My Story
I’ve loved tiny things since I was a girl, my imagination fed by picking up pebbles in a clear stream that ran under the railroad near our yellow house, studying the Native American beads collected from plowed fields, or gazing in wonder at the bejeweled fireflies that lit up a summer night in my tiny Illinois hometown. My favorite toy was a one-inch plastic teddy bear I named Burford, and by some miracle after moving more than a dozen times across two states, I still have him.
As an adult, I happened to learn about the plastic qualities inherent in metal while taking a metalsmithing class. I simply wanted to learn how to make my own necklace clasps and ear wires to enhance polymer clay beads I’d made, but instead came away with a burning desire to learn more: how to move metal, bend it, and solder it together. An outcome is the precious metal jewelry I make, known for its attention to detail and one-of-a-kind quality (I rarely work in series or multiples – I get bored easily!). My love of small things and passion for metalwork have combined into my perfect profession: designing and creating hand-forged, fabricated jewelry. It doesn’t hurt that I’m a tool geek and writer as well. These elements gather that which a bountiful imagination has to offer: dreams made by hand.
Later in my metalsmiths journey, I happened across vitreous enameling, which is the application of ground glass applied to a metal substrate. In my case, it’s mostly two-dimensional (wall-hung) works on copper. I’m loving it!
I’m the Founder and President of Indy Metalsmith, formerly hosted on Meetup.com, currently hosted as a Facebook Page. I wrote “The Complete Idiots Guide to Making Metal Jewelry” (Alpha Books) for those who wish to bring their own dreams to life in metal. Past President of the Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association (IDADA) and past Vice President of IDADA:TURF, an art installation during the Super Bowl in Indy. In another life, I worked as a Project Management Professional/Construction Manager. My husband and I live in Indianapolis near my downtown studio, where I keep an enormous collection of tools as pets.
Intuitive Design
My design approach is intuitive, based upon inspirations in nature, architecture, dreams, conversations, rust and grit. The ancient combined with the modern. The one-of-a-kind.
Custom Jewelry
