Jewelry Artists

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Elena Dorofeeva

Purple Orchids
 Meet the Designer-Artist


Where do you live?
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Describe your artistic style.
Casual glamour.

What inspires you as a designer-artist?
I get inspired by colors of the stones, pendants and things I can make into centerpieces, natural elements I find on the beach ...

What materials do you most enjoy working with?
Semi-precious stones, crystals, glass beads and wire.

What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
Purple Orchids

What inspired this design?
I was going to participate in an Orchid Extravaganza Fair in Petionville, Haiti--Haiti's annual event at the end of March where merchants from Miami and Haiti come to sell their orchids. And I was the only featured jewelry artist there so I decided to make a collection of jewelry pieces with orchids as center pieces. This is my first creation from that collection.

How did it come together?
I planned on using those specific flower pieces but the design defined itself around them.

Share Your Background


When and how did you begin making jewelry/beading?
Two and a half years ago I found myself in the Fashion district in NYC and stopped at a bead store. I found myself fascinated by all the variety of beads and findings and bought a couple of books on jewelry-making. I have always been creative - I knew how to cross stitch and sew, dabbled in wood burning when I was in school and painting as well. So when I looked through the books I thought that I would definitely like to learn how to make jewelry and started to self-teach myself through books and trial. Online resources from Fire Mountain Gems helped tremendously.

Who introduced you to beading?
Self.

Do you have an artistic background?
Art courses in high school only, everything else is self taught.

How did you discover Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®?
I bought some jewelry-making magazines and saw advertisements for Fire Mountain Gems.

What other hobbies do you have?
I like cross stitching and sewing. I also do horseback riding and last month I participated in my first jumping competition and won the second place in 80cm jumping! Not bad for my first competition!!!

Beading Success


What role does jewelry-making play in your life?
Right now this is my full-time hobby because I am in-between jobs. Jewelry-making is very emotionally satisfying, during the making process as well as after - when customers get your pieces and love them.

If you used jewelry-making as a way to bring in income, how are you selling yourself and your jewelry?
I only have a Facebook page at the moment - www.facebook.com/LedaJewels. I also participate in local craft fairs in Haiti and my jewelry is on a permanent display in one of the Art Galleries in Petionville, Haiti - Festival Arts Haiti.