About the Maker – Susan Collick

Nature as experience.

When you close your eyes what do you hear? The rustle of leaves, the soft chirping of birds and insects? Do you feel the sun on your face and the soft breeze ruffling your hair? In your happy place you might imagine yourself sitting on your deck, walking in the woods, or dangling your feet in a pool or lake, but without those sounds of nature it’s just not the same. Nature has a way of grounding us. Reminding us who’s boss and giving us immeasurable beauty and bounty. The feeling of connection is impossible to ignore.

If the outdoors was a big part of your upbringing, you probably spent your days carefree, with dirt under your nails and the sunset as your dinner bell. Always exploring, maybe adding treasures to a collection of rocks or shells? Chances are if you collected as a kid, you probably collect as an adult. Do you have a stash of rocks and shells from a recent hike, or trip to the beach? Me too.

Things really haven’t changed that much for me since I was a kid. I’ve still got a collection of treasures; each with a story to tell. Dirt under my nails, which is a hazard of the jewelry trade. I love working with my hands. Creating things. Planting and watching things grow. Being hands on is an important part of who I am. It’s really no surprise that I became an artist. The act of “making” is in my blood. It’s what feeds my soul.

Nature as inspiration.

This may surprise you, but I didn’t always make jewelry. I studied fine art at MSU, and was a graphic designer/art director for many years. What drew me to design was my love of paper, and ink. However, not just any paper, but, the kind that reminds us all that it came from an actual tree. Loaded with bits and fibers and character. How that texture and color played together was fascinating. Sometimes, all of those things combined with the right message, could be really powerful.

Like many people that work with their hands, they explore. They try new things. I’m no different and, for me, the best experiences are often the most unexpected. Who knew that curiosity about a local bead store could change my life?  It did, and those rocks collected as a child found their way back into my story as gemstones. Sometimes you stumble into who you are meant to be and if you are lucky enough, you realize it and hold on tight. Eighteen years later, and I think it’s safe to say I’m on my true path.

Where experience and inspiration come together.

At Daisy Chains Jewelry you will find jewelry heavily influenced by nature and the outdoors. Rustic influences like hammer marks, and textures that speak of jewelry made by (my)hand are purposeful. I want you to see the fingerprint of the maker. There is no shiny silver in my world, only that which has been given a history. Natural stones are painstakingly chosen for their intrinsic character and beauty. Here, the process is full of moments of discovery, details captured from the world around us, and reminders that beauty is in everything if only you look. I sincerely believe that jewelry should be worn as a tapestry of your life. Bits that have been collected over the years and worn as a story that you create. I think it’s pretty fantastic (and humbling) that we can create some of that together.

Take a moment and imagine your happy place. The sounds you hear, the warm breeze you feel. Now open your eyes and experience our current collection. See if you can imagine the journey it has taken and the story it can help you tell.