I just caught up with one of our students, Sandy Rubin to talk with her about her jewelry, inspiration and time travel! Sandy is a regular face to see around Liloveve – always working on a beautiful custom piece, perfecting a new technique she learned in class, or just talking about life in the studio.

Liloveve: When did you first start making jewelry?

Sandy Rubin: I first started making jewelry in college. A good friend of mine made these amazing beaded bracelets & showed me how to make them during a “crafternoon.”

LV: What classes have you taken at Liloveve?

SR: I’ve taken Wax 1 & Wax 2, Intro to Silver, Business Workshop, Rose cut Workshop, and the Prong Setting Workshop. I’m a regular during the weekend bench hours!

LV: Where do you draw your inspiration when designing your work?

SR: For a really long time, I made elaborate wire wrapped pieces. They were very intricate and interesting but I eventually caught myself in a creative rut. After a little soul searching, I realized that a better approach would be to make pieces I would want to wear or buy for others. Whenever I feel the creative juices clot, I look at the piece as if I’m a customer instead of the designer.

LV: Do you exhibit your work anywhere?

SR: You can find my most recent work on Etsy. I’ll also have a new line ready to launch on BigCartel in June. This line will have a wider range of semi precious and precious metals that carry a more visual weight. It will also have more of a focus on men’s jewelry & a variety of stones all with different shapes, cuts, & sizes. I also do a lot of customer pieces for the bridal market.

LV: Have you been featured in any press?

SR: I’ve been featured in a couple blogs and will be featured in: http://light-andsweet.blogspot.com/  within the next few weeks!

LV: What’s your favorite piece you’ve ever made?

SR: My all-time favorite piece I’ve ever made is my diamond ring from the rose cut workshop. It was my first time upcycling metal. I melted down an old bracelet of my mother’s & shopped out my very first diamond – an experience in itself!  It has the subtle but unique character I strive to embody in all my pieces and is super easy to wear – I never take it off.

LV: If you could travel any place or time, where would you go?

SR: There are so many places I’d love to travel to. Since we’re on the topic of jewelry, one place sticking out in my mind is in my past as it was my first encounter with “jewels”. I’m a young girl in my grandmother’s walk-in closet. I sit at her vanity putting on imaginary make-up while she searches shoebox after shoebox for her “jewels” – a compilation of jewelry she accumulated from her travels. Suddenly, she stirs. She’s found the right box! Seating the treasures in front of me, I sift through each piece. She has a story for each item & I listen intently. Once I side which piece I’ll add to my collection, she quietly closes the box and puts it back on a shelf. It camouflages in a sea of shoeboxes only to be uncovered on our next rendezvous.

LV: If you could collaborate with another designer/artist, who would it be and why?

SR: If I could collaborate with another designer, it would without a doubt be Michael Good. His anticlastic technique plays with opposing curvatures in the metal of his work. His pieces are as mind-boggling in  design as they are beautiful. He is truly a talented artisan.

LV: What’s the most fun aspect of being a jewelry designer?

SR: What I enjoy most about designing jewelry is being able to picture something that only exists in my mind and making it tangible to share with others. It’s like reading your diary with a megaphone.

Check out more of Sandy’s work online!

Website

Etsy Page

Twitter: @Sandy_Rubin

Pinterest: SandyRubin

Instagram: @Rubinsandywich