I never considered myself an artist until I started pursuing a hobby of making jewelry in 2009. I began simply, by assembling chains, charms and beads that I found at my local craft store at my kitchen table, but quickly found my interests changing. I wanted to learn to create more metalwork art and fabricate pieces that were a bit more substantial. I was a little intimidated to learn to use a torch and more complex tools, but found my curiosity stronger than the fear. I started researching metalworking techniques and collecting tools and materials to experiment with. I took a few basic metals classes at a local jewelry supply store and fell in love. I decided I wanted to pursue metalwork as a career and dove in! I began a long journey of finding my stride as an artist, figuring out my individual design style and learning as much as I could to advance my skillset. I melted a lot of silver. I found the wrong way to do a lot of things. Through this experimentation and practice, I found a confidence in working with metal that I am grateful for today. Since starting my career in jewelry design, I have created hundreds of heirloom quality jewelry pieces, traveled the United States showing in art shows and festivals and have taught countless students how to create jewelry for themselves.

 

The road to get where I am has not been smooth. When I first started out, I had a great product to sell, but didn't have a clue how to sell the items. I took bad photos, built a subpar website and attended shows and markets that were not well suited for my business. I made mistakes in ordering metals that cost me money, I pursued wholesale accounts for all the wrong reasons. I learned a hundred lessons along the way and almost all of them cost me money or time, sometimes both. I went through some personal struggles and a divorce that caused me to loose my motivation for a while. Everyone's journey is hard, mine is no different. The love of the craft and a passion for the business keep me pushing forward because I cannot imagine doing anything else.

 

In the art community, I am known as the "metal girl". I use semi-precious stones in a lot of my designs, but I enjoy working with different metals most of all. Something I am particularly proud of is how unique my customers find my designs. I often hear that people haven't seen anything like my style of art and that makes me happy. To create art in a popular field like jewelry, it can be hard to stand out. I use modern lines and simple shapes to create a sleek line of pieces that can range from the everyday to bold and special. I like my accessories to make a statement and you will find a lot of unique designs in my collection. I do not think I am the most skilled metalsmith out there, but I strive to improve my craft all the time and feel that my style is the thing that sets me apart from the rest.