Lynn Kvigne

Artist Interview

How long have you been making jewelry?
I started this run in 2000. A friend had asked if I'd like to share a table at our local high school craft show. I forgot about it until about 2 weeks before the show! I ran out to the craft store and bought materials to make about 25 bracelets (I look at them now and shudder!).but I was instantly addicted. She's no longer doing craft shows, but I am up to several hundred completed pieces and an average of 1-2 shows a month. I lay the blame on her when I go to my "Beader's Anonymous" meetings.

Lynn Kvigne photo - original - copyright 2006 Consumer Help Web, Inc. Tell me about your start.
I actually "started" when I was a kid. My dad was a rock hound. I remember him going out West to hunt for opals and sapphires, and there were many, many family vacations taken to "rock" places. My brother, sister and I were drug to the North Shore of Lake Superior to hunt agates, to Little Falls (Minnesota) looking for staurolite (fairy crosses), and to Montana to pan for gold and sluice through buckets of gravel for sapphires. I tried to get out of going, but was the one who found the best stones. Any wonder - I always walked around with my head hanging, thinking, "woe is me"!

While I wasn't too fond of tramping about looking for rocks as a teenager, I remember those trips now with great fondness, and know that my love for beading and creating jewelry was spawned by our finds.

What's your preferred medium to work with?
Depends on my mood! There are days when I am entranced with strands of beads and take delight in simple stringing. I've started working with wire, and love the freedom and creativity it inspires. Making my own clasps and connectors with wire is great fun and there's a lot more to it than just bending a wire!

What do you want to (or wish you had time to) learn?
PMC (precious metal clay) intrigues me. While there are other mediums that I really do want to get into (wire wrapping, lampwork, stone cutting, metal work), PMC keeps invading my mind over and over again. Someday, I'll find a class in my area to take and I'll get started.

Favorite stone or bead?
There are so many it's hard to pin just one down.but I absolutely love sodalite, a denim blue and white semi-precious that goes with so many different things. Probably a close second would be turquoise, with hundreds of shades, shapes and sizes that mix well with other stones.

What parts of making jewelry do you like the least?
My biggest frustration is when I can't find the right mix or look for something. I have some gorgeous, heavy rutilated quartz beads that are crying to be strung, but I am having a hard time coming up with the "right" partner pieces.

Outside of the actual act of jewelry making, I hate scanning/photographing my work. It's just one of those things that I know has to be done (I like to keep photos for my portfolio as well as for my web site and marketing materials), but it takes away from creativity time. I need a secretary!!

Tell me about a favorite piece or a memorable piece.
It would have to be one of my Breast Cancer Awareness bracelets. My mother gave me a hideous circa 1965 necklace that was about 30" of nothing but hot pink dyed abalone shell. "Do something with this," she instructed me.

I tore it apart, and made dangles with some of the shells, some Czech and Swarovski crystals and some silver beads. Added some hot pink BCA ribbon charms, and attached it all to a chain charm bracelet. I was really proud of the effect, and showed it to my husband, asking what he thought.

"It looks like a Glob of Pink."

I rolled my eyes, but I knew it was something special. The bracelet was a show stopper up until the day that a woman bought it for her daughter's Christmas present. Fortunately, I'd scanned it to show one of my online friends, and decided one day to incorporate it into my business logo. Because I'm a strong supporter of women's health issues and donate proceeds from BCA jewelry to breast cancer foundations, I think it is a good representation of my business.

Do you like purchasing your materials online or in person?
Both. From tried and true vendors and on eBay, I'll take a chance and buy what I know will be good quality. I'll take a chance once in a while online, and haven't gotten burned too badly yet.

On the other hand, you can't replace the impact of holding a strand of stones or a cool focal bead in your hands and running your fingers over it. It's a sensual experience to feel the texture and see the shimmer and shape first hand.

Where do you get your inspirations or ideas?
Everywhere. From doodles while I'm in a boring meeting to shapes and colors in nature (and outside of nature!), I'm constantly on the prowl for ideas. I keep a notebook or scrap paper with me at all times to jot down ideas.

And most readers will probably smile and nod at this one: I literally dream some of my designs. Luckily, I dream in color and I have dreamt about designs, finished products, just plain beads in general. I need to have a dream about that darned rutilated quartz so I can do something with it!

Quirky or classy?
Classy. Definitely. My friend Angie says my work is pretty girly (and she's right).I dabble in quirky on occasion and it works, but I tend much more toward classic lines and color combinations.

What do you do when you get in a creative funk?
Walk away from the beads!

I know the difference between "being mad at the world and still having my mojo" and "being mad at the world and just making it worse by trying to create something that will turn out badly", or worse yet, having it remind me of how bad my day was. If I have Beader's Block, I'll just take a day or two off. Just like writing, it will come back soon enough.

How many beads (or strands) do you think you personally own?
I can't wrap my brain around that number.

What advice would you have for someone who is just starting out beading or making jewelry?
Two things:

Find a good source for quality materials. Unfortunately, many (but not all!) of the products sold in craft stores are expensive and/or the quality is inferior. You may not see it when you first create your jewelry, but you will after a few wearings. Talk to shops that specialize in beads and see if they are able to offer discounts for frequent purchases (or if you have a tax-ID number, ask if they offer wholesale discounts).

And find a mentor or friend who is in the beading business to give you guidance. These days, with online access, it doesn't even have to be anyone in your immediate area! I've found that building a network and having contacts who are good at what they do is invaluable. Not only have I forged some strong friendships, but I've gotten tips and ideas that have helped me a lot! On the converse side, if you know of someone who is just starting out and you have been working with jewelry for a while, take them under your wing! Don't be afraid to share your knowledge with others.

What other hobbies or activities do you use to fill your spare time?
Somewhere amongst the beads I have a husband, son, daughter, dog, a herd of Morgan horses, running shoes, and non-beading books that I like to interact with. If only I could find them...