LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SIT AMET CONSE CTETUR ADIPISICING ELIT, SED DO EIUSMOD TEMPOR INCIDIDUNT UT LABORE.

On the hunt for something in the cave I call my craft closet I came upon a box of old pieces of jewelry and objects, along with all my journals, notebooks and handouts that I made and saved while I was honing my metalsmithing skills at the University of Washington. In true Rebekah J. fashion I spent several hours pouring over my notes, sketches, and professor critiques; remembering my thoughts and the fun (and pain) I had creating them.

There’s a real value in the work that happens when you’re pushed to the limits when creating... The depths and lengths that you’re required to go to in answering the call of your professors truly make magic.

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I’m really proud of this work, and the techniques I learned are ones that I’m still using today. I’m going to share a series of these over the coming months and I hope you enjoy seeing a little bit of the work that created the artist that I am today and delivered the skills I use to create your jewelry.

PENCIL NECKLACE & BROOCH // These pieces date to 2004 when as a metalsmith student at the University of Washington I took a casting class with Maria Phillips @mariaphillipsstudio The assignment for this project was to learn about making multiples by creating a rubber mold which would be injected with hot wax. The wax pieces are then cast into metal. The prompt given for this project was “metamorphosis”. During a guest lecture I was inspired by the work of Nancy Worden who used many found objects to create her message-driven pieces. I chose communication as an answer to the assignment prompt of metamorphosis. Focusing on different forms of communication and how they have changed and evolved over time; from oral, to, written word, and now (then) to digital.

Using pencils found in the art studios all in varying states of use, alongside a plastic barbie flip phone, I hand carved and shaped the lips in two pieces so I could manipulate them into varying degrees of openness. The resulting necklace uses links fabricated in sterling silver which are attached to the pencils via handmade hinges. There is a series of mouths on one side, and tiny cell phones on the other, both in varying degrees of openness. It’s finished by a toggle clasp using an open cell phone and an open mouth, which hangs in the front. The brooch with a flower made of lip parts and a centerpiece of a flip phone, are cast in sterling silver and attached to the found pencil with rivets. There are halves of the flip phone on either side representing leaves and a pin back fabricated from sterling silver and steel and is riveted to the pencil. Revisiting these projects from college makes me want to make more weird things that push the boundaries of what we see as jewelry!