Tell us a little about your background - what did you study and what path led you to what you’re doing now?

i had to answer this question last.  warm up to it a little bit.  it seems kind of vast.  but started out at rhode island school of design, freaked out and wanted to study other things besides just design.  followed a dream to new mexico and studied metals there, along with flamenco, geology, navajo language, spanish language -- and fell in love with a handsome young man studying painting on the floor above me in the art department.  we've been creating and living and loving together for a BUNCH of years.  moved to portland, oregon after leaving new mexico and lived there for another whole slew of years -- loved the pacific northwest for its vibe and innovation and awesomeness.  had a pipsqueak, i wanted to be closer to my family so we headed east.  had to readjust to a very different life style, and somehow that's inspired us to take the plunge and open up a really cool shop, among other things.
 

What’s the latest news from your line that we should know about?

i've started making cufflinks for the boys, which is a lot of fun.  and these amazing huge rings...with fields of color.  and also really enjoying designing hair accessories right now.  again, they're big and colorful and borderline (or maybe over-the-line) obnoxious.  yey!
 

Where do you turn for specific inspiration when working on a new project – do you scour books, magazines or the web? Do you pay attention to trends?

i tend to get a little stressed looking at what's going on in mainstream, or close to mainstream, magazines and whatnot.  i love seeing what's raw and under-the-radar and punk rock -- and just thinking about how it ties in to my own sensibility.  after a while, everything can look derivative so it's a double edged sword, research.  i work to stay true to what turns me on, and it's interesting -- if you do something long enough you can watch it cycle in and out of "what's hot at the moment."   so i do my thing and i'm fine with not always being trendy.  so ... you know.

Southern Maine’s best kept secret?

we are!  ok serious.  hmmm.  biddeford is very cool.  there's a lot of interesting people quietly doing interesting things.  and there's a STELLAR indian restaurant right downtown.  yum.  OH and lovinganvil AndMOR, this crazy cool, ultra eclectic, neverbeforesuchcoolthingsunderoneroof, boutique just opened up.  everyone should get here if for nothing else, for that.  for reals.  
 

Currently listening to…

jerusha and jeremy robinson playing cello and guitar upstairs above our shop.  also, we have these barn concerns at our home/barn that has attracted some insane talent.  tom thumb, the starlings, the low anthem, run on sentence, the accident that led me to the world...just to name a few.  so crazy lucky and honored that they've played in our barn.  so i'm always listening to them and remembering the wonderful shows.  add that to a standard mix of elliott smith, the maroons (out of pdx and disbanded) nick cave, and the geraldine fibbers.  and my time life "queens of country" series.  nice.