Interview with Dajana Markota: Owner of String a Strand on Wells

What I'm listening to: I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers

Yesterday I posted a photo blog of my trip to local Chicago jewelry supply store String a Strand on Wells with my fellow grassroots jewelry designer friend, Katy Katan.  Today I'm sharing my follow-up interview with Dajana Markota, owner of String a Strand.  Dajana put in a ton of legwork into making her dream of owning a jewelry supply store in a very competitive retail hub in Chicago.  Here's what she has to say:

Tell me a little about yourself - who you are, where you're from, what you love to do, etc:

My name is Dajana Markota I was born in Croatia, graduated from a business school, started jewelry making as a hobby that turned into my business.

Give me some background on String a Strand - how did it start, how long has it been in business, etc?

The store has been around for about 10 years.  Things were different back than, the economy was much better, it was easier to start and succeed, it still shouldn't stop anyone from pursuing their dreams, don't misunderstand me.

You're in an incredible location in Chicago (Old Town) - what made you choose this spot?

As they say Location Location most important part.  I don't know, somehow I just had this area on my mind, I remember coming here to Old Town and looking at a space that use to be a card reading place (psychic) and thinking to myself "that space would be perfect for my store," and my luck, in about a month, a confidential listing came out on the market for that particular space (unbelievable).  When I called the agent said it will be available next summer, they had to remodel the building.  I took it off the market the next day gave them whatever they asked for rent money :)

I had a whole year to organize and gather my inventory, this meant taking a lot of trips to different countries and hand selecting my merchandise.  All my displays are kitchen tables that serve as  my store display, wood bowls originally sold for dips and appetizers, they hold beads, tea candle holders, and so on, all designed and installed by me and my team.

I love how your store features both jewelry supplies and finished jewelry.  Who makes all the jewelry that's for sale?  Can people request custom pieces?

Most of the jewelry is made in-house.  We do outsource some, and also carry few other artists that use to be our students :)

Do you offer classes?

We do offer classes on jewelry making.  We also do parties, my website has little info about those, www.stringastrand.com.

What's the biggest obstacle you've overcome in owning your own shop?

Obstacle hmmm..... let me come back to that one.

How do you decide what to include in your shop?  Do you research styles that are trending?  Are there any websites you look at to figure out what's in style?

How do I decide what to put in my shop... what I like I buy haha, that brings me back to your previous question, I do have to buy things I don't like.  In the beginning I really was buying only things I liked, I did not want to carry dyed beads, plated findings; I wanted to carry high end merchandise, but my customers kept on requesting less expensive option, so I had to  go against my purchase choice and think from the customers' perspective and it helped my business grow, it really did.  Somehow we do stay on top of trends, through our travels, fashion shows, fairs, our customers, etc.

I'm so thankful Dajana had the determination and creativity necessary to start such a beautiful jewelry supply store in Old Town Chicago!  If you're ever in the area check her out at 1361 N Wells St, Chicago IL.  Thanks for reading!

www.stringastrand.com

Edgy Bridesmaid Necklaces

Music: Chicago by Sufjan Stevens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1PUqZyeuAk)

There's something eternally beautiful about a gemstone created by the earth and left raw.  When I was young, I had a rock collection that has evolved over the years into this:

I love these geode slices because they're a peek into a tiny little world.  They seem magical to me, like a fairy's home.  I love how they are glammed up with the high-shine gold plating, taking them from an underground cave to a designer's showcase.  Like Mumford and Sons getting dolled up for the Grammys.  

 I made this particular set for a chick as a special order on Etsy.  I hope she loves them, because it was very sad putting them in the mail!  This is the curse of my art - I get too attached.  And these delicious little nuggets are easy to get attached to.

Check out my other pieces here: Landon Lacey on Etsy

How To Make a Hand Stamped Suspended Bracelet

This is my first how-to post... feel free to ask questions and give me feedback!  I’m going to explain how to make a personalized, hand stamped, suspended bracelet.  Step 1: Pick your blank.  Choose a blank with enough gauge (mine is 18 gauge, nice and thick) and width (mine is about 13 mm).



Here’s the blank I chose:



Instead of ordering blanks with holes, I chose to place them myself (it allows for some more creativity).  This is a nifty little tool you use to screw a hole into a blank.  It has two sides, one that makes a 1.5 mm hole and one that makes a 2 mm hole.  I chose 1.5.  I got this from : http://www.firemountaingems.com/itemdetails/H203084TL.  I like it because you don’t have to squeeze hard, you simply turn.  So I marked where I wanted my holes with a pen, and then turned the knob to push the screw through.



On to hand stamping letters…  www.beaducation.com has a fabulous tutorial on their website on how to do this under their “Learn” tab.  If you’re getting into this, I highly recommend it!  Their products are pricy though, go to www.halsteadbead.com for better prices on blanks.
So I choose my letter and then position it so I can see its reflection in the blank to make sure it isn’t upside down or askew.  Then I use my hammer (I recently had one of these taken from me at the airport… whoops… expensive mistake) and give the metal letter around 13-20 good whacks.  I try to tilt it to make sure all the corners are good and clear, but it you tilt it too far, it will make an impression of the circle around the letter.  I used to put my metal slab (I don’t know technical words) on the floor to hammer letters, but it drives my neighbor below me nuts, so now I rest it on my knee and give it a few more whacks than I would on the floor. 
Once you’re happy with your impression, you can take a permanent marker and fill it in.  Use nail polish remover to wipe off the excess marker and you have a beautifully contrasted initial stamped.



Measure out the length of chain you’d like.  My total lenght is 7” and it fits loosely around my wrist but won’t fall off, so measure accordingly and make sure to include your blank and clasp.  Cut it in the middle so you can secure the blank to one side and half of your clasp to the other.
Use toothless pliers to secure jump rings to your chain.  You can also choose to wire wrap the blank to the chain.  I like a smaller jump ring because it gives it a cleaner look.  Avoid pliers with teeth so you don’t tear up the jump rings.



Use jump rings or wire wrap the chain to a clasp.  I chose a toggle. 



And the finished product… a delicate, minimal, hand stamped, suspended bracelet.  Thanks for reading!