Suburban Booty

Meet local designer, Melisa Cary of Suburban Booty, our featured designer for December. What kind of products do you create and where can people find them? I design and create one of a kind and limited edition handmade jewelry. My pieces are made from sterling silver, gold fill, antiqued brass or copper, and gunmetal with precious and semi-precious stones. Some of my favorite stones are pyrite, amber, turquoise, ruby, and paridot. I sell my work online through my website, etsy.com, Boutique Culture, various holiday events and trunk shows, at Luly Yang Couture, and custom orders where I design specifically for my exclusive clients.

What inspired you to start doing what you do? When my son was born 9 years ago, there were problems during delivery that left him with some craniofacial nerve damage, requiring him to have a feeding tube surgically placed in his stomach at 1 month old, and a tracheotomy tube for breathing at 6 months old. As a result I had to quit my lucrative career and be home with him and the nursing staff. With very limited income and a passion for jewelry, I turned making it since I couldn’t afford to buy it. My husband is a graphic designer and really pushed me with regard to design and color, resulting in my current line that include pieces with asymmetry and bold color.

What's your background and have you always been creative? Are there other artistic endeavors you're involved in? Prior to jewelry I was a Technical Headhunter during the tech boom in Seattle. I never considered myself to be creative in any way. I don’t draw, paint, play an instrument, or anything in that realm. In fact, I continued to say that I’m not creative for the first 2-3 years of designing, eventually I realized how ridiculous I sounded as I show an entire collection. 

Where do you get your ideas for your designs? Initially I looked online and in magazines at every piece of jewelry I could find. Since I am self-taught, I was busy trying to replicate what I saw. I soon realized that I would never have any different or stunning pieces until I get more unique inspiration. Now I look at architecture, paintings, and traditional adornment from Egypt, Native American’s, and Africa. 

What type of equipment do you use?  Do you make all of your pieces yourself? I have a home studio and work with many different hand tools, a torch and tumbler for silver fusing, hammer for my hammered silver, jewelry grade Ice Resin and bezels, and sterling silver and gold fill wire for wire wrapping. All of the pieces are meticulously handcrafted by me and plan to keep it that way. I have no interest in mass producing or farming my work out to cheap labor over seas. Because of this, my pieces will cost more than department store jewelry, but each pieces is unique and special and there’s no chance you’ll see your favorite necklace walk down the street on someone else. 

How do you see expanding your line in the near future? This past year I added a Bridal & Special Occasion line, as well as designing pieces to go with Luly Yang’s Spring Couture Collection. I plan to do more of that type of work along side my many custom clients. Beyond that, I plan to focus on developing a men’s line. 

Chose work do you admire? Defiantly Melissa Joy Manning and Susan Lenart Kazmer. Melissa shows great use of geodes, quartz and agate, some of my very favorite stones. Susan makes amazing pieces from found objects, another thing I really admire! 

What advice would you offer new designers entering the market? Don’t spend too much time looking at other people’s work, and find your own voice. Focus on themes and other cultures as inspiration, When I’m stumped I look at the colors and shapes in nature, everything you need to be inspired is there waiting for you. And remember that the way you see things and incorporate that into your work is your own unique perspective. You can please all of the people, and why would you want to? Find you niche and design to that specific customer. 

What is your vision for your business and where would you like to be in five years? I want to continue to grow my business, but not in quantity of pieces or sales, but in the excellence of my work and quality of my clients. My dream is to open a gallery/studio space where I can show my work, host events, and create new pieces while my family and I live above in a loft. How perfect would that be? 

Any other area of fashion you'd like to delve into? I often partner with fashion and couture designers and their collections, and I love Project Runway, so I’d have to say clothing design. 

What current trend would you like to see go away? This has nothing to do with jewelry, but I am looking forward to the day that I don’t have to see people’s butts hanging out of their pants! 

If you could have one item, new or vintage, what would it be? A Chanel suit, new or vintage.  

What item did you wear to shreds growing up? Cowboy boots! I wore them until my heels were half way up the back. My dad threw them away and I dug them out of the garbage and secretly work them some more!  

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