Behind the Scenes: Jewelry Work/Life

Working on stone chip earrings at the Slanted Desk

My day starts at 5:50am. Or rather, it is supposed to. Most weekdays I wake up, fumble with my phone to turn off the alarm (Another Way to Die from Quantum of Solace's soundtrack-fitting?) and then lie in a state of comatose until my mother notices I've not made it to the coffee pot yet.

Then there is school, which is draining in and of itself (I am very much looking forwards to college next year! I expect it to be a big contrast). The good news? I am in the art room 80% of the day working with my paints or in the darkroom.

Afterwards, I run errands, take a walk, unwind from the day, and work on whatever open art project I might have. There comes a time in the evening however, that I greatly enjoy; catching up on business work, usually with a cuppa on my nightstand. For, as much as I enjoy creating jewelry, branding and communication is equally enjoyable and fascinating for me. I love shooting photography, creating business cards/banners, and designing the next piece of jewelry I'm going to make.

To me, jewelry is the crossroads between graphics design and sculpture that allows aesthetics to meet chosen materials. When Nancy (mum) and I decided to open an Etsy shop a couple of years ago, I was 110% for it. I love the community that I've found through Etsy, and the skills I've gained through helping to run a shop there have been so helpful.

A piece of jewelry usually starts with me looking at my materials. I tend to keep a stock of various semiprecious stone chips on hand as well as silver plated wire, czech glass beads, and some specialty items as well (including beads from this shop). Nancy is the one with the yarn stock and polymer clay that you see in our store, but our styles are often very similar, which is what makes us work so nicely together.

It is an adventure, no doubt, and I want to stress the importance of doing some things that you love in life. Hobbies and passions, whether they turn into businesses or just stay hobbies, are things that not only take up some time, but teach you things about yourself and the world around you. Trying something new every once in a while doesn't hurt either!