The Adventure Begins (November, 2025)
Between my love for making things with my hands and big jewelry… it’s a wonder I didn’t start silversmithing earlier. In fact, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for ages.
In May of 2025, the day after Mother’s Day, my Mom told me she had been diagnosed with cancer. During the next six months, I made the three-hour drive back and forth to my hometown of Portland as often as I could. Each trip stirred up an unsettled, anxious feeling within me. In the back of my mind, it felt like I was counting how many times I could see her before she might be gone. Most visits seemed touched by a somber air… attempting to connect on a deeper level without it feeling contrived from the urge to get it done before she croaks. Too much love almost implied we had little hope. AND SO- (my apologies for the sad intermission, but it is truly needed for context-) I started finding things to add to my agenda while in Portland to try to bring some normalcy, levity, and distraction for the anxiety machine.
One of these things was a new tattoo, but the most notable that would change me forever much more than permanent ink ever would… a silversmithing class from Midnight Pacific Studios on setting stones in statement rings. This is where I made the labradorite and sterling silver ring you see on the left.
Sinking my sadness into something transformative like making a flat sheet of silver into a wearable piece of art has been a huge helping hand through my grieving process. It really feels like I found where I’m supposed to be. ♥
My beloved Mama passed away in December, but first got to see me find my way to silversmithing. As a woman with a large silver jewelry collection and appreciation for good design, she could see the magic in my newfound love. I’m thankful for that.
Setting Up Shop (February, 2026)
If you stuck it out and read the sad song of how my foray into creating jewelry… thank you. It took me some time to come through the fog of that loss, but I sunk as much energy as I could into building my jewelry workshop.
