Lavender Cottage Jewelry
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Lavender Cottage Jewelry is a "cottage industry" in my own little cottage-style house built in 1935. I settled on the name Lavender Cottage because of my love for growing lavender. The workbench in my basement studio faces a door into my garden, looking out on my favorite rugosa rose, Moje Hammarberg. She was the inspiration for my rose jewelry collection.
My passion for art began as a six-year-old growing up in Chicago. My mother was an art student, and I was fascinated by her oil painting and jewelry projects. Trips to Chicago’s fabulous Art Institute came often, further instilling the love for art that would become a constant in my somewhat strange career path ranging from horsewoman, freight pilot, innkeeper/chef, and computer programmer before finding my passion for making metal jewelry. Our family’s organic garden and frequent camping trips created my love for nature, especially flowers and rocks, which find their way into much of my work.
My jewelry skills are mostly self-taught, and after starting with natural stone beads and wire, I quickly found a passion for moving metal with hammer, saw and torch. The beautiful shapes and textures that can be accomplished through these simple tools are nothing short of amazing.
Each one of the pieces in my shop is made by hand, including jump rings and clasps. Metal pieces are fabricated by hand using a jeweler's saw, multiple hammers (you can never have too many hammers) and my wonderful acetylene torch. The beads, cabochons, gems and metal charms that I use are lovingly gathered from sources all over the world. I'm addicted to collecting cabochons, and I love vintage brass stamped charms - another addiction, and you'll see them in many of my mixed metal pieces. Metals used in my jewelry include fine silver (99.99 pure, and less subject to tarnishing, but softer than sterling), sterling silver, copper and brass, as well as 14 and 18kt gold. Recycled metals and conflict free eco-friendly stones and gems are always used if at all possible.
