Trashion team spotlight Interview: wabisabi brooklyn

Shop name: wabisabi brooklyn
Shop address: http://www.wabisabibrooklyn.etsy.com/
In a nutshell: decoupage jewelry

Tell us a bit about yourself : They met teaching in Manhattan, but
Naomi Strom and MaryAnne LoVerme of wabisabi brooklyn were soon
getting together for regular days of arts and crafts.
"It started off as a way to relieve stress," says Strom, "But before
long we realized we wanted to share our creations with others."

Whether in Strom's Kensington residence, or in Carroll Gardens, where
LoVerme grew up and still lives, the two quickly focused on decoupage
as their chief creative outlet. Though much-abused in the 1970s, they
use the technique to create uniquely beautiful jewelry. The team uses
vintage elements, recycled papers, and humble metals such as copper to
create their designs.

"We want our pieces to embody the meaning behind the name of our
company," says LoVerme. "Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic concept
that means finding beauty in imperfection. We're always doing that in
our daily lives, so it reflects the way we try to see the beauty in
the grittier parts of Brooklyn, and that comes across in the pieces we
create."

Wabisabi brooklyn creates and sells original, vintage-inspired
decoupage jewelry using a combination of humble and precious metals,
found paper images, and assorted ephemera. Created by school teachers
MaryAnne LoVerme and Naomi Strom in their Brooklyn kitchens, wabisabi
brooklyn designs are available online at http://www.wabisabibrooklyn.etsy.com/, and at
eclectic boutiques across the nation.

Wabisabi brooklyn is a proud member of the Etsy Trashion Street Team.

Trashion materials: copper, coins, recycled paper, upcycled bits from
broken or unloved jewelry

I transform them into: beautiful unique decoupaged jewelry

How do you do it? Using the paper that floods in through junk mail, we
decoupage coins and other shapes, coat them with a protective resin
and put them into our original designs, often using vintage elements
in addition to the recycled paper.

What inspired you to do this and why are you involved in trashion?
We were simultaneously needing a creative outlet and frustrated by the
endless amounts of paper waste in our lives. Decoupaging with the
Japanese aesthetic concept pf wabisabi in mind really helps us to turn
a negative into a positive.

Do you remember the first thing you made using the trashion concept?
What was it?
That would be a necklace using decoupages bottle caps as pendants.

What are your current projects and what is on the horizon?
We are starting to use coins more and to introduce more men's items,
like cuff links made with decoupaged nickels. On the horizon is the
start of the new school year, and I (MaryAnne) will be running a
jewelry making club for the first time, so I am excited about teaching
some younger people about the Trashion philosophy.


Why should people buy handmade, and buy from trashion?
Buying handmade is patriotic - there are so few things manufactured in
the U.S.A. these days, the handmade culture is the way to go. Trashion
adds the wonderful element of responding to consumer culture by
turning trash into treasure.