Lisa Braithwaite of Elle B., Jewelry Designer
What do you make or design? Handmade jewelry featuring rare and unusual vintage glass.
What made you decide to design the things that you do? I’ve been making jewelry for so long now, I actually can’t remember how I got started! But I know it had and has something to do with wearing jewelry that represents my personality and individuality; I wanted pieces that defied seasonal color dictates and fashion-industry pronouncements.
Who inspires you? I’m not inspired by a “who” so much as a “what.” I’ve always been attracted to shiny, translucent objects. The way the heavy glass feels in my hand and the saturated colors of the vintage beads, in particular, call to me. I’m inspired when I sit down with my materials and start putting things together. If there were a “who,” it would be someone who is able to support herself making art.
How would you describe yourself? I’m assertive, frequently loud, funny/silly, strong-willed, intelligent, positive, creative, and always striving.
What’s the last book you read? “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America” by Barbara Ehrenreich.
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Are you a neat freak or creatively messy? Oddly, my house is cluttered and messy, but my jewelry supplies and workspace are pristine. It’s because I have a tiny house and have to sit on the couch to make jewelry. I lug out all my bins of supplies and have to put them all away when I’m done. Same with my packaging station and other supplies.
What is one of your fondest memories? One of my fondest memories is of traveling in Europe with my husband for the first time, and getting the opportunity to introduce him to London, where I lived briefly in 1986 and which is one of my favorite places in the world. In fact, most of my fondest memories involve traveling with my husband.
What’s your biggest pet peeve? Well, it’s a tie between people not using turn signals, and people using apostrophes incorrectly (like a sign over the front door of a house that says “The Smith’s” or a sign at a flower stand that says “Daisy’s $5.00.” ARRRGGGH!)
If you could be a bird, what kind of bird would you be and why? I don’t know much about birds, but there’s a mockingbird that keeps us up in the middle of the night singing a million songs – some of which are songs of other birds. I think I would be the mockingbird, because I have a million stories to tell and I talk way too much.
