Rolling Prairie Jewels

Long ago in 1971, my mother took a class in copper and silversmithing at a community center in Colorado Springs. I was in high school and she showed me everything she learned. As my experience grew, I began making custom orders for family and friends. But I also wanted to be a wildlife biologist when I grew up. So off I went to college and two degrees in wildlife biology. I worked in my field for

over 32 years and recently retired in 2012. For much of that time I made and sold jewelry on a limited basis, but had a long hiatus from 1990 to 2004. At that point my then 14 year old daughter wanted to learn the art and that inspired me to put all my tools back to good use! My shop name, Rolling Prairie Jewels, comes from rolling prairie land we own in Nebraska. We are managing the land to support diverse and abundant wildlife. I love to set stones into pendants, earrings, and bracelets, but my passion is creating wildlife pieces using mixed metals. I like the challenge of creating intricate "pictures" with metals. Working full time did not leave me much time create, market, or sell my work, but now that I am retired, I have more time to pursue my artwork.