sustainability

made with intention

As an artist, maker and human living with this planet, I feel that I have duty to treat the earth with care and take responsibility for how my actions effect the world around us.

I choose to create mindfully and in small batches minimizing waste and overproduction. This is slow fashion!

vintage & second hand

I have a stash of vintage and second-hand jewellery pieces. Lets face it, styles come and go and I love to hunt down second-hand and unique pieces that I can reuse in part, or whole, to create a new piece of jewellery.

Reusing these materials helps to keep stuff out of the landfill and avoid using new materials whenever possible.

Do you have any pieces of sterling silver jewellery you find you just don't wear anymore? I would love to discuss some design ideas to help breath new love into old materials.

When you see "reused" in a material list please keep in mind that we did not buy these materials new and did not fabricate these pieces ourselves. We do our best to determine the metal make up and all reused materials are listed to the best of our knowledge.

reclaimed and repurposed metal

Regular visits to the salvage yard and second-hand shops can turn up all kinds of items that I use in my jewellery designs. It does take a bit of extra work, but working with repurposed silverware and reclaimed brass and even household copper wire from a metal recycling centre adds to our sustainability and the overall jewellery design.

natural materials

From driftwood and shell found on a beach walk to natural fibres, dyes and processes from traceable sources, I love to work with natural materials. Often, these materials provide a texture and warmth that man-made materials cannot but equally important, they will break down in a landfill returning to the earth.

glass

Glass is very much of the earth; created with silica sand and heat, it seems to me that it is impossible to work with glass and not be concerned about sustainability.

I work with new glass, stain glass artist's scrap glass and found (sea) glass.

Glass is subject to thermal shock and so when heating and cooling glass it can break. I work very hard to keep organized systems in the studio both to minimize breakage and to ensure that very minimal amounts of glass is wasted.

I collect, sort and grind to recycle, or re-melt, broken glass to be used as frit (fine powdered glass), thin "skins" or even as chunks of colour in future designs. This means that I waste very little glass but also allows me to create truly unique and organic designs that would be almost impossible otherwise.

less waste

I strive for as little waste as possible.

Collecting and sorting broken glass and metal filings and reusing them in future pieces; accurately measuring before fabricating to eliminate scrap ends of fabric, thread and leather can add more time in making an item but these are mindful practices that help me to know that I am doing what I can to respect the world around us.

I try, wherever possible, to make choices that create minimal impact on the earth and help to support a world of slow and sustainable handmade fashion.