Interview: Carolyn Buss, Seattle Area Jewelry Maker

Carolyn Buss is a twenty year old jewelry maker living in the greater Seattle area. Buss, who has held interest in jewelry making since age five, is a generally creative individual. Her talents extend to other art forms and creative writing. Buss specializes in beaded and wrapped jewelry. The self-professed workaholic now runs her own part-time business making and selling jewelry at markets, craft fairs, and online.

Q: How did you get started in making jewelry?

A: I started making jewelry when I was very little probably 5, or even before that maybe. I remember one of the first pieces I made. It was a little clay ghost thing I made in elementary school for Halloween. In high school, I realized that there was a jewelry class available to me and I was a little tentative thinking that it would be all beads and nothing too exciting, but it was totally the best thing ever! I learned a lot from my teacher.

I also worked for a woman for a year making wire wrapped and beaded jewelry. I learned a lot in doing that, but I also learned that people aren't what they usually seem to be.

Q: Who or what inspires you?

A: The stones and the beads inspire me, or sometimes I think about time periods, like the renaissance era. And like I said before, I worked for a woman who had really simple stuff but it sold for whatever reason. Most of it really wasn't that cute but it was marketed to older ladies who liked flashy big expensive jewelry.

Q: What types of jewelry have you made upon request?

A: I used to do a lot of the custom work for the woman I worked for. I used to have to "invent" matching earrings to go with necklaces that she hadn't made a matching earring to, or one time she and I designed a necklace to match a specific earring; that was hard to do.

But, other than that, my friend and mentor asked me to create some beaded bracelets so that she could keep track of her weight watcher's points. That was neat, I probably make like 5 or 6 of them. And for the same person I have made a few pieces that have stone settings and soldering and such, like a ring and a bracelet.

Q: What is the most unusual piece you have made?

A: I actually designed a breast cancer awareness pin and earrings set that has breasts attached. The 'breasts' are made of copper using a process called chasing. I made one larger set of breasts and two very small ones and the ribbons are made of enameled copper.

Q: How long does it take for you to make something?

A: It really depends. A wire wrapped ring will take me about 5-10 minutes, for a basic one. I have these ones that I made with slider beads recently that I just adore and those take me maybe 15 minutes, if even that long. But, earrings anywhere between 10- 30 minutes if they are really extensive and intricate.

Q: What is your specialty? What makes your work unique?

A: I have been working a lot with wire wrapped rings. I really love wire and beads. Lately I have been making rings out of the wire and buttons-they're adorable!

My work is unique because I am kind of a perfectionist. It used to always bother me when I was making jewelry for a living that the boss lady always just said to make the wrap one or two times around... because it "saves time." But in reality, it just looks like crap.

I believe as with most things, that three is a good and lucky number. I wrap every wrap three times, unless there is danger of breaking the stone or bead, but usually if that is the case I just redo it. I am meticulous, to say the least!

Q: Where can someone purchase your jewelry?

A: I have an Etsy store online. I have also been vending at the Fremont Sunday Market in Seattle, Washington.

Q: What are your goals as a jewelry maker?

I want to own a store, and not just a store that sells my jewelry, but I want a co-op sort of thing, which that seems to be coming to fruition with a friend of mine, Bergen. She is organizing this shop in Seattle, an artist co-op, for about 30 local artists who rent a space in the shop. It'll be really exciting. She's got two investors.