getting to know.... Alina from Hanaletters

Greetings all! Well, as promised (although a little later than promised) I have a shiny new little blog segment, which I plan to do weekly. And here we are at the firstest, shiniest, brand-newest post - yay! My hope is that this 'Getting to Know...' segment will give you a little, tiny glimpse into the worlds of some very talented artists and crafters from across the globe, as they answer a few 'mini interview' questions.
To kick things off, I'd like to introduce Alina, the talent behind Etsy shop Hanaletters. I hope this tempts you to visit Alina's Etsy shop or blog, so you can better appreciate her remarkable talent!
Thank you Alina for sharing a little piece of your beautiful world with us!
Oh and make sure you scroll to the end to see more of Alina's beautiful felt jewellery :)

image and design copyright Hanaletters 2010

* When did you first start making your felt jewellery, and what inspired you to start?
It was about a year ago when felt and I shook hands for the first time, we met accidentally but after a few cuts and stitches we instantly became good friends. Felt speaks in rainbows and I heart rainy days so you cannot imagine how many secrets we share together, felt and I.

* Where do you get your inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from the things that make me happy. I'm addicted to Japanese and Korean cuteness, I've been watching anime and reading manga for over 5 years now, plus I love children illustrations and poetry, small animals, toys (especially cute dolls), fairytales and all the little things that can be hidden in your pocket, hihi.

* What do you like to do for fun or relaxation?
I sew for fun, I always smile while sewing, I read books, play ping pong, watch Korean dramas and eat strawberry ice cream with my boyfriend. I'm having so much fun while spending my time like this!

* Tell us something about where you live...
I live in Oz together with my felt girls and animals, we play in the sand, drink orange juice and listen to loud music, haha. When the girls go shopping they never forget to bring back an extra bottle of milk for me so I always like to sew new clothes for them.
Nonsense you say? Well yes, but isn't this exactly what we are all wishing for? I surely do.
You want to visit? OK, then I'll reveal my secret, I live in a fish. I mean Pinocchio and I, we both share a room. No seriously check out a map and see for yourself that my country looks like a fish, is called Romania and swims somewhere in Europe. I spent my life in a small city called Arad. Here life is quiet and people are kind but the river that lives alongside with us gets moody from time to time. We have too many cars and too many stray cats for such a small place but I love my hometown.

* What is your favourite food?
Chocolate, chocolate, yum-yum. Does it count? No? I thought so. Actually my favourite food is rice. I can eat rice with pretty much anything. I'm sort of obsessed with Basmati rice, haha.

images and designs copyright Hanaletters 2010