my skills

Today the Handmade Division is answering the question, "Tell us about yourself - how did you get to where you are now with your skills?"

I've been working with metal for about three years. I took a six-week Intro to Jewelry Making Course at the Memphis College of Art and then bought a bunch of books, later I took a short enameling class. I will be attending a pewter workshop soon and I can't wait. I look forward to a lifetime of classes and workshops, I'd like to attend Penland, Haystack, and Revere Academy someday.

Much of what I know I have learned by trial and error, but I've also had lots of help from metalsmithing friends I have met online. In particular Scott Schreiber, Tamra Gentry, Andes Cruz, David of Revonav, Dauvit Alexander, Carrie Nunes, Laurie Brown, and Bill of Purified Art have all helped me immensely with questions about technique, equipment, selling online, and suppliers. I am grateful to them all and am probably forgetting some people.

I think that the Ring a Day project has helped me to increase my skill set at a more rapid pace than I would have experienced without the daily challenge. Making something without the pressure of marketability is really liberating and has allowed me to experiment and stretch my abilities. Hurray for RAD!

Please visit these team members to read about their inspirations:

Andes Cruz
Lisa Hopkins Design
Jewelry by Natsuko
Beth Cyr
Bella-Bijou Jewellery
Alice Istanbul
Susan Moloney
Nancy Dale
Tess Norberg
Nancy Dale
Sand Fibers
Emily Watson
Tosca Teran
Tamra Gentry
JJ Papke
Alisa Miller
Mary Spencer
Bill Martin