Maddabling: Friday Friends - Dusty Divas Part 4 - Carmel of Lace and Links + Lace and Luxuries

Hello lovely lovely readers. Welcome to Part 4 of the Friday Friends, Dusty Divas series. I hope your week has been a wonderful one. For those readers who live in or have loved ones in the earthquake affected areas of New Zealand, my thoughts are with you. It is nearly the end of a summer, the days seem to be getting a little shorter and the sun seems to be coming up a little later. I have found myself enjoying what time I can in the garden after work, just catching those last few rays. To round out my February blog posts, focused on all things romantically feminine, it is my great pleasure this week to introduce a new Friday Friend and lovely Dusty Diva - Carmel of Lace and Links

and
Lace and Luxuries

I can tell you from firsthand experience that Carmel's creations are gorgeous. I have these sweet bobby pins

and this gorgeous bracelet made a perfect Christmas gift for a special teenage girl in my life.

I heart these Button flower embellishments with fabric and paper petals

and wish I was a dress size or two smaller so I could squeeze into this beautiful Slip dress made with vintage lace and tea dyed - isn't the detail just gorgeous ?

I invite you now dear readers to sit down with a nice hot cup of tea or coffee if you prefer, and lose yourself for a little while in the luxurious story of Carmel's craft.

The tale of Lace and Links & Lace and Luxuries

Hi I’m Carmel and I’m the face behind Lace and Links and Lace and Luxuries.
I started making jewellery because I couldn't find pieces I like, so I bought some findings for earrings and a few beads to make a couple of pairs-I became addicted to the prettiness, sparkles and variety of beads available.

I started making things for others and then decided I could sell my creations to pay for more stock. To sell, I needed a name and at the time I was making jewellery with pieces of lace and resin so Lace and Links was born. Creating something that I love and then selling it to someone who loves it as much as I do is the best feeling and the idea of my creations being worn in the other side of the world is amazing.

I get bored very easily when I’m creating so I always have more than one thing on the go. I have tried so many different things; the supplies in my craft room would rival a shop. There is always a hook and a ball of crochet cotton in my hand bag and an extra bag of goodies in the luggage when we go on holidays.

Sewing has always been a great creative release for me. For my 8th birthday, my Auntie gave me a box full of cut out dolls dresses, fabric and patterns, scissors and needle and cotton, and I think that’s where my love of sewing started. Mum always sewed our clothes-especially our “good” dresses and I made my own as I got older.

I hate patterns-that could come from me being a control freak-but I like to say that I just like to design and create on my own. I can’t draw at all so all of my creations come from my head and from the beads or fabric as I look at them. A certain bead has to be made into this, that fabric would look great made into that and that doily or length of lace needs to go just there. Trial and error also keeps me creating as one idea leads to another.

Etsy has been wonderful for me. I really had no idea what the internet was, I couldn’t even really use a computer, but have through patience and perseverance I can now do most things I need to for my business. The DUST team-I could write a full article just on the beautiful, helpful and friendly women I have found there. The support I have had both personally and professionally has kept me sane over the last 3 years. I have never met any of them but count them as some of my closest friends.

When I’m not crafting, you can find me either playing with the grandies, spending time with my beautiful family, helping to organise the high school pedal prix team, reading, taking photos or chatting online.