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Meet Rosalie, friend and collaborator of the Lady Dandelion fam. All those beautiful jewelry sets you see in our collection...they are handmade by her in Venice Beach. A fellow California Girl and true mermaid at heart, Rosalie resides with her pup and crafts her pieces with the Venice sun pouring down on her. Her spirit is made of sunshine and her smile is just as bright. Read along to hear more on how we produce our jewelry pieces together, as well as her inspirations for her own line Rosalie Jade, and more.
How did you decide to become a jewelry maker/designer?
I have always had a passion for creating art; everything from oil painting to metal smithing. I remeber when I was in first grade, I would sit in bed with my mom at night and make little beaded bracelets while watching soap operas. I ended up selling the bracelets to my friends on the play ground for a dollar. I have continued to make my own jewelry pieces throughout the years and one day, I decided that I wanted to make my passion a business.
Can you tell us about your process and how you make everything for your line & Lady Dandelion pieces?
I have found with designing in general that creativity comes and goes. If I am not feeling inspired, I cannot force an idea. I have learned to accept the process and to be easy on myself. The inspiration will eventually come and the creativity will follow.
My process usually begins with an idea. I am the type of person that once I have an idea, I need to act on it immediately. So I will make a little scratch drawing of what it is that I want to create. Then I think about how I am going to make this piece. Will i need to create a wax mold? Solder? Wire wrap? Source any stones? I have a little garage studio space in my neighborhood in Venice where I have all the necessary tools to execute whatever it is that I am making.
Creating with Lady Dandelion is a unique experience. Danielle comes to me with an idea and I give her my thoughts on how we can execute the idea. From there we are bouncing ideas back and forth until we settle on something that we both love. Sometimes it takes 5 tries to get it right. We’ll have to change a material, maybe add or remove something, but eventually, we land on something special. It is such a beautiful thing to share creativity with another human, especially a friend. It keeps things fresh and helps to inspire me in my own life.
What does an ideal day look like for you?
I love to start my day by waking up early and getting my body moving. Whether it be a yoga class, a skate or walk to the beach with my dog; I like to wake up and go. From there it goes coffee, sunshine, a dip in the ocean, a read and a delicious meal with a tasty glass of vino. Ideally, I want to go to sleep sun kissed, inspired and sleepy.
What does being a "California Girl" mean to you?
On a surface level, I picture a “California Girl” as a beach babe with blonde hair, blue eyes and a surfboard in her hand. I think that being a “California Girl” is defined by my realtionship to this luscious land that I call home. Nothing quite compares to the ocean, mountains, farmland, desert, lakes and rivers, all under one ever shining sun. Being a part of this magical place is essential to my happiness, whether I am basking in the sun, jumping in the ocean, surfing, hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains, skating through my neighborhood or shopping at my local farmer’s market.
Women you look up to most?
A woman in my life that I look up to is my Nani (grandmother), Maryjane Tanzillo. My Nani passed away about 10 years ago now, but something that I have always looked up to was her independence. She was the toughest woman I have ever met and was undeniably herself. She didn’t care what anyone thought of her and she didn’t take sh!t from anyone. What a babe!
Which piece from the LD collection can you not stop wearing and how do you style it?
I am obsessed with the Dandelion Short Dress in Pink Lemonade. Not only is the fabric adorable but the fit is perfect. What I love about this dress is that I can wear it all day long with sneakers (it’s cozy!) or I can rock it with a pair of boots or heels and some hoops at night.
Current life motto/mantra?
Bad days are time consuming, and I am a very busy girl.
Current muse or inspiration?
Mama Earth with a splash of Rihanna. :)