Art & Story :: Amanda Conley, Handmade Artisan Jeweler

Today is “Trendy Tuesday” with Kayla! And she is sharing an interview with creative gal, Amanda Conley. We both have jewelry pieces from Amanda are excited to share a bit about her life and art.

Kayla : I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many creatives! My life has been marked by different creatives colliding into it. They always blow me away, inspire, challenge, and encourage me and Amanda Conley is continually one of them. I met Amanda through an arts festival at our church a few years ago. She is a handmade artisan jeweler. She has a heart of gold, and a passion and a talent that is truly inspiring.  Her work is gorgeous, precious, unique, and each piece usually has a beautiful story behind it. Take a moment and let her inspire you and check out her stuff! These pieces make beautiful accessories to your wardrobe for an upcoming photo shoot. Here is a little of Amanda’s story and art:

Amanda : I live in Nashville, (as a native Nashvillian – rare, right?) with my husband and three little boys, that are really not so “little” anymore. My oldest son will be turning 14 in October and I also have a 9 year old and a 4 year old. Our house is chaotic, loud, messy (in a lived in way) and a lot of times stinky from all the various art projects we have going on and all the “boy” stuff laying around. Although it sounds like an unpredictable “artists” life, I think I’m pretty boring. I eat the same cereal along with blueberries every morning, exercise at the same time everyday, make dinner every night in order to eat at 5:30 and bedtime is always early. In between our home’s “system” there’s some disorderliness, but over all there’s a lot of structure in our house.

Despite being a mom of all boys and being completely outnumbered in that way, I am a very girly girl and I’ve somehow been able to hang on to my femininity through the last decade plus. But on the other hand, having a house of testosterone has probably helped my metal-smith business flourish, because I don’t know that I would have had the courage to try out all my various tools if it hadn’t been for some need to prove my macho-ness to my husband and boys (and also if I hadn’t had my husband to show me I wasn’t going to just out-right keel over and die, kill anyone else or burn down the house when I turned on my torch for the first time.)

Making jewelry all started in art school (where I met my husband, who is also a working artist.) I majored in fine art and had a special love for 3 dimensional design. I just wanted to do it on a small scale. Thus my love of jewelry making was born.  Turning my jewelry making into a business and adding to my skills have both been developing processes. A business isn’t created overnight – and neither is the skill. I gradually built up my studio and my collection of tools as my finances would allow (which was very, very s.l.o.w.l.y) and with each acquirement, I would learn what I needed to learn in order to use that tool. Same thing with my business, which to be truthful, had a much greater learning curve for me. My brain is not cut out for business, so I spent hours scanning marketing and branding articles trying to figure out the next step for me to take.

Eventually things clicked into place and I began to be able to sell.

One of the things I wrestled with for a while was how to reconcile my love of art and metal with my love for Jesus Christ. I wanted to be a successful small business owner, but even greater than that I wanted the work of my hands to give glory to God. I vividly remember, during a day of complete stress trying to get ready for a show, putting all my tools down and praying to God asking him to take this business from me and make it belong to Him. I know that was the only way it was going to work – if He made it work. And from that moment on I began having major jewelry brainstorms during worship services, sermons and in my quiet time, or during random times when I was reflecting a certain verse. I’m convinced that my ideas don’t blossom because God made me a creative person, but deeper than that, they aren’t my ideas at all. He’s just using my hands to make them.

On the lighter side of jewelry making, it’s nice to have multiple accessories! My style is pretty much putting together what I already have in my closet in a fashion forward way, and even sometimes deconstructing old items to make new ones. I’m a fashion lover on a budget. Actually on NO budget. You have to have a maximum you can spend when you’re on a budget and my maximum is usually a big fat “0″. So I’m thankful that I can borrow jewelry from myself! I love a good dress, but typically you’ll see me in ratty jeans and a tank top (and if it’s cold, with a cardigan.) I justify my casual attire with a pair of dangly earrings. Or sometimes I’m in the mood for a necklace. Lately I’ve been wearing long ones. Sometimes by themselves, and sometimes layered with a shorter necklace. My own personal rule is “a lot of necklace, then tiny earrings” and “big earrings, no necklace (but maybe a fat ring).” I’m not a “jewelry set” wearing person either. I’ll make a set if someone wants one, but I prefer to mix it up. I like to mix up metals too. Which is one of the reasons I make a lot of silver pieces with gold on it. That way you can wear it along side any color you already have.

To see the jewelry I have in stock, you can browse my shop: www.bijougirldesigns.etsy.com
To see new pieces and custom orders I’ve done, become a facebook fan at: www.facebook.com/bijougirldesigns
To commission a piece, email me at: amandaconley@live.com
and to learn more about me, visit my blog: www.amandaconley.blogspot.com

Amelia : Amanda, thank you for taking the time to share a little of your life and love of art with us. As a mom and business – owner, I am humbled and inspired by your art and your heart. THANK YOU!