Flutter Mother is a small American-based jewellery business that is run by designer Madeline. Inspired by intuition, Madeline handcrafts all her macrame designs and jewellery pieces by hand, in her home studio in Connecticut. Join us in this week's designer interview as she gives us more insight into her business and design process. 

How did your brand begin?

Flutter Mother began just as a hobby during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020. 
 
I enjoyed creating jewellery; eventually, some of my friends noticed and encouraged me to post my work on social media. 
 
I stayed up late every night working to create new designs and film content for my page. After the first few months, one of my TikTok videos gathered a lot of attention, and it boosted a large amount of traffic to my shop. 
 
I chose the butterfly as a mascot because of the growth and change I experienced throughout my journey, and I want others to know that they are strong enough to create their own change as well.
 
When did you first fall in love with designing and knew you wanted to become a designer?
 
Growing up, I was always a very creative soul. I would find all sorts of different rocks, empty jars, and basically anything that would be considered trash by anyone else. I would find ways to make them into useful items or decorations, and my room was always cluttered with my art. 
 
As I grew older, I began to find my passion for making jewellery. I fell in love with the different ways that I could express myself through accessorizing outfits, and loved having pieces that were one of a kind. I took pride in being able to say "I made it" when somebody asked me where my necklace was from. 
 
I always knew I wanted to keep creating for the rest of my life, but I had no idea what types of amazing opportunities would open up for me because of this.
 
 
Where do you draw inspiration from for your designs?
 
I draw the majority of my inspiration from intuition. 
 
For amulets, I meditate with the crystal before I wrap it to see how I can best enhance its beauty and energy. This is how I determine cord colours, bead colours, and anything else needed to prepare before knotting. Once assembled around the crystal, I knot in patterns that come to my intuitively so that no two amulets are exactly the same. 
 
For a few of my items, I do the same patterns, like bracelets, rings, and earrings. This is because those designs are my most popular or requested.
 
How are your products made?
 
My products are made in my home studio solely by me. 
 
I spend hours every week working to create the most perfect pieces for my customers. 
 
This requires sorting many different beads and crystals, measuring lengths of cord, and packaging orders that have already been placed. 
 
I make sure to ground myself before starting my work every time, and take great care with every single knot.
 
 
Are there any specific manufacturing/crafting techniques you use? 
 
My main method of creation is called macrame, which is the art of tying knots. 
 
Many different cultures throughout history have used macrame as both a functional tool and form of art. I use micro macrame to create small knots in succession to build up to a finished, wearable jewellery piece.
 
Tell us about some of your most inspiring clients, or bespoke commissions. 
 
My most inspiring clients are the ones who reach back out to me after receiving their products. 
 
I absolutely LOVE to see what they look like being worn and the different ways my customers style the pieces. 
 
It makes all of the hard work worth it to see the joy my art can bring someone.
 
 
Are there any celebrities you would love to see wearing your designs? 
 
There are a few celebrities I would love to see wearing my pieces, my top 4 being Stevie Nicks, Lana Del Rey, Florence Welch, and Sarah Baska. 
 
Their work inspires me every day and I would love to be able to see the ways they style my pieces. 
 
How do you want someone to feel when they wear/use your designs?
 
When someone wears my designs, I want them to feel beautiful and empowered. 
 
Jewellery is one of the most effective ways that we can express ourselves, and I want my customers to feel special when they wear a Flutter Mother piece. 
 
Uniqueness is what I strive for with my work, and I want my beautiful customers to feel comfortable expressing their individuality.
 
 
What music do you play in the studio whilst you’re working? 
 
I am actually about to finish my bachelor's degree in music, and my current favourite artists are Tame Impala, Mac Ayres, and Alex Isley. I have also been studying and taking lessons in Irish flute, and my current favourite band is Flook.
 
What drew you to JewelStreet? 
 
JewelStreet is unlike any other company that I have worked with before. They take the time to get to know your brand in-depth, and there is always someone you can contact to help solve a problem. 
 
I am from the USA, and I can confidently say that there aren't many companies like that here. 
 
With JewelStreet, I feel that my brand and my company's values are accurately represented and appreciated.  
 
Thank you for talking with us Madeline!