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Kathleen Tennant is a mixed media artist based in Coquitlam, BC. She reached out to me awhile back about melting down all of her old jewellery to make one ring. It’s not often that 1) people have an assortment of stones that go wonderfully together and 2) they want to use them all together in one piece!
I loved the challenge of making this two-tone ring! The hardest part was soldering all the settings together because sometimes just when you think you have them in place, they start moving!
This metamorphosis is for my dear friend Michele. She bought the mussel and barnacle ring on the first anniversary of her mother’s passing. Since then, her feelings have changed and she was unsettled with the memories it brought her. Knowing this, I wanted to make her something new that represented where she’s at today in terms of her memories, feelings, and style.
Fire and smoke are cleansing so I was happy to torch the ring as soon as I got it and get rid of that bad juju Michele was unsettled about! There was a little blue stone in the ring but I had no intention of using it knowing that I had some pretty moss aquamarines that Michele loved.
Why moss aquamarine? The first reason is because aquamarine is Michele’s birthstone. Also Michele has this amazing wavy hair that always reminds me of mermaid hair (or at least what I think mermaid hair looks like)! Upon receiving the ring, Michele also told me that the colour reminds her of the ocean where her mother’s ashes lie. Also, the colour of the stone is similar to that of her son’s eyes which gives the ring another layer of family meaning.
The moss aquamarine sits in a sterling silver basket setting that I made entirely by hand. There’s something about a big gem stone in a basket setting that is both classic and simple, yet glamorous at the same time!
Now I need a moss aquamarine ring!
Ps- Michele is an amazing photographer. Go check out her work at her website here.
Pss- if you want the satisfaction of seeing the old ring torched…go to my Instagram!
Talk about a big transformation! This is why I love repurposing old jewellery! Sometimes people are scared to ask me to melt down jewellery I’ve made in the past. Please don’t be! Our style changes over the years so it only makes sense to get rid of things that no longer suit us!
Angela’s original metamorphosis was #11 and it was from November of 2015! The necklace was inspired by her love of dirt bikes (hence the various different “rotors”).
For this round of metamorphosis, Angela asked for either stackable rings, or a big brooch inspired by her dance team the Golden Spike Can Can Dancers (see their website here). Honestly, I was originally going to make the brooch! But since last time I made her something in a very specific style associated with one of her hobbies, this time I wanted to make something a little more practical for every day wear. And, when she showed me the sky blue topaz she had amongst her old jewellery, I knew instantly I had to use it in one of the rings!
I was able to turn the big plain “rotor" (on left of necklace) into a new ring in order to keep a little something from the original necklace! But the rest of the necklace was melted down to make these new stackable rings!
I love how they turned out! What about you? Also, anyone else getting Daphne Bridgerton feels?!
Part two of my podcast with the lovely Shona is live! Have a listen here.
What we discussed:
Melting old jewellery to make new jewellery
How much jewellery you need for a custom piece of jewellery
The cleansing power for fire
And don’t forget to pop on over to her website here. You can also follow her on instagram here.
You know how we talk about “trying new things” but then don’t really do it? Well for the last few years I am trying to be a YES person when it comes to trying new things! I recently said YES to chatting with Shona Fraser from Heartspace Interiors on her podcast, Heartspace Conversations (view website here and follow her on instagram here). She is so lovely! Here’s a little blurb about her and her podcast from her website:
Hi! I'm Shona Fraser, interior designer and owner of Heartspace Interiors. As I've built my business, I've had the incredible privilege of getting to know and build relationships with some of Vancouver's most passionate, heart-centred, and interesting business people - and I want to share their stories with you! Please join us for Heartspace Conversations, broadcasting every Friday.
My interview has three parts and you can listen to the first part here!
What we discussed:
How I became a goldsmith
Is jewellery production a man’s world?!
How I choose stones and design collections around them
My next collection
The sentiment behind custom jewellery
I am not a fan of being in front of the camera. I am awkward and often end up with a shit grin. That being said, I LOVE photography and candid photos that capture an array of beautiful emotions.
Last year I joined a networking group with my friend Michele who is a branding and boudoir photographer (check out her website here). Michele and our group’s make-up artist Jenny (learn more about her services here) hosted a headshot event for our members, organized by our virtual assistant Jennifer (learn more about her services here).
Here’s a few things I learned that I hope might help anyone who feels as awkward as I do in front of a camera:
Do some prep. I didn’t bring a back up outfit. I am most at ease in all black clothing and it’s what made me feel most like myself. But then when I got to the photo shoot, I wondered if maybe I should have brought a secondary outfit just to try. It doesn’t hurt to be over prepared.
Be yourself. You will be most at ease being yourself.
Be open to trying poses that might seem unnatural to you but actually suit you in photos. As much as you want to be yourself and unnatural poses might make you feel unlike yourself, it also doesn’t hurt to try!
If you feel weird, tell the photographer because you also don’t want to feel so unnatural that you get in your head and then end up shit grinning your way through the rest of the photos. If a pose feels weird, tell the photographer. Michele was AMAZING at directing me on little details that I didn’t think of or at guiding me to try poses that I wouldn’t have otherwise thought of.
I am so happy with my experience that I actually want to do it again! Michele made me feel so comfortable that I didn’t have time to get into my own head. I am hoping to book a branding photo session with her in the near future and I am really excited about it!
When I designed this collection, I was inspired by glaciers and knew I wanted to use a lot of clear quartz because it looks like ice. Winter is a time of rest and introspection. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could carry a little piece of winter magic with us all year round to remind us to rest, even during the summer when we feel like we have to maximize every second of sunshine?
I also used a combination of blues stones, both faceted and raw, inspired by the beauty of glacial lakes!
I hope you enjoy the collection as much as I enjoyed making it!
My winter collection is inspired by turquoise glacial lakes! I usually gravitate to snowy whites and shimmering blacks for winter but this season I was drawn towards glacier-inspired colours. Collection coming soon!
Photo of Moraine Lake in Alberta by my friend Alice!
My friend Livian wanted to breath new life into her old pearl jewellery and since I love a good jewellery makeover, I couldn’t resist!
I swapped Livian's yellow gold for white and added some cubics and voila, something new and much more her style! And now to make something with a beautiful light purple amethyst she left me!
Need a mortgage broker? My friend Livian was voted one of the best Mortgage Brokers in the Tri-Cities! Get in touch with her at her website here.
PS- please excuse the sub par before photo on the right. I seem to be really good at deleting photos I need right before I delete them. So I used what I had on hand!
We often make goals to “try new things” or “be more spontaneous” but then do neither. Last year I kept a list of all the new things I tried to see how much I’m trying/learning/growing/etc. Considering the year was weird thanks to covid, I’m quite proud of myself for the things I tried!
Here are some of the new things I got around to:
(Business: this was the year to “pivot” and try new things! Covid changed the way a lot of people do business and I enjoyed exploring new ways to grow mine.)
Joined a few different networking groups (I was able to keep this up all year and it was a great source of motivation and accountability)
Started incorporating videos of myself in my instagram stories (I read an article that talked about how we are overloaded with images whereas videos make us pause because it’s a break in the overload)
Did a virtual interview with Michele Mateus Photography (see her website here).
Held my first instagram sale
Participated as an artist in the New West Cultural Crawl (October)
(Personal)
Started yoga (In January, I bought a yoga pass to work on strength and flexibility. Only used it until March but worth it!)
Tried a new fitness class (Orange Theory - this happened in January and I loved it! This is my usual style of workout)
Tried a float tank (After Orange Theory I tried a float tank. This was weird but also relaxing. I can see why people love it)
Bought a yellow sweater (I NEVER wear yellow but I was influenced by Jen Pistor - see her blog here)
What about you? Is there anything new you got around to trying in 2020? Is there anything new you’d like to try in 2021?
Reflecting on 2020 while I have my first coffee of 2021 and I'm full of gratitude for all of you who have supported my business during the weird year that was 2020! Proceeds from each collection item sold went to support local charities and last year I donated $500 from my sales! (See receipts below)
Thank you! Wishing everyone all the best for 2021!
📷: @thepigeonletters
Anyone else like to end the year with a semi-organized desk/calendar? Did some planning this morning which included compiling a stack of sticky notes onto a calendar for next year! I already have 21 jobs lined up for next year! Very excited to get started on them!
Today I took apart jewellery I've made that hasn't sold or that I no longer like. I do this every year! I finished organizing a few odds and ends and now my bench is ready for a new year and all the jobs I have lined up for next year! But first, a few days to relax!
Traditions: cleaning my bench on my last day of work before Christmas! Everything I don't want to deal with gets stuffed into those drawers. Plus this year my office is also extra chaotic! I'll work a day or two before the new year but it'll be to finish sorting and organizing everything that didn't get dealt with this year. Then onto next year's jobs! How exciting!
My display cases have been empty for awhile and now they are FULL!
Hard to keep them full when I’m taking most of my inventory to events! This year I only had 2 events but for some reason my brain couldn’t compute filling the display in between events. I blame covid.
Anyways, everything is ready for your last minute Christmas shopping needs! Referrals only and viewings are by appointment only. Masks and sanitizer necessary (I have a big bottle)!
See you soon!
It feels like our grey West Coast clouds are living in these stones! This collection was inspired by the morning mist I see over the Fraser River and the grey clouds lounging above.
Now available in the shop!
$5 from the sale of each piece from this collection will go to Water First: their work helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration. Learn more at Water First here.
I asked Stef if she wanted to be part of Metamorphosis Redo because I made her a pendant during my Game of Thrones phase and figured she might be over it (I was)!
She asked for either a necklace to represent her daughters or some stackable rings to wear with her wedding band. I was going to go with the pendant because stackable rings seemed so…basic. But despite being basic, they are just so darn wearable and practical! So that’s what I went with.
She sent me photos of plain stackable rings but I decided to throw in some pizazz by adding a hammered yellow gold and twisted silver. Figured it would give her ring stack more definition!
I’m hoping to sneak in one more Metamorphosis Redo this year! Fingers crossed I don’t run out of time!
Hello friends! Christmas is just around the corner and I wanted to remind everyone of some VERY important Christmas shipping deadlines:
Last day to place custom orders for Christmas that will be picked-up: December 1
Last day to have your online international order shipped: December 1
Last day to have your online Canada order shipped: December 4
Last day for New Westminster pick-up: December 23
New Westminster showroom is open by appointment only
Gift cards are available! Can be used online/in person
If I forgot something, please feel free to ask!
I'm not sure what Christmas will look like for you this year but if you choose to support my small business or any others, we thank you times a million!
What do you think of this colour combination? I think this might be my winter palette! I normally stick to white, black, and clear but this year I think I may live on the edge!
