Check Out Allysia Edwards’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allysia Edwards.

Hi Allysia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have absolutely loved jewelry for as long as I can remember. Being from the Southwest, my family collected a lot of Native American Jewelry and Turquoise Cabochons which was definitely an inspiration. My parents had a particularly cool style when dressing me as a child. I still have these tiny Silver and Turquoise bracelets that I wore as a toddler and my Turquoise Stud Earrings. When I was 4 or 5, my dad took a trip to Mexico, and somehow at that age, I knew exactly what I wanted as a present – a gold heart-shaped ring with a diamond in it. He managed to find exactly what I asked for and brought it home to me. I treasured that ring with all my heart and still do. My mother was a knitwear/ fashion designer so I suppose I was also drawn to fashion. As a child, I drew sketches of models wearing outfits I designed. Next to each model, I always drew matching Earrings, Necklaces, and Rings. Throughout the years I continued to dress up my outfits with accessories, which constantly evolved as I continued to grow. In high school, I was really into the 70’s/80’s British Punk scene, so I made a lot of chokers and bracelets out of velvet with unique safety pin designs, chains, and locks. In my late twenties and thirties, my Grandmother and Aunt started to hand down some of their beautiful Native American Jewelry to me. I had also all ready inherited what was left of my father’s Jewelry Collection. I was fascinated by the designs and contemplated how each piece was made. One day it dawned on me that I should try out Silversmithing. I was craving a creative outlet, so in 2014 I finally got around to taking a 6-week Silversmithing class in San Diego, where I was living at the time. The first time I picked up a torch and soldered two pieces of metal together, I fell in love.

It didn’t hurt that I got along really well with my teacher Deana Jacobson. So much so that we would have Silversmithing dates outside of class at her home studio. She was so supportive and encouraging and saw something in me that I couldn’t quite see in myself just yet. But at that point, it was just a hobby. I was a Bartender and never believed I could fully support myself in making jewelry. Especially in San Diego where the cost of rent and price of living is outrageous. I occasionally did pop-up markets and sold my jewelry at a cool vintage store called La Loupe. But I still considered jewelry a mini side gig. However I desperately wanted a way out of bartending, so after a few years of contemplating it, I agreed to move back to Durango CO to take care of my then 95-year-old Grandfather. He quickly entered home Hospice and I was his 24-hour caretaker. I couldn’t leave the house and had all ready turned the guest room into my studio, so I started making jewelry regularly to pass the time. That’s when I created my first real collection. It was Art Deco inspired and I think I fell involved with the jewelry process all over again. I had finally found my own unique and personal jewelry design style. My grandfather made it to 96, a new decade, and then passed away in Jan of 2020. At that point, I wasn’t sure where life would take me next. So I traveled around New Mexico for a while, trying to find an artsy town that I could afford to live in. The pandemic hit in the middle of my travels. So I headed back to Durango and decided to stay a while. I also decided to take a wild chance on myself and try and turn my hobby into a full-time career. Somehow it worked! Within a year, I managed to really grow my skill set, pump out new pieces almost every day, create an Etsy store plus a Website, and learn the ins and outs of running my own Jewelry business. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. Nothing could possibly be as fulfilling as creating jewelry. I work extremely hard and very long hours. But I manage to pay the bills every month without getting a “real” second job. I think that speaks volumes about what is possible! I definitely never have that feeling of security, but it beats having to work for someone else. I get to create my own schedule while working from home!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think anything is a smooth road for most people I know. If it was, how would you learn anything? Money always seems to be a struggle. But I have a roof over my head and food in my belly. It’s definitely easy to fall into a creative rut or burn yourself out. It can be difficult to continuously come up with new designs. I get bored with repetition very easily. So I just have to step back and breathe. Sometimes I take up other creative projects until I can find my way back to jewelry. The one thing that I find a constant struggle with, is social media. Unfortunately, it’s the way of the future for small businesses, but I can’t stand it or its ever-changing algorithms. It’s so hard to keep up or stay relevant in your follower’s feeds. I want to spend ALL of my time actually creating the art that I love. Not wasting time as a content creator. I’m not someone who enjoys talking to the camera let alone being in front of it. And I definitely don’t enjoy making reels featuring me the human behind the scenes. So I don’t really do it, which is apparently harmful to your popularity. In the beginning, Instagram was filled with beautiful photography and art. Images I wanted to see. These days I can hardly even scroll through the feed, as it’s become so very mind-numbing. I do continue to post pictures of my work though because I do want the world to see my art and in turn, hopefully, continue to buy it!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ll probably take a little Holiday break and then I’ll start focusing on my Valentines collection. I’ll be bringing back some old designs plus making some new stuff. So stayed tuned for that. I’ll most likely release it all at once the beginning of February. And some of the rings will be offered as made to size this time.

Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
If you are interested in making jewelry, find out if you have a local gem and mineral club. That’s an excellent place to start. They usually offer metal smithing and lapidary classes. Most of my networking is done at Art Markets and other pop-up events. You will meet a lot of artists that way and continue to see them at future events and grow friendships and/or business relationships. And that always leads to opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.allysiabrookedesigns.com
• Instagram: @allysiabrookedesigns
• Facebook: Allysia Brooke Designs

Image Credits
Allysia Edwards and Kathleen Wise