1. What is Macha Designs? Macha offers handmade wire-wrapping jewelry that is uniquely designed only using semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, or Swarovski crystals, combined with 14k gold filled or sterling silver metals. 2. What does Macha mean, how did you come up with such an intriguing name? Macha means “green tea” in Japanese. When I needed a name for my new business, I looked around and noticed many emerging jewelry designers used their own names as business names. Well, I didn’t want to be like them because I thought it was dull and uncreative. But I did want to keep the business name personal and meaningful. Since I am a green tea addict who loves all things Japanese, Macha just made sense to me. Plus I love the way it sounds, so fun and spunky. 3. Take us from idea to creation in your jewelry pieces? Since I am a visual person, I usually like to make my new designs by first picking out the main stones I want in the new piece. For example, if I’ve made a lot of colorful pieces already, I may want to pick out something simple and universal, like a clear or black stone, to keep my collection balanced. Once my center piece is picked out, I’d stare at it, let my imagination go wild, and then ideas will just come naturally. 4. Are your pieces one-of-a-kind? Yes, every piece is one-of-a-kind and hand-made by me. 5. What are your thoughts on the “Celebrity Gift Bag” gifting idea? How do you feel about the latest publicist of Lindsay Lohan asking Indie designers to donate gifts to her girlfriends as favors? I think it is a great idea for any designer who wants to make it big. The kind of marketing you get from celebrities like Lindsay Lohan is worth millions. These donations are small, but smart investments. 6. What are your favorite materials to work with? I like working with colorful semi-precious stones, especially chalcedony. I love their half translucent and milky hues. 7. Tell us something about Tracy, who is she? I am an active person with many hobbies. By day, I keep it real and climb the corporate ladder like everybody else. By night, I make jewelries to keep my creative juices flowing. I am also a part-time singer on weekends, and I practice karate twice a week. I value variety and versatility, and I think you can see that through my designs. 8. Where can your jewelry be bought? I sell ready-made pieces at fashion events and festivals in Northern California. But customers can also place special orders by emailing me. Macha pieces are not available for purchase in stores or online. 9. Do you take personal to be made orders? Actually, everything I sell outside of events are made-to-order. I like keeping my customer base intimate and special. 10. What is your favorite search engine? Google. I am a loyal Google fan. Less