Meet Barbara
Hi! Thanks so much for visiting my website! I feel so fortunate to be able to do what I love and make people happy at the same time. In addition to making jewelry, I have expanded my creative ventures and begun experimenting with embellishing hats. Leaving the “burning” of hats to others, my hats are decorated with fabrics, leather, ink, paint, stitching, and whatever else I find that complements my designs. My hats have become a bit of an obsession, and I now sell them, alongside my jewelry, at shows and here on my website.
I also enjoy teaching, and I hold metal clay workshops in the Prescott, AZ area three or four times a year. Having moved here in 2021, I am loving my new town and feel grateful for the amazing people who have made me feel welcome. The people I’ve met at the art and craft shows, my students, and my new affiliations with other artists and art organizations, give me a sense of belonging and excitement about my future in Prescott, AZ!
My Backstory:
Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, the daughter of two artists, I have always had an unquenchable desire to make. While attending Santa Barbara High School in the 70’s, I learned to fabricate sterling silver jewelry in jewelry making class. I continued to grow my skills through my college years and enjoyed wearing and gifting what I made. While attending UC Santa Barbara as an art student, I was able to learn art theory, history, and the fundamentals of design, which I now apply to my creations.
In 1985 I joined the teaching profession, and for the last twenty-two years of my career, I directed the technology program at my school in Santa Barbara. One day, an art teacher gave me a dried-up piece of silver metal clay.
After re-hydrating it and torch firing my first piece, I knew I had found my new passion. My love of ceramics and metal fabrication had found a perfect union with metal clay! It was time to create jewelry again. Sweet Cedar Jewelry Design went into business in the spring of 2010. I set up Dad’s pride and joy, a desk that his dad made for him, to use as my jeweler’s bench. Dad and Grandpa would be overjoyed to see me using this fabulously functional piece of furniture, which Grandpa made by hand for his son. Grandpa was particularly good with his hands and loved using tools, like me.
Where did “Sweet Cedar” come from? Now gone, my dogs of choice in the past were Black Labs, and my business is named after Sweet Cedar, one of my beautiful Labs. Clover, her little sister, also a Black Lab, was the crazy one and I decided that Crazy Clover would not be quite fitting for a my business. Woof!
Being a sole proprieter, I work alone, except when my newest canine, “Moose” comes in to tell me what I’m doing wrong! The video shows him giving me lots of advice.
The newest addition, Moose. Don’t know why I waited so long to have a small dog! He is AMAZING!!! Had his DNA done, he is mostly Chiwieniepoo!
