Hello! And thanks for stopping by ♥

(Make sure to stop by my other shop, for more unique jewellery: www.danajewellery.etsy.com)

I'm Anne-Louise, the designer and maker behind Dana Jewellery, a brand defined by the creative use of recycled vinyl records.

THE CREATIVE SPARK
Before I go into details about anything and everything, let me take you to THAT moment, that creative spark moment that started it all. It all began with this little story:

After a 2 year technical program in jewellery making in Quebec, I made a plan to travel to New Zealand. This was as far as the plan went. So off I went, in the fall of 2009, bought a car and traveled around beautiful New Zealand for 6 months. I went for epic hikes, met wonderful people, hung out playing guitar in my car when it rained, swam in hot pools, camped among the sheep, and the list goes on.

Then something happened at a recycling center. There it was, on a wall, an image of a vinyl record bowl. "Cool!", I thought as I had never seen one before. I then realized that vinyl record could be used as a material, to make things. On that day, I made a silent promise to myself that, as soon as I returned home, I'd get my tools out and would play with records instead of precious metals and faceted stones. And I did. Why dig gold when you can dig records, eh?

I started using vinyl record as a material back in 2010. And believe me, my first attempts didn't look anything like what my jewellery looks like today. I felt challenged at the beginning and then motivated to be able to come up with my own original designs that looked like nothing I had ever seen before.

Recycling and bringing back to life a material that would otherwise end up in landfills is very gratifying. Taking part in the ever growing eco-friendly movement brings me great joy as it is in tune with my own personal values.

NOW, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF
I work and live in Sneem, a beautiful village in the south west of Ireland. The hills, the fresh air and the ocean are just some of the things that inspire me daily. All the pieces you see in my Etsy shops are my own original designs which are handcrafted with passion and care in my home studio.

I am not your usual record hunter. Nope, I don't only play vinyl records; I play "with" vinyls. They are either given to me or come from charity shops. I just love digging in the cheap record piles. Then, in my studio, the designs from my sketchbook are turned into reality. Once in the creative space, the record really becomes a "material", losing its initial purpose. Yes, I break them up, but don't worry you music lovers out there as no good music is harmed in the making of this jewellery.

I am so glad I found Etsy. Back in 2011 when I opened my first shop, I found it all a little intimidating but nevertheless decided to make the big step. And today, I'm so glad I did. Working from home and making my own schedule gives me so much freedom, which I am very grateful for. It can also be an excuse for procrastinating though. Hee hee.

As this is a one woman operation, I sure am a busy bee who nevertheless gets up excited every morning, realizing how precious it is being able to live the life I love.

Check out my other well established shop at www.etsy.com/shop/lescreationsdana for more unique jewellery.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any comment or question or special request you may have at danajewelry[!at]outlook.com

☛ Find me on the web:
▷ IG & FB : @creationsdanajewellery
▷ W E B S I T E: www.danajewellery.com
▷ B L O G: https://creationsdanajewellery.wordpress.com/
▷ T W I T T E R: @CreationsdAna
▷ P I N T E R E S T: http://www.pinterest.com/creationsdana/