Local Featured Seller: ElenaMakesThings

Who are you?
My name is Elena Bondar. On Etsy, I am ElenaMakesThings and my shop is Odds & Ends.

Where are you located?
I currently live in Cary, North Carolina. I have lived in the Raleigh/Cary area for the past thirteen years.

What is your favorite place to visit in the "triangle"?
I love going to the JC Raulston Arboretum. It is so beautiful year-round! For me, it is a very inspiring and peaceful place; I often take my camera along and take photos of plants for inspiration.

What do you create?
I make felted jewelry and accessories, particularly necklaces, scarves, and purses. I primarily use wet felting techniques to create my pieces and enjoy including a variety of textiles for texture. My approach to making felt celebrates the beauty of organic shapes and natural textures.

Why did you choose your medium?
I love felting because the materials and the process of felt-making are so organic: I am always amazed by the endless combinations and textures that can be created by the relatively simple process of laying out layers of wool roving, spraying them with warm soapy water, and rubbing to form a durable fiber as sturdy or as fine as I wish.

When did you start creating?
I discovered felting a little over a year ago when browsing felted scarves on Etsy! I had always been curious about felt and the beautiful organic textures I saw finally inspired me to try it for myself. I learned through trial and error, as well as by reading books and blogs. Initially, I only made simple scarves, but later I began to branch out into jewelry and more complex felting techniques/fiber combinations.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by nature and all sorts of unusual vintage things I find at the Raleigh flea market. My felted pieces often celebrate natural forms or Victorian-Era fashion. My other interests—including illustration, photography, and graphic design—also influence my felted art.

Where do you create?
I work at my home; I make felt in the garage or on the kitchen table, then embellish my pieces and photograph them either in the house or elsewhere.

Why did you choose your shop name?
When I opened Odds & Ends last June, I had no idea that I would fall in love with felt-making. I had been interested in jewelry-making and illustration, and thought that Odds & Ends was an appropriate name for my shop, since I had planned to sell a-little-bit-of-this and a-little-bit-of-that. I still think that the name is appropriate because I offer a variety of accessories, from scarves, to earrings.

What do you do when you are not creating?
I work as a graphic designer. My free time is devoted to felting, photography, illustration, and batik.

--Learn more about Elena on her personal website and flickr