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 so...
Jun 25, 2025•52 min•Season 2Ep. 78
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 abou...
Jun 11, 2025•56 min•Season 2Ep. 77
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...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 76
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...
May 14, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 75
Margaret Graham is the talented artist behind Centering Pendants—a jewelry collection that blends mindfulness, intention, and emotional healing. Margaret’s creative path began in ceramics, but it was through jewelry—and the creation of her signature Centering Pendants—that she discovered a way to connect deeply with herself and others. In our conversation, Margaret opens up about how making jewelry became a therapeutic outlet, and how her pieces now serve as quiet tools for mindfulness and manag...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr
Karin Luvaas creates one-of-a-kind jewelry that highlights the natural beauty of hand-cut gemstones. Inspired by the rich hues, patterns, and textures of the earth, she carefully selects rare and unexpected stones to showcase in her designs. With a focus on color, craftsmanship, and refined simplicity, her work transforms organic materials into modern, elegant pieces that spark curiosity and joy. “The heart of every piece I make starts with the stone. Natural gemstones — in all their wild, weird...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 73
In this engaging conversation, Christine Mighion interviews Beth Aimee, a talented jeweler who shares her journey from childhood experiences in the Appalachian mountains to her current work in jewelry design. Beth discusses her transition from a career in neurobiology to teaching and eventually to metalsmithing, highlighting the influence of nature on her artistic process. The conversation delves into the importance of community in the creative process, the daily life of a jeweler, and the joy o...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 72
In this conversation, Christine Mighion interviews Rebecca Connell, a metal clay artist known for her work with MopTop Jewelry. They discuss Rebecca's journey into jewelry making, her creative process, the importance of photography in presenting her work, and the challenges she faced transitioning to full-time jewelry making. The conversation also touches on health issues, including perimenopause and ADHD, and how these have impacted her creativity and business management. Rebecca and Christine ...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Brittany Foster shares her journey from being a custom jeweler in Minneapolis to finding her artistic voice in the serene woods of northern Minnesota. She discusses the challenges and joys of transitioning from commissioned work to personal expression, the inspiration she draws from nature and science, and the importance of creating a supportive environment for creativity. Brittany also reflects on her creative process, the evolution of her artistic style, and the emotional aspects of being an a...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Have you ever thought about writing a book, or perhaps even creating a community studio to teach and work from? If so, I think you will love this conversation with my guest Amy Schmidt. Amy shares her journey into the world of metalsmithing, her passion for the craft, falling in love with teaching and then eventually establishing Salt City Smithery - a teaching and working studio. Amy also reflects on the challenges and rewards of writing her book, “The Bench Book, a Companion for Metalsmiths”. ...
Mar 26, 2025•47 min•Season 2Ep. 69
Lynn Samis is a talented fine arts portrait painter with a modern, abstract, and colorful approach to her work. Her work bridges between cultures as a reminder of our common ground. It speaks to those who believe everyone deserves a place and a voice, especially in today’s divided world. Her desire is that when viewing her paintings, you can reflect, connect, and maybe even see a bit of yourself in their stories. I first met Lynn in an artist's mastermind we both were a part of and we quickly be...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 68
Michelle Pajak Reynolds quite literally began creating jewelry as a young girl, inspired by the tiara and cuff bracelets she saw Linda Carter wear while playing Wonder Woman. She carried that passion through high school, eventually earning a BFA in Jewelry/Metals from Kent State and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Baldwin-Wallace University. We cover a lot of ground in this interview, including the time and thoughtfulness Michelle pours into each collection. She meticulously researches her inspi...
Mar 12, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 67
Kelly Bussio was critically injured in an airplane crash 28 years ago where her husband, Brent, and a dear friend were both killed. She became paralyzed from the armpits down and spent many months laying flat on her back grieving. Not too long after, Kelly retired from her fast paced corporate job and began metalsmithing classes. It was there she fell in love with metal and stone. Kelly has adapted her life to fit her body abilities and has created a lovely, fully accessible jewelry studio in he...
Mar 05, 2025•56 min•Season 2Ep. 66
I met Heather John when she joined the Slowmade Collective many months ago and have really enjoyed getting to know her during our events. Her work is a beautiful marriage of organic and modern design, with masculine and feminine elements, and show stopping gemstones. Today we discuss Heather's journey into jewelry making not that long ago, finding inspiration from the gemstones she uses, and the therapeutic nature of crafting. Heather talks about her creative process and the joy of working with ...
Feb 26, 2025•45 min•Season 2Ep. 65
I have to say that I was a little nervous initially when I thought of sitting down with Robert Thomas Mullen. He has a list of artistic accomplishments that would make many of us feel a bit “impostery” as artists. However, it didn’t take long for me to relax into our conversation and see that Robert, though extremely talented, had times when he doubted his own work, felt blocked, and experienced many of the same things we all feel but often keep to ourselves. He was honest, introspective, and hu...
Feb 19, 2025•52 min•Season 2Ep. 64
In a perfect world we could just sit at our benches and create while someone else handled the business side of things, marketing, and social media. But for most of us, we need to do it all and some days doing it all feels defeating and like we just can’t do enough. Today, you’ll hear my conversation with Carrie Hasse which happened right after she finished a couple of very demanding shows including One of a Kind Chicago. I have been a big fan of Carrie’s work with her rich patinas and bold stone...
Feb 12, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 63
Have you ever considered the notion that we should live our lives to the fullest and follow our dreams even if it scares the hell out of us, because just maybe those that we love weren’t able to follow their dreams? I think of the many times that I’ve encouraged my children to follow their hearts and not to let fear hold them back, because I wasn’t “allowed” to follow my dreams until I was much older. Fear and guilt were the two unwelcome party crashers in my life that showed up when I would thi...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 62
From the very beginning, art has been the driving force in Laura Stamper’s life. As a child, she couldn't resist the urge to draw. And when paper wasn’t immediately available during a creative moment the walls of her room were the next best thing. Laura considers herself an artist of multiple mediums and she still has a very strong love affair with painting. During our conversation Laura and I explore the transformative power of art and creativity. Laura shares her journey as an artist, embracin...
Jan 29, 2025•55 min•Season 2Ep. 61
Carol and Michael Schwarz are both accomplished goldsmiths, not only living on Maui, but thriving as artists. They are now winding down in their careers and enjoying a slower, more balanced life tending to their land and creating beautiful gold jewelry with the mana of the island running through each piece. When I found Carol and Michael I was intrigued by their off grid lifestyle and their ability to thrive as artists living in the most expensive state in the US. We talk about how they’ve been ...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 60
If you’ve ever wished you could create all your jewelry from gemstones you’ve discovered, you’ll love this conversation with my guest today. Lisa Carroll is a silversmith and self-proclaimed treasure hunter from Australia who recently joined the Slowmade Collective. She loves incorporating Australia’s beautiful Lightening Ridge opals into work, but an even bigger thrill is going down into the mine that she and her partner own and discovering beautiful opal specimens. I can only imagine. I’m alwa...
Jan 15, 2025•56 min•Season 2Ep. 59
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 jewel...
Jan 08, 2025•48 min•Season 2Ep. 58
I'm sharing an encore of this fan favorite episode on New Year's Day while I take a little break. Ace McCasland, a metalsmith and jewelry artist, shares her journey and creative process in this conversation with Christine. Ace started Studio Luna Verde and creates unique, eclectic, and out-of-the-box jewelry, which she fittingly describes as "wildcrafted jewelry". She draws inspiration from her travels and the landscapes she has encountered. Ace emphasizes the importance of exploring and seeking...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 36
I'm sharing an encore of this fan favorite episode during the Christmas holiday while I take a much needed break. Restless and never really satisfied with the work she was doing as a painter, Julie Mahoney felt the weight of all the painters who better than her and she was often plagued with self doubt. Julie spent nearly 30 years as a professor of drawing and painting at a local university before retiring in 2019. It was then that she began taking metalsmithing classes and fell in love with the...
Dec 25, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 43
When I think of Lisa Crowder’s work, I immediately go to her pop art style enameled hearts, lips, and skull pieces. Playful and artistic, I feel like wearing her jewelry would immediately put me in a great mood. Lisa has a gorgeous studio and gallery space in Austin, TX, and like so many retailers when Covid hit everything came to a screeching and uncertain halt. But as a seasoned artist, her creativity bloomed and her priorities changed. As life fell back into balance, she decided it was time t...
Dec 18, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Inspired by the natural beauty of rural Montana, Stacey Curry has been designing jewelry since she was 16. Stacey’s business, Star Hitched Wagon, features thoughtfully handcrafted jewelry and apothecary products reflecting her deep connection to nature, blending the simplicity of the plains with the spirit of the mountains. Each piece encourages individuality while honoring nature and loved ones. One things that really drew me into Stacey’s work is that she has brilliantly created collections ba...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 53
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. Feelin...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 55
I wouldn’t say I have a love hate relationship with casting, but I would say it’s complicated. On one hand it feels like I really need to gear up for it mentally because each time is an experiment and it’s a long process. But when it works, which thankfully has been more often than not, I’m left with a handful of shiny things to weave into my work. On the days I’ve felt a little more blocked, I’ve sat at my bench and carved crude rings from wax and it’s honestly quite cathartic. Maybe one day I ...
Nov 27, 2024•55 min•Season 2Ep. 54
As a child growing up in Madison WI, Nora Feldman filled her days creatively, filming short movies and TV commercials, writing and performing songs, choreographing dance routines, painting, drawing, and even designing brochures for imaginary businesses. She scrapbooked, wood-burned, rock-tumbled, sewed, and even took up knitting… But above all else, Nora loved making jewelry. Surprisingly though, Nora chose a different career path in college worried that she wouldn’t be able to support herself a...
Nov 20, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 53
Today you’ll hear my conversation with Kim Sheridan, maybe better known by her business name Metal Objects. Kim was as delightful to speak with as is her jewelry, which can only be described as colorful, fun, reminiscent of another time, and in her words, perhaps a bit quirky. And fun is one of the things that keeps Kim coming back to her craft again and again. She is curious and enjoys problem solving through the making process. And while she enjoys trying new techniques and creating new design...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 52
When I sat down to chat with Jenny Foulkes, it soon became apparent (at least in my mind) that we were jewelry sisters from another mother. From the way we approach a design to our cabinets of curiosities filled with tiny sacred objects collected through the years, we seemed to have more in common than we didn’t. Jenny sees her jewelry as sacred objects to be worn, loved, and passed down… and I love this sentiment. Jenny’s work is elegant and at the same time earthy appealing to something deeper...
Nov 06, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 51
