Moose Spotlight: Handmade Jewelry Inspired by Deserts, Oceans, and Nature

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You will have good days and bad days, and the soldering gods have no rhyme or reason to which day is what. Don't be afraid to walk away and come back the next day. No one becomes brilliant at anything overnight."

- Elizabeth Straub of @adrift.jewelry

 

 

MEET THE ARTIST

 

 

 

 

@adrift.jewelry on Instagram

 

 

 

Meet AZ-based jewelry artist, Elizabeth Straub. She has been creating jewelry for 2 years now, and is the amazing artist behind @adrift.jewelry on Instagram. 

 

 

 

THE JOURNEY TO CREATING JEWELRY

 

 

Elizabeth has always loved creating and have dabbled in different mediums. However, the one that has always resonated with her the most, and the one she always goes back to, is jewelry. She explained, "Jewelry is not just another pretty frivolous thing. Jewelry tells a story, keeping powerful memories in a simple adornment, and the ability to transform a 'meh' outfit into something that makes you feel classy and unstoppable. There is so much room to explore and never ending possibilities."

 

 

Initially, Elizabeth started with vintage charms and beads, but she craved to be creating something completely one-of-a-kind, hand fabricated from start to finish pieces. She shared that soldering her very first bezel was such a rush of excitement - until she realized she did it upside down and backwards! From that point on, she realized silversmithing is a slow art, one that requires attention to detail, patience, and lots of watching of YouTube videos, and doing trial and error.

 

 

Recalling her very first piece to sell, Elizabeth said that it was through Facebook. It was random and unintentional. What she did was post a few photos of her newest addiction, which is silversmithing - after such, an old high school friend of her who she hasn't talked to for years sent Elizabeth a message and wanted to buy it! How serendipitous, right?

 

 

Behind the brand name: @adrift.jewelry - "My inspiration comes from nature and travelling." Elizabeth has spent the last 12 years working abroad, and on the water. She shared that the watercolor palette in her logo is from those cotton-candy ocean sunsets seen when floating adrift on the sea. 

 

 

 

Here are a few of Elizabeth's beautiful creations!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turquoise Jewelry by Elizabeth Straub of @adrift.jewelry on Instagram

 

 

 

 



ARTIST'S DESIGN STYLE

 

 

 

AHA moments are incredible - it's when someone gets that fulfilling feeling, and more. Elizabeth shared that for her, it was when trying on a pendant that hung on her first hand-fabricated chain. She looked in the mirror and went, "Holy crap. I made this!" She said the chain was a nightmare, a 2-day process with heaps of swearing, Googling, and melted links. At one point, she thought about calling it all quits and throwing out her torch. "But the end product was beyond what I envisioned and was so incredibly satisfying - I knew I was instantly hooked."

 

 

Here are a few more stunning pieces by Elizabeth!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handmade Jewelry by Elizabeth Straub of @adrift.jewelry on Instagram

 

 

 

 



THE DESIGN PROCESS

 

 

 

"It is definitely a nonlinear, illogical process! I sketch out designs, forget my book in the house (my studio is the garage) and then just wing it! I've always got at least 5 pieces on the go, a mix of earrings, rings and pendants, in various stages of completion." Elizabeth shared that she's not patient enough to do collections and she prefers to allow inspiration to come naturally, at its own pace.

 

 

When asked to describe her own design style, she said it's nature-inspired everyday jewelry, "Simple and timeless, with a splash of color and flare."

 

 

 

JEWELRY DESIGN TIPS, TRICKS, AND HANDY TECHNIQUES

 

 

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

 

 

"The end product may look nothing like the original design, but you are the only one who knows that! Every piece ends up being created exactly as it should, even when you melt a bezel or saw a little off center. What matters is that it will bring a smile to someone's face and make their day a little bit brighter."

 

 

Do you have any technical advice on creating? 

 

 

"Spend the time sanding that bezel flat before you even think about soldering the backplate. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades and if you even think it's flush "enough", it's not! Having that perfect seam truly depends on the amount of prep you put in 😊"

 

 

 

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

 

 

"You will have good days and bad days, and the soldering gods have no rhyme or reason to which day is what. Don't be afraid to walk away and come back the next day. No one becomes brilliant at anything overnight. Ask questions, watch YouTube video, join forums. Take a break when things aren't working, but don't give up."

 

 

Lastly, Elizabeth's message to the universe: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrift.jewelry/

Check out her website: https://www.adriftjewelrydesigns.com/