felt. I can build nearly anything.
Why did you become enchanted with this style of jewelry-making?
I began as a knitter of chain mail who had a lot of beads left over from projects and failed experiments, and a book on amulet pouches. I started teaching myself off-loom beading in as a way to keep my sanity when my mom and stepfather were killed by carbon monoxide. Now, 20 some years later, I can't stop. I have finally found my happy beading place, and it is embroidery. Beading appeals to be because it is instant gratification. Traditional jewelry techniques are way too fiddly. The thread lets me create my own path, and most mistakes can be turned into a plus.
Where and how do you sell your jewelry?
I sell my creations at renaissance festivals and science fiction conventions in the Midwest.
What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
What inspired this design?
The Dragon and Phoenix started because I was watching an art history program about the impressionists, and I wondered what would happen if I tried it in beads. Fire seemed like a good idea so I dug out the dragon, and started. By the time I was done the front was a bit heavy on the neck, so a counterweight was needed. Since I didn’t have another gold dragon that would work, I decided to represent a Phoenix nestled in its resurrection flames. Well, that made it a bit too fancy for everyday wear in my life why not make it convertible which of course led to the two bracelets. Disconnect the back piece, attach the bracelets and a third necklace is born.