in the beginning…
did i ever tell you that this is how i got my start as a jewellery designer? whenever i’m near a seashore the shells have a habit of jumping into my pockets. i see a shape or a colour and i have to have it. every purse, bag, jacket pocket i own has a shell in it. one day he looked at me and said, “another one? why? what are you going to do with that? you don’t need it.” “but of course i do,” i cried. “i’m going to make jewelry out of it.”
and so i bought a pin vise and painstakingly drilled holes in shells. i learnt how to wire wrap and string. i bought small pliers and jump rings (once i’d learnt what a jump ring was.) i made jewelry. people loved it. i loved it.
after a while the shells needed a bit of oomph. i added some bright and shiny glass beads i had. then i needed to buy more glass beads, the glass addiction began. one day i stumbled into a combination bead store/lampwork studio. i saw flame, i saw liquid glass. i saw fun
the shells are back to being in my pocket and i’m wearing my handmade glass beads, and now he’s back to asking “another one? why? what are you going to do with that? you don’t need it.” “but of course i do,” i cried. “i’m going to make….”