A Birch for Monday

I\'ve been making jewelry for myself since my teens, but it wasn\'t until I moved to Madison to begin an M.F.A. in fiction that I thought of turning it into a business. Here, jewelry-making became a way to channel my creative energy when I wasn\'t working on my novel, and I loved the idea of having a side business I was passionate about. I try to create pieces that feel subtle, elegant and organic, and I like to use stones that look both raw and architectural. I also love the connective aspect of having a small business, and particularly a jewelry business. Jewelry has a nostalgic quality--it\'s something we often bestow with meaning and stories, and because of my interest in narrative, I like imagining that each of my pieces is a different character. My mom taught me how to make jewelry, and my own favorite piece is a ruby ring from my grandmother, which was given to her by my grandfather when they got married! etsy: www.abirchformonday.etsy.com