Accessories – Melbourne

I started making jewelry as a kid in Washington State, learning alongside my mom from dog-eared copies of Bead & Button magazine. I loved perusing the bins of tiny treasures at the local bead shop and the particular magic of creating something wearable from a handful of separate parts.   As a young adult, I set out for grad school in Boston, but I also found space for my love of making jewelry by working at a bead shop, where I refined my skills, making and repairing pieces and even teaching classes. I sold a few pieces here and there on consignment, but as a full-time student and, later, a high school teacher, I was reluctant to pursue jewelry-making in a more serious way.   Now I'm taking my love of jewelry on the road, creating beautiful things as I spend the year traveling around Australia. I especially love seed bead weaving and embroidery, using a needle and thread to weave tiny glass seed beads into bezels to hold glittering crystals or natural stones. I strive to create timeless, original designs inspired by my wanderings around museums and the outdoors, a reverence for beautiful old things, and the imperfect grace of the natural and the handmade. Mostly, I hope my pieces will bring a little bit of extra joy to their wearers. Life is short; it may as well be beautiful!   xoxo, Stephanie