Interview With Jacquie Champion From Angelque Creations

Etsy Page: http://www.angelquecreations.etsy.com
Blog: http://www.angelquecreation.blogspot.com

Web Page: http://www.angelquecreations.ca

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/angelquecreatio

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/angelquecreations

Tell us a bit more about yourself? I live in Vancouver , Canada aboard my sailboat called Angelique of Vancouver, a 34’ Coast. In 2008 I retired from my project management job at BCIT and my husband and I went on a 10 month cruise to Mexico and the Sea of Cortez . We had planned cruising offshore for about 20 years and finally decided to go.

How did it come to be that you started working with seed beads? While I was in Mexico waiting for our boat Angelique of Vancouver to be transported back on Dockwise transport I took a weaving class from a lady on her sailboat who had been bead weaving with seed beads for 25 years. My first weaving experience with needle and thread was the double helix stitch in Mexico sitting in a pub drinking margaritas. I was hooked.

How long have you been creating with seed beads? I started in April of 2008 with my first bead weaving class in Mexico and when I returned to Vancouver in May of 2008 I started learning other weaves such as peyote, herringbone, St Petersburg , brick, square, right angle and ladder stitches from magazines and on line tutorials. I basically taught myself.

Is there was any significance to the name of your shop? Yes when we were getting ready to head off on our big adventure, my husband was trying to set up our email account. He was going to use Angelique after our boat but found that the name was taken in our chosen host server so he made a hybrid name of Angelque by removing the I in the name of the boat. In order to keep things consistent I set up our web page for our adventure under http://www.angelque.ca/ Upon returning and consequently setting up the business name it only seemed fitting to use the hybrid version of our boat for my jewelry and therefore it became AngelqueCreations.

What inspires you? Nature the ocean and sea life, other artists, I would love to get to the level of many in our group. I have yet to try bead embroidery as I have so much more to learn about the basics. I find that I am expanding my skills every time I start a new project.

Do you listen to music or TV while you work? I have to admit that I am a Country Fan and therefore listen to JR FM 93.7 a country station. My dad is most liking turning in his grave as he was a country fan and all the while I was growing up I hated country. (Still hate the older pain and wine songs which where a favorite of my dad’s)

Do you have common colors you work with? I tend you use the colours found in Mexico in the Sea of Cortez . I love the bright blues of the water, the tans and greens of the desert.

What is your favorite color palette? My personal favorite color is green, almost any shade of green. Our boat was once described as jelly bean green and I remember when we first looked at it, my husband and I were walking along the dock to the boat and I said “I hope it is not the ugly green one” Well it was the jelly bean green boat and I have since come to love the color. Our boat is very easy to pick out in a crowd.

Do you have a favorite technique? Which one and why? I don’t have a favorite technique yet as I feel that I am still learning. I do tend to go back to Peyote stitch because it was the first one that I learned and comes more naturally to me.

Do you do shows or vending of any sort? Where? During the Christmas weeks I was in several shows one was Make it Vancouver . I have applied already to several Christmas shows for the coming year and I will be vending at a few farmers markets and at Simon Fraser University where I rent a table a couple times a month. Mostly it is my on line shop at http://www .angelquecreations.etsy.com.

Do you teach beading classes? Where? Several of the ladies that I work with wanted to learn how to do some basic weaving stitches and since I am self taught I feel a bit funny about teaching. I have however taught some classes to my old colleagues at BCIT.

Do you sell your work in any galleries/shops? Where? Not yet, that is the next thing on my business plan to do. I have been doing some research in my area to see where I might put some of my work on consignment.

Where do you see yourself in your business in 5 years? Hopefully my husband will be retired and we will be sailing again in Mexico and places further south. I will then have both of my passions rolled up, beading and sailing.