Slowmade: Nourishing Conversations for Jewelry Artists and Metalsmiths

My guest today is Robin Wade and I think she has really mastered the art of weaving in story to each one of her pieces imbuing them with life and personality. I’ve loved her jewelry for a long time, but I’ve recently fallen head over heels in love with her ceramic rattles which you will hear us talk about today.

Robin’s journey as an artist began in high school, when her art teacher recognized she was going through a difficult time time and helped her work through her emotions with art. Influenced by the healing she received through her art practice and the memory of her supportive teacher, Robin began helping troubled and traumatized children find healing using art as therapy, an experience which has deeply impacted her artistic perspective. 

We talk about the intuitive process of creating art, balancing the business side of art with creativity, the importance of boundaries with custom work, and much more.

Bio:

Robin lives near the ocean in Southern California and has been an artist for many years working and teaching primarily in watercolor, sculpture, and jewelry. 

She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and has lived in Oregon and Utah. Over the years she worked with mentally ill teenagers, taught art with youth in custody teens, and taught 9th-grade art classes. She also worked for about ten years with abused, abandoned, and neglected children from birth – eighteen years of age. 

Art has always been important to Robin. It has been a way to work through personal trauma, express feelings, connect with joy, and everything in-between.

Robin continues to be moved by the human spirit. The strength and courage it can take to find one’s way through life. She wants her work to touch the heart, make someone laugh, think, and most importantly, remind them of their own inner strength. 

Robin's Instagram: ⁠@robinwadejewelry⁠

Robin on Etsy: ⁠RobinWade⁠

Stephanie Gagos Auction for Artists on Facebook

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. Feeling empowered by the jewelry she was creating, she took a leap to create a business and life that she could be in control of.

Laura and I talk about our shared love and emotional connection of creating one of a kind pieces and the personal fulfillment that comes from building a business in the arts. Laura shares how she navigates selling on Etsy as well as Shopify, why she loves teaching others, the unique challenges and rewards of being a self-taught artist, and of course so much more. 

Follow Laura...

Instagram: @lbouton018

Website: www.ljbjewelryshop.com

Etsy: www.ljbjewelry.etsy.com

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Allison Ford is a studio artist and educator whose work lives in the in-between — between jewelry and sculpture, storytelling and adornment, play and meaning. Based in Indianapolis, she has been part of the Harrison Center community since 2009, building a creative life shaped by curiosity, community, and a deep commitment to handmade work.

In this episode, Allison shares her winding path back to making and how her practice has evolved alongside raising her family and later earning her MFA. We talk about the importance of creative community, the role teaching now plays in her life, and why staying playful and curious continues to guide her work.

Our conversation also explores the stories behind some of her most recognizable bodies of work, including her Indiana bug series and the folklore-inspired figure Baba Pascha and her bronze spider companion, and how art can serve as a vehicle for empathy and connection.

This episode is a thoughtful reflection on building a handmade life over time — one rooted in intention, experimentation, and the freedom to create beyond defined lines.

Follow Along:

Allison on Instagram: ⁠@studioamf

Allison’s Website: studioamfdesign.com

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Follow Christine and Slowmade...

Instagram: ⁠@christinemighion⁠

Jewelry Website: ⁠christinemighion.com⁠

Slowmade: ⁠slowmadepodcast.com

In this episode, I’m talking with artist and goldsmith Elisa McLaughlin, the creative artist behind Truly Kindred.

Elisa’s path has wound through watercolor, music, candle making, and raising five kids — all of which eventually led her to the jewelry bench. Her reflections on finding goldsmithing, navigating her first real creative dry spell, and learning to trust the natural rhythm of inspiration offer such a grounded, honest look at what it means to build a creative life in the real world.

We also dig into the realities of working in gold right now, pricing during unpredictable markets, balancing motherhood with making, and the constant negotiation between authenticity and the pressure to present a polished image online. Elisa shares openly about what nourishes her, what drains her, and how she’s learning to protect her own creative spark.

It’s a thoughtful, relatable conversation with so many small truths woven in — one I think will stay with you long after you listen.

Follow along...

Elisa on Instagram: ⁠@trulykindred

Elisa’s Website: ⁠trulykindred.com

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Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...

Instagram: ⁠@christinemighion⁠

Jewelry Website: ⁠christinemighion.com⁠

Slowmade: ⁠slowmadepodcast.com

In this episode, I sit down with Catherine Marche, a French-born goldsmith and designer now based in London, whose jewelry feels alive with movement, color, and emotion. Catherine’s journey to the bench wasn’t a straight path — she began her career as a computer scientist before following her curiosity into the world of fine jewelry.

We talk about how her life of travel and discovery has shaped her artistry, the importance of intuition in both design and business, and what it means to create jewelry that truly reflects the essence of its wearer.

Catherine shares how she built a jewelry collective in Hatton Garden that supports emerging artists, her thoughts on creative freedom, and the tension many of us feel between making from the heart and making for a living.

It’s a beautiful, joy-filled conversation about curiosity, courage, and the stories that live within the work we make.

Follow Catherine:

Catherine on Instagram: ⁠@catherinemarche

Catherine’s Website: ⁠catherinemarche-designs.com

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Support an episode: ⁠Click here to learn more!⁠

Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...

Instagram: ⁠@christinemighion⁠

Jewelry Website: ⁠christinemighion.com⁠

Slowmade: ⁠slowmadepodcast.com

Have you ever had a season in your creative life where slowing down wasn’t a choice—it was the only option left?

Maybe your body demanded rest or maybe the joy of making faded under pressure and you started to wonder if you had lost that spark for the work that you once loved so much.

That’s where today’s conversation begins.

Laney Clark—known to many as Silent Goddess—has been making jewelry for more than thirty-five years, and I’m thrilled to say I’ve known her for probably 20 of those years. 

Her work is rooted in patience, precision, and the kind of simplicity that only comes from experience. She’s known for her hand-pierced designs, inspired by the tall pines and mountains outside her Washington studio.

We talk about the long arc of a creative life—what it means to work through fear and anxiety at the bench, the rising cost of materials and what that does to our mindset, and how slowing down can become its own form of wisdom.

If you’ve ever wondered how to keep creating when things get heavy, or how to find meaning again after years at the bench, I think you’ll really feel this one. 

Follow Laney:

Instagram: @silentgoddess

Website: silentgoddessartjewelry.com

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Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@christinemighion⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jewelry Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠christinemighion.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Slowmade: ⁠⁠⁠⁠slowmadepodcast.com

Have you ever wondered if you can truly grow your business when you love to make every piece with your own two hands?

It was a question that came up in my own growing business many years ago and it’s a question that comes up often in this community — how do you scale without losing the soul of your work? How do you expand, maybe even hire help, but still keep that direct connection to what you’re creating?

For many of us, the thought of letting go of the bench, even a little, feels impossible. The making is the heartbeat.

Today’s guest, Joy Kruse of Wild Prairie Silver, has walked that line beautifully. From her early days making jewelry on the side while working full-time as a nurse, to now running a thriving studio with a small team, Joy has found a way to grow without sacrificing what she loves most — the making itself.

Joy’s journey into metalsmithing began over two decades ago with a love of stones and a curiosity for form. What started as a creative outlet evolved into a full-fledged business known for its bold, organic designs and soulful craftsmanship.

In our conversation, Joy shares how she made the leap from nursing to full-time artist, what it really looks like to run a sustainable handmade studio, and why she still insists on keeping her hands in every part of the process. We talk about failure as a teacher, staying true to your creative voice, and the quiet discipline that keeps the work — and the love for it — alive.

It’s an inspiring, grounded conversation about the beauty and grit behind a life built by hand.

Follow along...

Joy on Instagram: @wildprairiesilver

Joy’s Website: ⁠wildprairiesilver.com

Love the Podcast?

Support an episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to learn more!⁠⁠⁠⁠

Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@christinemighion⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jewelry Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠christinemighion.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Slowmade: ⁠⁠⁠⁠slowmadepodcast.com

Today I’m talking with Tiffany Chow, jewelry artist and founder of Depo Market on Maui — a beautiful little shop that’s part boutique, part community, and entirely built from love.

Tiffany’s path has been anything but ordinary. After studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and running a successful jewelry line in New York, she felt an intuitive pull to move home to Hawaii. That decision led her to care for her brother, Chris — and ultimately to build a business that creates meaningful work for people with disabilities while bringing awareness and connection to her island community.

In this conversation, Tiffany shares how Depo Market began as a pop-up for Chris and grew into a mission-driven storefront. We talk about caregiving, art as a bridge for belonging, and the realities of running a small, heart-centered business on Maui while raising a young daughter. It’s a story about purpose finding you when you least expect it — and how one act of love can ripple out to change everything.

Follow Tiffany:

Instagram: @depo_market

TikTok: @depomarket

Website: depomarket.org

Love the Podcast?

Support an episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to learn more!⁠⁠⁠⁠

Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@christinemighion⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jewelry Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠christinemighion.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Slowmade: ⁠⁠⁠⁠slowmadepodcast.com

In this beautiful conversation, I’m talking with jewelry artist Dawn Hemstreet of Hawk, Hummingbird & Moon. Dawn has this thoughtful, unfiltered way of sharing her story that I know will pull you right in. She came to jewelry later in life, around 49, and her path is such a reminder that it’s never too late to listen to that tug inside and step into something new.

In our conversation, Dawn talks about the evolution of her work—from metal clay to fabrication, from jewelry into the possibility of objects—and how she follows curiosity even when it means starting over. We also get into the harder parts: burnout, doubt, the grind of shows, and what it feels like to wonder, “Do I still love this?” She doesn’t shy away from naming those struggles, but she also shows how resilience and curiosity keep her moving forward.

What struck me most is how she speaks about belonging—about finding her own sense of worth even when family didn’t fully understand, and about the unexpected support from strangers that helped carry her through. We talk about showing up authentically, online and in person, and how connection often comes simply from being ourselves, flaws and all.

This is a conversation about making, yes—but it’s also about strength, self-trust, and the freedom to define success on your own terms.

Follow along...

Dawn on Instagram: @dawnhemstreet.jewelry

Dawn's website: hawkhummingbirdmoon.com

Love the Podcast?

Support an episode: ⁠⁠⁠Click here to learn more!⁠⁠⁠

Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@christinemighion⁠⁠⁠

Jewelry Website: ⁠⁠⁠christinemighion.com⁠⁠⁠

Slowmade: ⁠⁠⁠slowmadepodcast.com

A graphic designer and lifelong poet, Teresa Kiplinger came to metal later in life as a way to keep herself busy through the end of a painful marriage. Not long after, she experienced the unimaginable loss of her teenaged stepson. 

Wearing her pain like a heavy cloak, she turned to her metalwork and poetry to work through her grief, making a bracelet in his memory, etched with a poem to him. This bracelet, a reminder of her love for him, was a comforting presence in the months that followed. 

From this deeply personal and difficult loss, Teresa says she found her voice. 

During this conversation Teresa shares how her love of poetry and metal came together to so beautifully create what she has coined as modern memento mori jewelry. We discuss the healing and sometimes lifesaving powers of an art practice, curating a cohesive and compelling story, and the freedom that one can find with art as he or she ages.

Follow Teresa...

Website: www.silverpoet.com

Instagram: @tkiplinger

Want to continue these important conversations with a mutually supportive and diverse community of jewelry artists? Then please consider joining us in the ⁠⁠Slowmade Collective⁠⁠. It's the best place I know online that can support you and your desire to create a sustainable business that feeds your life.