Looking back at Hydrangea

It all began with me wanting to make cute earrings for my girlfriends.  I remember my friend Jeannine saying that she couldn’t wait for me to open my Etsy store. So when my 4th boy went off to Kindergarten I did it. On January 1^st, 2016 I posted one pair of earrings on Etsy. I remember the joy of that very first sale and the excitement of having my own small business. I remember the late hours making jewelry, taking pictures, making listings, researching, marketing, and setting up for local markets. And yes I did google how to use Instagram. I was a true newbie to it all!

There were many highs and lows and a huge learning curve . It took time to develop my own unique style and ultimately finding my own voice. With the Hydrangea Collection came a clearer sense of direction.  It was the moment when things started to come together.

I discovered a new technique to preserve foliage in silver and I wanted to experiment with it.  My parents were visiting from South Africa at the time and could help with the kids, so it gave me the gift of time to explore this newfound method.  I remember searching the garden with my mom, looking for leaves to use when my eyes caught the petals of the hydrangeas.  I loved how they had movement to them and how delicately intricate the veins were.  And that is how my love affair with hydrangeas started. In the garden with my mom.

That summer my friend Tiffany from True Freedom Company convinced me to do the Northwest Flower and Garden Show with her.  This was a big step into the unknown, but lead to Hydrangea becoming a Collection. 

It took many failed attempts and a long time perfecting my technique, but the end result was very well received. 

The Hydrangea Collection not only showed at the Garden Show, but led to my tiny little business being recognized in the UK.  It was published twice in British Glamour Magazine and in HOUSE of COCO Magazine.

That lead to 3 more Collections that were also published in Britain.  By the end of 2017 my jewelry was in 16 magazines in the UK including, Glamour, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Brides and House of Coco. 

This rollercoaster ride set the stage for a new path I did not think would ever be possible. I dared to dream bigger and started to design my first fine jewelry collection.