10 Questions: Sarah Lynne Designs

Dear friends and family of Tiffiny: if you’re wondering what to get me as a gift this year, look no further. Since a mutual friend introduced me to my favorite Etsy store, Sarah Lynne Designs, I have spent a lot of time perusing and coveting the items there. There’s always something incredible in stock, but if you’re looking for something different, Sarah makes custom pieces as well (check out her jewelry portfolio and special orders gallery for inspiration). Since Sarah and her jewelry speak for themselves, let’s skip to the important part:

You make custom pieces, right? Will you walk me through that process?
Often clients will come to me with an existing design I have done, but with a personal design request for the opposite side. I will draw a full color sketch with Adobe Illustrator based on their desires and color requests and once the design is outlined it is up to the client to approve or ask for tweaks. This process usually tends to be quite a rewarding collaboration often giving me new inspiration for future designs!

What is the most unusual request you’ve gotten for a custom piece?
I have done a human tooth, a hand grenade, and even an ear of corn.

What piece is your favorite?
I have several favorite pieces including my mechanical hearts, art deco steam punk tear drops, and my new sparrow designs.

How did you get started making jewelry?
I have always made jewelry for myself and have been creating all varieties of art for as long as I can remember, but it was after I decided to learn how to weld and started working with aluminum that I realized what a fantastic medium for jewelry it was! My early prototypes were so positively received by friend and family that I felt I had developed something with a great potential, so with much encouragement I kept at it.

What has been your biggest challenge with your art?
At the onset it was a lack of space and materials which gave me the most issues, and not to mention my own doubts and frustrations!

Tell me about your workspace.
Space is no longer a concern of mine, thankfully! I now live and work in a house that I share with my boyfriend, where I have a large room for my studio and the basement in which I cut and polish all the aluminum.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?
To just keep going! After some initial failed attempts, ruined pieces and resin catastrophes, when I was ready to just give up, my loved ones refused to let me. I am so happy I had their support and advice; at the time I could not begin to imagine the satisfaction and joy this hobby would bring me, but now I can’t think of life without it.

What are your other hobbies?
I don’t have much time for any other hobbies! But I do enjoy feeding the squirrels, playing with my cats, and hanging out with friends when I can.

What do you wish you had more time for?
I wish I had more time for my friends and family, more time to travel and enjoy the outdoors, and more time for art!

Since I’m so used to asking music questions, tell me about some of your favorite music.
I love Radiohead, Ben Folds, Death Cab For Cutie, Gorillaz, Bjork, System of a Down, and many more. Also of special note is a fantastic Michigan musician, Jonathan Visger, lead singer of Mason Proper. Their latest album Olly Oxen Free has been on repeat in my CD play for the past five months straight and I’m still not tired of it!

We know you want it, so what are you waiting for? Go buy yourself a little something awesome at Sarah Lynne Designs now!