Australia Days Etsy Spotlight & Giveaway: Suze Loves Mosaic Treasure!

I love Mosaic Treasure.

The owner, Tania, makes the most beautiful glass jewelry.

It's colorful and unique and I love the style.

I like how the pieces sparkle and how vibrant they are.

I've asked Tania a few questions to find out more about her and her shop:

1) Where did you learn your craft?

After years of wanting to do mosaics, I signed up for a night class at the local high school in Auckland, NZ, about 6 years ago. As an absolute newbie it took me a while afterwards to work out I had been told to buy the wrong tool, used the wrong glue and given bad grouting advice, but I wasn’t deterred. Glass mosaics became my hobby to combat stress in my day job, and I started to research techniques myself. I came across Laurel Skye’s book, “Mosaic Renaissance” at the library and was introduced to millefiori. It was love at first sight, and when I imported some to play with, I couldn’t resist making them into mosaic jewellery. Family circumstances meant at this time I was able to walk away from my day job, and I started developing my mosaic jewellery using grout and resin. So mostly I am self-taught, trial and error method.

2) How did your Etsy adventure start?

Soon after I started making jewellery a successful crafty friend told me about Etsy, and I opened a shop immediately. The response was minimal, probably because my first pieces weren’t very good, the photos were lousy and I was so busy making I didn’t put any effort into marketing. Earlier this year I revisited Etsy, and began to sell. I was lucky enough to join an Etsy Creative Courage Challenge several months ago which has helped me enormously in terms of SEO, photos, marketing and of course, sales. I have always done well at physical markets, so it is gratifying to see online sales increase as well.

3) How would you describe your style?

Probably eclectic more than having one particular style, working with millefiori means I can create loud, multicolour pieces one day, then monochrome delicate ones the next. I love colour, and richness of detail, and the lustre of shining glass. I have a tried and true range of jewellery, but also love experimenting with interesting colour and shape combinations and seeing how customers react.

4) What inspires you?

A lot of my inspiration starts with the colours of the glass I have in front of me, and the different colours and sizes of the millefiori. Now living on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne, I am often inspired by the sea and the sky and these colours are among my favourites to work with.

5) What is your signature piece?

The multi-coloured flower pieces, which I make in almost all forms and sizes.

6) What are your plans for the future?

Next year I hope to expand online and retail sales and move away from standing in the cold at too many markets. There are plans for some mosaic tile workshops, and I want to learn more about fusing glass. I also have a large collection of vintage paperweight millefiori with which I will be creating a range of one-off pieces. I also hope to go back to Venice to visit Murano again in the next few years.

I love the technique Tania uses, her designs are fantastic.

Tania is very kind and helpful. She accepts custom orders, so don't hesitate to contact her if you have a special request.

On Facebook you can find a gallery where you can see all the amazing designs she's made.

Check out this brilliant Etsy store.

Enjoy browsing...

And have fun shopping!

One very lucky reader of my blog will receive an amazing prize. Tania will send some beautiful surprise jewelry to the winner of this giveaway.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will contact the winner via e-mail. If I don't get a reply within 60 hours the prize will go to someone else. All of my giveaways are international, you can find the official rules here.