Crooked Trails Silver Blog
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Balancing 3 jobs, life updates, and summer plans!
I realize it's been a minute, since I've updated you. For some reason, I imagined May would entail lots of time in my studio making new pieces, but to be...
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Finding Balance: Why I'm Stepping Back from Markets This Year
Finding Balance: Why I'm Stepping Back from Markets This Year Burnout is real, and last year it caught up with me. Between the relentless pace of creating inventory, the pressure...
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NEW Designs for my Best-Selling Threaders
A goal I have for this year is to beef up my Adventure Collection. If you're new here, my Adventure Collection consists of pieces that I can make continuously and...
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Taking a Break to Reevaluate my Business
I know many of us are facing various challenges and scary realities right now, and for me, that involves reevaluating my career and this business. I've known the price of...
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Adapting, Not Panicking: How I’m Navigating Rising Silver Price
Many of you have seen silversmiths expressing concerns about the rising cost of silver. To put it in perspective, silver has increased 127% since the beginning of last year, with...
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Things Big Brands DON'T Do
There have been more than a few times when someone has tried to give me unsolicited business advice — usually about how I should “scale” or “grow” into something big....
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A New Chapter: Teaching Metalsmithing in My Own Studio
Some of you may know that I used to be a public school teacher. I loved teaching and working with students but the system was soul-crushing. Recently, I landed my...
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Yes, I’m taking custom orders — but only 5 spots before the holidays!
I get asked this all the time — yes, I do custom pieces! That said, there are just a couple of guidelines:• It needs to fit within my style of...
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📈 A Quick Heads-Up About My Prices (and Why It’s Happening)
I hate doing this… but my prices are going up. If you’ve been following any metalsmith lately, you’ve probably heard us all talking about it — the price of silver...
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Rising Silver Prices: What It Means for Your Jewelry (and My Business)
I’m sure you’ve noticed—just like many of your favorite silversmiths—that we’re all feeling the pinch of rising silver prices. When I first started in 2020, silver was about $20 per...
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When Passion Meets Purpose: My Unexpected Return to the Classroom
Many of you who have been following my journey know the mental and emotional struggle I went through in 2023 when I decided to leave public school teaching. At the...
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Why Size Inclusivity Matters—Even in Jewelry
When we talk about size inclusivity, most people think of clothing—and rightfully so. But did you know size inclusivity also applies to jewelry? It might not be the first thing...