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Tell us about yourself.
I’m a full time jeweler, splitting my time between making my jewelry pieces & teaching at my local arts center. I’m based out of Lawrence, Kansas, but escaped briefly to get my degree in photography from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Apart from creating, what do you do?
I teach, as I mentioned above, which is a great way to escape the quiet solitary life of working in my studio. My husband & I also run a real estate business, where we buy junky houses, renovate & then rent them out. We’re fortunate to live in a college town, so there’s always a plethora of ‘project houses’ to work on. My mom started a vineyard several years ago, so I can often be found outside working on grapevines, gardening & playing with my dogs.
How do you get your inspiration?
surprisingly, just by getting new materials…a new stone, or pattern of metal may have a design that just screams to be made. My customers are always a wonderful source…they’re always requesting something new & personalized, which has often led to some of my more popular pieces.
What does handmade mean to you?
knowing the ins & outs of the piece…& truly making as much of it as you can from scratch. I love making something from as raw of a material as you can get- a strip of silver, a simple stone..and then combining it with other elements, be it personalization or custom sizing. I think all handmade pieces should have a unique quality to them & should be quite well made….there’s no factory assembly line to sterilize the piece & take away it’s personality.
Who or what has been most influential in your business development?
Etsy.com
I started on etsy in 2005 as a whim one day, while surfing the net, avoiding my awful desk job. The site was brand new & it looked interesting. I was newly out of art school & floundering for a place in the world. Once I realized I had a good reception to my work on the site (there were only a handful of jewelers at that time), it pushed me to create more & more. That push from my customers really guided me to a wonderful place- being a full time artist, having no ‘boss’ other than my customers, and really letting me explore what I love.
How would you describe your creative process?
it all depends on what I’m going for…if it’s a custom order, I do a lot of photographs & sketches (mostly on the computer, as I’ve regressed in my drawing skills!). I explain the options & give my ideas for how I think something would work best. From there, I just start working with metal. I mostly work in sterling silver, finding it the perfect medium to work with.
If it’s something unique I’m making just on a whim, I play around with my materials, be it wax for casting, or just sheet metal & wire. Not all pieces work well, but the beauty of sterling silver is any mess ups can be melted down & recycled into a cast piece. Stones will often sit on my bench for months at a time until I decide of the perfect way to pair them with metal.
Who is your favorite artist, designer or craftsman?
Damien Hirst…I think he’s an arrogant artist, but his work is fun & playful, even a bit morbid. It really speaks to me.
Do you have and love a handmade thing other than your own creations?
a quilt my mother in law made me for our wedding
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I’d love to stay on the path I’m going- having successful web business & getting in the occasional catalog (I’m currently in the http://peruvianconnection.com/ magazine, & have been in food network & pregnancy magazine among others). I love working with my customers on a one on one basis & I hope that never changes.
How is your life changed since you started creating?
I’ve learned so much, about business, customer service, and just techniques in general…I never stop learning.
Doing this full time has allowed me a wonderfully flexible schedule & I’m so much happier. I LOVE being able to sleep late in the mornings & create my own schedule…it’s awesome.
What piece of advise you have for other people?
work hard at what you do, and LOVE it. People see the passion in your work. Create often & always learn new techniques.
04/27/2011