Alia Bostaji


Family Tree

Alia Bostaji

Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Jewelry-Making Contest 2010 featuring Crystal

Silver Medal Prize Winner

Category: Wedding Sets

Meet the Designer-Artist


Where do you live?
I live in the small town of St. James, Minnesota

Describe your artistic style.
I make wire-wrapped jewelry with sterling silver and gold filled wires along with crystals.

What inspires you as a designer-artist?
The beauty and the glamour has always been a big inspiration for me. When somebody asks about something that I don't do, that would trigger my creativity to make it happen.

What materials do you most enjoy working with?
I love the sparkle of crystals I call them my Diamonds :)

What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
Family Tree

What inspired this design?
Mother's Day.

How did it come together?
I wanted to make my mom something special for mother's day and I thought if I can do something simple and meaningful. l kept trying till I nailed it!

Share Your Background


When and how did you begin making jewelry/beading?
I was touched by the community work and fundraising support for one another in the town and I wanted to be part of it. I started with making a crystal bracelet and raising the money towards Watonwan County Cancer Support Group and for Red Friday to send packages to the troops around the holiday season. I was hooked since then. I am self-taught and I've developed many designs and took off from there.

Who introduced you to beading?
I have a bracelet that I like so much and wanted to do something as pretty as that one. I started searching the web for an affordable crystal bead supplier and I had a "bingo." I found the Fire Mountain Gems website.

Do you have an artistic background?
My background was originally as a banker, and for a while I decided to sit home with the kids and soon enough I needed something else to do beside cleaning, cooking and changing diapers. Jewelry has been always my passion I used to buy a lot but now look at me, I do make this pretty stuff. I did surprise myself quite frankly!!!!

How did you discover Fire Mountain Gems and BeadsĀ®?
Searching the web for an affordable crystal supplier, I found Fire Mountain Gems.

Beading Success


What role does jewelry-making play in your life?
I started making jewelry as a hobby and for fundraising purposes. Then I start participating in craft shows. Soon enough I start organizing the St. James Marketplace which takes place in the community building in our small town the first Saturday of every month.

If you used jewelry-making as a way to bring in income, how are you selling yourself and your jewelry?
As of January 2011, I will be opening my own store in town. People around me are very excited and I can't believe how far I have gotten in the last 3 years. I do have an Etsy shop, too and now I am considering my own website. It's not ready yet, but it is coming in the near future.

Any advice for aspiring jewelry-artists?
Enjoy what you are doing, for me it's been always not only about making jewelry, it's making jewelry with love and the positive energy that can travel through my work to brighten someone's day!