Moose Spotlight: A Love for Jewelry and Creating Jewelry

Meet Samantha Kinchen, the jewelry artist behind @lostrabbitstudio on Instagram. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Samantha has been working on her jewelroy out of her home studio for 2 years now. She started her first jewelry class about 6 or 7 years ago.

THE JOURNEY TO CREATING JEWELRY

"I’ve always been fascinated by jewelry." Samantha shared when she was a kid, she would run away from her mom in the store and her mom said she’d always find Samantha looking at jewelry.

When Samantha was just getting started, most of her struggles have been getting over her fears and insecurities. "I’ve let a few things hold me back and maybe I haven’t explored all of my options because I didn’t have as much faith in myself as I should."

In any journey, firsts are difficult to forget. Samantha remembers the very first jewelry piece she sold. "
I sold my very first piece through Facebook!" A lovely local lady had been following her from the start and immediately bought the first piece Samantha made in her size. Now, she’s remained a wonderful customer and a friend of hers.

With a really interesting brand name, we asked Samantha if it had any significance to her. "My dad always called me “bunny rabbit” as a kid, he still does sometimes!" After she moved away from her home state and started her jewelry journey, she admits that she often felt a little lost. "That’s how Lost Rabbit Studio was born."

AHA moments are special. Typically, these are moments when artists discover things they can actually do. For Samantha, it's a really good one! "I recently bought some new stamps and was trying them out. I’ve been very timid around stamping because I always seem to mess it up. But as I was testing out the stamps, I realized I had so much more confidence in what I was doing, no hesitation whatsoever. When did that happen? 😂"

Here are a few more beautiful creations by Samantha!

When Samantha is designing a custom piece, she likes to draw out the idea on paper. But mostly, she moves pieces around her bench and map out designs. "My bench is a chaotic space, so occasionally I change designs based on if I can find all the pieces that day."

Asked to describe her own design style, Samantha said it fluctuates between classic southwest style, nature esthetics, and goth style. "It’s hard to pin down one style."

JEWELRY DESIGN TIPS, TRICKS, AND HANDY TECHNIQUES

 

What's one design tip you one to share with your fellow artists? 

 

"Keep evolving, keep learning, and keep trying new things."

 

Do you have any technical advice on creating? 

 

"One piece of technical advice that I have is to slow down when you’re sawing. I still have to remind myself that slow and steady wins the race; I have so many broken saw blades to prove it."

 

Any words of encouragement or tips to those who are starting out in the world of jewelry-making?

 

"Keep practicing! Every artist has been exactly where you are. Keep practicing and you’ll just get better and better."

 

 

Lastly, her message to the universe - quoting a very famous street artist.  

 

 

 

 

Follow Samantha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostrabbitstudio/  💚