An Interview With....
Meridy
migchelbrink
What do you do when you’re not designing jewelry?
niques more than 20 years ago, when my kid
small, stringing, crimping, using simple and v
expensive supplies. I made bracelets, anklet
Mostly I work my “day job,” freelance medical tranearrings. It was a lot of fun, but when my fam
scription/editorial work, which I do from my office/ life changed after a couple of years, I just sto
studio here in my home by the river in Sacramento. doing it. I didn’t give it a whole lot of though
I also spend a lot of time hanging out with/workI discovered Etsy in 2007/2008. What, there w
ing-while-keeping-an-eye-on my 5-year-old grand- place to buy and sell handmade stuff?? Who
daughter, Kaity, while her mom’s at work (Kaity and knew?!
our daughter Rhia live with me and my husband
I had so much fun surfing all over the site, rev
Roger).
in the beauty and variety of many of the han
During my rare down time I love to read just about crafted items. I found a few wonderful ceram
anything. My latest reads include a fascinating
jewelry artists and purchased some of their i
book about NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden, over the course of about a year, and then I re
some great scary books by Gillian Flynn and Joe Hill bered that I’d made jewelry too…and I want
(Heart-Shaped Box is the best ghost story I’ve read learn to do it WELL. I read voraciously about
in years), and Clean, a terrific book on addiction. I
nique, searched the net and found tutorials,
also read a lot of books on jewelry making for infew classes at a local bead shop, worked hard
spiration and to learn new techniques and skills. I made a LOT of jewelry. Much of it will never
also love movies and a few choice TV shows (Justi- the light of day, but the rest of it’s not bad, ev
fied, True Detective, The Americans, Call the Midthough I’m constantly developing and addin
wife, Game of Thrones, and lately I’ve been known
my skills.
to be a bit obsessive over the 21st-century reboot
Have I always been creative? I guess I have.
of Doctor Who). I like to crochet and love to dance, my first short story when I was in first grade,
it’s the best exercise! If I had more time (and more
my first play (a puppet show) in second grad
discipline, to be honest), I’d play my piano more
composed my first piece of music (for piano)
and write more.
I was in sixth grade, and sketched my cat, my
dinosaurs, cartoon characters, just about any
How did you get started in jewelry design? Have
But it never really occurred to me that I was “
you always been creative?
tive”, I just liked writing stories, making up m
and drawing. It wasn’t until I was a LOT older
I learned some very basic jewelry-making techcontinued to write and compose (the drawin
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