Hi. My name is Stacy and
hodgepodgerie
is
the latest chapter in a story that began in California many years ago.
As a child I was always
captivated by pretty rocks and it seemed evident even then that I would
eventually be employed in the jewelry world. After a stint at brokering
gemstones between the mines and wholesalers, my fascination with the
industry led me to become a gemologist.
Eventually,
my career took me to the retail side of the business where
I managed several high-volume independent jewelry stores and offered
custom jewelry design services. It was in that environment where I
first found the opportunity to use my natural artistic abilities to
create
special and unique pieces for my clients.
Five
years ago breast cancer — which is, thankfully, now in
complete remission — hastened my retirement from the daily
grind of the
retail world. My creative muse, however, kept tugging at me.
Soooo...after considerable encouragement from my wonderful husband Tom
— who always wondered why I never
did this much sooner — I decided it was the perfect
opportunity to start designing my own beautiful, handcrafted jewelry as
an outlet through which to express my artistic side. Thus began the
hodgepodgerie
story.
Why
the name
hodgepodgerie, you ask? Well...my jewelry tends to
be a bit eclectic (probably has a lot to do with my
California upbringing). The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines
eclectic
as "composed of elements drawn from various sources." And, in the
French
language the suffix -rie refers to a
business or profession (ie...boulângerie, patisserie,
crèmerie). So I have a
business in which I create jewelry using elements from various sources
— a
sort of hodgepodgerie, if you will. Now
aren't you glad you asked?
Don't
let the silly name fool you, though.
Every hodgepodgerie piece is fully handcrafted by me, using
only the finest quality materials available. I work with beautiful
lampwork created by talented independent glass artisans. You'll see the
attention to detail in the use of pure copper and Sterling silver and a
variety of gemstones. I carefully select every component,
often adding my own hand-forged design elements. And, finally, I
bring them all together in
unique and creative — some would say artsy
—
designs.
It's
impossible to capture the full beauty of these accessories in low
resolution web pics. Be assured, though, that my goal is
always to create
ornaments that you'll love wearing yourself or be proud to give as
gifts. Know that when you purchase a hodgepodgerie design you're buying
much more than a simple piece of jewelry — you're investing
in
beautiful wearable art!
