HI there :)

My name is Magdalena (MADA) and I live in beautiful part of southern Poland, the Karkonosze Mountains.

Here I create my precious handmade pieces.

Usually, it's jewelry but not only...

TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ME YOU CAN READ AN INTERVIEW THAT I GAVE TO SWEET SUSANA AND IT WAS POSTED TO HER LOVELY BLOG:

lemon dear asks... MadebyMada

LD:What inspires you to make your beautiful jewelry?

MbM:My home town’s name is Szklarska Poręba, which is related to glassworks, it means the place where trees are cut to deliver the fuel for glass making. The whole glassworking thing started in XIV century. The big factory was closed in the end of the XX century. There was not much left from glass greatness here. So I decided to do something that is related with glass. And then I discovered glass beads! I live just few kilometers from the Czech Republic border, which also is well known from its amazing glassmaking. So my first inspiration is the History of the place where I live. My second inspiration is my Country :) Poland and its amazing Folk art.

LD:I had never seen anything like your Polish folk earrings, what sets Polish folk apart from the rest?

MbM: It is really hard question and I am not an expert. My folk Earrings are based on polish cut outs motifs. You can read more about it here at one of my Blog posts.

Mostly from the Łowicz area which I love because of the colors, I like to call it color extravaganza. Fineness, delicacy that is also what distinguished them. The main motifs are birds. In Poland we can find roosters and doves, flowers and more abstract forms like numerous variations of rosettes. Also traditional outfit and colorful stripes.

LD:When did you start crafting and how did it change your life?

MbM:Hm, when I think about it today, I can see that I was crafting all my life. I did not have a lot of money, when I was, for example, a teenager, so when I wanted to have something special in my room I needed to make it myself. And about 2 years ago my younger brother (he was 15 then) got seriously ill. And then other problems hit my personal life. It was all too much for me. I felt really bad and hopeless. So I thought that I needed some beauty in my life. Then I discovered beads. I fell in love immediately with the variety, colors, and everything glass beads related. So I thought: I need to have something beautiful to carry with me everyday. To brighten my world. To remind me that world is plenty of sparks. What do we, women carry with us everyday? Jewelry! And the best part was that other people started noticing that I was wearing nice pieces. So I started to sell them. Created my tiny business in july 2010 :) And now I live my crafty life. Oh btw My brother is recovering after marrow transplant right now. :)

LD:Would you like to share any tips with us about running a small hand-made business?

MbM: I feel like I am starting myself. A year of running a business, it is not much.

Be persistent and be curious. Willing to learn all the time. I think a need to improve is necessary in this kind of business.

Customer service. We exist because of our customers. So we need to spoil ;) them.

Oh and one more thing. Value! Remember about the value of your work. If you do not prize your own work, how will your customer do that? Pricing is really a hard thing. But selling cheap is no good either to you, either for your customer and the hole handmade world.

LD:Are there any Polish artists and artisans you would like to recommend us?

MbM: Omg that is really hard question! For more handmade from Poland check out here. And about Polish artists… Polish culture it is really reach and diverse.

Poland's Krzysztof Kieślowski is one of my favourite filmmakers, but I don't know any other Polish directors, would you recommend us some Polish films?

Kieslowski! I love his films I wanted to be filmmaker when I was really young because of him. La Double vie de Véronique is my favorite. Agnieszka Holland and amazing “Secret Garden”. And many other films. I love her! :) Roman Polanski. He is not my favorite .. but … his very first feature film ‘noż w wodzie’ - Knife in the Water (1962) is something worth to mention about. At animation field absolutely stunning “The cathedral” by Tomasz Bagiński. Oh. One more thing did you have any idea that The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was filming here, at my town area at the waterfall Kamieńczyk canyon.

LD:I totally forgot that Roman Polanski is Polish! I must admit I love the Fearless Vampire Killers.

If you cook, please share with us a quick Polish recipe!|

MbM:I do cook. Polish recipe? My favorite polish dish is Pierogi - dumplings! I can’t imagine a world without Pierogi. It would be so sad ;) You can stuff in it whatever you want. And I love them all .. with cottage cheese, potatoes, fried onions or with cabbage and forest mushrooms or strawberries :P It takes some time to make them but worth every second of it . I am still thinking about food section at my Blog… but I can’t find enough time. Why are there only 24 hours a day?

http://craftsbymada.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html