14 Years in Business!
Now, admittedly, I didn’t even realize it has been 14 years in businesss until I went to re-open the Etsy shop today, and noticed my “shop opened date” of July 2010, haha! If you’ve been with me for awhile, you know there’s been ebb’s and flow’s with my work, for all sorts of reasons! There’s been no real “recipe” that has brought me here, sitting in my new studio space in Colorado. But, there sure is a whole hell of a lot of “ingredients” I’ve established….
My Ingredients
Deep curiosity for what it is that’s growing around me, and why!
My love for working with my hands
The scent, texture, and growth pattern’s of elements in nature
Love of rich earthen colors found in soil, plants, and minerals
Finding gratification and flow with subtle friction between pen and paper, when drawing
Medicinal properties of plants used throughout history
Frequent reflection on how we are part of, and impact, the collective ecosystem
How outdoor experiences form part of our individual experiences and memories
Dedication to “hand-crafted” movement, in a time of plastic and machine-made
My own experience learning how nature is a tonic and a teacher for so many of life’s up’s and down’s
…and the subsequent hunger for other’s discover (and carry) their own sense of “home” with nature
Admiration for the women pioneer’s and citizen-scientists, past and present
The ability to manipulate hard and soft materials, like wood and metal
Historical botanical illustration and ephemera
Each day, some variation of these ingredients bring me to my jewelry bench, or illustration desk, as a form of meditation and connection. It’s a mental and physical (Code: “Celebrate14”) space that I feel most myself.
Never being able to dedicate myself to the business aspect of n’GRAINED full-time, has been such a mental struggle for me. But, now the dream I’ve been reaching for is here. Apparently it just took moving across the country to make it happen haha! So, in my new studio, alongside dedicated space to create, I’m excited to display my little collection of antique botanical guidebooks, clipped inspiration, treasures I brought from the northeast, and space for new ones…
I’m grateful for being seen and value’d for all my “ingredients” and hope to connect with you for another fourteen years!