The Blog — jewelry style

Happy New Year to all my wonderful customers and followers! If you're not already a subscriber, head over to Le Chien Noir Jewelry to sign up to be the first to hear about new work and specials - and get a nice discount while you're at it! I finished off the year with a big sale that helped clear out much of my inventory, so now I get to create new work to fill the gaps! This is without a doubt the best part of jewelry-making: the actual making! It's very inspiring to be able to design new pieces around my...

There are so many styles of jewelry out there, from delicate and petite to chunky and rustic, to colorful and bold. It can be confusing and overwhelming taking it all in. So how do you decide what's for you, with the massive selection available?  As with clothing and fashion, I say we should wear the jewelry that makes us feel great and most like ourselves! Often, you'll know it when you see it. But not always. So many people get stuck on "rules" about dressing your age, colors and styles you should be wearing. The reality is, it's entirely your choice! Only you know what makes...

You might not know that I only became a full-time jewelry-maker when I was 51. At 18, I took a course and was seriously bitten by the metalsmithing bug. Then I did an apprenticeship with a local jeweler one summer. Working with metals is so addictive! I got sidetracked into journalism and ended up writing and editing for about 30 years, which worked well when my kids were young. But I'd always hoped to get back to jewelry. I finally took a refresher course when I was 50 and that was that! I started with a tiny studio in a little porch in Toronto. And more courses....

What makes you really happy? For me, it's always been making stuff, laughter, and color, to name a few. And one of the things I love about growing older is realizing it's OK to do the things that make me happy.  About 10 years ago, at 52, I also realized it's never too late to make changes, so I gave up my writing/editing work to do what I always had loved - making jewelry. Then, I got the chance to move back to my native Quebec and set up a studio.  I found my jewelry mojo, developing my own style of jewelry. If you've seen my work,...