May’s Metalsmithing Challenge
Top Left: Rebel Heart Ring by Andrea Ring (@amuckdesign). Hand forged sterling silver and aura opal heart. Purchase here.
Top Right: Little by Little the Bird Builds It’s Nest by Kristin Larson (@kristinlarsonjewelry). Cast sterling silver. Contact Kristin to purchase.
Center: Courage by Beth Judge (@bethanndesigns). Sterling silver, copper, enamel, cubic zirconia, silk. NFS
Bottom Left: Tiny Fucks by Heather John (@heatherjohnjewelry). Sterling silver. Purchase here.
Bottom Right: Bloom Where Your Planted Ring by Julie Mahoney. (@juliemahoneyjewelry). Sterling silver, London topaz, & morganite. NFS
For May’s metalsmithing challenge, the prompt was In Your Own Words.
The idea was to create a piece of jewelry that included at least one word as an intentional part of the design, and I loved seeing how differently everyone approached it.
Words can be such small things, but once they’re placed into a piece of jewelry, they seem to carry a palpable energy and become part of the story. Sometimes they offer a little humor or tenderness. And sometimes they feel protective, personal, or almost like a secret between the maker, the piece, and the person who will eventually wear it.
I loved seeing how each artist interpreted the idea in their own way. The word didn’t have to explain everything. It simply became one more layer of meaning, one more choice made by hand, and one more glimpse into the maker behind the work.
Thank you to everyone who joined in and shared their pieces. It’s always a gift to see how one prompt can move in so many different directions once it lands in the hands of artists.