The thing about being a creative person is that you have no control over your creations when they’re out in the world. You can make them with a certain intent, but that doesn’t mean people are going to buy your work and see the things in it that you thought you put there. Sometimes they see things you didn’t realize you’d put there, and other times they come up with interpretations you didn’t actually mean. (Yes, my next novel’s coming out soon … why do you ask?)
I think it’s the same with jewelry.
For example, this year Beth’s been making pieces with birthstones and birth month flowers. I’m pretty sure when she made the Lily of the Valley Pendant she was not, in fact, thinking of the lilies of the valley at my mom’s house. They’re a collection from the plants that used to be outside Nana’s house, Grandma’s house, and Joy’s house – Joy used to babysit us when we were little, so the flowers are from three women who had a major impact on my life.
Or take the Rose Post Earrings. It’s the June flower, but when I think roses, I think Beauty and the Beast, and Belle, who was “my” Disney princess. Seriously, give me that library, and every time I see a ladder on wheels and it tells you not to ride it down the rails, I have to sigh. Why have a bookshelf ladder at all?
Then there’s the Cat Pendant, which has the longest backstory. We used to have three cats but then, in one awful year, we lost all of them. My husband’s actually allergic to cats (when we got married, I had four …) so we’d agreed that these were the last cats, and we’d switch to dogs after. It’s just that “after” came a lot sooner than we thought. So I joked that I was going to get a secret kitten and hide it somewhere, like the pocket of my hoodie, and it would give itself away by saying “Mew!” at inopportune moments. During a work trip I bought this stuffed lioness toy and texted a photo to my husband, who responded promptly with “Mew!” Secret kitten’s now an Instagram star and looking forward to getting some puppy siblings in the future (as long as they don’t eat her).
And last but not least, there’s the Conifer Couple Pendant I got this past weekend to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. Mixed metal and Beth’s signature trees? The perfect couple.
I think it’s wonderful that these eco-friendly pieces are not just inspired, but inspiring. You take Beth’s vision of nature and add your own perspective, creating a deeper meaning you can keep secret … or share with the world. (Mew!)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/rita-moreno-2024-oscars-031024-54cb2c55c28543c6893ec395fd29d6de.jpg "Rita Moreno, 92, Debuts Major Hair Change at 2024 Oscars")
.webp "Lovely Metal Frame Macrame Earrings Tutorials by NoTailCatJewelry / The Beading Gem")
