Temporary Studio Blues

If you haven’t heard the news, I am relocating my life and my studio from Dallas to Kansas City, Missouri. When I told my fellow jewelry friends I was moving to KC, I got a “deer in the headlights” stare followed by, “WHY?”. If you’ve never visited, or spent time in Kansas City, you don’t know what you’re missing. I’ve lived there twice, each time briefly, but I fell in love with this town in less than a heartbeat, and I have looked forward to the day when my husband Kurt and I would move back forever. 

Kansas City is a hidden, midwestern gem of a place. There is a welcoming and authentic sense of community here that I never felt in any other city where I’ve lived. It is also rich in history, arts, culture, entertainment, unique shopping, and so much more. I am eager to dive deeply into, and become part of this diverse, creative, and embracing maker society.

While this remarkable next adventure won’t be without a few less than ideal, temporary lifestyle changes, we couldn’t be happier.  Kurt and I are building our forever home, a dream come true, but in the interim we will be apartment dwellers. My bench will be a makeshift kitchen table with tools in a stack of boxes, and the worst part, no torch! This will take me back to my roots, and the first lessons learned in this incredible craft. There is no doubt it will reignite my love of rivets and other cold connections, so not a horrible consequence. As Alexander Calder once said “The trouble with a lot of artists today is that they have too much technique and equipment. They don’t know what to do with it all. If you cut down on it, you can work more strongly within narrower limits” I’m certain to rediscover the truth in that profound statement.

Although this interim situation may give me the studio blues, I believe it will push me to be more inventive and creative. It will also make me appreciate more than ever, the dedicated studio space my new home includes. No more soldering in the garage in 100 degree or 30 degree weather. No more climbing stairs to my bench on the second floor and back down to the garage again. No more lack of water at my fingertips and poor lighting conditions. And the best part is no more neighbors weirdly looking at me in my apron, mask and safety glasses.

During this transitory time I will continue to create as I dream with anticipation about my new studio space and sharing it with you. Please be patient, it’s nearly a year away!

Jackie

Follow

Discovering My Signature Style and More

It has been just over one year since I launched Jackie Jordan Studio, and although I have been creating jewelry on and off for over 17 years, I have been spending the last 12 months, fabricating, experimenting and searching for my signature style. This process took me in many directions, some more successful than others, but all with the intent of creating memorable and wearable pieces of jewelry. 

Did I love everything I made? Actually, yes! However, I knew there was something missing, something that energized and excited me and truly represented my design aesthetic. I needed to stop trying to design for everyone and instead design for me and women just like me, or as I would come to learn, my dream client. It was a moment of clarity that stopped my in my tracks.

I was paralyzed by how to move forward and make this happen. And then the stars aligned when I stumbled upon the Flourish and Thrive Academy jewelry boot camp. Not only did these sessions confirm what I was feeling, they also challenged me, taught me so many amazing lessons and provided me with a roadmap to get me where I wanted to go. I also encountered a community of artists who were so willing to share their experiences and expertise and provide support, encouragement and advice. I am now ready to tackle the next steps. 

Sterling and Steel Collection, Pendulum Series

So, back to my signature style. My newest collection, Sterling and Steel, is what I have been working towards these past months.  It represents my love of architecture, graphic design, simple geometric and organic lines, minimalism and movement. These designs are for women who love the same things I do, who do not want to conform to fads and trends, but instead want to adorn themselves with art jewelry that never goes out of style. This jewelry is for women who want to make a statement without "making a statement". 

I am so excited about this direction and all the design possibilities it holds. My mind is moving at warp speed, but my hands can only make so much. I guess that's a good thing as it will keep me busy for months and years to come. 

Forever creating,

Jackie 

Follow

Hello, World!

Jackie Jordan Studio One-Year Anniversary!

In the blink of an eye, Jackie Jordan Studio has reached its milestone one-year anniversary, and that age-old saying, “time flies when you’re having fun”, has never felt more real than it does at this moment.  

As I began this journey, my first inclination was to let this website and business percolate for one full year and either call it quits or forge ahead. Well, I’ve never been a quitter, so I’m not sure why I even expressed that thought, but here I am, twelve months later, excited to continue this creative quest.

I had no grand expectations or written in stone goals for building this business in year one. Instead, my focus was to create without constraints, embrace the creative process and discover my design aesthetic. I also continued to learn while sharing my passion and work with anyone interested in handcrafted, contemporary jewelry. If I achieved one thing, it is taking a dream, making it a reality and enjoying each and every moment along the way.

I certainly have my family and friends to thank for their support both with encouraging words and acquiring jewelry I hope they truly love.

Happy New Year and Cheers to a whirlwind 2017!

Jackie

Follow

Creative Freedom

How does one define creative freedom?

This answer will certainly vary from each imaginative, gifted, artistic soul to the next. For me, being a former design director in the corporate world, there are many meanings. To be fair, there were countless moments of sheer joy and success, but many were hard fought.  Now, I am no longer constrained by deadlines, budgets, opinions, criticisms, and rejections to name just a few.

Creative freedom means I can conceive and build everything my spirit craves, without scrutiny and audit by anyone other than myself.  I can work as few or as many hours necessary to complete a project to my satisfaction. It also means managing every detail related to this small business. The up's and down's are explicitly mine to handle, solve, enjoy and admire. It's a scary thing, but having complete ownership, accepting what comes with this blossoming venture is definitely worthwhile.  

As artists we crave to inspire others and seek admiration for our work, providing validation and a sense of purpose. If by chance we only inspire ourselves, at least we have done so with absolute conviction, inner fulfillment, and most importantly, creative freedom.

I hope you have a chance stop by and visit Jackie Jordan, LLC to see my latest jewelry creations. Each item is handcrafted with pure delight. 

Sincerely,

Jackie  

"Creativity is contagious, pass it on"  Albert Einstein 

Follow

The Tale of Frozen Charlotte

Late 1800s Frozen Charlotte Doll Parts

Downtown McKinney, TX is a beautifully revitalized historic square filled with lovely boutiques, restaurants, antique malls and shops. A frequent destination, this place inspires me with its enduring architecture, quaint atmosphere, unique charm and character. The best reason for venturing here however, is treasure hunting. 

On one such outing, several years ago, while perusing one of my favorite little antique stores, I happened upon a small vessel brimming with miniature porcelain dolls, all of which were missing various body parts. Asking the shop owner if there was a story behind them, she gladly provided a brief history. Fascinated, yet not knowing exactly what they would become, I had to have just a few.  

These tiny dolls, made in Germany in the late 1800s, are being unearthed as old doll factories are dismantled. They also have a name, Frozen Charlotte, due to their immovable body parts. These “broken” Frozen Charlottes, held more interest for me than ones completely intact. I made my purchase, headed home to research more, and figure out a new use for these alluring curiosities. 

I sat with the Frozen Charlottes for a while and finally decided to wire one to a length of rubber cord and make her into a necklace. She was unlike any other piece of jewelry I had ever made. I fell in love with this little doll instantly, returned to historic McKinney, and purchased the rest.

Since that time I have acquired numerous Frozen Charlottes in a variety of sizes and conditions. Heads and busts, headless, limbless, stained and crazed with decades of character. I have crafted jewelry and objects with these precious dolls, each with its own interesting personality. She is an object of art, a distinctive paperweight, display for your favorite earrings or a necklace to adorn you. Knowing these Frozen Charlottes enjoy a second life and new purpose brings me great pleasure. I hope one of these charismatic gems will find its way into your heart. You can find them here at Shop Jewelry and Shop Objects

Creatively yours,

Jackie

Follow

Dreams Realized

Welcome to my inaugural post celebrating the launch of jackiejordanllc.com, a decade of dreams realized. I must admit having a blog associated with my jewelry business was never part of the plan until I had a conversation with my good friend and fellow entrepreneur Kathy Andersson, owner of Rendered Nest Staging. She strongly and passionately encouraged me to create a dialog dedicated to this venture stating it was essential to the success of my website so here I am, awash with anxiety and excitement and officially a maker, entrepreneur and much to my surprise......a blogger.  

For those of you who don't know me I'll share just a little background information that led me to this very special moment in time. In early 2016 I retired from a very successful 30 year career with Sherwin Williams Paints where I directed the company's national color marketing efforts by developing tools for professionals and consumers, researching, creating and presenting color trends and forecasts, designing and art directing interior spaces. It was a profoundly rewarding career that sent me on countless amazing journeys across the great United States and Europe in search of thought provoking trends and design inspiration. Those incredible opportunities and experiences provided fuel for my creative soul, simultaneously influencing and shaping my jewelry aesthetic. 

Creativity is part of my DNA so it is no surprise that I had myriad artistic passions outside of color and design, but the one that captured my heart and soul was jewelry design and fabrication. It all started in Scottsdale, AZ at a small metal arts class at the local Boys and Girls club where an amazingly gifted artist in the techniques of metalwork instructed me.  I discovered how tremendously rewarding it is to take a flat sheet of silver, a spool of wire or found objects and transform them into something special, wearable and functional. I continued to evolve and explore this craft for well over a decade always with a dream of having my own website to show and sell my creations. Well that day has finally arrived and I am more than thrilled to share my art with those who appreciate handcrafted jewelry and small objects with an architectural and whimsical edge. You can learn more about my work and collections on my about page and I hope you will visit and be inspired by my shop!

My goal is to post each week showcasing a new design or work in progress, share new finds and inspiration for my jewelry or just to ask a simple question or share a creative thought. 

I hope you will enjoy my posts and I look forward to our weekly visits.

Creatively yours,

Jackie

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

Content Link Block

Select a page and create a visual link to it. Learn more

Jewelry Design & Inspiration