Spreading Good Cheer Giveaway: 4th of July

Today, I would like to introduce one amazing lady and crafty fellow blogger friend. Meet Oksana, from Oksana Plus Hobbies.

Oksana wrote to me one day and we decided to do a craft exchange. She would make me a pretty turquoise necklace, in return for one of my little embroidered pouches. Well, the exchange was settled, but I decided to turn it into a giveaway + interview post because this little lady is just about amazing. When the blog title says Oksana PLUS HOBBIES, she absolutely is not kidding.

1. First of all, please tell us a little about yourself!

Hello my dear bloggers! I’d like to thank Chui for the opportunity to tell you
about myself. My name is Oksana. I’m a girl from Siberia. You would think that
I’m tough and used to cold and snowy weather, but I’m not. I hate cold, maybe
this is why I now live in California :).

2. Living in an exciting city like LA, can you introduce one of your favorite spots?

I’m also a city girl (yes, there are big cities in Siberia). Maybe this is why I
immediately fell in love with Los Angeles. The Old Town in Pasadena is my
favorite place to hang out. And of course, Santa Monica which is near perfect—
has a beautiful beach + the Promenade, the street with all my favorite stores and a
shopping mall.

3. Tell us more about your passion for creating jewelry. Why jewelry, how you got started, who/ what was your inspiration, how long you've been doing this.

After I graduated from a medical school “100 years ago”, I landed my first job as
a psychiatrist at a hospital for mentally ill. Wait, what psychiatry has to do with
jewelry? It’s funny, but one of my first recollections about that time is looking
at stunning jewelry pieces my colleague used to wear. Later, she told me that her
husband made them for her. I couldn’t imagine even in my wildest dreams that
one day I would be making my own cabochon earrings. But here I am, taking
jewelry classes at a community college.

4. Do you have any new exciting craft projects in the works?

I’m always working on something, a necklace, earrings, etc. I also like to cross-
stitch, sew, take pictures and blog in my spare time.

5. Do you have any words of advice/ encouragement for fellow crafters out there?

A word of advice/encouragement for fellow crafters: Be open to constantly
learning new things/skills. Get out of a rut/comfort zone, and take risks:
experiment with a new craft/technique/project. It will be exciting, maybe
frustrating at times, but you will advance at the end. And most of all: your
everyday life won’t be boring. I’m taking an applique class this month :).


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Check out Oksana's blog for crafty DIY tutorials, especially on jewelry making, as well as to read about her latest hobbies. She also has a gallery of photos of her past projects. You can email her with custom orders!

We're doing a giveaway on Oksana's turquoise necklace!

This giveaway is open to international readers, but you'll have to be either a follower of ElephantisLove or Oksana Plus Hobbies or BOTH!

Leave a comment below to enter, and don't forget to include your email address so I can contact the winner!

The giveaway is open till 11:59PM EST on July 13, Friday the 13th! *gasp* and the winner will be picked via Random.org. Have a great 4th of July and good luck!