Monday Must-Have

Today marks a new installment of my Monday blog series titled Monday Must-Have. Each Monday I will feature a fellow talented Etsian and his or her phenomenal work. Each featured artist will have his or her own online Etsy shop where you can peruse and admire his or her one-of-a-kind body of work. Hopefully you will find new favorite artists and artisans whose work you MUST HAVE. :)

Today's featured artist is Coco of CocosJewelry.

Who are you (actual name/and or shop name)?

My real name is Bakula but Coco used to be my nickname way back from my university days in New York. I’ve adopted this name now for my shop on Etsy and call it Cocosjewelry.

What do you create?

I make jewelry using semiprecious stones and agates, glass, wood and resin beads. I also work in macramé. The hand knotting is very time consuming, so I try not to do too much in that style.

Where are you located?

I live in Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

When did you start creating?

Considering that I grew up in a family full of artists, it is surprising that I didn’t start sooner. The environment I grew up in was all about art. All about color, texture, form, scale etc. But I actually started only a couple of years ago. I guess what I learned then stayed with me and finally found a creative outlet. Well, it’s better late than never!

What inspires you?

I just love beautiful things. Beauty in the form of color, texture and design occurs everywhere; in nature, art, fashion, architecture…

What is the most time consuming part of your craft/art?

First, there’s the actual time that it takes to hand knot cords into designs for jewelry, and second, the time it takes to create designs from materials on hand. Sometimes, a certain bead provides the inspiration for a particular design or application. Lately, I’ve been so taken by semiprecious gemstones and agates that I let them play center stage in my designs .

What is your most popular item that you create (and why do you think it is so popular)?

I haven’t sold much yet so I can’t say anything I create is ‘popular’. But people seem to gravitate more towards my macramé designs. I am now trying to update this ‘old’ style more in line with modern design, but it is still considered ‘old fashioned’.

What's your next project going to be?

I haven’t really thought about that. Right now I am enjoying what I am doing so much that it’s hard to think about future projects. I would certainly like to add to my skill base in jewelry making with wire and wiring techniques.

What do you do when you are not creating?

I live a fairly quiet lifestyle. My interests are fine art, yoga, gourmet cuisine, family and friends and line dancing! And of course, bead shows!!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I think my creative style can be termed “ simple, bold and beautiful “. It is definitely not ‘trendy’. I don’t like fussy designs although some of my macramé pieces tend to be just that. That sort of goes with that territory, but my other jewelry pieces are more along classical lines, with a quiet understated elegance about them. Let’s see what’s next in my process of evolution!?


Be sure to check out Coco's shop! If you're interested in being featured in future Monday Must-Have segments, please feel free to convo me in my Etsy shop or email me. Have a wonderful day!