The new 'ease' of handmade???

Never, ever would I have thought that I would end up crafting jewelry - especially as a metalsmith (though I've SOOO much more to learn!!!) When I began exploring the possibility, one of the things that attracted me to hand-crafted jewelry was the individuality and uniqueness of each piece. Even those pieces that aren't strictly one-of-a-kind include something that sets it apart from the one made before. No two are ever alike - the beauty of handmade!

I started out with metal clay and I use it still for certain pieces - mainly my custom charm necklaces. While browsing Metal Clay Supply, I noticed all the tools they've introduced to make the creation process easier........molds, letter stamping sets......I think that's fabulous! It opens up the world of handcrafted jewelry to those who may have been afraid to try.

Then it got me thinking. Yes, some of those tools would certainly help me along and make some of the job faster. That would be great if I had a wholesale order. It would also produce more uniformity in my designs and lessen the chance of errors which sometimes has me reworking my clay multiple times to get that stamp juuuuust right. But is that what I want? Not really. I like the slight imperfections one might find in hand-stamped jewelry. And as a jewelry 'artisan', do I want my pieces to look exactly like the next person's? Nope. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing "new" under the sun. Artisans get their inspiration from everywhere, including other artisans. But there's always that touch of 'mine'...... no one can do 'me' like me.

So I'm happy to see all these tools available to the hobbyist. I would recommend them to my friends. But you won't see them at my bench.........I like the element of surprise ;-)