Laura Jane Bouton is one of the metalsmith’s I’ve had the pleasure of being in community with for some time now, but there was so much I really didn't know about Laura. I was simply thrilled when she agreed to share some time with me for a long overdue conversation.
Laura’s mother was a metalsmith and her son studied goldsmithing while they lived abroad in Italy, but it wasn’t until she could feel her life as she knew it heading in a different direction that she began exploring the craft. Feeling empowered by the jewelry she was creating, she took a leap to create a business and life that she could be in control of.
Laura and I talk about our shared love and emotional connection of creating one of a kind pieces and the personal fulfillment that comes from building a business in the arts. Laura shares how she navigates selling on Etsy as well as Shopify, why she loves teaching others, the unique challenges and rewards of being a self-taught artist, and of course so much more.
Follow Laura...
Instagram: @lbouton018
Website: www.ljbjewelryshop.com
Etsy: www.ljbjewelry.etsy.com
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Allison Ford is a studio artist and educator whose work lives in the in-between — between jewelry and sculpture, storytelling and adornment, play and meaning. Based in Indianapolis, she has been part of the Harrison Center community since 2009, building a creative life shaped by curiosity, community, and a deep commitment to handmade work.
In this episode, Allison shares her winding path back to making and how her practice has evolved alongside raising her family and later earning her MFA. We talk about the importance of creative community, the role teaching now plays in her life, and why staying playful and curious continues to guide her work.
Our conversation also explores the stories behind some of her most recognizable bodies of work, including her Indiana bug series and the folklore-inspired figure Baba Pascha and her bronze spider companion, and how art can serve as a vehicle for empathy and connection.
This episode is a thoughtful reflection on building a handmade life over time — one rooted in intention, experimentation, and the freedom to create beyond defined lines.
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Allison on Instagram: @studioamf
Allison’s Website: studioamfdesign.com
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In this episode, I’m talking with artist and goldsmith Elisa McLaughlin, the creative artist behind Truly Kindred.
Elisa’s path has wound through watercolor, music, candle making, and raising five kids — all of which eventually led her to the jewelry bench. Her reflections on finding goldsmithing, navigating her first real creative dry spell, and learning to trust the natural rhythm of inspiration offer such a grounded, honest look at what it means to build a creative life in the real world.
We also dig into the realities of working in gold right now, pricing during unpredictable markets, balancing motherhood with making, and the constant negotiation between authenticity and the pressure to present a polished image online. Elisa shares openly about what nourishes her, what drains her, and how she’s learning to protect her own creative spark.
It’s a thoughtful, relatable conversation with so many small truths woven in — one I think will stay with you long after you listen.
Follow along...
Elisa on Instagram: @trulykindred
Elisa’s Website: trulykindred.com
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In this episode, I sit down with Catherine Marche, a French-born goldsmith and designer now based in London, whose jewelry feels alive with movement, color, and emotion. Catherine’s journey to the bench wasn’t a straight path — she began her career as a computer scientist before following her curiosity into the world of fine jewelry.
We talk about how her life of travel and discovery has shaped her artistry, the importance of intuition in both design and business, and what it means to create jewelry that truly reflects the essence of its wearer.
Catherine shares how she built a jewelry collective in Hatton Garden that supports emerging artists, her thoughts on creative freedom, and the tension many of us feel between making from the heart and making for a living.
It’s a beautiful, joy-filled conversation about curiosity, courage, and the stories that live within the work we make.
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Catherine on Instagram: @catherinemarche
Catherine’s Website: catherinemarche-designs.com
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What does it really mean to live a creative life that’s true — not tidy, not performative, but real?
In this conversation, jewelry artist Susan Wachler shares her journey from a multi-generational family of jewelers to her own late-in-life return to the bench after decades as a psychotherapist. Her work carries the weight of both lineage and lived experience — raw, textural, and deeply human.
We talk about redefining success, creating without proof, and how honesty — both emotional and artistic — can become a kind of freedom. Susan also reflects on what it means to make art in uncertain times, to let intuition lead, and to find joy in the alchemy of the studio.
It’s a conversation about resilience, honesty, and the quiet courage it takes to keep showing up for your craft simply because you love it.
Follow Susan...
Instagram: @susanwachlerjewelry
Website: susanwachlerjewelry.com
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Have you ever had a season in your creative life where slowing down wasn’t a choice—it was the only option left?
Maybe your body demanded rest or maybe the joy of making faded under pressure and you started to wonder if you had lost that spark for the work that you once loved so much.
That’s where today’s conversation begins.
Laney Clark—known to many as Silent Goddess—has been making jewelry for more than thirty-five years, and I’m thrilled to say I’ve known her for probably 20 of those years.
Her work is rooted in patience, precision, and the kind of simplicity that only comes from experience. She’s known for her hand-pierced designs, inspired by the tall pines and mountains outside her Washington studio.
We talk about the long arc of a creative life—what it means to work through fear and anxiety at the bench, the rising cost of materials and what that does to our mindset, and how slowing down can become its own form of wisdom.
If you’ve ever wondered how to keep creating when things get heavy, or how to find meaning again after years at the bench, I think you’ll really feel this one.
Follow Laney:
Instagram: @silentgoddess
Website: silentgoddessartjewelry.com
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Have you ever wondered if you can truly grow your business when you love to make every piece with your own two hands?
It was a question that came up in my own growing business many years ago and it’s a question that comes up often in this community — how do you scale without losing the soul of your work? How do you expand, maybe even hire help, but still keep that direct connection to what you’re creating?
For many of us, the thought of letting go of the bench, even a little, feels impossible. The making is the heartbeat.
Today’s guest, Joy Kruse of Wild Prairie Silver, has walked that line beautifully. From her early days making jewelry on the side while working full-time as a nurse, to now running a thriving studio with a small team, Joy has found a way to grow without sacrificing what she loves most — the making itself.
Joy’s journey into metalsmithing began over two decades ago with a love of stones and a curiosity for form. What started as a creative outlet evolved into a full-fledged business known for its bold, organic designs and soulful craftsmanship.
In our conversation, Joy shares how she made the leap from nursing to full-time artist, what it really looks like to run a sustainable handmade studio, and why she still insists on keeping her hands in every part of the process. We talk about failure as a teacher, staying true to your creative voice, and the quiet discipline that keeps the work — and the love for it — alive.
It’s an inspiring, grounded conversation about the beauty and grit behind a life built by hand.
Follow along...
Joy on Instagram: @wildprairiesilver
Joy’s Website: wildprairiesilver.com
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Jewelry Website: christinemighion.com
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Today I’m talking with Tiffany Chow, jewelry artist and founder of Depo Market on Maui — a beautiful little shop that’s part boutique, part community, and entirely built from love.
Tiffany’s path has been anything but ordinary. After studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and running a successful jewelry line in New York, she felt an intuitive pull to move home to Hawaii. That decision led her to care for her brother, Chris — and ultimately to build a business that creates meaningful work for people with disabilities while bringing awareness and connection to her island community.
In this conversation, Tiffany shares how Depo Market began as a pop-up for Chris and grew into a mission-driven storefront. We talk about caregiving, art as a bridge for belonging, and the realities of running a small, heart-centered business on Maui while raising a young daughter. It’s a story about purpose finding you when you least expect it — and how one act of love can ripple out to change everything.
Follow Tiffany:
Instagram: @depo_market
TikTok: @depomarket
Website: depomarket.org
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Jewelry Website: christinemighion.com
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In this beautiful conversation, I’m talking with jewelry artist Dawn Hemstreet of Hawk, Hummingbird & Moon. Dawn has this thoughtful, unfiltered way of sharing her story that I know will pull you right in. She came to jewelry later in life, around 49, and her path is such a reminder that it’s never too late to listen to that tug inside and step into something new.
In our conversation, Dawn talks about the evolution of her work—from metal clay to fabrication, from jewelry into the possibility of objects—and how she follows curiosity even when it means starting over. We also get into the harder parts: burnout, doubt, the grind of shows, and what it feels like to wonder, “Do I still love this?” She doesn’t shy away from naming those struggles, but she also shows how resilience and curiosity keep her moving forward.
What struck me most is how she speaks about belonging—about finding her own sense of worth even when family didn’t fully understand, and about the unexpected support from strangers that helped carry her through. We talk about showing up authentically, online and in person, and how connection often comes simply from being ourselves, flaws and all.
This is a conversation about making, yes—but it’s also about strength, self-trust, and the freedom to define success on your own terms.
Follow along...
Dawn on Instagram: @dawnhemstreet.jewelry
Dawn's website: hawkhummingbirdmoon.com
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Jewelry Website: christinemighion.com
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A graphic designer and lifelong poet, Teresa Kiplinger came to metal later in life as a way to keep herself busy through the end of a painful marriage. Not long after, she experienced the unimaginable loss of her teenaged stepson.
Wearing her pain like a heavy cloak, she turned to her metalwork and poetry to work through her grief, making a bracelet in his memory, etched with a poem to him. This bracelet, a reminder of her love for him, was a comforting presence in the months that followed.
From this deeply personal and difficult loss, Teresa says she found her voice.
During this conversation Teresa shares how her love of poetry and metal came together to so beautifully create what she has coined as modern memento mori jewelry. We discuss the healing and sometimes lifesaving powers of an art practice, curating a cohesive and compelling story, and the freedom that one can find with art as he or she ages.
Follow Teresa...
Website: www.silverpoet.com
Instagram: @tkiplinger
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Karen Higgins is a self taught artist who has had a life long fascination with the natural world, its interconnectedness and intelligent design.
Her work combines silver clay and traditional metalsmithing methods to showcase the beauty and elegance found in roadside weeds, bits of shell, feather and seed pods that one might otherwise overlook, but we are always surrounded by.
Karen is not only a talented jewelry artist but also paints. However she put painting aside to focus on her growing jewelry business. As with many creatives, Covid gave her a push to go all in as an artist and turn one of her creative passions into her full time career.
During our conversation Karen shares how she is still navigating life changes and balancing creative exploration with maintaining a sustainable income. We talk about IG and what IG ultimately wants from us and how to use that to our advantage. We also talk about her experience with publishing a tutorial in a jewelry magazine and when inspiration can turn into copying. And Karen shares how she fell in love with PMC, and how that discovery shifted her relationship with her art and what she could create.
Honestly I felt like we packed a lot of good stuff into this conversation and I can’t think of a better way to kick off 2025.
Follow Karen...
On Instagram: @karenhigginsjewelry
On Etsy: KarenHigginsJewelry
Karla Hackman’s path into metalsmithing began in the most unexpected of ways—through a background in academia, ceramics, and a love of collecting stones on long hikes. Karla eventually traded in a steady career in higher education for the leap into jewelry, and over the last twelve years she’s built a body of work that balances the organic and the architectural, the soft and the strong.
In our conversation, Karla shares how her surroundings in the Southwest shape her collections, the inward journey of self discovery that art has taken her on, and the ways she finds both grounding and freedom at the bench. We also talk about the realities of making a living as an independent artist—navigating production work alongside one-of-a-kind pieces, honoring exploration, and letting your creative voice evolve over time.
It’s a thoughtful, down-to-earth conversation about what it means to make with intention, and I think you’ll really enjoy it.
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Karla on Instagram: @karlahackman
Karla’s Website: karlahackman.com
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Stacey Hareid is a self-taught metalsmith who’s been carving out her own path for more than a decade, teaching herself fabrication, stone setting, and even lapidary along the way. More recently she’s been diving into wax carving and casting — a process that’s been both exciting and, as she shares, incredibly humbling.
In our conversation, Stacey opens up about her journey from photography into metalsmithing, the winding road that eventually led her back to Portland, and how finding a mentor shifted her perspective after so many years of figuring it out alone. We also talk about the realities of balancing creative freedom with the pressures of business, why patience has been one of her biggest teachers, and the meaningful connections she’s built with her customers through custom work and talisman-like pieces.
Follow Stacey...
Stacey on Instagram: @47sunsjewelry
Stacey’s Website: 47suns.com
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Jewelry Website: christinemighion.com
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Chela Gurnee is a metalsmith, shamanic practitioner, hypnotherapist, and reiki healer—and she’s one of those rare people who allows herself to follow what’s calling, even when it doesn’t fit into a tidy box.
We talk about how her love of creating beauty with her hands led her to jewelry, her love of stones and how the stones themselves guided her deeper into energy work, and how shamanic practices, intuitive song, and ritual became part of her daily life. We talk about burnout and boundaries, making peace with your body, being multi-passionate, and finding the golden thread that runs through all the parts of who you are.
Chela shares so openly about the seasons of creativity, what it looks like to truly listen to your inner voice, and how she’s learned to honor the balance between flow and structure, especially as a woman navigating a culture that rewards doing over being.
This one is deeply affirming if you’ve ever felt like you had to choose just one thing, or if you’ve struggled to reconcile your spiritual path with your role as a maker.
Follow along...
Chela on Instagram: @chelagurnee
Chela’s Website: chelagurnee.com
Jewelry: chelagurneejewelry.etsy
Intuitive song: Chela Gurnee
Christine's Instagram: @christinemighion
Slowmade Website: slowmadepodcast.com
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Heather Croston of Talulet Jewelry has taken more than a few unexpected turns. She moved from narrative metalsmithing into toy design, and now she’s returned to jewelry with a new rhythm and a voice that’s wholly her own.
Heather creates one-of-a-kind pieces that feel like miniature landscapes—stone pairings that echo the Catskills outside her window, soft textures and patterns that carry a sense of place and feeling. Her work is intentional and thoughtful, but it didn’t come from forcing clarity—it came from allowing change.
We talk about all of it: learning to trust your instincts, creating while grieving, navigating two distinct creative styles, and how building a slower business sometimes means letting go of what we thought success was supposed to look like.
If you’ve ever felt like you came to your art “late,” or wrestled with the idea of having multiple creative identities, I think this conversation will leave you feeling seen and encouraged.
Follow Heather:
Heather on Instagram: @taluletjewelry
Talulet Website: taluletjewelry.com
Narrative Jewelry: heathercrostonjewelry.com
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Jewelry Website: christinemighion.com
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Renee Ford, now Renee Busdiecker, has been working in metal for over 30 years, and her path has taken her through so many versions of this life—from grad school to running her own brick-and-mortar fine jewelry store in her twenties, to creating a production line that landed in shops around the world. She’s taught all over the country, mentored students from her studio in Tennessee, and developed tools that many of us use at the bench such as one of my favorites, Hold It.
These days, she’s focused on slower, more intentional work—custom pieces, hand engraving, and passing on what she’s learned to others.
During our conversation we talked about what it’s like to navigate creative life as we age… the shifting priorities, the toll on our bodies, and the deep satisfaction that can come from making work that feels meaningful and connected.
Renee also spoke about the invisible weight of always having to wear all the hats, and the quiet, tender place she’s arrived at—where the work is less about proving something, and more about listening, refining, and creating from a place of truth.
Follow along with Renee...
Instagram: @reneefordmetals
Jewelry: reneefordmetals.com
Tutorials & Tools: thehammerandanvil.com
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Jewelry Website: christinemighion.com
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SuzAnne Taylor is a silversmith and artist whose journey into jewelry began as an act of survival. After serving as a combat medic in Iraq, she returned home carrying invisible wounds and found herself struggling to reconnect with everyday life. It was during a stay at a VA hospital that her psychiatrist encouraged her to find a hobby—something to do with her hands, something to focus her energy. That simple suggestion opened a door.
A beginner’s chainmail class led to her first bracelet, and something clicked. The rhythm, the repetition, the quiet demand for presence—each small step helped anchor her in the here and now. Over time, and with the support of a kind and generous mentor, SuzAnne began to build a new life through her work at the bench.
Her work, especially her Tuff Gurlz line, honors the imperfect and the scarred, not only in the stones she chooses, but in the stories they represent—stories of survival, strength, and grace.
This episode is a beautiful reminder that art often finds us when we need it most—and that making with our hands can bring us back home to ourselves.
Follow along with SuzAnne...
SuzAnne on Instagram: @stonesandsterlingbytaylor
SuzAnne’s longtime Instagram account @taylormadesilver was removed by Meta without explanation and she is currently working to restore it and will return to this account if possible.
SuzAnne’s Website: taylormadesilver.com
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Jennifer Young is one of those multi-talented souls who’s followed a winding, wholehearted path—through fine art, architecture, time living in Japan, and months on the road with her family in an Airstream. She makes soulful jewelry full of story. And in the corner of her studio, she’s created a small but intentional shop curated with beautiful handmade objects from around the world, all rooted in a deep sense of slowness, simplicity, and reverence for craft.
During our conversation, we talk about finding your creative rhythm, navigating the pull between all the roles we hold, and what it really means to build a life and business on your own terms. If you’ve ever felt like you had too many passions to pin yourself down—or longed for more intention in your creative practice—I think you’ll really enjoy this episode.
We explore the beauty of restraint, the power of ritual, and how letting things unfold—at their own pace—can lead you closer to yourself. If you’re craving a reset or simply want to feel inspired by someone carving out her own quiet, intentional path—this one's for you.
Follow Jennifer...
Instagram: @wren_atelier
Website: wrenatelier.com
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Jewelry website: christinemighion.com
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If you’ve ever felt that tug-of-war between creativity and business, or struggled with the balance of freedom and financial pressure, you’re going to feel so seen in this episode.
Julianne is a maker in the truest sense—her work is soulful, organic, and deeply connected to the natural world. We talk about her journey from teacher to metalsmith, the unexpected start she got thanks to her husband’s old silversmithing tools, and how her creative voice found its way through texture, form, and layers that reflect the landscapes of her life.
We also dive into the challenges of building a jewelry business in a rural setting, navigating the rollercoaster of sales, and the ever-present feeling of not doing it ‘right’—even when your heart knows it’s exactly what you’re meant to be doing. Julianne shares how she’s embraced the imperfections of her craft and found freedom in letting go of comparison and self-doubt.
If you’ve ever felt the pull to create simply for the joy of it, or if you’ve ever wrestled with the tension between art and livelihood, this conversation will resonate. You’ll walk away with a deeper appreciation for the slow, mindful process of making, and for the ways we can infuse care and intention into not just our work, but our lives.
Follow along with Julianne...
Instagram: @silverstruckstudio
Website: etsy.com/shop/silverstruckstudio
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In this episode, I sit down with Doug Napier—a thoughtful, seasoned artist with decades of experience in the jewelry world. Doug shares stories from his early days at the bench and how a lifetime of global adventures shaped the way he sees and approaches his craft today.
We talk about what it means to stay adaptable in a changing industry, how to balance time-honored techniques with modern tools, and why teaching, mentoring, and storytelling matter so much—especially now. Doug opens up about the spiritual side of making jewelry, the pressures that come with making a living from your art, and how he works to keep joy and curiosity alive in the process.
We also explore how platforms like YouTube have helped him pass on hard-earned knowledge, and how his identity as a creator continues to evolve. Doug reminds us that it’s okay to question the old rules, to find your own rhythm, and to think about the legacy you want to leave behind—not just in your work, but in the way you show up for others.
It’s a soulful, generous conversation that left me thinking long after we wrapped. I think you’ll feel the same.
Follow Doug...
Doug on Instagram: @jewelrymonk
Doug’s Website: jewelrymonk.com
Doug on YouTube: Doug Napier (Jewelry Monk)
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