Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Felt Jewellery: Mammoth Designs

Wow! I came upon this very talented Canberran jeweller quite by accident the other day and was floored by the uniqueness of her designs. The maker behind Mammoth designs tells us about her amazing felted jewellery...

Lana, How would you describe your personal style? "I like to make things that are different yet not outlandish. My style is mostly simple and restrained, focusing on form and colour and allowing the pieces to be interesting without taking over an outfit."
How long have you been making Jewellery? "I've been designing and making felt jewellery for about 2 years."
Who or what influences your work? "The materials themselves inspire me, and exploring styles and techniques keeps me motivated."


You use some pretty interesting techniques, can you tell us about those? "Felt making is an ancient technique using water and friction to turn animal fibres into a textile. Modern applications use a basic or acidic agent to aid the process (commonly soap). My work is made from sheep's wool and involves folding the wool in a specific way before beginning to felt it. The end result is a product that is both tough and durable, but soft and tactile at the same time. Felt is a marvellous thing!"

Where can buy your work? "currently my range is available only online on the Mammoth Designs website. I am having a break from designing... (but) I plan to get back into it in about a year."
What do you hope for in the future in terms of your work? "There are a great many possibilities in what can be made using felt. I plan to continue focusing on jewellery but to expand into homewares as the business grows."

Love it, love it, LOVE IT!

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