About Jennifer Casady
 I began my jewelry fascination when I was a little girl while attending gem shows with my parents and grandparents. As I grew older I would enjoy going through my Mom's jewelry and listen to her tell me stories of where and when she received each piece. My father used to travel around the world with his job and would buy strands of gemstone beads to bring home. He taught himself how to make knotted jewelry and made my Grandmother, Mom and I beautiful necklaces and bracelets. Several members of my extensive family make their own jewelry, some of them for many years.
I wanted to try my hand at making jewelry for years but never truly had the opportunity to start. In December 2005 I finally had the chance to visit one of the local bead stores in my area where one of the staff members kindly took the time to show me how to use the various beading tools and suggested several needed items that an individual would need to create jewelry. I had a ball picking out strands of gemstones, findings and tools. I made my first necklace and fell in love. My husband suggested I start selling my jewelry and has supported me wholeheartedly along this journey as I create jewelry and hone my skills.
Each piece I create is handcrafted with gemstones, gold-fill and sterling silver components. I am a perfectionist, so every item is held to my high standards. If I am not satisfied with how a piece has turned out, I will recreate it until it has become what I envisioned within my mind. Whenever I have a design floating around in my head, I sketch it out on paper to cement the idea. I use various techniques to bring my pieces into fruition, bead stringing, wire wrapping, and most recently, the ancient art of chain maille.
As with every artist, I absolutely love sitting down and creating my jewelry and I am continually searching out new techniques to learn so as to grow and improve as an artist and designer. My inspiration comes from various sources - the beauty of nature created by God, a conversation with a close friend, a certain color or the sound of music in the background, or simply the gemstone beads themselves. Each stone is unique and I want to express that individuality and beauty in my designs. My style tends to be somewhat conservative, as that is who I am and what I prefer. I believe jewelry is an accessory, an adornment, something to highlight and frame a woman's face, not to distract. I design my pieces to be timeless because I want the owner to be able to wear them today, tomorrow, or ten years from now. My pieces are created with classic lines and are multi-functional -- they wear just as well with jeans or with a favorite black dress, peeping out from under a classic white button-down shirt, or adding an extra visual splash to a business suit.
My husband and I have been blessed with my being able to stay at home, so I spend my days raising our two little girls, updating my website and blog, and creating new jewelry. |
