Broken Porcelain Jewelry with Katelyn Johnson

Katelyn Johnson creates stylish jewellery utilizing broken porcelain items and cautiously crafted sterling silver bezel options. Producing jewelry can help Katelyn take her ADHD, and she hopes her handcrafted designs also aid many others who are battling with brokenness in their life. She is a 2022 Halstead Grant Semi-Finalist and a 2022 Interweave Prime 20 honoree.

Above impression: Blue Rose Ring by Katelyn Elyse Jewelry. All photographs courtesy of the artist.

Increasing a Enterprise

Q: Notify us your tale, exactly where you are in your career, and has jewellery building turn into your comprehensive-time job?

I started off Katelyn Elyse Jewellery pretty much 5 years in the past and it has slowly and gradually grown every single yr. My intention one particular day is to be in a position to create jewellery and operate my enterprise as my total-time occupation. In the meantime, I function a common 8-5 work and use that money to guidance myself and my business enterprise while my company proceeds to increase.

Q: Did you examine jewelry creating in university? Serve an internship? Self-taught?

I acquired most of what I know as a result of earning my BFA in Jewellery and Metalsmithing at Grand Valley Condition College. Whilst finishing up my degree I labored for an impartial jeweler in Grand Haven, Michigan, Lisa Lehmann, who showed me that it was feasible to make jewelry as my whole-time vocation. By way of earning my diploma and doing work with Lisa I was capable to discover so much about jewellery generating and how I could use my expertise to guidance myself economically and are living my desire existence.

Built With Love

Q: What is the solitary most vital jewellery generating talent you have figured out and why?

Soldering. Each one piece of jewelry I make necessitates cautious soldering and knowledge to fuse the silver items together without having melting them. It is the talent that took me the longest to grasp and the a single that I like utilizing the most.

Similar: 4 Suggestions for Making Pottery and Sea Glass Jewellery with Comfortable Soldering

Q: You converse about placing your heart in your function, be sure to reveal to us how you go your feelings as a result of you into your approach and supplies.

My total Renewed line came from the emotion of becoming broken and thinking there was anything completely wrong with me thanks to my ADHD. Every single time I make a piece of jewellery applying broken porcelain, I’m in a position to recover my detrimental views and occur to peace with how my very own intellect performs. Using a damaged piece of porcelain, smoothing out the tough edges and then cautiously generating a silver encasement in which to hold the porcelain is incredibly therapeutic. I appreciate that in the span of a pair hrs I can deliver attractiveness and pleasure into one thing that was as soon as broken.

Beautifully Imperfect

Q: Inform us what sets your perform aside from other individuals? What would make your work one of a kind?

I’m not the only one to create jewelry out of broken plates but I am unique in my model. Location the porcelain items needs time and care. Relatively than drilling a gap through the plate and attaching a chain or earring hooks, I take care of the porcelain items as if they ended up a valuable stone. I generate a silver bezel specifically for each and every exclusive shape. Then, I put the prongs very carefully to carefully keep the piece of plate in spot whilst demonstrating off the floral structure. It is a tedious and time-consuming course of action but it makes high top quality items that are compared with other jewelry of their sort.

Q: Have you manufactured any errors that you can to share?

My greatest mistake has been assuming that I require to cope with everything on my possess and that asking for assistance is a indicator of weak point. It was only when I questioned for outside support that my enterprise was capable to prosper. I’ve uncovered far more about what I’m capable of. Proudly owning and working a compact business is a huge work and is typically pretty isolating. But asking for support is not a signal of weak spot, it is a sign of strength.

Explore Katelyn Elyse Jewellery

Katelyn states, “Jewelry style and design and the capacity to perform with my arms is a everyday living passion that brings me amazing joy. I live in the countryside and love the peace and contemporary air it delivers. I appreciate shelling out time gardening, taking part in with my pet, remodeling my property, or hanging out with my household.” Follow @katelynelysejewelry on Facebook and Instagram.

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