local markets :: bijuteria encantada

well, i am back for another story on {local markets}, the last one this month… and just before a short break during august! today’s guest is a very talented girl, and i know that i say this almost every time i have someone here as a guest, but this gal is multi-talented, which is even better! i came across her on facebook, and when clicked, i confess that i thought i would see just another jewelry designer. but her photography and romantic pieces of jewelry had me on that first instant. well, after going through several pictures to make sure it was not just the luck of finding one good one, i realized that this girl had a precious eye for all things sweet and beautiful. i think she makes us feel like if we were with her on a pink bedroom, filled with old books, homemade cookies, cold milk, floral wallpaper, white bedlinen… and beautiful handmade jewelry. as she says in her {blog} she lives in her own world… and she is such a happy girl living inside of such world!

her name is marta and she is the designer of {bijuteria encantada} and much more projects. she has a degree in design and she is indeed a very creative lady. i asked her a few questions… shall we read her answers?

hello there, how are you? so, can you tell us something about yourself? hello! my name is {marta}, lovely to meet you. i am 23 years old, i studied design and graduated from iade in 2009. when i’m not designing or making jewelry, i love to travel, finding treasures at flea markets and thrift stores. i love vintage and vintage inspired items.

how did your handmade business start? {bijuteria encantada} (initially enchanted jewelry) started in september 2008. a couple years after, i opened up my first jewellery shop which was something i had wanted to do while i was in college. i remember doing some jewellery all by myself when i was about 5 years old. the name comes from fairy tales and feeling pretty, lovely and princess like. it’s a modern store with a vintage touch.

do you do anything else besides that or is it possible for you to make a living out of your business? i am a freelancer {graphic designer} too, a {photographer} and sometimes i {design weddings}. i am finishing my master degree in interior design as well. besides all this blogs, i have a privet one, {num quarto branco}, just to share my toughts or just to show how my work is going. i love to see the backstage of shops, and there i show glimpses of my atelier, my jewellery being made, the making-of of some photos, etc.

where do you seek for inspiration? i can just be inspired at the movies, walking with my boyfriend, in a picnic with friends and ideas pop into my head. i love it. i’m always inspired. at night mostly, sometimes i have such huge brainstorming, i just can’t sleep. then i just go to my atelier and start doing jewellery and trying new ideas.

what do you do to promote your business? what has been helpful? {facebook} is the most seen and used social network, so i use it a lot. and obviously the {blog} itself. it was amazing appear in the {happy woman} magazine for 3 months in a row! and of course, i feel soooo happy when i find myself in several blogs, facebooks and magazines! {customers} have been a big help too, they send me photos wearing my jewelry, and i love it so much! to date, {bijuteria encantada} has over 33,000 views, and it makes me so happy! i am truly honored and humble that friends love my enchanted jewelry. i love each comment, each email i receive from you all telling me how you enjoy my jewelry. it really keeps me going. i am inspired at how much the blog has grown and excited to see where it takes me.

what advice would you give for those small business owners/design-makers in portugal? the best advice i can give you it’s just to be yourself. find yourself in your designs. don’t copy, it’s the worst thing you can do. to you, because it’s not really you in your stuff and to others. it’s ok to get inspired in the beginning, but put yourself in it.

i believe that one of the best answers & piece of advice to pursue success is exactly be you, instead of someone else. and of course, along with that comes hard work and persistence. without these things, it will be really hard to make something work. as you could read, marta is multi-talented and full of strength, which works pretty well, as creative minds should never stop. that is how i feel as well! marta was a very nice guest over here and the last one before we head towards the short break! but wait, not the entire blog, just this feature! {local markets} will be back in september with more delicious and talented people from this sunny portugal. we should get together sometime!

images: bijuteria encantada (click on each image for further details)

what is {local markets}? a community dedicated to the very best portuguese talented & independent artists that strive for an original work and exquisitely executed handmade design & photography. once a week, there will be a special feature for these artists, to spread the word about their talent, to introduce you to new & fresh work. {local markets} is an original feature from {a place for twiggs}.