Who Is Stephanie Jackson ?
“ I am the designer and creative artist for LACE Creations . My goal is to stretch the boundaries of what a traditional Christmas ornament should be by using semi-precious gemstones , base metals , crystals , shells , stones , and man-made materials . From this trove of materials , I have created unique ornamental designs that go far beyond the usual use of hanging on a tree one month out of the year . The “ snowflake ” designs are often mistaken for jewelry that adorn the body , which is also a testament to the quality and workmanship I strive to achieve with each handcrafted ornament . These ornaments are not mass produced , but are limited editions that are retired from production once the new collection debuts in the Fall . I hope that with every snowflake collection , I can present the next chapter in the evolution of the Christmas ornament .
My journey in ornament making began when I was a young child . I loved Christmas and the gifts but I was always enamored by the decorations . As I got older I focused on the ornaments and how they established the mood of the tree . I looked around for the most unique ornaments I could find until I no longer could find something different from what I ’ ve already owned . I then decided to try my hand at creating ornaments . The early designs were beautiful but not very creative because anyone can put flowers on a silk or glass ornament to elevate simple to dazzling .
I wanted to work with stones and glass , but the bonding materials I was using at the time would not hold such heavy materials . I elicited help from friends and spent a year learning , burning and destroying metals until I figured out how to use certain tools and apply them properly to the materials . Needless to say , that was quite a steep learning curve .
The “ unique ornamental designs ” that you see today represent the evolution of many years of hard work , determination and creativity . I start each design with a single bead or the centerpiece and continue adding components until it takes shape . Sometimes if the finished ornament is not as I envisioned , I will tweak it a bit or just start over until I am happy with the design .
Each ornament collection begins with an idea . For example , an idea can be based upon the beach , flowers or royalty . The names given to each ornament usually reflects the theme . I give names to the ornaments because I consider each ornament to be a work of art , the same way an artist names a finished painting .
I continue to search for beads and materials from all over the world to inspire my designs . I want the ornaments to be showcased around the home where it can bring the most joy to its owner . Perhaps the best compliment I have ever received was when a woman wanted to wear one of the ornaments as a pendant because it was too pretty to put on a tree !
Look for brooches to be introduced into the LACE Creations line to satisfy my customers need to wear the ornaments .”
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