Karla's Ring

My cousin Karla is engaged! A little about the ring design, Karla chose the design of the mountains and we used her mother's diamond. This ring was such a joy for me to make. Through the whole process of bending and soldering the metal,  everything came together perfectly and smoothly. As a maker, sometimes custom pieces need a little encouragement and a few adjustments to be just right. It wasn't the case for this ring, it felt like this ring has been waiting and wanting to be made for a long time, just like Josh and Karla's beautiful relationship. Miles separate Karla and I, but that's never stopped us from being close. As I got to know Josh over the last year, I couldn't be happier that Karla found the perfect person to spend her life with. Their love is kind, real, whimsical, and they make each other laugh all the time. Congrats to you both as share your life together, and thank-you for letting me be a part of your journey. 

Making process: This ring was made from scratch. Melted silver into an ingot. Rolled out the metal slowly through a process of annealing and rolling till it's the right thickness. 

Cut out the design of the ring.

Formed the ring round. Image of the ring before the 14k yellow gold bezel is soldered in. 

Formed the ring round. Image of the ring before the 14k yellow gold bezel is soldered in.

Niki's Wedding Jewelry

Niki has the most distinct and contagious laugh in the room which always makes me laugh too, and this September I had the honor of making her wedding jewelry. Niki wanted something personal for her bridesmaids, so we sat down together and designed the necklaces and bracelets, a truly fun and collaborative experience. Check out everything below!

The bride's 14kt rose gold necklace

The bridesmaid jewelry is made in sterling silver with knots, but with a twist!

Bridesmaids sterling silver necklace

Bridesmaids sterling silver bracelet 

When things are handmade, they are not identical, each piece has it's own small unique differences in shape or size. 

Photography by Brian King

for Caroline

Caroline and I

Brian and I traveled to Europe this spring, and one of our first stops was the Netherlands. Arriving at the airport we were greeted by smiling Caroline, my father's cousin. I met Caroline when I was 14, she came to Michigan for my grandfather's funeral. We didn't stay in touch, but when Facebook became a universal platform of communication our lives re-connected.

This part of our journey abroad was an exploration into my family history. When Brian and I decided to go to the Netherlands, 15 years passed since since I had met Caroline. I reached out to Caroline and she graciously invited us to stay with her and her two sons. She also understood my desire to learn more about my grandparents life in Europe before they immigrated to the United States. My grandparents have both passed away, but she reached out to other relatives and planned tea and lunches.

We met up in Rotterdam with another family member, Cornelia, and her husband. They walked us through the city and showed the houses and doors my grandparents lived in. They talked about the wars, the joy when my grandpa came home to marry my grandma. They showed us where to took their first steps as husband and wife. They remembered the sadness the day my grandparents boarded the boat from Rotterdam to America. They took us to the port their ship left from. Cornelia's eyes got misty when she retold the memory of my great grandfather crying as he walked my grandparents to port that day. Communication wasn't easy then, no one could e-mail or Skype, and as this father kissed his daughter,  he didn't know if this would be the last time he ever saw her again.  As I stood at the same place my grandparents gave their goodbyes to their families and their birthplace, their country, I felt so much gratitude to meet people that loved and remember my grandparents the way I loved them.

There is one theme that was carried through all my conversations. My grandparents didn't want to leave their home and their family. They had so many people that loved them, but war had bombed and demolished the core of Rotterdam, there was a housing shortage, no jobs, and the war took their youth, leaving them with little to no education. Cornelia explained my grandparents immigration to me, "They [my grandparents] never wanted to take you away from us, but they didn't see any other way."

My father and I were born in the United States. I never identified as anything but an American, and my father feels the same way. My grandparents has to learn to speak English when they arrived, and they chose not to teach their children any Dutch. They wanted to immerse themselves in their new home. The realization I'm left with, no immigrant wants to leave their home and loved ones. They go because they feel there is no other way out. My grandparent's gave us a beautiful life, they work incredibly hard, they were brave and they built a new home and country surrounding us with love. They were fortunate to be able to come to America and start over.

Caroline opened the door for experiences abroad I did not expect. I found another family that loved us from across the ocean. She gave me an amazing gift of knowing my grandparents better, and I am so grateful.

Here's a green turquoise necklace pendant I made for Caroline, and small token of love to my family.  xoxo.