Interview with Michelle Mach for Links

Button Bracelet, as seen in Beadwork magazine

"Button Bracelet – This is the first project that was inspired by a Beading Daily reader. Bethany innocently sent me an email asking how she could make jewelry out of her grandmother’s button collection. I looked around on the web and it seemed like a lot of button jewelry involved cutting off the button shanks and I couldn’t in good conscience ask her to do that to heirloom jewelry. So I found a way to keep the buttons intact. (I made the ‘heirloom’ buttons myself in this version.)"

Dragonfly Pin, above

"Dragonfly Pin – If I had to choose a piece that was most “me”, it’d be the Dragonfly Pin. I like how I combined all sorts of things—beads, wire mesh, fabric, stuff from the scrapbooking aisle, paint. I’m really a mixed media person at heart". Link here

Lazy-B Ranch Bracelet

"Lazy-B-Ranch – This is the most popular project that I’ve designed for Beading Daily—it made it into the top 10 list for 2007. I like this project because it’s something I’d actually wear! It’s surprising how much that does not enter the equation when I’m designing". Link here

note from me: I spent a LOT of time when this came out just staring at it, I liked it so much!!!

Michelle Mach, editor of Beading Daily, whose interview can be found below these free links to some of her projects on the Beading Daily site. Take a look!

Girl Power Trio earrings, a great collection of earrings all in the delicious colors of khaki and pink:

http://www.beadingdaily.com/freeprojects/earrings/Girl_Power_Trio_442-1.html

Rambling Rose, an excellent testimonial to Michelle's diversity as a designer:

http://www.beadingdaily.com/freeprojects/wirework/Rambling_Rose_412-1.html

Spiraling Out of Control, an interesting project which employs a lot of the kinds of wirework new beaders might want to try in one necklace, wired in copper and using green glass

http://www.beadingdaily.com/freeprojects/wirework/Spiraling_out_of_Control_290-1.html

Love Birds Necklace, a sweet necklace Michelle made when she was thinking of the schoolyard nursery poem, "Lovebirds sitting in a tree..."

http://www.beadingdaily.com/freeprojects/necklaces/Love_Birds_Necklace241-1.html

Interview with Michelle Mach for Links


Michelle Mach is the editor of Beading Daily, a newsletter which comes out online every day. Here is the website so that you can sign up if you are the one person who hasn't yet, already: http://www.beadingdaily.com/

I really enjoy reading Beading Daily. I look forward to receiving it in my email, like a visit or a call from a friend. One of the reasons for this is that Michelle has built this newsletter into a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable read. I sense her stamp on it, and she is just as personable as can be. She is really fun, and so is Beading Daily. I wish to mention I also enjoy Jean Campbell on Wedesdays!
Anyway, I stop my churning around, doing whatever frantic thing I am doing, and come to a screeching halt, somewhat like the road runner in the cartoon, to pause, relax and enjoy reading Beading Daily when I see it pop up in my email. I am hooked on it, thanks to Michelle. Michelle is also an extremely talented jewelry designer and many of her designs can be found as projects (such as the ones above) for free at the Beading Daily site. You can also frequently admire her work in Beadwork and in Stringing, two luscious beading magazines we all love.


1) Tell me a little about yourself and your background.

About three years ago, I changed jobs, taking a low-stress position maintaining a corporate website. My days were spent fixing broken links, copying and pasting text, and resizing images. I spent the first months streamlining processes and becoming increasingly efficient. It was a great job, except for one small thing: I was bored. Seriously bored. I couldn't do much to add excitement to my day job (Woo-hoo! I pressed the "save" button again!), so I found myself taking all my built-up creative energy and using it to design jewelry in the evenings and on weekends. Soon I was submitting to magazines. Then I found myself with a new dilemma--I felt like I was working two full time jobs! I couldn't let go of my secure day job, but at the same time, I wasn't willing to do less on the creative side. When the Beading Daily editor position became available it seemed like the perfect solution.


2) What happened to you that made you consciously decide to become the person you are? How did your creativity, which you have chosen to fashion into a career, first express itself? At what moment did you know that you would never turn back?


Turn back? You mean I had a choice?
This is a funny question for me because I've been a creative person all my life. I've always written and painted and glued things together. In fact, my office at home is decorated with some drawings and paintings that I made as a kid. Tigers in airplanes! Dancing mice! I always assumed that I'd never be able to earn a living in a creative job because, really, who does that? My friends all have normal jobs like teaching math. I've always knew that creativity would be part of my life. I just wasn't sure how much of my life.


3) What are you most proud of?

As editor, I'm most proud of the work I've done with beading designers from discovering new talent to giving designers a percent of sales of their online projects. In fact, I’m working right now on another project which will give designers an opportunity to earn even more through Beading Daily. I love being able to help others lead a creative life on whatever scale suits them best.


4) What do you see happening for yourself in the future? For example: things which will change for you, things you hope for, things which will stay the same<--just thoughts--go anywhere you like.

As a designer, I hope I'll continue to learn new techniques and find new sources of inspiration. Everything I create teaches me something new and I hope that never stops. I'll admit that I'm also thinking more about books these days. Could I write a book? What could I share that would be useful?


5) What makes you feel fortunate?

This is a brilliant question! Everything makes me feel fortunate. A day doesn't go by that I don't think about how lucky I am--the wonderful people in my life and the way I'm able to live. This is not to say that I don't have lapses. That is only human. Right now, for example, I'm feeling sorry for myself because I can't eat any Reese's Pieces while I finish up a design. Eating food that is roughly the same size and shape as your medium is too dangerous!

6) Do you think you see the world differently than other people? If so, is that a positive or a negative force in your work?


I don't think I see things differently as much as I see more--whether it's noticing the pink petals from a neighboring tree that are scattered on the driveway like pink tears or the five-year-old wearing the ballerina tutu and red cowboy boots and a grin that says "I dressed myself today!" I always come home with a story to tell. It's a definite positive in my work.


7) Do you have something to say here in this article to sum up something important you would like people to know about the creative process?


Trust yourself. Your way is the right way. Yes, even if your way means that you feel compelled to sing a Kelly Clarkson song and twirl on your left foot every time you finish a necklace! Know the rules, but don't feel enslaved by them. If an artist can't be a rule breaker, who can?


Thank you, Michelle, for this wonderful, fun and inspiring interview!

a copy of this interview is also available on my Amazon blog, here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/A2K4HN6EECBNR3/ref=cm_blog_blog