Why Handmade?

I love to create with my hands. When I was a kid, my Mom taught me to knit, crochet, sew, do needlepoint. We would make pot holders, knit with a knitting knobby (anyone remember knitting knobbies?), and do paint by numbers. I still love paint by numbers till this day. When I walk through a crafts store and see those kits, I am always tempted to pick one up. At the holidays, I was usually given some kind of craft kit. I remember I received a candle making kit, some kind of weird plaster type kit with molds and paints that I loved, and a bead loom.

I started drawing regularly when my older sister gave me my first sketch book and a set of pastels when I was about 12. I still have that sketchbook in my studio now. The only thing I was interested in drawing was lions. Momma lions, baby lions, momma and baby lions. You get the picture.

As a teenager, I would spend time in my room alone drawing. My parents were a bit concerned as to why I wasn't outside with friends, but I was very happy alone creating.

Studied art in high school and college. And just knew more and more that this was a large part of who I am. A creative person.

This is just a brief background of my creative history.

Back to present day. When I make jewelry, I am putting all of these talents into my creation. They are all a part of me. I like making one-of-a-kind pieces that I feel will be special to whomever wears them. Jewelry is wearable art. Handmade jewelry is more unique that manufactured, because they are not mass produced. The artist has her hands on every single piece that is made. You will not see another person walking down the street with the same earrings or necklace on as you. This is where the value of handmade comes in. The piece that you purchase is yours and yours alone.

As the artist, I am very committed to making a quality item. It is important that I use quality metals and beads, and that each piece is made to to last for years. If there is ever a problem with a piece, because I have made it, I can fix it. That is my commitment to my work and my customers. I want my customers to be very happy with their jewelry. As the artisan, I can also customize my jewelry to specific needs or desires (color, length of necklace, etc.) which you will not get with manufactured pieces.

When purchasing handmade items, it is nice to know a little bit about what went into creating each piece. The idea behind the piece, what materials were used. Most artisans would be glad to share that information with interested people. This is also a unique feature to purchasing handmade.

Many people appreciate receiving handmade gifts from family members or friends. I know I feel like a lot of thought and caring went into the gift giving and the creation of the gift. I think a lot of people feel that way.

That's enough for now. I need to get back to my creations!