Why I Make Jewelry

For me, jewelry is so much more than something you adorn your body with. I feel as if every piece I make or wear are mini works of art. And how cool is it that you can wear art? It's the main reason I started making jewelry. I love being able to always have a piece of my own creation on me. I also wear jewelry because it reminds me of so many things. The jewelry I make out of sea glass or rocks or other found objects reminds me of the place I found it or maybe who I found it with. It brings me back to that day and how happy I was to be on that beach. If someone gives me a piece, every time I wear it, I think of them. Or, if I do buy a piece, I get transported to that place or that feeling I had when I saw the piece, or the conversation I had with the seller or maker. Each piece is accounted with a memory, good or bad.

When I wear my sea glass or shark teeth or beach rock jewelry, I love that I always get to carry a piece of the ocean with me. I love walking the beach, or swimming in the ocean, or diving and being underwater, feeling like a mermaid, or even surfing or kayaking. When I have a ring or bracelet on that I made out of sea glass, I can look at the pieces and think, "Oh I found this piece at Redondo beach, and this one down in Laguna, or oh, this one is from Mackinac Island," and while this may make me miss Michigan and island living, or wish I was currently underwater with some fins and looking at fishies and turtles, I know that I currently have a piece on from that place. Like I wrote before, they serve as a memory. Or, they just serve as a reminder that you are a badass mermaid. :)

Things I've Been Making Lately!

I've been working hard trying to get my apartment and studio spaces all unpacked and organized and clean! But, I did squeeze in a few hours/days to make some small projects and use my new scroll saw!! (YAY!) So enjoy this great picture dump of all the rad things I've been making in my spare moments. I can't wait to be FINALLY unpacked and make things 24/7. 

My reclaimed wood art, modeled after a quilter's block. 

Took a break for a day and went to Catalina Island!! 

Learned how to make a riveted pendant today! 

Getting better with my jeweler saw, so made some awesome mermaid tail and wave studs for myself! 

Took a sea glass ring to photograph it where I found the sea glass! 

Got a new scroll saw and had to cut out some of my favorite things! 

Working on my jewelry wall! Love that he holds all my polymer clay rings. :) 

I love anything miniature. :) 

I made colored clay! It took 3 hours to make four chunks of colored clay, but totally worth it! 

Made an awesome textured tile! I love having a ceramics studio again. 

My gallery wall is coming along too! I love seeing all my art in one spot again! 

Part two. :) 

About Me-Hello!

Hey I'm Rachel! I currently live on Mackinac Island, Michigan. I'm a crafter, artist, photographer, thrifter, sewer, builder, cat lover, baker, adventurer, and the list seems to grow every day. So follow along for some awesome tutorials, tips and trick, and all sorts of creative endeavors!




I work for myself, creating jewelry, making art, building things, and any other creative idea I can come up with! (: When I'm not making things or snuggling with my kitten, I love to get outside, which is pretty easy to do on this little island (over 80 percent is a state park).


For me, creating things is just a way of life. I love to dream up new projects and then figure out a way to make them come to light. Sometimes it can be crazy, like taking on a huge 25 foot mural or dumpster diving to find good pieces of wood or having a spontaneous photo shoot in a subway station, which I later learned is a huge no no! Stay tuned to keep up with my sometimes crazy life! :)