This Monday I'd like to you meet Dafni from La Cravate Du Chien. She sells lovely handmade jewelry.
1. Tell us as little or as much as you would like about yourself.
Hello! I'm Dafni. I'm 30 years old. I come from Greece but for the moment I stay in Bahrain. I have studied graphic design and illustration. I'm an Aquarius and my favourite colour is yellow.
2. What do you sell?
I make handmade illustrated jewellery. Mostly with plexiglass. I experiment a bit with clay and wood, and from time to time I work also with silver.
3. Why handmade?
I believe that handmade items have a "soul". They are made with love and effort from a real person, not some machine of mass production. A mass production item eventually will loose it's charms. A handmade, even if you have it for a long time and you are "bored" of it, it's not so easy to decide to throw it away. It carries memories and feelings.
Buying handmade and supporting artists is also a way to help this world maintain it's balance. Big companies are taking over, but small independent business are still out there and thankfully they are getting stronger. As for me as a seller and maker, creativity is my cure for all illness! Whenever I feel down I now there is this thing that makes me feel good and alive.
4. Where does your inspiration to create come from and/or your inspiration in life?
I get inspired by everything I see around me. It could be animals, plants, the weather, or ever a movie, a song or a feeling.
5. Besides creating what else do you do? Do you have a full time job?
I used to. I was working for many years as a graphic designer and jewellery and crafts was just a hobby. When the first glimpse of the crisis appeared I got fired along with all my coworkers. From that time it was getting more and more difficult to find a job, so I started concentrating more on the jewellery making, and now this is all I do. And I have to be honest, I love it ten times better!
6. When did you start thinking you were an artist?
All my life I wanted to be an artist. I grow up in an artistic home, my mother was making pottery and my father was a sculptor and a painter, so art was the only way for me. I have been making things with my hands since forever.
7. Who has been most influential in your craft work?
I will have to give that credit to my father. He would put a tiny piece of art wherever he could. A small painted bird to begin a paragraph in a letter, hand stitched colourful flowers in the corner of my pillow case, even placing the food on the plate in a way that makes an image. In that way art was not only on a canvas or closed in the studio. I made my very first jewellery with him, when I was about 8 years old. We cut butterflies and olive leaves shapes from beer cans, paint them and glued a pin on the back. I even sold some to my parents' friends! ha ha! (even tho now I know I would do the same for an 8year old)
8. Where would you like to be in five years?
I would love to be back in Greece, even tho I know I'll probably be in some weird country since I follow my love. I kid or two would be nice. Maybe a dog too. How knows what life brings? One thing is for sure. I'll be makings something handmade.
9. Is there anything you'd like to try doing that you haven't done?
crafts, sports, life in general?
I'd love to learn how to remake old furniture. I see the "before and after" images in various blogs of old chairs and sofas where they put new fabrics and paint them in bright colours and I drool like a dog!
10. Besides online where else do you sell?
You can find my jewellery in Siempre Vivre, Asklipiou 57 in Athens.
1. Tell us as little or as much as you would like about yourself.
Hello! I'm Dafni. I'm 30 years old. I come from Greece but for the moment I stay in Bahrain. I have studied graphic design and illustration. I'm an Aquarius and my favourite colour is yellow.
Dafni
2. What do you sell?
I make handmade illustrated jewellery. Mostly with plexiglass. I experiment a bit with clay and wood, and from time to time I work also with silver.
 |
| Clouds Hair Bobby Pins |
I believe that handmade items have a "soul". They are made with love and effort from a real person, not some machine of mass production. A mass production item eventually will loose it's charms. A handmade, even if you have it for a long time and you are "bored" of it, it's not so easy to decide to throw it away. It carries memories and feelings.
Buying handmade and supporting artists is also a way to help this world maintain it's balance. Big companies are taking over, but small independent business are still out there and thankfully they are getting stronger. As for me as a seller and maker, creativity is my cure for all illness! Whenever I feel down I now there is this thing that makes me feel good and alive.
4. Where does your inspiration to create come from and/or your inspiration in life?
I get inspired by everything I see around me. It could be animals, plants, the weather, or ever a movie, a song or a feeling.
 |
| hedgehog brooch |
I used to. I was working for many years as a graphic designer and jewellery and crafts was just a hobby. When the first glimpse of the crisis appeared I got fired along with all my coworkers. From that time it was getting more and more difficult to find a job, so I started concentrating more on the jewellery making, and now this is all I do. And I have to be honest, I love it ten times better!
6. When did you start thinking you were an artist?
All my life I wanted to be an artist. I grow up in an artistic home, my mother was making pottery and my father was a sculptor and a painter, so art was the only way for me. I have been making things with my hands since forever.
 |
| Fairy Brooch or Necklace |
I will have to give that credit to my father. He would put a tiny piece of art wherever he could. A small painted bird to begin a paragraph in a letter, hand stitched colourful flowers in the corner of my pillow case, even placing the food on the plate in a way that makes an image. In that way art was not only on a canvas or closed in the studio. I made my very first jewellery with him, when I was about 8 years old. We cut butterflies and olive leaves shapes from beer cans, paint them and glued a pin on the back. I even sold some to my parents' friends! ha ha! (even tho now I know I would do the same for an 8year old)
8. Where would you like to be in five years?
I would love to be back in Greece, even tho I know I'll probably be in some weird country since I follow my love. I kid or two would be nice. Maybe a dog too. How knows what life brings? One thing is for sure. I'll be makings something handmade.
 |
| Necklace leaves |
crafts, sports, life in general?
I'd love to learn how to remake old furniture. I see the "before and after" images in various blogs of old chairs and sofas where they put new fabrics and paint them in bright colours and I drool like a dog!
10. Besides online where else do you sell?
You can find my jewellery in Siempre Vivre, Asklipiou 57 in Athens.
Ways to contact you:
I like it. The lines, the colors, the elegance and simplicity - feels like reading a poetry :)
ReplyDeleteLove it! Daphne's work is amazing as always :)
ReplyDeleteVery pretty!
ReplyDeleteColourful and quirky!
Stunning creations! so unique and original! Love it!
ReplyDeleteI love to get a glimpse into the lives of artists! Great interview!
ReplyDeleteDafni's artwork is so charming! I love that being laid off ended up being a blessing in disguise for her.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! Very colorful and pretty jewelries!
ReplyDelete