Summerwood Charm

Emily and John, Jewelry Designers

PCC: Tell us about yourself.

Chechen Wedding Band Set

SC: My name is Emily, and I am currently an English major at a University. Reading, writing, painting, and pyrography are some of my passions- aside from making jewelry of course!

PCC: What do you create?
SC: At Summerwood Charm, we make rings, necklaces, and bracelets that are hand fashioned from rare and exotic woods, precious metals, and semi-precious stones. Our jewelry is made from- and inspired by- nature!

PCC: What made you fall in love with your craft?
SC: I was in Ireland for my birthday just last year when John, my boyfriend, presented me with a ring that he had crafted all on his own. As we are both artists, we fell in love with the idea of starting a business together. It's amazing how a simple piece can capture the beauty of nature so wonderfully.

Deer Necklace

PCC: Tell us about your process/What materials do you use?
SC: Bentwood Rings are just that- thin layers of bent wood. Our necklaces are made from hardwood, and all of the inlay designs are hand-carved by myself. Malachite and blue Mother of Pearl are by far my favorite materials for inlay!




PCC: What advice would you give to someone who wanted to pursue making a living with their art?

Glow in the Dark "Butterfly Cacoon" Necklace

SC: Presentation is key, both online and off. Clear, flattering pictures will get someone such a long way! For online sales, it is imperative to have a full inventory. This way, you will be more easy to find and you will look more well established as an artist. Selling offline is a bit more tricky- make sure to have your pieces displayed nicely. For example, our Jewelry stand was always set in soft greens and browns to accentuate the pieces that we offered. If the goal is to get consignment offers in, try to dress professionally and have a detailed description of your product laid out for you before approaching a shop owner. Business cards are super important in this process. Most of all, don't get discouraged! No matter how great your product is, it will always take time to gain admirers- so enjoy the process and keep improving! 

Giraffe Necklace

PCC: Where else can people find your jewelry?
SC: Since we are college students, John and I primarily sell online. We do have our products in a few local stores- NEST in Berlin, Md. and Enza's in Salisbury, MD are among them. We used to have a display at our local Third Friday art events, but we've picked up on sales like crazy since, so we're usually just working on orders! 




PCC: What else do you love to do?
SC: I love fairytales and tea, and generally staying home to read! On occasion I play piano, but not as much as I used to. There are just too many things to do!

PCC: How can we find you?
www.etsy.com/shop/SummerwoodCharm
www.facebook.com/SummerwoodCharm


Other jewelry from Summerwood Charm that we love:

Fairie Lantern

Fern Ring

Maple Ring with Blue Mother of Pearl 

Lotus Necklace

Padauk and Mother of Pearl Ring