design jewelry

I thought it would be fun to try something more challenging than wire and beads, so I finally found a local silversmith class and have been to 3 classes so far. I’ve learned to cut and solder a simple silver wire ring, and now I’m cutting and filing a pendant of my own design.

My creativity flows through wire and beads. I began making jewelry as fun, inexpensive gifts for family and friends. The process was so fulfilling it became a ritual. I love the creativity of my job as a landscape architect, but it is fast paced work with high expectations from clients. My jewelry doesn’t hold me to any standards: the imperfections of each piece are part of its charm. Some are elegant, some quirky, and some end up back in the bin, ready to be recycled. I’ve had so many complements on my creations I hosted a jewelry making party for all of my girlfriends. We made earrings, shared favorite snacks, and indulged in serious girl chat.

My happiest memories of my Grandmother involve the two of us sifting through her jewelry boxes. She had a knack for finding and repairing interesting jewelry. We created our own scavenger hunts by scouring garage sales and thrift shops for treasures. She knew the difference between valuable finds and worthless imitations, but to me, even the cheap costume jewelry was fit for a princess. I never left Grandma’s house without a shiny bauble or two. Each one could provide an escape into a fantastic world of imagination. The wooden beads turned me into Pocahontas. The rhinestone necklaces were priceless pirate spoils guarded by mermaids.

I still explore flea markets and antique fairs looking for jewelry. I love taking apart broken or mismatched pieces and assembling them into something new. Giving purpose to a pile of wire and beads is inspiring, because sometimes life can feel like that broken jewelry: scattered and disassembled. But with a little time and creativity, endless numbers of solutions reveal themselves. This shell with those beads or a pretty stone with that ribbon: there are so many possibilities.

I am continually working on creating more jewelry that fits different types of people…of course i feel most comfortable with things i know i’d wear, but know sometimes you have to break outside of that. i’ve learned. it renews me.

There’s nothing more satisfying than designing your first necklace, bracelet or pair of earrings! There are so many options for designing jewelry. The materials and methods are almost unlimited.

I publish a blog that helps other jewelry designers find a market for their designs at http://www.netbead.com. I also have an email list where I send out a new handmade jewelry marketing tip every four days. If you’d like to join, just email me

saw some really cool jewelry at an art fair. it could be the inspiration…

I really can’t believe that I’ve been working on this goal for the past nine (?) weeks. I decided to take a beading class through my university, and I’ve learned a lot of the basic techniques. In addition, I’m going to be selling some of my things at an art and bake sale through the university! I’m rather excited but nervous at the same time; since I’m pretty green at this whole thing. I’ve decided to call my jewelry endeavor “Beringia.” We’ll see how well this works.

It helps to have some constant so that it almost forces you to continue doing it.