I believe you can find beauty anywhere. An abandoned board game, hardware left in a shed, worn out clothes, old useless keys and old ceramic tiles are some of the items I give a second chance.
I make jewelry and crafts from assembling upcycled, repurposed materials. I also write craft tutorials so you can learn to make jewelry and other crafts yourself. You can find my free jewelry and craft tutorials on my blog at Emerging Creatively Tutorials and tutorials for sale Craftsy Store.
I am inspired by nature, old abandoned buildings and objects and people who are making a difference.
Please note, I have decided to stop making jewelry to sell and instead focus on teaching and writing tutorials. I have plenty of jewelry still in stock that will be/is being list in my etsy shop. However, when it's gone, it's gone.
If you're interested in my photography and photography jewelry, check out the Outta the Way etsy shop. (Coming soon!)
Please note, I have decided to stop making jewelry to sell and instead focus on teaching and writing tutorials. I have plenty of jewelry still in stock that will be/is being list in my etsy shop. However, when it's gone, it's gone.
If you're interested in my photography and photography jewelry, check out the Outta the Way etsy shop. (Coming soon!)
Bio
I am a full-time creativity teacher and craft tutorial writer (and part-time paralegal.) I love finding ordinary objects – junk – and using them in different ways in jewelry and craft projects. I find the usefulness and beauty in items that other people might throw away.
I got started making jewelry as a child, beading any beads I could find onto elastic string. I became obsessed with music for many years and put the crafting aside.
Then I found myself in a corporate job that did not allow me to utilize my creativity. In order to escape the mundane-ness of my ordinary days, I started crafting again. Then one day I found my bag of beads from my childhood and started making jewelry again.
I am almost completely self-taught (I have taken a class here and there). I think this allows me more freedom. I believe there are so many ways to make jewelry and really express yourself and I’m not bound to traditional “rules” of making jewelry. It also has allowed me to incorporate nontraditional components into my jewelry. I dig and search for the dusty, rusty, abandoned and forgotten pieces and breathe new life into them as jewelry. I’m not bound by medium, material or technique. I think it’s all about expressing yourself.
When you wear jewelry that has been made in this way, you are expressing yourself, too, even though you didn’t make the piece. What piece you chose, how you wear jewelry with your clothing, what earrings you wear with which bracelet: are all ways of expressing yourself!
I also teach others to make jewelry. I have several eTutorials for sale and have many more in the works. (Watch the website or sign up for my tutorial newsletter to stay in the loop!) I would love to teach in your studio, art gallery or other space. Contact me (Kim@KimberlieKohler.com) and we can talk about the details.
My husband and I love to take fun road trips to out of the way places and he writes a zine –Outta the Way – about our adventures.
I am Self-Representing Artist Jewelry Designer number 975. This means that when you purchase from me, you are directly supporting the artist and the proceeds come directly to the jewelry artist. This also means when you make a purchase from me, you are keeping my lights on, food on my table and a roof over my head in a very direct way and I am so very grateful for that!
