Interview with Aleksa Torri

Today I present to my readers interview with talented handmade artists Aleksa Torri. She has a shop on Etsy called CitrusCat.

- Please tell us a little bit about yourself

What can I tell about myself?
I'm 23, I have a young, ambitious and full of hope for a brighter future
By education I am a psychologist, but psychology does not attract me as a profession.

I'm a self taught handmade artist trying to turn my favorite hobby into life style and profession.

I create unusual jewelry. But sometimes I move in the other direction. Spontaneously I can start making greeting cards or decorative items for the home. In short, I am a creative person and quite unpredictable even to myself. I guess that's my trick.

- How long have you been creating? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?

 I loved to make things since I was small. As far as I can remember as a child I drew a lot, asked my grandmother taught me to embroider. Then I wanted to make clothes and I wanted to be a designer.

My path to the creation of jewelry was long. At some point I started to sew felt brooches.

After a while I realized that I like to make jewelry and I started trying different techniques and materials.

Now I’m fond of creating resin jewelry. I chose this material and technique because it allows me to create different things without limiting the imagination. 

In future I want to try to use other materials and techniques.

-What is the most important about your work?

I can identify several aspects that are important to my business. This is a good mood, inspiration, and support of my family

In my work I like the fact that I’m the owner of business and can do what I want.
No doubt, it creates a good mood which I put in my work.

One of the most important events for my business was opening a Citrus Сat shop on Etsy. This was a good incentive for me.

 - What would you say makes your shop unique?

The original approach to the creation of my jewelry is making them unique.

I am a self-taught and eclectic artist, who works with a variety of techniques.
My jewelry is a world full of colors of life.
With my jewelry I want to make the world more beautiful and colorful.
I hope you enjoy my creations, as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Please come to my CitrusCat store. And get a portion of happiness ))

Tutorial: Moustache keychain

If you can't choose gift for your dad, son or boyfriend - you can make а beautiful and stylish gift by your hands. Yes, it's possible! Here I write how to make leather mustache keychain.
You can buy this moustache key chain in my shop.

You will need:
a. A piece of genuine leather – thickness 0.03-0.06” (0,7-1,5 mm)
b. A thick needle or awl
c. Scissors
d. Flat nose pliers (2 pairs)
e. A key ring
f. Thread
g. A sewing machine
h. Moustache pattern

1. You can print and use the pattern included or draw your own.

2. Outline the moustache pattern twice оn the back side of the leather. Also outline a rectangle measuring 0.8x2.4” (2x6 cm).

3. Cut them out. It has to look like this.

4. Pass the strip into the ring and bend in half. Join the edges as shown. Position the strip with the ring between the two cut-out moustache pieces as desired.

5. Sew together at a distance of 0.1" (2-3 mm) from the edge. Sew through twice where you put strip with the ring.

6. If one of the edges overhangs, trim it with scissors.

7. The other solution is to attach the chain (not thin one)

Your keychain is ready! 

New video with my creations

I created new video with my creations. I hope you will like it:

Crimson poppy flowers earrings and brooch

Today I present new addition to my leather jewelry and accessories collection. You can find it in special section in my shop.
Crimson poppy flower earrings and Crimson poppy flower brooch are made from dark red recycled genuine leather. Actually I made also necklace but it was immediately sold)

Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is endlessly multifaceted color. Perfectly go together with gray or light beige.
Few historical facts:
Crimson was always the color of the Church.
to produce the color crimson was used Expensive kermes and later cochineal dye. Cochineal dye was used by the Aztec and Maya peoples of Central and North America and was discovered by the Spanish explorers of South America. The Cochineal insect is a small parasitic sap-loving insect that feeds primarily upon the sap of certain cacti. A great many insects must be processed to produce any useful amount of the highly prized red dye extract. In recent years it has become commercially valuable again. One reason for its popularity is that, unlike many commercial synthetic red dyes, it is not toxic or carcinogenic