Inspired by Travels. New Designs may on their Way.
Nylie AfuyogShare
My new website is a celebration of the 30 years I've been designing jewelry. I started designing jewelry for myself after I met a jewelry designer who specialized in silver smithing rings and necklaces. I purchased a few of her pieces and then she told me that I should start designing my own jewelry. With her encouragement, I made a few earrings and a bracelet with pearls and crystals. When I would wear my designs, I would receive compliments and requests to make jewelry for others.
What initially became a hobby turned into a small business. Many of my initial clients are still with me and whenever they wear a piece of jewelry from 20 or 30 years ago, it makes me happy to know that they still enjoy wearing it. One client was too embarrassed to ask me to restring a pearl necklace that she purchased 2 years ago and I told her that there was nothing to be embarrassed about since in my eyes, it meant that she enjoyed wearing the necklace on a daily basis and that explained why it had to be re-strung sooner than normal.
Jewelry is such a magical way of expressing our personality and our feelings. I am often asked where I get my inspiration when I design jewelry. All I can say is that it's a feeling and vibration of the places I've traveled to around the world and also my experiences in my hometown of San Diego where the seaside is a constant source of inspiration.
I recently visited Seattle, Washington and stayed with some friends who live on Puget Sound. The sunsets were amazing and the flora and fauna were even more amazing. I realized that the flowers were so much larger and vibrant in color than the flowers in San Diego because there is so much more rain and rich soil in Washington.
I also recently returned from a trip to New Hampshire where the fall leaves completely surrounded the home that I was staying as a guest. There were tall maple trees with leaves bigger than my hands. The highlight of this trip was seeing how beautiful the leaves changed in their colors from green to yellow, to orange to red, and from red to brown. I loved it! Seeing all the trees shedding their leaves was just wonderful since fall doesn't really make its way to California.
I am certain that these two trips will appear in my new designs in the next few months. In the mean time, please enjoy my current designs on my new website.
If you know of anyone who would like to share their blogs on my website, please have them reach out to me. I want to encourage other artisans to showcase their work.