Creative Life with Character
from danielle miller‘s ring a day series. love how she mixes the ridiculous with the sublime – really makes you think about the form & function of each piece.
from a recent blog post on the series:
The Ring-a-Day Project has given me the motivation to veer off my daily path and the freedom to explore concepts and designs that don’t need to fit in with my production line. I have been yearning for this freedom for a long time and I am so glad I decided to join this project!
images via flickr
The most romantic thing my husband has ever done in the name of love is to sell his super pretty, fancy shiny electronic pottery kiln, which he used to fire his modern ceramic designs, so he could pay for my engagement ring. He was in grad school at the time and didn’t have a dime to his name. It was his only possession of value and was purchased and picked the very same day he listed it on Craigslist – so, it was meant to be. The ring he had designed for me is amazing, and as a crafter I truly understand the sacrifice he made in the name of love. We have been happily married for 3 1/2 years.
– elisa, elisa shere jewelry
what have you given up in the name of love?
i first met jean from 3squares while researching crafty locales for my “shop local” series over on try handmade. i, too, share a passion for jean’s jewelry inspiration: food! she deftly & creatively takes everyday food items and creates modern, strong jewelry pieces in their image. keep reading for more information on how jean found her passion!
I’m passionate about comforting things. Good books. Old movies. Down comforters. Earl Grey. Cashmere. A robust bottle of red. Pasta. Sinatra. Sounds contrary to my modern tastes, but it’s true. Actually I’m not 100% sure, but I might be channeling my grandmother.
At the moment I am crazy into silk. I have a pile of scraps and more ideas than I can get out of my head, but I’m working on a bunch of new pieces combining metal and fabric. Love the unexpected combination of rustic, oxidized metal and bright, luscious silk.
I think the hardest part was preparing to take the plunge and quit my job to work full-time on my jewelry. I have a marketing degree and had worked hard to build a solid resume, but I knew I couldn’t keep with it forever – I was burning out. If I was going to make a change, I couldn’t wait much longer. But leaving the security of a “real” job is a scary thing, and I certainly couldn’t have done it without my husband’s support, literally and figuratively.
Many ideas are inspired by my habit of reading cookbooks. I have a collection of more than 100, and I read them like novels. Really, at least a couple are sitting on my nightstand as we speak. A recipe or ingredient can spark an idea for a shape, color or texture. I generally sketch out my thoughts, and those often mutate into other ideas until I have pages (or envelopes or napkins) full of variations on a theme.
I struggle every day with finding the right balance. Funny how when you’re doing something you love, it can really consume you. My daughter tells me when it’s time to put the computer down, and I try and listen. And my husband (a bit of a neat freak) has relaxed his clutter standards a bit.
People talk about time seeming to move faster once you have a child, they grow up so fast. But running your own business makes time zip by even more quickly. For the first time I’ve realized the huge list of things I want to accomplish, and the small amount of time available to do them. But I guess that really does force you to prioritize and focus on the top of the list. At least I’m trying.
The kid says it’s time to put the laptop away now, but thanks for listening scoutie girl!
metalsmithed jewelry by 3squares :: $22-75
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