Of course, creating your own unique design can actually be a lot harder than it might sound. A year ago, I sat down to design a headbadge for myself… and it took me almost a week to decide on an idea and sketch it out! But taking that time was one of the best decisions, because I love how this badge captures something about me, and the way that it fits so perfectly with the bike that it’s on.

Fast forward to now, and I’ve realized that this design process might be more than you all want to undertake. Maybe you’re super busy, or maybe drawing just freaks you out. I get that, and I want to help you design your perfect headbadge. Just because you can’t sketch it out yourself, doesn’t mean you should be barred from having the custom headbadge you want!

Introducing Headbadge Design 101… This is a new resource that I’ve put together to help you brainstorm about your headbadge design. There are questions to think about to narrow down images and style. And there are tips for creating a strong design that will work with your bike.

Like always, I’m happy to work with you to fine-tune your design ideas. But if you’re feeling like you want a little more direction before we start working together, check out Headbadge Design 101.

As I’ve started finishing new work, however, I’ve decided to re-conceive my big re-opening. The point of my much-needed break wasn’t to dive back in and wear myself out again, trying to reach Perfection in a new body of work. The point was to re-align my personal mission with the kind of jewelry I make; to find a happy place of being a working artist, so that I can do this everyday; to recognize that I’m in this for the long haul, and making jewelry isn’t just one finite project that I can wrap up and walk away. So, I’ve decided to simply start releasing new pieces a little bit at a time.

Starting Today!

Today, I am re-opening my Etsy shop! Pretty much everything that was in my shop prior to January 1 has been removed, and I’ve been slowly re-working a lot of those pieces.

What’s in the store today is all brand new jewelry, necklaces and earrings, that are simple and fun and exude a sense of movement… that make me think of cartwheeling through a grassy field… that can be worn everyday or dressed up for a night on the town… that remind me that jewelry doesn’t have to be stuffy and serious… that flash you a smile and a wink before grabbing your hand and leading you off on an adventure.

Like I’ve said previously, this style is a bit of a shift for me, and I’m kind of excited about it. I think I gave myself permission to right-size the everyday work that I make, so that I have lots of creative energy to conceive of artier pieces as well. So, take a look and let me know what you think (and keep your eyes here and on my shop, because I’ve got lots of ideas up my sleeve).

Now, I’m veering in totally the opposite direction. Taking a break from traveling and settling into Portland has meant that I can, once again, set up a non-portable studio. After consulting the magic Google, I discovered a workspace in the city that rents communal space to metalsmiths and woodworkers. It’s an old industrial building that creaks in the wind, and I share a large upstairs section with several other jewelers, and I love it. Besides the simple delight of being able to spread out and make a mess, the space is full of communal tools (which means no more laboriously drilling holes with a pin vise!). I feel wildly fortunate to have found this space and I’m thrilled to be able to work whenever I want… and I seriously believe that it’s making me much more productive!

Since January, I’ve given myself a much-needed break from all things jewelry-related. I knew that I wanted to see big changes from my work, so I knew that I needed to remove all the pressure I was heaping upon myself and just let the ideas start to gel on their own. I’ve spent the past few months looking at hundreds of amazing designs and filling up my sketchbook with ideas, all so that I would have something to work from when the time came.

Now, after nearly three years of continual travel, I am settling down a bit in Portland. I found an incredible work space that I am thrilled to use. And I’m finally putting myself back to work.

Yet, as excited as I am to work in a proper studio again and produce beautiful new jewelry, I find myself a bit anxious too. Why? Because these new pieces that I’m creating are quite different from what I’ve produced in the past. Change is always a good thing, but the gremlin that hangs out in the shadows of an artist’s brain has a way of making you think that this kind of change is just plain horrible. And my gremlin has been yelling, rather loudly, that I’ve got a lot of nerve to make jewelry that looks like this.

The trouble with all of this gremlin yelling is that I really want to change my jewelry style, I really want to make these new pieces in this simpler way, I really want to play with these ideas that have been bubbling up recently (and follow through with them and see what happens). And since it’s my business and my creative pursuit, it seems logical that I should follow what’s fun and exciting for me, right? Even if it’s mildly terrifying…?

Well, logical or terrifying or not, that’s the direction I’m following. New work, a bit of a new style… and a goal to release a new line on May 1. In the meantime, these photos provide a bit of a sneak peek.

The little creative voice that lives inside of me has been nagging at me for some time to step up and create the jewelry that I really want to make – pieces that are bold in a simple way, that embody the power of solving a creative challenge, that remind us to step into the spotlight a bit more. These designs have long been floating through my head, but have never seen the light of day because I keep letting myself get stuck by the process of stepping out of the comfort zone of my current work.

So, on January 1, I’m confronting my comfort zone and trying something drastic. I will place my Etsy shop on vacation. I will remove the current listings. I will likely decommission the pieces that are currently for sale. And I will start creating new work.

My hope is that, by blank-slating and re-launching my shop, I’ll create a space to make new work outside of the shadow of everything that I’ve made previously. My hope is also that, by bluntly stating this all here, I’ll have to hold my feet to the fire and follow through on my goals.

My intention is to re-launch my shop around May 1. That sounds like a long time, but I need these few months to erase, and then re-create, the current structure of my shop and my work. It’s terrifying and exciting and I can’t wait to dig in and get to work.

What this means for you is that you have two weeks to grab up anything that you might have your eye on. Consider it a final clearance fire sale, because these pieces will likely not ever come back (even the newer ones). Need a little extra push? As a blog reader, take an extra 15% off any purchase with this code: BLANKSLATE. And if you want to be one of the first people to hear about my new work and my re-launch, enter your email below.

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It’s official… I’m headed to New Zealand in a few weeks! This has been in the works for months and I’m thrilled to finally have the details all be coming together. I have long wanted to travel in New Zealand, and doing it on bicycle just sounds unbelievably amazing.

As I get ready to head out, there are a few very big details that you all need to be know…

1. I will be carrying tools with me to continue making custom headbadges on the road. Please continue to contact me the way you normally would. I will be in an entirely different part of the world, but the magic of the Internet will allow me to keep in contact and respond as I normally would.

2. Shipping times and rates will change drastically! If you’re in the US, I will no longer be able to offer free/cheap shipping. I’ve done some preliminary research and it looks like shipping from New Zealand to the US will be approximately $10 and take 3-10 days. For those of you in other parts of the world, I can provide you with an accurate estimate before placing your order.

3. If you’re purchasing a custom headbadge as a holiday gift, you will need to plan ahead and place your order early! Bonus points if you’re able to get your order in early enough that I can make and ship it before flying out (because you’ll still get the cheap/fast US shipping).

As soon as I have a date of departure, I will update you all.

Thanks in advance! I’m so excited and can’t wait to see this gorgeous country for myself!

Some of them are quite simple, some are a little more involved. They are all inspired by our travels – the way the wind whips across a field, the winding roads, the simple pleasure of pedaling down an open road.

Many pieces are available now. And more will be appearing daily in my Etsy shop. Take a look!

*Note: the star headbadge can be slightly customized with the addition of a single letter monogram, for an additional $10.

One of my favorite places to look for design ideas for headbadges is the Google Image Search. It may sound like cheating, but think about it… You go to Google Image Search, type in the idea you have, and get to sort through dozens of photos and drawings (and tattoos, clipart, presentation slides, you name it). Maybe you find a near-perfect design that you can tweak and be on your way. Most likely, you’ll find an image that will lead you to a new search and again to another new image, until you can visualize exactly what you want your headbadge to look like. It’s a great tool to help you think about possible ideas and designs – and help narrow them all down to the perfect one!

Ready to take it a step further? The best headbadge designs are black-and-white, stencil-style images. So, when you’re searching for images, try using the word ‘silhouette’ after your design idea. You’ll get more 2-dimensional images that will be easier to translate into a headbadge design. (For example… Want a turtle? Search for turtle silhouette.)

A tiny town in the middle of a vastly empty part of this enormously rural state. The streets are still dirt and gravel. The big excitement was the annual craft fair and gun show, in a small parking lot in the center of town. I had been reveling for the past several days about how we had pedaled our way back into the Wild West. And, then, I looked out the window of the restaurant where we were eating lunch, and I watched a cowboy stumble out of my imagination and amble down the road. An older man with grey hair, Wrangler jeans, plenty of dust, and the quintessential boots and hat. Sometimes the true things we find in small corners of the world far surpass anything we could dream up.