My Journey To Becoming A Jewelry Artisan

July 19, 2015 2 Comments

So, I've had my website and blog up and running for a few months now and decided it's time to share with you how I got started making jewelry.

I have always had a love for creating things. For years, I dreamed of being able to make a living using my creative talents. My first love was photography...specifically, landscapes and nature. I love traveling and being outdoors and took up photography to capture the beauty God created. As you may know, the best light for outdoor photography is sunrise and sunset. I spent many vacations waking up early in the morning and trekking to my scouted destination in the dark in order to be there at sunrise. The image below was taken on a beautiful chilly morning in the Grand Tetons. When I arrived at the location I had chosen the day before, I saw that someone had set up a small tent and spent the night in order to be there at first light. First light came and went and finally a guy crawls from the tent only to realize he had slept through the morning light. He was not a happy camper...literally. The Rocky Mountains are a magical place for me. (Sorry for the image quality...I snapped this from a framed print under glass. This was long before the digital age so I have only have negatives and the print I made).

As much as I love travel photography, I wanted to find something that I could do at home. As a child, I had taken art lessons in pastels and oil but had always loved the fluidity of watercolor. I signed up for a watercolor class and fell in love with the medium. And I had oodles of subject matter to choose from...my portfolio of outdoor photos!  One of my favorite watercolors is this colorful sunflower painting.  

Then one day I was browsing the internet looking for a specific style necklace and found one I liked from a wonderful shop on Etsy. That necklace inspired me to try designing a piece of jewelry for myself. I headed out to Michaels to buy beads, wire and a few other supplies, sat down to "create" and...nothing. I would string a few beads together, decide I didn't like the design...try it again with different beads...still didn't like the design. Stringing beads into a pleasing design was harder than I expected. So after a few days of "beading" without being happy with the outcome, I put jewelry making aside.

But I've never been a quitter and I couldn't quit thinking about it. I continued to be inspired by other artists' work. Metalwork began to appeal to me so I decided to read and watch videos to learn more about becoming a metalsmith. I went to a local bead show and purchased a jeweler's saw, a dapping punch set, metal stamps and copper. After spending time with my new tools, my true love affair with jewelry design began.  

At the time, I was working full-time in the marketing field but was thinking ahead to the day I could devote more time to my creative aspirations. Although I had sold a few photographs and watercolor paintings, I realized that designing jewelry was more in line with my desire to make a living doing something I love. So after a couple of years creating pieces for myself, family and friends, I decided to venture into the world of Etsy and share my designs with others. It has now been nearly five years since I opened my shop and I am thrilled to have so many wonderful customers who have made my business a success!. 

In late 2013, I began designing and selling jewelry full time. I am very fortunate to be able to do something I love and so thankful God blessed me with the talent and skills to make it all possible. The takeaway from this is...dreams do come true. Just keep chasing that dream...one day it will happen.

Blessings,

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