JET Artisan Profile:Pam Robinson of CoolJewelry and CoolJewelryJR

I have always loved jewelry. It's  personal female fave of mine ... I'll take jewelry over handbags and shoes ..

How I Became a Jewelry Artisan

 It unfolded like this: a friend who was selling a line of jewelry asked me to become part of her downline. It got really creepy. During training sessions we were "supposed" to wear the jewelry. Honestly, it WAS pretty, but I just could not conform. I'd show up wearing just one piece of the designated jewelry, and the rest was from my jewelry box.


Then I found Etsy. I did a bunch of research via direct purchase of goods from all over the U.S. Spent a ton of money! But I was working, I loved jewelry, and so it was a win-win.

Mahogany Obsidian Murano Glass Sterling Silver Bracelet

And THEN I spent a mega ton on stones, beads, lampwork and hardware. I still have a LOT of it in the studio from which I cull when making jewelry today! I sometimes wonder ... you bought THAT??

What I do comes naturally. With color matching in my DNA and a love of texture ... I was off and running, no training, no anything and have not ventured away from my original style which is "random chaos."

Bohemian Beaded Bracelet / Carnelian Boho

I so love to see others moving into other areas
and techniques. I don't trust me with a torch.

I haven't been making jewelry a long time. I made my first piece in late 2007, and sold my first in early 2008. I still recall the gal who put my pathetic earring photo in the TOP row of her treasury and it hit the FP ... she is no longer on ETSY and I hope it wasn't a side effect of the photo ......oh, it was awful.

I love to use all kinds of stuff in my designs. Anything is fair game! Why? When you have a chaotic personality like mine that slides over into the process of making jewelry just about anything can catch my eye.

Orange Tangerine Coral Asymmetrical Dangle Earrings

Lampwork is a definite. Polymer clay and vintage beads are used as embellishments. The gemstone beads and hardware are top dollar; and there's a definite boho style that pervades my work.

I like making necklaces and earrings. But I truly LOVE making braceles because they are small works of art ... oh sure, there are the "safe" strand of whatever stretch bracelets ... but I am bringing ME to the stretch bracelet ... for folks who love them, and hate to fool with clasps.

 Oh, and I make some more mainstream pendant necklaces for folks buying a gift and don't know *exactly* what to get. That might be guys.

My method of inspiration is sorta strange but it works along with my eclectic style. My creative

Bright Boho Lampwork Wire Wrap Necklace

process consists of me heaping mounds of everything except for precious metals on the kitchen table.

I then go about my madness of finding the *exact* (in Pam's eye) perfect matching components ... yes, this has morphed from the studio into the kitchen -- photos would be scary.

My tools are basic; pliers, cutters, files ... there is one tool I use for just about everything though. The magnifier I need to wear to see up close ... I love it, and I even got a second one for closing wire wrapped jewelry.

Modern Glass Post Earrings

Of course I would LIKE to learn more jewelry making techniques and expand my skills. In my next life - with a fire dept close-by, like maybe next door I would love to work with a torch, patinas, PMC, etc.

My current sport is adopting Sir Theodore Nibbles (a Norwegian Forest / Angora cat) who is a diva ... never lived with one before now. And I need to visit Sephora a LOT for all of his black eyeliner.

Need to get my passport renewed so I can get back to The Netherlands ... I enjoy traveling!

You can find my jewelry on Etsy, in my two shops there. My original shop is CoolJewelry, at  www.etsy.com/shop/cooljewelrydesign. Also visit CoolJewelryJR, at www.etsy.com/shop/cooljewelryJR -- Cool Jewelry at a much lower price point!



Here's a look into my shop ...