Things as they are....

I had my second child in March of this year and the reality soon kicked in about what that meant for my little jewellery biz. I got slower and more tired as the pregnancy wore on and then experienced a lengthy recovery and caught Covid after the birth. Making jewellery was the last thing on my mind…except when I sat on my sofa and looked forlornly at my little studio through the window, sitting dormant. It is hard to put your passion on hold while you pursue another (having kids), especially when that passion is on your doorstep.

I was lucky enough to win a Biz Bubble Modern Maker Award in the jewellery category (judged by the very awesome Natasha Francis of BBC’s The Bidding Room and The Urban Vintage Affair) just a month before my maternity leave kicked in along with some awesome fellow makers (click here for Biz Bubble’s 2022 Winners Hall of Fame) yet the elation of winning such a cool award quickly disappeared as I found myself up to my neck in nappies and sleepless nights and the juggling act of looking after a newborn and a 4 year old.

Yet… it is with gratitude that I write this blog - gratitude that I can look after my beautiful kids and just pop things on hold while I do so. Being my own boss and having gradually got my business into a position where it totally works for me, I can take some time out to spend as much time with my 4 year old Jesse before he goes to school in September. I’ve also been able to let my body heal after Joni’s birth and get to know her without the worry of work gnawing away at me. Joni is quickly growing out of each age bracket of clothing, which just serves to remind me that my beautiful sprogs aren’t in my arms for long and are at school in the blink of an eye.

As Joni settles down in the evenings now and is sleeping through a large part of the night, I’ve had some time to reflect on my business and my creativity. I’ve managed a little studio time to work on some personal projects and experimentations, picking them up here and there when I can. I’ve also been working on some pieces which have been around a while which I haven’t had time to finesse. I also have a capsule collection in the pipeline which heavily features recycling and upcycling, taking little silver offcuts and showcasing how to make beautiful, wearable pieces of art using what is essentially scrap metal. I might work some seaglass into these jewellery designs to really highlight the upcycled/recycled element or perhaps I’ll use some gems to give a cheeky contrast between the refinement of a gemstone and the rawness of metal scrap. Such is the beauty of having the time to play around at my jewellery bench! We even managed a trip to Minster-on-Sea for some beachcombing a few weeks ago - it was pure bliss to be beside the seaside again with my little family.

So that’s me saying ciao for now…. I never blog as much as I’d like to and always say I’m going to blog more but it never quite happens!…. But that’s just how things are for now….

Keep your eyes peeled on my Instagram for announcements of new pieces as I’ll be releasing them in smaller collections, and also watch out for my new capsule collection mentioned above, focusing on upcycling.

Keeley x