Celebrating the Journey Of Nature Bound Design Co

One of the things that I have loved doing in the past on my blog is author interviews for books or series I have read. I’ve decided that I want to broaden that concept and start doing interviews for other people too. There are so many wonderfully talented individuals out there, and I want to celebrate at least some of them on my blog.

So I’ve created this new blog series that I hope to post on at least several times a month, celebrating the journeys of some interesting people I either know, or happen to meet along my own journey.

I’m going to get the ball rolling with Sophia who I met through this blog. She has a business creating handmade jewelry. I saw her products and decided I had to know more about her and her business. So I’m going to hand this over to Sophia, so she can tell you more about her journey.

I love your jewelry designs. I’m curious to know more about your business Nature Bound Design Co. Can you tell us how you got started?

I really got started through my love for nature and the outdoors.  I was born in Germany, and I was always out and about there, exploring the beautiful forests and natural areas that my part of that country had to offer.  Sometimes my family would go on long hikes as a group, and sometimes I would just spend time in the woods near my house.  I was lucky enough to live at the end of a road that terminated near a large forest, so there was plenty of nature to explore right in my backyard!  From that exploration grew a love of natural materials, like stones.

I have always been a creative type. From building things to painting and creating music, I have always felt an overwhelming urge to create. One day, I was exploring YouTube and noticed someone creating jewelry from polymer clay pieces that looked like colorful stones.  I gave this a try myself, but I found that I didn’t like the non-authentic nature of the clay or the way it smelled when baking. So I decided to try to create with the real stones that I had adored since I was young. 

Wire wrapping seemed to be one of the most popular ways to approach this, so I started devouring YouTube videos about how to wire wrap stones.  After much practice, I got good enough to feel comfortable opening an Etsy shop to sell what I had created.  Close friends were my first customers and support, and I am so thankful that they provided me a foundation to get started!

Tell us a little more about the products you make?

I create mostly wired wrapped jewelry, although I do some beaded pieces that are strung together without any kind of wirework. My hope is to start doing some projects with leather this year, since I just launched a men’s line, so I will be offering woven pieces soon as well!

What makes jewelry making so special to you?

Making jewelry is special to me for several reasons. It gives me a creative outlet, which is extremely important to me personally. Oftentimes, I put careful planning into creating a piece, so I am challenged to think about how all of the elements of the project will come together successfully right at the beginning. At other times, I have a general idea about what I want to create, and I let the piece take shape on its own as things progress. This allows me to channel a continual flow of creativity that evolves as the piece evolves. 

I also love the fact that I can connect with many of the natural materials that I use. I work with a lot of crystals and stones that are just beautiful to look at and handle. Sometimes they are in their raw form, and sometimes they are polished and shaped. Either way, there is something really “earthy” and cathartic about working with nature’s  elements. Some of the stones I work with frequently include quartz, sodalite, zincite, agate, jasper, and pearls. 

Finally, I find it special to create something that I consider art that others will treasure and wear. This really came to life when I was contacted by a client through Etsy named Heather. Tragically, Heather had just miscarried a child, and she was kind enough to request that I create a piece for her to commemorate her lost child and to help her heal. I sketched a ring for her, which I ultimately created. She was so touched by the piece, and it was a really emotional and telling moment for me. My pieces sometimes had a deep significance for people!

Is there anything else that you would like to share with us?

Besides jewelry, I have recently begun to offer goat’s milk soaps with natural elements and unique fragrances!  My hope is to keep evolving my business, while keeping my vision to be bound to nature in some way.  

Thank you Sophia for sharing your amazing journey with us! It’s sounds like you have a real passion for what you do.

You can learn more about her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. And you can find her lovely jewelry on Etsy.

Do you want to share your journey? I’m looking for anyone who has a creative streak whether it be jewelry, writing, making videos, or anything that is a passion for you. Feel free to contact me, or leave a comment below.