What Do I Do?
I make jewellery using glass, silver, and silk.
Which really means that I decorate people.
Which really means that I make people feel good and happy.
Which really means that I make the world a more beautiful place as beautifully decorated, happy people smile more. There is nothing more beautiful than a world of smiling people.
Life’s too short to be lived in black and white when there are an infinite number of colours in the world. (Don’t get me wrong, I love black and white. When I studied professional photography, my favourite place to be was in the black and white darkroom - we’re talking pre-digital days, folks!). But sometimes, a little colour lifts you up from a place and transports you somewhere new and wonderful - and who could complain about that?
What started out as melting glass in my lampworking studio as a way to explore my love affair with colour, morphed in to learning traditional jewellery metalsmith techniques, and further morphed in to dyeing fabrics - all with the goal of making the world a more beautiful and colourful place. And there are still so many ways to add more colour to the world. Who knows - one day you just might find me enameling metals or picking up a paintbrush... All I know is that bright, fun, happy colours fuel my designs, my mood, and my spirit!
A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT I MAKE:
- I make pieces by hand. It feels good to make things with my hands and when I’m done, I sit and look at whatever it is I have completed and I think “Dang! My hands did that!”.
- I believe that using quality materials, sourced ethically and intentionally (for human-kind and planet-kind), is a vital part of making something that I am proud of.
- In my opinion, Slow Goods (goods that are made with the same philosophy of the Slow Food Movement) are better than mass-produced, love-it-now-leave-it-later, trend-following fashion statements (no one wants to be seen in “last year’s” trend. I don’t do trends).
10 True Facts About Me (seriously):
1) My middle toes are different lengths. Seriously. The right middle toe is just a titch longer than my big toe, and my left middle toe is just a titch shorter than my big toe. Maybe it is my big toes that are different lengths. Uh oh.
2) I once ate a light bulb from a toy train set when I was about 2 years old. This explains why I am so bright.
3) I sing along to the music all the time. I whistle if there are no words, make up the words I don’t know, and belt it out with reckless abandon.
4) When I was 8 years old, I used to worry that cutting the scissors in the air (not actually cutting any paper or anything), would cut the oxygen molecules in half and release carbon dioxide (surprisingly, it would be my sister who would be the one to get a Master’s in Atmospheric Chemistry and me not understand her thesis!).
5) If caught off-guard, I still think that I am only 22 years old... In my head, I’m stuck at that age.
6) I love being blissfully unaware - it has gotten me in to some really great situations (like building my lampworking studio with absolutely no previous experience or knowledge of construction, and starting my own business with no previous entrepreneurial experience!).
7) I have an irrational fear of sharks as I am of the “Jaws Generation” (as a child, I remember being afraid that one might come out of the drain at the public swimming pool).
8) I have a rather large portion of my brain filled with “nature nerd” facts from my days as an environmental educator and am surprised that EVERYBODY doesn’t know that a white-throated sparrow says “Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada!” when it sings.
9) I love a good dance party. As long as it ends by 10pm - I’m an early-morning kinda gal.
10) I left a secure, well-paid job as an elementary teacher (complete with benefits and pension) to start my little creative business. Some people think I am crazy. Others have told me that I am an inspiration.
Wanting to get in touch with me?
You can use the Contact page through the website,
or email me at annie (aT) studioluma (dOt) ca