In 2012, I became ‘Chemo Buddy’ to a very dear friend. The cancer center she went to had various activities for patients and families, one of which was beading. This rekindled a longtime love of working with my hands and before I knew it, I was bringing supplies with me to create handcrafted jewelry pieces. I told myself, “I am not going to turn this into a business, this is to be only for pleasure.” As it turns out, my pleasure (and passion) did become a handcrafted jewelry business after all.
Bead weaving and metalsmithing are two completely different methods for creating handcrafted jewelry, and I honestly can’t choose which is dearer to my heart. My bead weaving pieces are primarily bracelets and necklaces; I will often make a similar piece in small, medium and large sizes. I learned early on that the quality of a finished piece is directly affected by the quality of beads used, so I try to use only the best. Most of my beaded handcrafted jewelry is made with beads from Miyuki, a Japanese company known for making precise, consistent beads. I also love to use Czech beads when I want to add wonderful textures and finishes to an item and when it comes to adding a bit of bling, I insist on Swarovski Crystals.
Beading was my first love in creating handcrafted jewelry, but when I was later introduced to metalsmithing, I was in absolute awe. I work mostly with copper or sterling silver (copper being my first choice). There is something so satisfying about taking an old, unused pipe buried in a barn somewhere and giving it new purpose. Incorporating gemstones with the metal to create one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry is such fun for me. Sometimes I take a torch to a piece of metal and solder the pieces together, other times I construct the piece using rivets and rings in a process called cold connections. I’m always learning new techniques and the possibilities are endless.
So whether you prefer to shop my ready-made designs, you need a special size/color or you want a completely original design created, TapestryGal Designs is ready to make your handcrafted jewelry wishes come true!