Please can you tell us a little bit about you and your brand?
My name is Marianne and I design and create personal and thoughtful jewellery to celebrate the women in our lives.
I use Japanese seed beads and a bit of sparkle. Many people are unfamiliar with Japanese seed beads. They are essentially beads the size of seeds, and Japanese brands are made from pressed glass and are strictly uniform in size. The beads are stitched together, usually one by one, using a beading needle and thread. The equal sizing of the beads enables many intricate patterns and creations to be made.
My designs are inspired by nature, the women in my life, poems, and books. If you fancy a different twist to your everyday jewellery, my designs are for you.
Please can you tell us about your inspiration for your business?
Making beaded jewellery started as a hobby of mine where I would receive compliments for the jewellery I made and gifted away. However, what really changed things for me was when I realised how much it meant to the women whom I was designing something for. Their response and the expression on their faces, as they took in the piece and the message behind it, was worth more than the compliments. It was then I realised that jewellery can mean more than just a pretty gift. Jewellery has the power to convey the message that ‘You are appreciated. You are not taken for granted. You are loved.’
What is the ethos behind your brand?
Fair Bloom is the dream that women would know their beauty and worth. As a Christian creative, I believe that each of us is wonderfully acceptable, uniquely ourselves and definitely, definitely enough! There is no need to strive and prove ourselves to be more of this or less of that. My hope is that every woman would know that they are a fair bloom.
What is the most enjoyable thing about your business?
Nothing quite beats the satisfaction of creating a new piece for the first time. The trial of the experimentation process, narrowing down the options of pattern, materials and colours, making mistakes, cutting up beadwork...all culminating into that final moment when everything falls into place; the beads confirm that this is how they were meant to be put together, and the message to be conveyed through that piece is captured fully. What a rewarding feeling that brings!
What are your top tips for anyone wanting to start their own creative business?
Start with ‘why’ - why do you do what you do? It is so easy to get caught up with the whats and the hows, the grind of the making and selling, the social media, focusing on statistics and sales, that we forget why we started doing these things in the first place. The ‘why’ will get us through discouraging moments and challenging periods which will come with any self-employed business.
To quote Simon Sinek, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
How do you get yourself out of any creative slumps?
It really depends on the season and our predictably unpredictable weather! During spring, it is spending time with my flower bed, admiring flowers as they are, with no need to strive or compare, returning me back to the 'why' of Fair Bloom.
I also enjoy going for a run. Being alone in my thoughts, strangely, helps clear my head and I find that I am able to sort out what is important and what is just noise.
What songs feature most on your playlist for when you are working?
I don't have a favourite artist or singer - my husband says I live under a rock sometimes! My playlist has songs ranging from Christian music, classical video game music and Japanese pop songs.
What do you like doing in your downtime away from your business?
I am a full-time mom and wife, and thoroughly enjoy these roles. And a fun fact, I am a gamer and love playing video games on the PlayStation and Switch 2!
What is next for your business?
I see myself conducting workshops more regularly. I had been doing them for a year before Covid lockdowns hit. Now I am back to it again, wanting to spread the art of Japanese seed beading so it is a little more well-known. I hope people will value my workshops as time well-spent.
