Moose Spotlight: Handmade Jewelry Wildly Inspired by The Moon
Lindsay Allarding is a Michigan-based jewelry artist and is behind the Instagram handle @wildseptemberjewelry. Currently, she has been creating jewelry for five years.
Lindsay Allarding of @wildseptemberjewelry on Instagram
She shared with us how she has always loved jewelry ever since she was little. Lindsay also used to spend hours at a few local shops just looking through the jewelry. She remembered how she rarely bought anything, and so she thought she was probably an annoying customer, but she simply loved looking at it and wondering about how it was made. Before I learned to metalsmith, jewelry just seemed like such a beautiful mystery.
As an artist, we wanted to know which part of it challenges Lindsay the most. She shared that she actually loves tedious work and she finds it quite meditative most of the time. Having said that, the only skill she doesn’t particularly enjoy is sawing, which she said she is yet to enjoy.
Over the years, we wondered if there is a particular piece that stands out the most for Lindsay, among all the pieces she has created for five years. She shared that she actually think about a lot of her pieces quite often.
Once, when she’s just getting started with metalsmithing, she has spent 18 hours in one day making a cuff for herself with a huge piece of #8 turquoise. To this day, she still remembers it all too well as she could not stop doing it until it was finished. Lindsay states that she is still proud of that particular piece and she still wears it all the time. Maybe you could see her sporting it on her Instagram account!
Being the lovers of nature we are, we’re curious if it inspires Lindsay’s work quite a bit. She declares that most of her pieces are inspired by the moon. Adding that something she often feels connects her to different parts of her life - the past, present, and future. She says, “The moon is a constant, and I've looked up at her from many different parts of the world while going through many different things.”
Feeling the same way about the moon? We do, too. There’s just something about the moon that’s quite mysteriously beautiful… Oh how the night lightens up with the moon around, that’s just one of the things we love about the moon.
As turquoise lovers, we have been admiring Lindsay’s incredible aritstry for quite some time now. We asked why is she working with turquoise pieces, to which she explained that she has just always been drawn to it. She adds, “I think many of us who love turquoise start by admiring Native American jewelry. I try to make sure my work does not appropriate or misuse Native American designs, and I hope I've gotten better at that over time.”
Take a look at some of her amazing work she has created over the years. More on her Instagram account as well!
by Lindsay Allarding of @wildseptemberjewelry on Instagram
Her number one tip for her fellow artist is self-compassion. Sometimes, we tend to forget it, and this is such a great reminder from Lindsay - from one artist to another.
What do you like most about working with Turquoise Moose?
“There are so many beautiful stones, and I love requesting custom orders so I can really create my own aesthetic. I appreciate the excellent customer service and support of makers as well.”
- Lindsay Allarding
Follow her work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildseptemberjewelry/
Check out her website: https://wildseptemberjewelry.com/
