Saturday, July 25, 2015

Whats on My Bench

Hello and welcome to another edition of Whats on My Bench! Today, JET Team member and new mother Trace of TraceDesigns explains why her bench tools have been replaced with some rather unconventional jewelry-making items!

If you’ve checked out my bench these day’s you’d be a bit surprised about what you see. My trusty Dremel, hammer, and pliers have been replaced with diapers, burp clothes, and well, a little baby.



Just six short months ago, I gave birth to my smiling, giggly baby Danny (or D3 as many of our nearest and dearest refer to him). He arrived, a bit unexpectedly, 5 weeks early and spent just over 2 weeks in the NICU. It was a difficult time but, thanks to the amazing doctors and nurses, the little guy made it through and gets bigger and stronger every day. To say life has changed would be an understatement.



Having a kiddo around the house means I have to be much more careful and conscious about my jewelry making. I can no longer leave my “works in progress” or my “experiments” on the kitchen table (which doubles as my bench thanks to small space city living). Metal shavings and silver pieces must be promptly contained. Hammering can only happen between naps (who knew newborns slept so much) and even then mostly has to be done outdoors so as not to harm those tiny eardrums with the piercing “ting, ting, ting” sound.



Now that we’re starting to settle into a routine I can now focus on infusing the things I love back into my life on a regular basis – this includes finding time for my jewels! In the upcoming months stay tuned for designs from this fresh perspective. I can’t wait to see how this new reality will inspire and influence my work.



Who knows, soon enough this little one might be sharing in the creation process himself! I do need an apprentice ☺


Thanks for introducing us to little Danny, Trace, he's a real cutie and we love his wonderful giggly smile! We also look forward to seeing how your new "apprentice" influences (and indeed assists in) your future designs!
Val

12 comments :

Cher said...

Oh my Trace, what a cutie! The 6month photo is so adorable, he could be a model ... new Gerber baby? lol! Glad things are getting a bit easier to cope for you, new mama... and we've missed you and your new designs, so it will be fun to have you back in action ;)

cooljewelrydesign said...

WOW, Trace ... those photos are killer, esp the last one ... it's gotta change your world big time, but he may be steering you into an area you've not yet explored. The D3 collection!

jemsbyjb said...

What a lovey edition to your shop! He is beautiful and such a blessing. There is plenty of time for jewelry.

SendingLoveGallery said...

what a cutie you have, Trace!

cserpentDesigns said...

Such a cutie!

LoveStoneArts said...

Love all the baby business Trace!! Little Man will be a great help, I'm sure. Just planting that tiny seed of an idea in your head. We'll see how it works out.

WanderingJewel said...

So cute! Before you know it he'll be helping you make jewelry!

Beadsme said...

D3 is just adorable.

Mollie Ann said...

What an adorable little apprentice! Thanks Trace, for sharing!

Brooke said...

So fun to see what's on your bench and mind lately, what a little cutie!

Gambatte said...

I wouldn't mind having one of those on my workbench! He's getting to be quite the little man and before you know it, he'll be an artist himself! Such a cute blog post!

SatinDollCo said...

Trace, he's such a cutie. I can definitely see an apprentice in him.