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CREATIVE PROCESS
how it's made baby
It all starts with a big ole block of clay. After coming up with the different charms and their respective themes, I hand sculpt each individual charm then fire it for the “base fire” so they are ready to be glazed with fun colors! Because each charm is hand sculpted, no two are the same and all a little bit perfectly impercfect.
Glazes are fun because they are very unpredictable and you never know what you’re going to get, kind of like a bumble date- the glazes might look red when you paint them on, but come out black after firing. This is why it is important to plan each charm’s coloring correctly, but I always make sure to have fun and put lots of detail in when hand painting the glazes on.
This is where it gets spicy. After the glazing, all the pieces have to be carefully loaded into the kiln where they are fired around 800 degrees for the second time around. If I decide to put gold luster on some of the designs, I fire them for a third time at a lower temperature to create the gold effect. Bandanas and face masks are most necessary.
Next comes adding the charms onto their beaded necklaces- I love choosing beading and strings that match the personality of each charm's theme and aesthetic. This process is often attempted on the beach and then proceeds to be a sandy shit show and moves indoors where the natural elements are not corrupting the creative process.
Having beautiful friends who are always down for a spontaneous jewelry photoshoot is essential for successful small business marketing. I am so grateful to have an environment as beautiful as hawaii to take photos of the products with and incredible people to help and support <3 The creative process start to finish is an expression of my love for the island and those that make it home!
Locking myself in the ceramics studio for hours on end, inhaling constant dust and toxins, and tinkering with small metal clasps endlessly is the joy of my soul. I absolutely love making jewelry that has a bit of humor and charm for friends old and new to wear, especially in the most beautiful place on the planet.
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As part of a Packaging Design class for my graduating senior STAMPS School of Art and Design program at the University of Michigan, I dove into the packaging for Soph Sells Seashells and designed boxes and labels for my pieces. The process involved lots of customer demographic research for the proposed small business and designing and actually executing the visuals on printed products.
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