Slowmade: Nourishing Conversations for Jewelry Artists and Metalsmiths

In this episode, I sit down with jewelry artist Suzanne Schwartz. Suzanne shares the story behind her signature stitched metal work and how handwork, memory, and influence quietly shape her designs. We talk about how her grandmother’s love of stitching and textiles left a lasting imprint, and how that thread continues to run through her jewelry today.
The conversation also explores the realities of building a sustainable jewelry practice over time — navigating rising material costs, pricing work that takes patience, and continuing to show up year after year. Suzanne reflects on art shows, mentorship, creative doubt, and the ongoing process of making work that feels true as both an artist and a business owner.
This episode is about persistence, curiosity, and learning to trust the path you’re on — even when it unfolds slowly.

Follow Suzanne...
Instagram: @suzanne_schwartz_jewelry
Website: suzanneschwartzjewelry.com

Love the Podcast?
Support an episode: ⁠Click here to learn more!⁠
Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...
Instagram: ⁠@christinemighion⁠
Jewelry Website: ⁠christinemighion.com⁠
Slowmade: ⁠slowmadepodcast.com

In this episode of Slowmade, I’m joined by Janine DeCresenzo, a studio jeweler who has spent more than twenty years supporting herself through her craft — largely on the art show circuit.
Janine shares what it’s really been like to build a life around travel, art festivals, and face-to-face connection with customers, and what that path has taught her about community, stamina, safety, and the long game of being a working artist. We talk honestly about the physical and emotional toll of show life, how priorities shift over time, and what it looks like to step back without walking away from the work you’ve built.
Our conversation also explores Janine’s recent business shifts — leaning more into custom work, home trunk shows, and creating a model that feels more balanced and sustainable in this season of her life. We spend time talking about learning as an artist, staying curious, and even how Janine is thoughtfully exploring AI as a tool to support the business side of her work, freeing up more time for the studio.
This is a grounded, generous conversation about evolving without erasing your past, listening to what your life is asking for now, and trusting that a creative career doesn’t have to stay fixed to remain meaningful.

In this episode, we talk about:
Building a full-time jewelry career through art shows and travel

What 20+ years on the art show circuit really looks like

Safety, stamina, and self-care on the road

Choosing a slower, more balanced business model

Custom work and building deeper client relationships

Staying curious and continuing to learn as an artist

Using AI as a supportive business tool (not a creative replacement)

Playing the long game as a working artist

Connect with Janine:
Website: janinedecresenzojewelry.com

Instagram: @decresenzojwlry

Love the Podcast?
Support an episode: ⁠Click here to learn more!⁠
Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...
Instagram: ⁠@christinemighion⁠
Jewelry Website: ⁠christinemighion.com⁠
Slowmade: ⁠slowmadepodcast.com

Lately, I’ve been hearing the same question come up again and again — in DMs, emails, and quiet conversations with other jewelry artists:
Should I be working with a coach right now?
In this bonus episode, I’m sharing an honest reflection from my own experience — what I’ve learned after investing in courses, coaching, and masterminds over the years, what ultimately felt supportive (and what didn’t), and how my relationship to “business advice” has shifted in this current season.
We’ll talk about:
why support isn’t one-size-fits-all

how timing and season matter more than formulas

the difference between scaling and sustaining

and why being in community with peers can sometimes offer more clarity than expert guidance

There’s no right answer here — just an invitation to listen inward, trust your own discernment, and choose what genuinely supports you right now.
If you’re feeling uncertain, tired, or overwhelmed by the noise, I hope this episode helps you feel a little less alone — and a little more grounded as you consider your next step.

Learn more about the Slowmade Collective! My favorite place for support, community, and connection.

Love the Podcast?
Support an episode: ⁠Click here to learn more!⁠
Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...
Instagram: ⁠@christinemighion⁠
Jewelry Website: ⁠christinemighion.com⁠
Slowmade: ⁠slowmadepodcast.com

My guest today is Robin Wade and I think she has really mastered the art of weaving in story to each one of her pieces imbuing them with life and personality. I’ve loved her jewelry for a long time, but I’ve recently fallen head over heels in love with her ceramic rattles which you will hear us talk about today.
Robin’s journey as an artist began in high school, when her art teacher recognized she was going through a difficult time time and helped her work through her emotions with art. Influenced by the healing she received through her art practice and the memory of her supportive teacher, Robin began helping troubled and traumatized children find healing using art as therapy, an experience which has deeply impacted her artistic perspective. 
We talk about the intuitive process of creating art, balancing the business side of art with creativity, the importance of boundaries with custom work, and much more.
Bio:
Robin lives near the ocean in Southern California and has been an artist for many years working and teaching primarily in watercolor, sculpture, and jewelry. 
She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and has lived in Oregon and Utah. Over the years she worked with mentally ill teenagers, taught art with youth in custody teens, and taught 9th-grade art classes. She also worked for about ten years with abused, abandoned, and neglected children from birth – eighteen years of age. 
Art has always been important to Robin. It has been a way to work through personal trauma, express feelings, connect with joy, and everything in-between.
Robin continues to be moved by the human spirit. The strength and courage it can take to find one’s way through life. She wants her work to touch the heart, make someone laugh, think, and most importantly, remind them of their own inner strength. 
Robin's Instagram: ⁠@robinwadejewelry⁠
Robin on Etsy: ⁠RobinWade⁠
Stephanie Gagos Auction for Artists on Facebook

Laura Jane Bouton is one of the metalsmith’s I’ve had the pleasure of being in community with for some time now, but there was so much I really didn't know about Laura. I was simply thrilled when she agreed to share some time with me for a long overdue conversation.

Laura’s mother was a metalsmith and her son studied goldsmithing while they lived abroad in Italy, but it wasn’t until she could feel her life as she knew it heading in a different direction that she began exploring the craft. Feeling empowered by the jewelry she was creating, she took a leap to create a business and life that she could be in control of.

Laura and I talk about our shared love and emotional connection of creating one of a kind pieces and the personal fulfillment that comes from building a business in the arts. Laura shares how she navigates selling on Etsy as well as Shopify, why she loves teaching others, the unique challenges and rewards of being a self-taught artist, and of course so much more. 

Follow Laura...
Instagram: @lbouton018
Website: www.ljbjewelryshop.com
Etsy: www.ljbjewelry.etsy.com

If you are enjoying this podcast consider sharing an episode with a friend or give a one time donation. If you would love to be a part of the conversation please join us in the Slowmade Collective. Visit www.slowmadepodcast.com to learn more! Thank you so much!