Appealingly Bold Paper Jewelry by Francesca Vitali

The statement earrings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and rings that designer Francesca Vitali creates by folding paper strips first caught my eye in 2009. I enjoyed featuring her in the very early days of this blog and a number of times since then. It's always a delight to see the array of new styles she invents, each with recognizable flair. 

 

 

 

Francesca cuts paper sheets that are oh so carefully selected in just the saturated, vivid color she has in mind, but also 'old' papers... discarded magazines, outdated maps, catalogs, and shopping bags are all fair game in her studio. When the weaving process is completed, she coats the finished piece with acrylic medium to protect the paper from moisture and everyday use. 

 

 

Francesca and I had a chance to chat recently and I asked her to...

 

Tell us about your newest collection.

 

 

It is called Brush Strokes. All of the pieces are made with a fantastic shade of teal paper that I paint with iridescent acrylic gold paint. This is the first time I have altered an original paper color in a controlled manner. All the colors of my pieces come from the paper I use, and previously the only way I altered them was by applying gold leaf, as seen in my Gold Leaf Collection. The leaf application process is totally random and I can control very little of the final look.

 

Alternatively with the new Brush Strokes pieces, I am in control. Perhaps this is my response to the unpredictability of Covid times... it fulfills my need to do something where I know it is going, as opposed to before when I didn’t mind the loss of control. 

 

What has work-life been like in the midst of a pandemic?

 

"All in-person shows have been cancelled and probably won't restart until Fall of 2021. They were my livelihood, but also my social outlet. I realize now that when Covid hit, a big part of the grief I felt was the loss of that component in my life. Slowly but surely I am rebuilding that experience on Instagram. This is why every Thursday I make myself a coffee and record a weekly recap that can be viewed via my Story for 24 hours. I take the word social in social media very seriously. :)"

[Allow me to insert that if you're on Instagram, you really should follow Francesca. I love her Stories, accent, the charismatic way she expresses herself... I could fan-girl more, but let's get on with the interview.]

  

How are you reaching customers in this challenging time?

 

"A Covid work-around is that I now do Zoom or FaceTime virtual shopping appointments. This can be strange at first for people who aren't used to these mediums so I made a video to show what a video call looks like. All of the ones I've done have been easy to navigate and really fun."

 

 

"Coming up via Zoom on Saturday, December 12 is Art Party Central. There will be two shows, one at 2:30 PM EST and the other at 5:30 PM EST with myself and five other artists. It will be a very fun way to spend an hour or so, and at the end we will offer all participants a 10% discount to be used at each of our websites. There will also be a drawing with six winners for a $50 gift certificate, one for each artist's shop. Sign up on my Instagram." 

 

 

And you've been busy building a new website.

 

"Yes! One more thing I would love to highlight is my brand new website, Francesca Vitali Paper Jewelry. I designed it to be more informal than I would have made it before Covid. If there is anything I have learned during this time, it is the importance of communication and the need to form and nourish the maker/buyer/collector relationship."

 

 

"I realized that the typical old-style artist website can be a little intimidating. One of the things I love most about social media is how easy it is to approach a person. I have been on the receiving end of this and have personally contacted artists whose work I love. I never would have walked up to that person in the real world as I can be very shy, however, I have no problem doing it on Instagram! It is my goal to have my website feel just as approachable."

 

Francesca Vitali

 

 

"I only very recently started to send a newsletter and this was a discovery of Covid as well. Previously, I collected emails, but never sent newsletters because I didn’t like to receive them. Now I feel the opposite... I cherish each newsletter I get from small businesses and artists. I love to hear from them, what they are doing, what is going on. 

 

So this is what I’m doing with mine... I send an update every week or so about what is going on in my studio, show new pieces, and I hope to soon start featuring people wearing my work as well."

 

 

A U.S. giveaway of a pair of Francesca's colorful, detachable dangle earrings (stud or clip) is underway on Instagram through Monday, December 7, 2020. They will be made in the winner's choice of color or two colors. Here are some options...

Francesca would like to alert you to a Retirement Party sale that is taking place on her website until December 29. It features upcycled paper earrings (shown below) that have been a successful line for many years, but she will most likely not be making these Vmag designs in the future.

 

 

 

Visit Francesca's new website where you can sign up for 10% off your first order, sneak peeks, and exclusive access to studio events. Follow updates via Instagram and Facebook. 

 

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If you make a purchase, I will receive a 

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